Syllabus Checklist

FYS Syllabus Checklist

As you prepare your FYS, please consult the FYS for Faculty LibGuide.

Does your syllabus include the following required elements?

___ The course number: CORE 100

___ The FYS Goals and SLOs (see below)

___ A brief introduction to the idea of the greater good and how students in this course will explore or contribute to it

___ An explicit statement that the course is part of the First-Year Experience at Xavier that includes Manresa, the First-Year Co-Curricular Program, peer mentoring, and other Core Courses

___ An explanation that the course is a seminar (i.e. students are expected to talk with each other about the material)

___ A reading list of challenging texts

___ An assignment in which students do library research and build information literacy skills

___ An appropriate amount of writing (we recommend about 15 pages total, plus informal assignments)

___ Assignments in which students develop arguments that are supported with evidence

___ An appropriate amount of reading (we recommend a length that will challenge student expectations, but that can be reasonably discussed during the class period)

___ An explicit explanation of how you will mentor students (personal meetings about their writing, out of class dinners or events, etc.)

___ An explicit explanation of how students will explore their vocation (personal meetings about vocation, class assignments, out-of-class events, etc.)

___ An explicit statement of the multiple disciplines that your readings and assignments will draw upon

___ Classroom policies that set a high bar for student expectations and define student success, yet meet students where they are as first-year students.

Have you considered the following recommended elements?

___ A poster or oral presentation for The Flame, the end-of-semester celebration of student learning

___ Attendance at FYS events, The Spark and The Flame, as a requirement or extra credit, with a follow-up discussion in class

___ Attendance at campus events, including relevant E/RS events

___ Explicit mention of the University Library Prize for the FYS student work that makes the best use of library resources

___ A conversation on the first day and throughout the semester on why this is a Core course and how it connects to other courses. This will help students see the value in FYS and invest more in your course.

___ Explicit conversation throughout the semester in which you model excitement about learning and exploring

Goals. Students will...

 

• Become engaged in intellectually challenging and interesting questions and problems.
• Develop strong mentoring relationships with faculty in and out of the classroom.
• Join the community of scholars at Xavier University.
• Establish a solid foundation on which subsequent Core Curriculum courses will build.
• Engage with a common theme across all semesters: The Greater Good.

 

Student Learning Outcomes. Students will...

• Core 1b: Apply the approaches of multiple disciplines to a significant issue.
• Core 6b: Articulate the evolution of their vocation and aspirations to contribute to the world. In FYS, this includes:
  • Introducing students to the idea of vocation 
  • Guiding students in thinking about how vocation and career might overlap  
  • Discussing vocation as part of mentoring conversations and in the context of our Jesuit identity and focus on solidarity, kinship, and service
• Core 3a: Identify and critically assess multiple dimensions of an ethical issue in an attempt to reach a conclusion. In FYS, this includes***:
  • Interpreting challenging readings.
  • Employing effective library research and information literacy skills.
  • Constructing arguments supported with evidence.

Revised: August 23, 2018