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General Education
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Home
Academics
Colleges and Schools
Back to  College of Arts and Sciences
General Education

General Education

General Education Program – the Liberal Arts Inquiry

Students begin the Liberal Arts Inquiry (LAI) – the university’s General Education program - with a First-year Seminar that prepares them for success.   Students across all majors explore all students explore multiple fields of study, ways of thinking, and practices of scholarship and creativity. The LAI prepares students as critical thinkers who adapt to challenges and opportunities beyond graduation. 

See the General Education section of the current University Catalog for a detailed description of each category.

Components and Structure

The Liberal Arts Inquiry General Education program engages in practices, explores areas, and develops skills through courses with the following designations.  Many courses carry two or three designations because they combine practices and skills.  For example, a class may focus on Social Scientific (S) practice while developing Information and Media Literacy (IMLI) skills to critically Analyze Perspectives and Worldviews (APW). A  Natural Scientific (N) course will often reinforce Quantitative Reasoning (QRE) skills.

View the program structure through this helpful graphic.

 

First Year Seminar

The First Year Seminar (FYS) program serves as a bridge between high school and college learning experiences. It builds a foundation for success in college and beyond by developing essential academic skills with the help of a dedicated professor and student peer advisor.

The University’s First-Year Seminar (FYS) program connects new students with the liberal arts values and practices that are the heart of undergraduate education at U of R. FYS serves as a home base where students have space to confront increased responsibility, learn from setbacks and mistakes, and develop personal strategies to succeed. FYS professors and peer advisors collaborate to connect students with resources and skills for success and demystify college expectations during the transition from high school to college.
FYS professors are the initial academic advisors at the University, and help students choose courses and chart an academic path. Peer advisors are nominated by faculty and are trained in academic peer mentoring. As current students, they help new students navigate the university from a student perspective.
Students meet their FYS professor and peer advisor during New Student Orientation. Each FYS continues throughout the fall semester, creating a uniting and unique experience for incoming students.