First Year Seminar

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.

First Year Seminar List

A complete list of First Year Seminars are shown below. Please follow these four tips when selecting seminars of interest:
  1. The title doesn’t tell the whole story. Click on the seminar title for a full seminar description.
  2. Keep an open mind. None of these seminars require prior knowledge of the subject, and they are not gateway courses to particular majors or minors. This is a great opportunity to try something new!
  3. Pay close attention to unique course requirements, such as unusual meeting times and special requirements.
  4. Choose 10 seminars. Please note that we are not asking you to rank your choices; simply choose the ten seminars that intrigue you the most. When you are ready to make your selections, go here.

Johnston Center First Year Seminar

If you have been accepted into the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, please indicate this designated Johnston seminar as your only choice.

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Community Events outside of classroom time.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Kelly Hankin

Section Seminar Title Meeting Time Fee
FS 01 Johnston First Year Seminar - Creating an Intentional Education Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A

Music Majors & Minors First Year Seminar

If you have been accepted into the School of Music, please indicate this designated Music seminar as your only choice.

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • N/A
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Anthony Suter

Section Seminar Title Meeting Time Fee
FS 02 Music First Year Seminar Tues/Thurs 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM N/A

Fall First Year Seminars

The following seminars are open to all incoming students in the College of Arts & Sciences.

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • Required attendance to Department Productions and some additional events to be determined.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Gregory Ramos

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • Field Trip(s) with alternative assignments as an option for students unable to participate in off-campus field trips.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Lei Lani Stelle

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. William Southworth

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Field trip to Pasadena in connection with "Parable of the Sower"
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Kathryn Tucker

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Wes Bernardini

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 1:15pm - 2:30pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. James Spee

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • Weekends: 2 out of 3 off-campus hikes required, trip to Pasadena. Evenings: 2 out of three movie nights required.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Heather King

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues. 10:50-12:05 (LEC); TH 9:25-12:05 (LAB)
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Alan DeWeerd

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 9:25 am - 12:05 pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Munro Galloway

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Alisa Slaughter

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • • Utilize tools and machinery in the makerspace. • One off campus field trip
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Iyan Barrera-Sandri

Students would read the Parable of the Sower and then using the makerspace tools create an artifact that would fit in the world.

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Students will be assigned to a debate team to participate in, in-class debates. Students will be required to participate in a debate watch.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Renee Van Vechten

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • May include 1-2 off campus field trips and optional tastings.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. James Blauth

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 9:25 am - 12:05 pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • I plan to have a couple of labs involving dogs, so having an allergy to dogs may prevent you from participating in that.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Candace Glendening

Note the class is 2 hours 40 min long. At least part of each class will be spent doing some sort of lab activity. I plan to have a couple of labs involving dogs, so having an allergy to dogs may prevent you from participating in that.

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Cell-phone-style camera and audio recording device, if possible.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Denise MacNeil

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • - some physical activity - off campus trips - opportunity to become familiar with spatial tools and state of the art mapping technologies.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Lillian Larsen

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Potential Field Trip(s). Laptop encouraged but not required.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. John Glover

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Required Museum Field Trip
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Althea Sircar

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Steven Morics

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Eric McLaughlin

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Jennifer Nelson

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Please have laptop or tablet for class; some light physical activity included.
  • Instructors:
  • Professor Suzette Soboti

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Ross Conkey

  • Meeting Time:
  • Mon/Wed. 9:25am - 10:40am
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Arthur Svenson

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Samantha Sterba

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • n/a
  • Special Required Features:
  • Possible moderate physical activity. All students can be accommodated.
  • Instructors:
  • Professor Tom Whittemore

  • Meeting Time:
  • Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • Local Field Trips - Walking off campus or riding the Arrow Train.
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Shellie Zias-Roe

  • Meeting Time:
  • Mon/Wed. 9:25am - 10:40am
  • Fee:
  • N/A
  • Special Required Features:
  • n/a
  • Instructors:
  • Dr. Rudi Whitmore

Section Seminar Title Meeting Time Fee
FS 26 Solo Performance - Culture, Expression, Transformation Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 19 The Human-Animal Bond Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 07 Business Communication Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 24 Education and Equity Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 04 Atlantis, Aliens, and Archaeology Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 32 Introduction to Sustainable Business Tues/Thurs 1:15pm - 2:30pm N/A
FS 21 Telling our Futures Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 20 Seeing the Light Tues. 10:50-12:05 (LEC); TH 9:25-12:05 (LAB) n/a
FS 23 Possible Endings: Graphic Novels, Dystopian Futures Tues/Thurs 9:25 am - 12:05 pm N/A
FS 10 The Writer as Witness Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 27 'Making' in College Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 31 Dynamics of Presidential Power Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 15 Stimulating Beverages: Coffee, Tea, Cocoa, etc. Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 14 Using Dogs to Illustrate Genetic Principles Tues/Thurs 9:25 am - 12:05 pm n/a
FS 29 Literature, Leadership, & Business Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 22 Redrawing the Map of Religion Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 06 Mapping History and the Humanities Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 13 Politics of Survival Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 18 Mathematics and Political Choice Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 12 Democracy in Dark Times Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 03 Imagined Communities: Gender, Sexuality, and Race in Dystopia/Utopia Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 25 The Leadership Moment: Lessons for Life Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 28 The Apocalypse in Media Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 11 Take the Constitution Seriously Mon/Wed. 9:25am - 10:40am n/a
FS 09 Demystifying Economics Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 16 Exploring Life Journeys Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm n/a
FS 05 Civic Ecological Practices Tues/Thurs 10:50am - 12:05pm N/A
FS 30 Sexual Literacy in an Age of Misinformation Mon/Wed. 9:25am - 10:40am N/A