First Year Inquiry (FYI) course:
First Year Inquiry is a team-taught course that brings students together with a group of instructors from different disciplines and student services staff to address the question, “How Can One Person Make a Difference?” Students build communication and research-based inquiry skills through individual, small, and large group work, and develop effective participation strategies for large lecture settings as well as for smaller discussion-based classes.
Writing Intensive requirement
FYI fulfills one of your Writing Intensive (WI) requirements. Writing Intensive courses help you understand what it means to write in various disciplines so that you can communicate your views effectively. FYI is designed to provide instruction on the writing process and to provide feedback and support on how your writing can be made stronger and clearer.
A Common Question
How Can One Person Make a Difference? This question guides the multidisciplinary work of the First Year Inquiry course, and the selection of and programming around the Common Book. Students attempt to answer the question, “What responsibilities and possibilities does the individual have to shape the world we live in?”
CEHD Reads Common Book
Each year the college selects a common book that is required reading for the FYI course. During fall semester, students have a day of class with the author to discuss the book. An evening event with the author is also open to the public. Other programming related to the common book includes screenings and discussions on related topics throughout the fall and spring semesters. Books used include An Ordinary Man in 2008, A Lesson Before Dying in 2009, and Prisoner of Tehran in 2010.
FYI Capstone Showcase
FYI students participate in a group project in which students build on course concepts to collectively answer the question, “How Can One Person Make a Difference?” Student work is publicly presented at the end of fall semester at the Capstone Showcase. This event offers students the chance to celebrate and share their work with a larger audience. Past projects have included photo narratives, presentations, posters, performances, and videos.
More Information
Student views on CEHD (student blogs)
“The FYI class has greatly improved my chances on succeeding at the U of M. It has shown me where and how to get help with schoolwork, helped me figure out who I am as a person and who I want to be when I graduate, and shown me that it is not that completely hard to succeed here. It has also really put my college career into perspective and I can see the finish.”
Revised March 2010