First Year Experience Seminar Courses

    

Edinboro University is committed to assisting students make an excellent transition during the first year of study.  The First-Year Experience (FYE) combines seminar courses, first-year advising opportunities, and the Common Hour to assist students in becoming oriented to the classroom, campus resources and the community.  The FYE Seminar courses have been selected to offer first-year students a small class size to encourage academic inquiry and growth.  The faculty have expertise in the subject areas and are committed to the success of first-year students.  These courses are specifically designed to acclimate students to the University and increase their overall academic success. 

Students are asked to select three courses in which they have interest.  Depending on the availability of a course and the student's curriculum and schedule, the student may be assigned one of the courses from among those of interest.

ANTH 180-Introduction to Anthropology  
3 semester hours                    T R 9:30-10:45 a.m.
This course acquaints students with the holistic approach to the study of humanity by examining four major subfields of anthropology: physical anthropology, archaeology, anthropological linguistics and cultural anthropology.  Emphasis is placed on understanding the complexity of human biological and behavioral diversity.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 4.

ENGL101- College Writing Skills
3 semester hours                    MWF 9:00- 9:50 a.m. or MWF 10:00-10:50 a.m.
This competency-based course is a study of the organization and development of ideas in written composition, beginning with the paragraph and proceeding to the full-length paper.  In this course, students develop the writing skills needed to prepare expository writing assignments, including college-level themes and essay examinations.  Concurrently, students develop the reading competencies needed for a functional understanding of the texts and other resource materials used in this course.  Prerequisite:  Successful completion of ENGL010 or English Department placement.  This course is approved for General Education-Skills.

ENGL 116-American Prose Classics
3 semester hours                    T R 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Intended for non-majors, this course examines acknowledged masterpieces of American prose from the mid 19th century to the present.  Students read selected works involving major social themes and concerns, and study the context of the cultural forces that inspired them.   This course is approved for General Education-Core 3.

ENGL 205-Multi-Ethnic American Literature
3 semester hours                    T R 11:00-12:15 p.m.
This course in ethnic literature includes representative works and writers from Native American, Hispanic, Asian American and African American communities, and traces their relationship to cultural concepts and literary movements. This course is approved for General Education-Core 5.

GEOG 145-Environmental Issues  
3 semester hours                    MWF 2:00-2:50 p.m.
This course introduces the complex environmental issues that impact American society.  Political, economic, ethical, and moral decisions about land use and resource management are viewed in historical and modern context.  The American values system and the perception of nature are discussed using case studies in environmental law, on controlling nature, and in land use conflicts.   This course is approved for General Education-Core 6.

HIST 262-History of the U.S. II
3 semester hours                    T R 11:00-12:15 p.m.
This course is a survey of the political, economic, social and cultural development of the United States from the period of Reconstruction to the present.  Emphasis is placed upon human rights in a multi-ethnic, plural world and the role of race, nation, gender and age in society.   This course is approved for General Education-Core 3.

MUSIC 103-Introduction to Music
3 semester hours                    T R 9:30-10:45 a.m.
This course introduces the student to music heard throughout the world today.  It includes Western, non-Western, folk, jazz and modern music, human biological and behavioral diversity.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 1.

PHYS 101-Physical Science
3 semester hours                    M W 9:00-10:50 a.m. or  M W 2:00-3:50 p.m.
This course introduces the classical concepts of physics with an emphasis on the understanding of their application to common phenomena encountered in today's world.  This course meets four hours per week, including a two-hour laboratory experience.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 7.

PYCH 101-General Psychology
3 semester hours                    MWF 12:00 -12:50 p.m. or MWF 1:00-1:50 p.m.
This introductory course constitutes a general survey of the history and of the facts, principles, and methods employed in the study of human behavior.   This course is approved for General Education-Core 4.

RUSS 100-Introduction to Russian Culture
3 semester hours                    T R 2:00-3:15 p.m.
This introductory course provides an overview of the culture, art, history and social mores of the Russians.  Taught entirely in English, the course focuses upon the most important areas of Russia and the Russian people.   Appropriate films readings, guest speakers and discussions supplement lectures.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 5.

FYE 100-Playing the Numbers Game
3 semester hours                    M W 3:00-4:15 p.m.
This course will begin with an introduction to critical thinking and problem solving skills.  Some of the topics of discussion include:  problem solving, numbers and their properties, infinity and beyond, geometry in our world, probability and statistics.   As time permits, games will be used throughout the course to illustrate mathematical concepts.  Prerequisite:  One of the following high school courses:  Precalculus, Trigonometry, or Calculus and  an acceptable mathematics placement test score.  Students may not receive credit for this course and Math 104.  Students who require a specific mathematics course for their major may use this course as a free elective.   This course is approved for General Education-Skills.

FYE 101-Gothic Literature
3 semester hours                    MWF 9:00-9:50 a.m.
This course will examine examples of Gothic, or horror, in literature.   Using both text and film, students will use these examples to understand how stories are created, developed and what the stories have to say about the culture in which they were created.   This course is approved for General Education-Core 1.

FYE 103-The Salem Witchcraft Trials
3 semester hours                    M 6:00-8:30 p.m.
This course studies the causes and results of the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 by examining the political, economic, and social context in which they occurred. It further analyzes the long-term effect of the witch trials through the course of U.S. history, looking at related issues and events into the modern era.  Though not required, students are strongly encouraged to participate in the October trip to Salem, Massachusetts.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 3.

FYE 103-American Stories
3 semester hours                    MWF 11:00-11:50 a.m.
As they read American literature, students will ask questions about the nature of American identities.  Examining the impact of ideas about gender, race, ethnicity, and class on conceptions of America and Americanness, students will discover the themes, concerns, and preoccupations that share the national imagination.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 3.

FYE 104-Language of Power and Terror
3 semester hours                    T R 11:00-12:15 p.m.
This course examines the language, rhetoric and ideologies promulgated by nationalist and extremist groups, with emphasis on the polices, practices and beliefs that serve as the rationale for terrorist and counter-terrorist acts. This course is approved for General
Education-Core 4.

FYE 105-Secrets of the Dead
3 semester hours                    W 6:00-8:30 p.m. 
Dead bodies can be buried, burned, preserved or eaten.  The dead can be revered, feared or studied.  This course will explore how cultures dispose of their dead and what powers they ascribe to the dead.  Using anthropological and forensic analysis, this course will examine why cultures treat corpses the way they do, and why the dead, or the undead, behave the way they do.  This course is
approved for General Education-Core 5.

FYE 105-Japanese Tea Ceremony
3 semester hours                    T R 3:30-4:45 p.m.
This course is a cross-cultural overview of a traditional art form, the Japanese tea ceremony.  Included in the study and practice of tea are related traditional Japanese arts (e.g., origami, haiku) for developing an awareness of self, place and community.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 5.

FYE 105-Sociology of Superheroes
3 semester hours                    T R  9:30-10:45 a.m.
Using the sociological perspective, this course will focus on the analysis of the socio-cultural components of diversity inherent to comic books, via the broader U.S. culture, sub-cultures, and global cultures.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 5.

FYE 107-Evolution: What the Fossils Say
3 semester hours                    MWF 11:00-11:50 a.m.
This course examines the concept of biological evolution; the diverse
and abundant evidence for evolution, particularly in the fossil record; the fundamental importance of evolution in biology, paleontology and geology; the motivation and tactics of the creationist/intelligent design movement against the recognition of evolution;  and, why it all matters.  This course is approved for General Education-Core 7.