Martha, First year programs set aside some sections of their courses for first year students only. At different universities programs range from courses that are one credit hour skills based courses to full credit courses that meet general education requirements to variable hour courses about "cool" topics that count for elective credit. At my university, for example, we offer about 40 sections of courses that are restricted to first year students only. About 33% of our entering class of 4,000 plus students will take at least one section of some course with only other first year students. Stronger programs in large universities offer every student the opportunity to take a first year seminar. My son's small liberal arts school required all first year students to take a first year seminar.
Initially, first year programs were instituted because of the retention issues from the first year to the second. Maxine -----Original Message----- From: GIMENEZ MARTHA E <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teach Soc Listserv (E-mail)" <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 15:41:33 -0600 (MDT) Subject: TEACHSOC: Re: Age homogeneous or heterogeneous classes.... Hi Michael, I am not sure I understand how this works, could you tell us a little more? Does it mean, for example, that if you teach an upper division course there will be a section (taught by you or someone else) of that course for freshmen so that the course should be adapted to freshmen students? Wouldn't this be equivalent to having upper and a lower division versions of the same course? And, what happens if the upper division course has requirements? Thanks, Martha ****************** On Fri, 19 May 2006, Michael Klausner wrote: > Greetings: > > > > Another topic for discussion. I just found out that my institution now > "reserves" sections of courses for "freshmen." I voiced my disagreement > indicating that age heterogeneous classes are beneficial to students > rather than year or age segregated ones. New students can learn from > older ones. Older ones can serve as "role models" for freshmen. Also, > older ones, having more "life experiences" can relate those to course > content thus helping freshmen to see the "real world" relevance of > sociology. > > > > What do you think? > > > > Best Wishes, > > Michael Klausner > > > > > Maxine P. Atkinson, Ph.D. Director, N.C. State's First Year Inquiry Seminar Program Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs, and Associate Professor of Sociology North Carolina State University email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: 919 515 9001 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Teaching Sociology" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/teachsoc -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
