Learning Communities
Ready to Find Your World?
Apply now for the 2010-11 First Year Experience Learning Communities!
There are several types of FYE Learning Communities, including ones based on majors, specific themes, or certain segments of the student population. For 2010-11, FYE will offer the following twelve Learning Communities. There are approximately 350 FYE spaces available, so you will want to consider this option as soon as you can.
Please note: Placement testing results in mathematics or English may affect your eligibility for FYE Learning Communities which contain first year courses in those areas. If you have any questions about the enrollment process, please contact the FYE Office at (320) 308-2941 or grclark@stcloudstate.edu. During Advising & Registration Days, students enrolled in FYE meet with an advising staff member who is an “FYE specialist.” Prospective students are also encouraged to contact individual FYE faculty leaders whose names and contact information are provided below.
Aviation
The Aviation Department’s First Year Experience learning community consists of a sequence of three courses: AVIT 101, Aeronautics I (Private Pilot/Ground); AVIT 103, Global Issues in Air Transportation; and EAS 104, Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences. These three courses are required for two of the aviation majors and/or will satisfy the general education natural science lab requirement. Their purpose is to provide a fundamental understanding of the aviation environment and industry. In addition to gaining this fundamental knowledge base, students will be engaged in a reliable, cohesive learning community which will enable them to establish a social network with other beginning aviation students.
To further enhance their FYE experience, first year aviation students are invited to live in a thematic living community called “The Hangar”. This can be arranged through the SCSU Office of Residential Life.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Angela Olson
arolson@stcloudstate.edu
Computer Science
Information and computation are now acknowledged as fundamental processes in many fields. Computing helps us study the natural and artificial worlds. Conversely, knowledge of the natural world has been used to improve electronic computing. This FYE learning community allows you to explore problem solving and communication strategies with fellow students, providing an introduction to computing and its applications. It is also a helpful, supportive stepping stone to your completion of a minor, applied major, or our nationally accredited major in computer science.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Andrew Anda
aanda@stcloudstate.edu
Division of General Studies (DGS): “The Journey Continues”
This FYE learning community is designed for students admitted to the Division of General Studies (DGS). It consists of COLL 150, a college transitions course required of all DGS students; ENGL 184, a lower division English literature course that fulfills the humanities requirement in goal 6 of the general education curriculum; COLL 110, which helps students with their study skills and learning styles; and CEEP 101, which is specifically designed to help students examine themselves and reflect on issues that are important to college students. In this learning community, students will read material addressing the themes of transition, identity formation, and emerging adulthood. In addition to a number of short in- and outside of class writing assignments, students will complete a joint term project dealing with their own transition and personal journey through the college transition experience.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Adam Klepetar
asklepetar@stcloudstate.edu
Division of General Studies (DGS): “Power Up”
This FYE learning community is designed for students admitted to the Division of General Studies (DGS) who test into the enhanced version of English 191. The three classes included are: COLL 120, Power Reading; ENGL 191, Introduction to Rhetorical and Analytical Writing; and CMST 192, Introduction to Communication Studies. Students in this FYE cohort will make extensive use of technology to engage them in an interdisciplinary approach to several of their basic required classes. Explore the ways in which wikis, blogs, and eFolios can enhance your learning process!
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011No courses schedule. |
For more information contact the lead professor:
Victoria L. Williams
vlwilliams@stcloudstate.edu
Division of General Studies (DGS) “Success3: Striving for Student Success”
Start your college education off right! Learn how to succeed in college and beyond! This FYE learning community is designed for Division of General Studies (DGS) students who are also looking to improve their math skills. The three classes that make up this learning community are: MATH 070, Basic Math Concepts; COLL 110, Reading and Study Strategies; and COLL 150, Discovering the College Experience. This learning community gives students the opportunity to experience campus life, develop important college preparatory skills, and make lasting connections with both peers and faculty.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011No courses schedule. |
For more information contact the lead professor:
Marie Exner
meexner@stcloudstate.edu
Education: “Becoming an Elementary Teacher”
This FYE learning community takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring elementary education as a career and as a major at St. Cloud State University. In the fall, students will take POL 195, Democratic Citizenship. In the spring, students will take CMST 192, Introduction to Communication Studies, along with ED 200, Introduction to Elementary Education. Our goal is to provide an integrated experience that will help you understand the lives and work of classroom teachers, what it takes to become an elementary teacher, and some of the social issues currently surrounding public education. As part of this experience we'll visit a number of schools and meet with both beginning and experienced teachers. You will also work in a local school to observe and assist a teacher, learn to think critically, organize your thoughts clearly, and speak and listen effectively, with a focus on issues in education from multiple perspectives.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Stephen Hornstein
shornstein@stcloudstate.edu
Meteorology/Earth & Atmospheric Science
