Teaching the Teacher: Faculty
Development for Freshman Seminars
Brenda Amenson-Hill, Denise Bartell, Scott Furlong, Regan Gurung,
Andrew Kersten, Donna Ritch, Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
February 9, 2009
www.uwgb.edu/1styr
FYS Program background
Part
of FOCUS Program
Very low engagement data (NSSE)
Small courses (capped at 25)
Earn General Education credit
Content based
FYS Program background
Fall
2006
◦ 6 courses
Fall
2008
◦ 15 courses
 10 interdisciplinary (“passion” courses)
 5 existing general education courses
Involvement in FYS Courses
Faculty
who seldom teach freshmen
courses
If they do, teach large courses (little
engagement)
Academic staff involvement in teaching
Faculty
development was one key for
successful FYS courses
◦ Set common objectives
◦ Millenials
◦ Communication with each other
Primary objective
Goal
was to create a faculty
development web site with training
modules
◦ Access modules to initiate a FYS
program
◦ Access individual modules to
incorporate new ideas into an existing
program