Description of the Program
Policies and Procedures
Current and Past Seminar Offerings
Required Proposal Cover Sheet (paper version)
Required Proposal Cover Sheet (electronic version)

Note: First-Year Seminar proposals for the Spring 2009 semester are due by September 22, 2008.

Description of the Program
First-year seminars, offered in both the fall and the spring semesters, provide a special opportunity for first-year students.

The courses introduce first-year students to the intellectual life of the University of Iowa, providing an opportunity to work closely with a faculty member.

The seminars are designed to help students make the transition to college-level learning through a mastery of the content of the seminar and through active participation in their own learning.

First-Year Seminars are limited to 15 or 16 students and are taught by University of Iowa faculty members. Occasionally, a seminar is team-taught and some include guest lecturers. Some seminars also include the participation of a junior or senior level student who serves as a peer mentor.

Each seminar meets at least once a week and may also include assigned activities outside of class, such as attendance at a lecture or a performance.

Seminars are always offered for one hour of credit.

Credit hours from First-Year Seminars count toward graduation as elective hours, but do not help complete the General Education Program requirements. First-Year Seminar credits may not be used to satisfy major, minor, or certificate requirements.

To encourage students' active participation, instructors rely on classroom participation, papers, projects, and other interactive assignments, and, consequently, instructors agree not to use quizzes or exams as part of the evaluation of student work.

First-Year Seminars are graded with letter grades, and all College rules for adding, dropping, and withdrawal apply, with the exception that the Second-Grade-Only option may not be used.

Students may enroll in First-Year Seminars during their first or second semester at the University of Iowa. Transfer students with more than 24 semester hours of credit when they enter UI are not eligible.

Students should not enroll in both an Honors Seminar and a First-Year Seminar in the same semester nor should they enroll in more than one first-year seminar in one semester.

A description of current and past First-Year Seminars may be found at ISIS using the key word search First-Year Seminar or at this link.

For questions and further information on the First-Year Seminar Program, contact Kathryn Hall.