BGSU 1910: FIRST YEAR SEMINAR Fall 2015
Brief Overview
The BGSU 1910 First Year Seminar program offers first time, first year students opportunities to explore
an academic topic of interest to involve them in the academic life and community engagement
expectations of the university. Offered in a variety of intriguing topics by faculty in their area of
scholarship, the seminars are limited to 20 students each. Goals include engaging students in the
intellectual life of the university and the relevance of the seminar topic, connecting them with a faculty
member and peers in the class, and involving them in appropriate co-curricular opportunities. Best
practices will include experiential activities and projects, including those that introduce students to
community engagement learning outcomes. Faculty and students will meet the Friday of Opening
Weekend for 3-4 hours of class time.
The Course
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BGSU 1910 classes will begin on Friday of Opening Weekend
Seminar Topics will be chosen by each faculty member in his or her area of scholarship.
Elective, one credit hour, academically focused seminar style course.
Sections limited to 20 first time, first year students.
Taught by faculty recognized as high quality instructors who will work successfully with first year
students.
Face-to-face, meeting weekly.
Graded (no pass-fail or auditing) with appropriate academic rigor.
Engaging, experiential, active learning approaches
The Faculty
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Strong teaching faculty who have a scholarly research program (or equivalent); can include
faculty-administrators (e.g., department chairs) and emeriti faculty.
Faculty participation is completely voluntary.
Typically, faculty will be teaching the seminar in addition to their standard workload and will
receive supplemental compensation for one credit hour at the standard overload rate.
Expectations
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Students are expected to attend several campus or community events to become familiar with
campus and community resources.
Courses should employ engaging, active learning pedagogies, high impact practices, and
appropriate assessment.
Each seminar should include several BGSU 1910 learning outcomes; instructors are expected to
use Canvas, progress reporting, and to provide assignments that assess the learning outcomes.
Workshops, consultations, and instructional design support will be available to instructors.
Process
• Faculty will be invited to submit proposals this semester Fall 2014
• A representative advisory committee will evaluate and select proposals. The advisory committee
members will be representatives from the Main campus colleges that deal with first year
students.
• Center for Faculty Excellence will offer workshops, consultations, and related support.
FAQs
What is the BGSU 1910: First Year Seminar?
The BGSU 1910: First Year Seminar is a one-hour, small, seminar style class that first year, first time
students will be able to elect to take in Fall 2015. The course provides students opportunities to work
closely with a professor and fellow students on a topic of the faculty member’s choice. It enables
students to engage intellectually in a challenging experience from the start of their college career and to
appreciate the relevance of the course topic outside the classroom and to the community. Goals include
engaging students in the intellectual life of the university and the relevance of the seminar topic,
connecting them with a faculty member and peers in the class, and involving them in appropriate cocurricular opportunities. Best practices will include experiential activities and projects, including those
that introduce students to community engagement learning outcomes.
Each section of BGSU 1910 will meet for 3-4 hours the Friday of Opening Weekend in Fall 2015. This
time will be devoted to experiential learning activities. Examples include hands-on projects, “try-it”
service learning or community engagement activities, field trips, simulation experiences, problemsolving activities, speakers from the community, or other exploratory or discovery activities aimed at
engaging the students with the topic of study, with you, and with their peers. Instructors may wish to
collaborate on activities across sections, as well.
The BGSU 1910 faculty will be among our best teacher-scholars. The seminar is intended to connect
students with faculty in ways that may lead to mentoring and advising relationships with some students.
This could involve undergraduate research, service learning, or other means of extended engagement.
Is BGSU 1910 part of the BG-Perspectives, general education requirements?
No, not at this time.
Who determines the content of a BGSU 1910: First Year Seminar?
Each seminar will have a different topic, with some shared learning goals. Faculty will propose seminar
topics tied to their research and scholarly activities. Faculty have a great deal of freedom in choosing a
topic to propose for the course. It should be an interesting, engaging topic that the faculty member
would love to teach about and for which their enthusiasm would invite students’ interest and
engagement in a small class setting. The class should include an understanding of how the subject
matter is relevant outside the classroom.
How long do the seminars meet and for how many weeks?
Each seminar is worth one-credit hour of elective credit and is capped at 20 students. Faculty and
students will meet for 3-4 hours worth of the course on the Friday of Opening Weekend. This means
that the course will end 3-4 weeks early during the semester.
Who is eligible to teach a BGSU 1910 First Year Seminar?
BGSU 1910 seminars will be taught by faculty (or emeriti) from across the University who are engaged in
a program of scholarship or the equivalent. Each seminar is unique and should be designed to introduce
our newest students to the idea of scholarship and intellectual pursuit at a university as well as the
relevancy of the subject matter to the larger community. The faculty also should be effective, studentcentered teachers who successfully engage and connect with students.
Can the course be taught online?
No. The goals are best met through face-to-face interactions with the instructor. That said, it is perfectly
acceptable to supplement with online tools. Faculty also are encouraged to use online tools to help stay
connected with students between once a week class sessions.
