General Education

First Year Experience - Request for Proposals

The University of Michigan-Flint General Education Curriculum Advisory Committee (GECAC) hereby issues a request for proposals (RFP) for First Year Experience (FYE) courses.

Structure: Proposals on any theme are encouraged. FYE courses may be offered by teams of faculty or by individual faculty members (25 students per faculty member). Courses may be offered for 3 or 4 credits (load implications determined at the unit level).

Requirements: All FYE proposals must address the Learning Outcomes enumerated at the end of each paragraph below. Proposals should also describe how the learning outcomes will be assessed (see suggested assessment methods linked to the learning outcomes document attached to this update).

An FYE must be multidisciplinary in the sense that it approaches its theme from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Proposals offered by individual faculty members may meet this requirement by using materials or approaches generated by disciplines other than their home discipline. The committee expects that this will result in partial fulfillment of Learning Outcome #10, “Use of multiple perspectives and methodologies to analyze real or hypothetical problems.”

The FYE should devote a portion of its focus to orienting students to higher education in general and UM-Flint in particular. Part of this orientation to higher education should be specific to UM-Flint and involve exposure to local procedures, locations, and resources. The rest of the orientation process is a more general socialization into the expectations of higher education. The committee expects this aspect of the course to be an element in the fulfillment of Learning Outcome #1, “Reflect on one’s own learning processes.”

The FYE must contain a research and writing component. The previous pilot courses report successful use of a semester long group project. Such a project would be one way of fulfilling the research component of the mandate, but other approaches are acceptable. The key point is that students begin their exposure to research and writing at the college level. The committee envisions this requirement as a first pass at Learning Outcome #2, “Demonstrate facility with research methods” and #5, “Produce competent written work.”

The FYE must include a civic engagement component. This may take the form of service learning or community involvement. It may also take the form of reflection upon the larger socio-political implications of the topic under study. The committee sees this requirement as part of the completion of Learning Outcome #12, “Apply knowledge to complex issues such as social justice, globalization, economic growth and distribution, environmental sustainability, public health, etc., in increasingly broad spheres of influence.”

Proposal Submittal Form

Proposed First Year Experience (FYE) Course

Title of Proposed First Year Experience (FYE) Course:

Names and Disciplines of participating faculty:

Faculty Member: / Department/Discipline:

Please identify one participating faculty member who will serve as the primary contact for the course:

Number of credits (3-4):

Course Theme (What is this course about?):

Please describe on the attached form, how the course will address the learning outcomes described in the Request for Proposals, and indicate which tools for assessment will be used.

REQUESTED BY:
______
Department Chair Date
______
Dean Date
______
Department Chair (cross-listed department) Date
______
Dean (cross-listed department)Date
______
GECAC Date / REVIEWED BY:
______
Provost Date
______
Catalog Coordinator (Registrar’s Office) Date

Proposals should be submitted to unit curriculum committees per regular unit procedures. Upon approval of the curriculum committee, proposals should be forwarded to Roy Barnes, Coordinator, General Education, 517 FH.

First Year Experience Learning Outcomes Form

Course Title:
Department: / Course Prefix: UNV / Course Number: 100

Please rank the top three learning outcomes:

LO# ____ Most importantLO# ____ Second most importantLO# ____ Third most important

No. 1 / Learning Outcome:Reflect on one’s own learning processes
Narrative:
Assessment tools:
No. 2 / Learning Outcome: Demonstrate facility with research methods
Narrative:
Assessment tools:
No. 5 / Learning Outcome: Produce competent written work
Narrative:
Assessment tools:
No. 10 / Learning Outcome: Use of multiple perspectives and methodologies to analyze real or hypothetical problems
Narrative:
Assessment tools:
No. 12 / Learning Outcome: Apply knowledge to complex issues
Narrative:
Assessment tools: