Furman University

190.7 First Year Seminar Oversight Committee Operating Procedures

190.7 First Year Seminar Oversight Committee Operating Procedures

A. Background

In November 2005, the Furman faculty approved, as part of the Curriculum Review Committee proposal, the recommendation to establish the First Year Seminar (FYS) Oversight Committee as a standing faculty committee charged with the administration of the FYS Program.

B. Policy

The First Year Seminar Oversight Committee will be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the First Year Seminar Program, with particular attention to the following areas: course recommendation; course development; faculty recruitment to the program; scheduling the appropriate balance of regular seminars (FYS) and Writing seminars (FYW); ongoing evaluation of the program's effectiveness; support for faculty in the program; and disbursements of funds for support of the program in general as well as of individual seminars.

C. Guidelines

1. Course Recommendation. The Committee will examine FYS and FYW course proposals and make recommendations for approval to the Curriculum Committee. Proposals that are not recommended by the FYS Oversight Committee will be returned to the proposer with recommendations for resubmission.

2. Course Development. The Committee will make recommendations and offer advice to faculty who are interested in participating in the FYS/FYW Program. Such advice and recommendations might include suggestions for strengthening a course proposal, arranging contacts with other FYS faculty for possible clustering or other cooperative ventures, and suggestions for consultation with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) or the Library staff about pedagogical or information-fluency concerns.

3. Recruitment. The Committee will maintain annual contact with department chairs in order to ensure that sufficient numbers of faculty are available to staff the program on an ongoing basis. The Committee's goal will be to involve faculty from all academic departments and to maintain advance planning for up to four years.

4. Scheduling. The Committee will work with the Associate Dean for Academic Records and University Registrar to ensure appropriate balance in the scheduling of FY Seminars across semesters and to ensure the maintenance of appropriate proportions of FYS offerings to FYW offerings in each semester.

5. Evaluation. The Committee shall construct and administer appropriate instruments of evaluation for effectively monitoring the overall strength of the program.

6. Faculty Support. The Committee, with the help of CTL, shall provide opportunities for faculty who participate in the program to develop and refine the teaching skills required by the FYS and FYW formats. These opportunities might include (without being limited to) workshops, small-group discussion sessions, individual advice sessions, and panel discussions. Such opportunities will be scheduled at various times throughout the academic year, as well as in the summers.

7. Funding for Program Support. With funds provided annually by the Provost, the Committee will construct a budget through which to fund, with stipends and other resources, the support activities outlined in Guideline 6. It may also make funds available for the development of individual, team-taught or clustered seminars that participating faculty may apply for via procedures established by the Committee.

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