How are faculty to be compensated?
Typically, faculty will be teaching the seminar in addition to their standard workload and will receive
supplemental compensation for one credit hour at the standard overload rate.
What process is to be used to select the seminars for Fall 2015?
Interested faculty will be invited to propose a seminar. An advisory committee will select proposals, and
circle back with selected faculty about time and location. Faculty will start to meet as a group before the
end of Spring semester to prepare for the subsequent Fall.
How does a faculty member propose a seminar?
A proposal outline is provided. Essentially, it asks the faculty member to provide a title that will generate
student interest, a 150-word description of the course, and a brief description of the engagement
approaches to be used in the class. It also asks for a teaching/scholarship biosketch, agreement to
attend a support sessions or workshops, and agreement to provide feedback about the experience. See
the example titles and course descriptions attached to this document.
When are the proposals due?
1. Early Submission: Wednesday, December 10, 2014 by 5 pm.
2. Regular Submission: Wednesday, January 14, 2015, by 5 pm.
What will the advisory committee look for in a seminar course and instructor?
• Intriguing topic that will appeal to, and have relevancy for, first year students.
• Student-centered, active learning pedagogy with particular interest in community engagement
activities.
• Evidence that the instructor will engage and connect successfully with first year students.
• Engagement in scholarly activity and enthusiasm for sharing it with students.
• Willingness to spend some out of class time with students.
• Time enough to teach the course in Fall 2015, given that typically, faculty will be teaching the
seminar in addition to their standard workload.
• Willingness to follow some general, reasonable expectations (e.g., use best practices in Canvas;
use progress reporting; include several seminar-wide learning outcomes).
• Willingness to give feedback and support evaluation of the seminars during and after the
semester.
Who will be on the advisory committee?
Members will include representation from each college involved with first year students and their
transition to college. The chair will be the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.
How will the time and location of the course be determined?
A set of times that fit within the standard scheduling grid will be set up. Faculty who are teaching a
seminar will be invited to identify several of those times when they could teach the course. We will work
with the Registrar and Room Scheduling to identify time/space for each seminar.
Are there funds for out-of-class activities?
There will be a pool of funds available for engagement activities (usually out-of-the-classroom). Faculty
instructing a seminar will be eligible to request funding.
Is there a master syllabus?
Yes. The master syllabus indicates several learning outcomes that belong in every BGSU 1910 seminar.
Those learning outcomes will involve encouraging students to “engage, connect, and explore”. The
learning outcomes will reflect the goals of engaging students in meaningful dialog with the professor by
actively reflecting on the topic and its relevance to ordinary life, connecting students with the faculty
member and fellow students, and exploring the rich array of co-curricular learning opportunities at
BGSU and opportunities for community service. Faculty will be encouraged to add one to three
additional learning outcomes of their own choosing.
How is the seminar graded?
The seminar will have A-F grading (no pass-fail, no audit). Faculty are expected to engage students in an
appropriately rigorous course.
What course development support will be provided to the faculty?
The Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) will offer a series of workshops to support instructors in
developing their courses and course delivery approaches. Instructional design support, Canvas training,
and other support will be available through the CFE in 202 University Hall. Paul Cesarini is the Executive
Director for the CFE.
What will students see and how will they be advised?
A list of the offerings will be provided: seminar title, seminar description, name and brief biosketch of
the faculty member. Prior to coming to summer registration, students will be asked to complete a
worksheet identifying several sections of the course they are interested in. Registration advisors will
assist students in making their final selection. Students will be eligible to take any of the courses as they
are not restricted to courses in their college or major.
Will the seminars seats be allocated so there are some available across SOAR sessions? Who will load
the seminars into the course scheduling system?
The plan is to reserve seats across SOAR sessions. Loading the courses into the scheduling system will be
handled centrally, through the Office of Undergraduate Education.
Can any student take one of these seminars? Can they take more than one?
No. It is intended only for first year students. A student may register for only one of these seminars.
Will students be able to drop a seminar or repeat it?
Yes. Students may drop a seminar, just like any other class. Typically, a student will not be eligible to
repeat a seminar in a different term.
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Fall 2014 BGSU 1910 Pilot sections: example 150-word descriptions and biosketches
Fighting the Uphill Battle: Using Exercise Science to Combat Health & Fitness Myths
Instructor: Matt Laurent
If you’ve ever come across a commercial or infomercial touting ‘the next big thing’ in weight loss or
fitness and wondered, “Does it work?” this may be just the course for you! From miracle cures, magic
potions and pills, to popular workout routines we will systematically analyze these claims and figure out
whether they are legitimate or not. Learn about scientifically supported successful weight management
and physical fitness strategies used by qualified exercise and fitness professionals in advising their
clients. Learn to recognize health and fitness quackery, fads, and myths and identify pseudo-scientific
messages about fitness and health. The class will involve discussion and engaging activities designed to
help you learn to think critically and communicate effectively about the topic. (120 words)
Instructor Biosketch:
Dr. Matt Laurent, PhD, CSCS is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science in the School of Human
Movement, Sport, and Leisure Studies. He teaches courses in Exercise Physiology, Exercise Testing and
Prescription and Sport and Conditioning. His research also has been highlighted in Shape, Women’s
Health, Men’s Health, and Runner’s World and he has been an invited guest on nationally syndicated
radio shows such as Sirius XM’s Doctor Radio.
