UW Colleges Senate Policy: Institutional Policy #106.01 — LEC 100 First-Year Seminar Policy

Adopted 4/29/05
Revised by the Senate, March 3, 2006

First Year Seminar Courses (LEC 100)

Effective Date: This document is effective beginning with Spring 2006 classes and applies to all LEC 100 courses proposed and taught after December 31, 2005.

A. Definition

First-Year Seminar courses are designed specifically for newly entering students. Such courses will be offered only under LEC 100 designation. LEC 100 courses are designed to combine academic content with strategies for academic success as described in the FYS initiative course guide: "The First-Year Seminar will help students develop a sense of responsibility for their own education and learning, introduce students to the skills necessary for academic and life success, provide students with an understanding of their membership in an academic community, and instill in students an appreciation for a liberal arts education and a joy for learning. Because these achievements are best realized within an intellectually substantive context, each seminar instructor will incorporate a subject of inquiry of his or her choice for students to explore as they develop strategies for academic success."

Courses that fit this definition include first-year experience courses, introduction to college courses, extended orientation courses and all other courses designed to enhance the first-year college experience. LEC 100 courses will receive elective credit unless they receive approval for other degree designations from the Senate Curriculum Committee.

B. Criteria

Because all for-credit courses and instructors must be approved by an academic department (UW Colleges Constitution 4.03) and because the special nature of LEC 100 courses invites the participation of instructors who may not belong to regular academic departments, the following criteria will be used for approval of courses.

• A LEC 100 course must have the approval of the participating academic department(s).
• If the course content bridges more than one academic department then the course and instructor must gain approval from all academic departments that are involved in the proposed course. One department must be designated the home department for purposes of course evaluation and assessment.
• If a potential LEC 100 instructor does not belong to any academic department then the course and the instructor must gain approval of the academic department(s) that will have jurisdiction over the content of the course.
• If a potential LEC 100 instructor does not belong to any academic department and if no department or discipline claims jurisdiction over the content of a potential course, then the instructor must find an academic department willing to sponsor the course and provide its approval.

Guidelines for Approval

1. Proposals are submitted to the chair of the proposing instructor’s department and subsequently to the campus Curriculum Committee. Course approval will be granted if both campus and department agree on the approval.

   • If the proposing instructor is not a member of a recognized academic department then the instructor shall submit curriculum approval forms to the campus Curriculum Committee and the department which has jurisdiction over the course content.
   • If there is no department with clear jurisdiction over the proposed course content, then the instructor and campus curriculum committee shall seek a department which will sponsor the course and instructor as described in IP#106 (IV.B)

2. Proposals will include the following information:

   • Course rationale including a statement focusing on how the course meets the institutional goals for FYS courses:

     1. To promote active learning as well as student involvement and responsibility in the learning process.
     2. To assist students in the development of life management skills.
     3. To engage students on the campus.
   • Brief course description including the subject of inquiry for the course.
   • List of course objectives.
   • Couse syllabus.
3. The campus curriculum committee and the department(s) forward the proposal and approval forms to the Senate Curriculum Committee.
4. The Senate Curriculum Committee reviews the proposal and then forwards the proposal to the Provost for final approval.

5. Continuing Designation

   • Once the LEC 100 course is approved, the proposing instructor need not seek approval again for the same course.

   • The same course can be taught at another campus without submitting a new course proposal if the following criteria are met:

     • The instructor is approved by the department of record.
     • The course is taught with a similar syllabus and content outline.
     • The campus curriculum committee of the new instructor approves the course.
     • SCC form SCC 009 is submitted to the Senate Curriculum Committee to be reviewed and forwarded to the Provost for final approval.
   • Courses that were initiated prior to December 31, 2005 shall go through the review process specified herein (II) and instructors shall file form SCC 009 Modified before June 1, 2006.

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