This FYE learning community is designed for students interested in majoring in meteorology. It provides a supportive environment in which students can quickly get to know other students with similar interests. The coursework in the meteorology FYE provides a cohesive entry into the meteorology major, including our orientation course (EAS 160), as well as introductory courses in meteorology (EAS 260) and hydrology (EAS 230). In addition, it offers a solid beginning to your general education coursework with ENGL 191, Rhetorical and Analytical Writing, and CMST 192, Introduction to Communication Studies.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Dr. Anthony Hansen
arhansen@stcloudstate.edu
Pre-Med
This FYE learning community is designed for students interested in pre-medical studies and several other health-related fields. In addition to satisfying major requirements through the selection of courses (as listed below), students in this FYE group will participate in special activities, discussions, and events tailored to their needs as first year pre-med students. Students will meet, interact with, and establish close relationships with the faculty members of the Pre-Med Committee. These faculty members will not only be teaching and providing them with extracurricular activities, but eventually writing letters of recommendation for their entrance into medical school as well. In addition, students will meet with former SCSU students who have been successfully admitted to medical school, as well as those who have graduated from medical school and other practicing physicians.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Oladele Gazal
osgazal@stcloudstate.edu
Psychology
The psychology FYE learning community is designed to provide students with an expressed interest in the psychology major with an exciting and rapid initiation into the field. By taking two of the required core courses during their first year, students in this FYE will be able to finish the four core courses by the end of their sophomore year. This will allow students to shape their course of studies to best reflect their developing interests in psychology. In addition, part of the Introduction to Psychology course will be devoted to exploring careers related to psychology. The instructor will devote an extra hour per week to discuss career options in greater depth, bring in guest speakers, conduct psychological experiments, and lead field trips. Each student will also make use of the "eFolio Minnesota" system to begin constructing an academic portfolio with special emphasis on the psychology section.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Daren Protolipac
dsprotolipac@stcloudstate.edu
South Africa-USA: Comparative Race Relations in an International Context
This program examines concepts of race, ethnicity, discrimination, prejudice, racism, and social inequality in a cross-cultural and global context. With a unique semester-abroad program in Spring 2011 at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, it will also permit them to observe first-hand social changes occurring in a society with a history of racial oppression, and to compare the efforts at social transformation to undo racial oppression in South Africa with those in the USA. ETHS 201, a Racial Issues (RIS) course, provides an overview of the nature of race relations in the United States and an introduction to the experience of ethnic minorities in American society. HIST 106 will focus on historical and contemporary race relations in South Africa. These two courses provide students with a comparative framework for understanding the nature of race relations and their manifestations in two different societies with similar histories on race.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Robert Johnson
rcjohnson@stcloudstate.edu
"Warriors to Student": An FYE for Veterans
With the U.S. Congress' 2008 passage of the "GI Bill for the 21st Century", the number of non-deployed, activeduty National Guard soldiers and veterans who attend college is expected to grow significantly. With more than 525 student veterans, SCSU is committed to serving the educational needs of those who serve our need for sustained security and freedom. The "Warrior-to-Student” FYE learning community consists of a set of two linked courses--ENGL 191, Rhetorical and Analytical Writing, and HIST 195, Democratic Citizenship--which partially satisfy core requirements for the general education curriculum. While attending classes in the comfortable and exclusive company of fellow soldiers and veterans, students will closely study the principles of democracy and tenants of citizenship that they have defended while serving in the Armed Forces. After reading foundational texts that inspired the creation of the U.S. constitution as well as examining modern interpretations of those texts in movies such as V for Vendetta, soldier-citizens and veterans will draw upon their unique experiences as they learn to write about what it means to be a citizen in 21st-century America.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011No courses scheduled. |
For more information contact the lead professor:
James R. Heiman
jrheiman@stcloudstate.edu
NEW! Finding Your Path in the World: An FYE for first year students without an intended major
Uncertain about what direction to take in college? You are not alone! This FYE learning community will allow you to explore your world while learning research skills, improving your writing ability, strengthening your capacity for critical thinking, and developing expertise in popular information and communication technologies. It is specifically designed for students who have not decided on a major and would like to learn more about their options. This FYE for “undeclareds” consists of two courses in the fall: ENGL 191, Rhetorical and Analytical Writing, which meets the core curriculum writing requirement, and IM 204, Research Strategies, which also fulfills one of the MGM /Multicultural, Gender and Minority course requirements in general education. In addition, in the spring semester, students will take COLL 111, Career and Life Planning, which will provide an excellent, focused opportunity to investigate further their academic and career options with staff specialists from the Career Services Office. We have good evidence that students who take the IM Research Strategies course are more likely to succeed in college. The instructors will work as a team to ensure that assignments help students accomplish their goals. Students will decide on the topics they are researching and writing about as they explore academic disciplines’ different ways of doing things.
Fall 2010
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Spring 2011
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For more information contact the lead professor:
Sharon Cogdill
scogdill@stcloudstate.edu
