First-Year Seminar (FYS100) Course Information

A page within Faculty Senate

FYS Information

  • Living on the Edge: Organisms in Extreme Environments 
  • Is My Midwest Showing: The Myth and Reality of Place 
  • Psi-Files: Science Examines the Paranormal 
  • Doctors, Shamans, Bonesetters: Patients & Healers Around the World 
  • Pseudoscience in Food: Trends without Scientific Basis 
  • Gender and U.S. Sport: Reproducers, Resistors, and Disruptors 
  • Serious Comedy: Humor as Empathy, Therapy, and Protest 
  • How to Watch a Movie: The Language of Cinema 
  • Freshwater: the most important natural resource on Earth 
  • Terrorist or Freedom Fighter?: Violence around the world 
  • Ancient Mysteries, Modern Controversies: Archaeology & Pseudoscientific Ideas 
  • Micro Machines: Can Germs Save the Planet? 
  • God and Gigabites: Religion in the Digital Age 
  • It's OK to swallow your gum!: Health myths that will shock you 
  • The Genius of Women:  Innovators, Artists, Disruptors 
  • Mindfulness in Nature: Restoring Health in a Busy World 
  • The Real Toy Story: How toys influence our view of the world  
  • Gossip, Rumors, & Lies: How Our Words Affect Others 
  • Irresistible: The Psychology of Addictive Technology 
  • Tweets, Memes & Live Streams: Celebrity Politics and Communication 
  • Booze, naps, and bacon: Advice for living from the world’s oldest old 

You can search for current sections and topics of FYS 100 in WINGS by using the instructions in this document.

FYS 100 Online Modules (=Common Experiences)

These modules will each span two weeks, and the content will be made available to FYS100 instructors in Canvas to integrate into the their specific seminar course. For more information about the FYS100 course, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page. 

  • FYS Common Experience 1: Involvement
    • By the end of this unit students will
      • understand the value of student engagement in organizations, activities, and recreation
      • identify campus resources related to academics, health, safety, and involvement
  • FYS Common Experience 2: Belonging
    • By the end of this unit students will
      • recognize that doubts about belonging are normal in college
      • describe the experiences that develop feelings of belonging
      • develop strategies forapproaching professors and making connections with other students on campus
  • FYS Common Experience 3: Learning
    • By the end of this unit students will
      • understand the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset
      • apply growth mindset to understand the path to academic success in college
      • develop learning and study strategies 
  • FYS Common Experience 4: General Education
    • By the end of this unit students will
      • understand that the General Education curriculum is built to develop skills and knowledge necessary to learn, adapt, and flourish in a complex, cross-cultural, and rapidly changing world. 
      • apply the learning outcomes built into General Education to understand how theydevelop students’ capacities for creativity, collaboration, and civic engagement 
      • examine the value of a liberal education for both the self and society 
  • FYS Common Experience 5: Planning
    • By the end of this unit students will
      • articulate how their interests relate to selecting a major
      • explain how majors relate to different career fields
      • delineate various career competencies and how they are fostered in the college environment
  • FYS Common Experience 6: Money
    • By the end of this unit students will
      • explain basic financial concepts and how these apply to their lives as students
      • demonstrate where they can locate scholarship opportunities on the Financial Aid and Foundationwebsites 
  • FYS Common Experience 7: Conclusion
    • By the end of this unit students will
      • explain how course activities and lessons contributed to their understanding of what it means to be a part of a campus community
      • identify strategies for improving their self, the campus community, or society through involvement and leadership