The Last Days of Mankind: WWI in Literature and Film
Instructor: Geoff Howes
It has been 100 years since the “guns of August” 1914, but effects of “The Great War,” the first fully
industrialized war, are still being felt. We will examine social and cultural causes and effects of the war,
so that students can understand and critically evaluate the media response to the centennial in 20142018. By looking at the culture of “the enemy” at the time—the German and Austro-Hungarian
Empires—students will learn to move beyond simplistic good-guy/bad-guy portrayals of the belligerent
nations. Students will analyze literary texts, film, and popular culture from the time of the “war to end
all wars” and the decades after, with emphasis on German and Austrian examples. Example learning
activities include BGSU’s International Film Series, guest speakers, a visit to the Jerome Library’s Center
for Archival Collections, and monitoring media responses to the World War I centennial. (143 words)
Instructor Biosketch:
Dr. Geoff Howes has taught German language, culture, and literature at BGSU since 1986, including
“German Culture and Civilization,” senior seminars on German history through literature, and graduate
seminars on the German and Austrian empires as reflected in literature. He has published widely on
Austrian literature and culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including the relevant
authors Karl Kraus, Robert Musil and Joseph Roth, and is an active literary translator.
The Politics of Sex
Instructor: Sarah Rainey
Although some aspects of sex may be “natural,” sex is largely socially constructed. What counts as sex,
how it is practiced, and even how it is experienced changes over time and across cultures. This course
explores some of the contemporary politics that shape sex and sexuality at the present moment.
Students will write and curate a course blog about sexual politics at BGSU. Students will learn to
compare sexuality cross-culturally and historically, describe how sexuality intersects with aspects of
identity, explain sexual politics in contemporary events and popular texts, and develop writing and
teamwork skills as they work on a class blog. (102 words)
The Psychology of Social Media: You Are What You Post
Instructor: Mike Zickar
People are spending more time online, using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
Pinterest, and Instagram to connect with friends, to network for job opportunities, and to express their
individual personalities in ways that may be difficult in face-to-face interactions. Given that the rise of
social media is relatively new, the psychology of social media is just being developed. In this course, we
will explore new research on the psychology of social media. Our specific theme is how someone’s
personality is related to their online behavior. A few topics that we will explore are social media
addiction, online relationships, and how the interpretation of online behavior differs across individuals.
We will also work on research that Dr. Zickar is conducting about the use of social media to judge the
employability of individuals. (134 words)
Instructor Biosketch:
Dr. Michael Zickar is Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Department. He received his PhD from
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in industrial-organizational psychology. He has served on the
Executive Board of the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology and has published over 50 peerreviewed journal articles and book chapters on topics ranging from statistical theory, history of
psychology, personality theory, and Hollywood film directors. He is a recovering social media addict.
Flight, Fight, or Freeze: The Impact of Stress and Trauma Across the Lifespan
Instructors: Marie Huff and Nancy Orel
Did you know that stress and trauma can affect your health, your relationships, your work, your
academic performance, and even your life choices? Under stress, do you tend to fight, take flight or
freeze? Because everyone has (or will) experience stress and/or psychological trauma during their
lifetime, students in this course will learn to recognize “typical” reactions to stress/trauma as well as
develop healthier coping skills. The course will include active learning activities and regular guest
speakers from the community who are working with individuals who have experienced traumatic events
(e.g., counselors, social workers, paramedics, nurses, police officers, etc.). (99 words)
Instructor Biosketch:
This course will be co-taught by Dr. Marie Huff (Dean of the College of Health and Human Services) and
Associate Dean Nancy Orel. Dr. Huff has a doctorate in social work and has over ten years of practice
experience working with adolescents and their families in mental health settings. She has taught social
work practice courses and specific courses on vicarious trauma. Dr. Orel has a doctorate in counseling
psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 15 years of clinical experience working
with older adults and their families. As a Professor within the Gerontology Program, she has taught
courses focusing on diversity in the experience of aging and specific courses on crisis intervention. Dr.
Orel has also developed and sustained strong relationships with community partnerships for servicelearning projects, internships, and collaborative programs and research.
Additional BGSU Examples:
• Dust in the Wind: A Stardust Journey
• Hoagies, Grinders or Subs, What’s for Lunch?
• Matching Faces with Places: Campus History with President Mazey
• Dreaming of Ouroboros: Reflections of Symmetry in Art, Life and Molecules
• The Irresistible Power of Storytelling
• What IF? Scientific Explanations for the Big and Not So Big Questions in Every Day Life
• Materialism and You: Can Possessions Bring Happiness?
From University of Georgia 2014 (and more at https://fyo.uga.edu/BrowseSearchMain.aspx)