Skip to First-Year Seminar site navigationSkip to main content

FYS Courses by Topic and Section ID

< Back to All Courses

INTD 101-08 - Comedy & Satire

Tuesdays & Fridays, 9:55 – 11:35 a.m.

CRN 40373

Johanna Almiron
Adjunct Faculty

What makes something funny, funny? What role does laughter play in building community and civic society? This interdisciplinary course that explores topics and themes in various humanities fields across time and place. How has comedy and satire challenged the mores and boundaries within the social and political world? We will explore comedy in multiple genres from literary, visual, and performative modes of expression.

Download Full Syllabus

Peer Facilitators

INTD 101-09 - Women in U.S. Politics and Social Activism

Monday & Thursday, 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40085

Laura Valente
Adjunct Faculty

This course will examine the significant contributions of women in 20th and 21st Century American history to political and social movements.  From the Suffrage Movement to #MeToo, the unique achievements of women, as well as the challenges they faced, will be discussed.  We will consider not only what these women did, but the tactics they used, the societal context informing their work, the talents and strengths they exhibited, and the sacrifices they made for the greater good. Students will deepen their understanding of the external limits that were placed upon women in American society , and the ways in which women fought those limits in order to end child labor, expand civil and voting rights, provide representation in elected and appointed government positions, and increase women’s safety.

Download Full Syllabus

Peer Facilitators

INTD 101-10 - Education Today: Exploring a Career as a Teacher

Mondays & Thursdays, 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40084

Paul Semendinger
Adjunct Faculty

This first year seminar course is designed for students interested in pursuing careers as educators. The course will explore the many facets of the road to becoming a teacher. We will examine what makes a great teacher, the characteristics of great teachers, and the ways that great teachers help students succeed. Students will explore the unparalleled rewards of becoming a teacher as well as the many challenges that teachers face. This course will utilize specially selected readings to assist in class discussions on education-related issues. Guest lectures by specialists in a wide variety of educational fields will give students insights into the life of a teacher. We will use an array of technologies and other resources to expand our definitions of the 21st century classroom. This course will also demonstrate the need for educators to be capable of researching, writing about, and presenting critical issues in education. In this way we introduce the qualities, dispositions, and practices of highly successful teachers.

Download Full Syllabus

Peer Facilitators

INTD 101-11 - Human Flow: Exploration, Migration, Travel, and Creativity

Mondays & Thursdays, 11:20 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

CRN 40195

Meredith Davis
Associate Professor of Art History

The title for this FYS course comes from the remarkable film of the same name by the world-famous Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei. Like that film, this class will examine the global refugee crisis, but we’ll also confront a variety of human experiences of travel, migration and exploration. Whether studying a film about the global refugee crisis or reading an essay about tourism in the Caribbean, we’ll consider how each work explores an essential fact of human experience: that we are always on the move, and also always looking to settle down and make a “home.” Focusing on creative expression, we’ll explore the ways that artists, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, novelists and playwrights have represented the experience of travel, migration, exploration and tourism. Engaging with these creative works will offer an expanded awareness of what it means to be a global citizen and of the role of creative expression in understanding the world we live in.

Download Full Syllabus

Peer Facilitators

INTD 101-12 - A Brief History of Inventions

Mondays & Thursdays 4:10 – 5:50 p.m.

CRN 40194

Daniela Buna
Professor of Physics

A Brief History of Inventions seeks to present a short history of the most important inventions and inventors that had a profound impact on the development of humankind. It also seeks to present the often forgotten category of women inventors and discuss their access to science education and employment across times. The student will be required to read sections of a book prior to the beginning of their freshman year and be prepared to write short essays about various topics selected by the instructor, participate in class discussions and watch/comment on short documentaries on the topic of inventions.

Download Full Syllabus (PDF)

Peer Facilitators

INTD 101-13 - Mobile Photography, Window to the World: Artistic Expression and Social Engagement in the Digital Age

Tuesdays & Fridays, 6:05 – 7:45 p.m.

CRN 40091

Yolanda Del Amo
Associate Professor of Art / Photo Digital Media

Mobile image technology and social media platforms have radically changed photography and altered our society, from socio-political movements to our personal lives. While smartphone cameras are technically easier to use than traditional ones, they have as much potential to create aesthetically strong work with conceptual depth. Through photography projects, readings, written assignments and class discussions, students will produce, distribute and reflect on mobile images and their larger impact. Topics covered: understanding the advantages and limits of a smartphone camera, mobile photography as high art, camera proliferation and its social and political ramifications, digital imagery and the construction of identity. Students will utilize their mobile phones and social media platforms to complete individual and group projects.

Download Full Syllabus

Peer Facilitators

INTD 101-14 - Community Engaged Learning

Tuesdays & Fridays, 8:00 – 9:40 a.m.

CRN 48606

Gina McCormack
Adjunct Faculty

Community Engaged Learning is a freshman seminar course designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop and apply critical reading and writing skills while engaging in the examination of issues impacting both local and global communities. Through the combination of classroom discussions, hands-on service projects, reflective exercises, and research, students will develop a deeper understanding of communities and the issues facing them.

Throughout the course, students will explore societal challenges, partake in 10 hours of community engaged learning activities, reflect on their experiences, and ultimately make research-based recommendations to ameliorate an issue.  Students who enroll in this course should have an interest in exploring societal issues and a willingness to engage in hands-on service projects.   By the end of the course, students will have a foundational understanding of community engagement as a means of addressing social issues and promoting positive change. They will have developed skills in communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, and will be equipped with practical tools for engaging with and making a positive impact in their communities. 

Download Full Syllabus

Peer Facilitators