Welcome to Honors 110:  Honors Interdisciplinary Freshman Seminar

 

Fall 2007 Seminar Instructors:

Dr. Diane Dodd, Dr. Bill Atwill, Dr. Kim Sawrey, Dr. Kate Bruce, Dr. Jennifer Horan, Dr. Bill McCarthy

 

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a public comprehensive university dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship and artistic achievement, and service. UNCW’s mission statement calls upon its faculty “to stimulate intellectual curiosity, imagination, rational thinking, and thoughtful expression” across all disciplines and professional fields.  It also stresses the prime importance of undergraduate teaching. 

 

With that in mind, the purpose of the honors freshman seminar is to discuss the nature of knowledge, the concept of a university, and how a liberal arts education changes individuals and affects the future.  The class is designed to introduce honors students to the college experience by direct involvement in scholarship, service and leadership activities. This class format includes guest speakers, workshops/ field experiences, collaborative learning and independent scholarship. There is an emphasis on discussion and there are required student projects.

 

To explore these topics, we will spend class time in various ways.  Class meets from at 12:30 to 1:45 Tuesday and Thursday, but some days we will meet together in Morton Hall Auditorium (room 100) and some days in your seminar rooms.

 

Dates and Topics/Locations:

 

Tuesdays		Thursdays
		August 23	Morton Hall: Intro to HON 110; freshman survey
August 28	Your Seminar Room - Overview of class	August 30	Morton Hall:  Meet Chancellor DePaolo
September 4	Your Seminar Room	September 6	Your Seminar Room
September 11	Workshops	September 13	Workshops
September 18	Your Seminar Room	September 20	Your Seminar Room: Panel Reports on Workshops
September 25	Your Seminar Room	September 27	Your Seminar Room:  Dream Jobs
October 2	Your Seminar Room:  Dream Jobs	October 4	Your Seminar Room:  Dream Jobs
October 9	Fall Break in DC	October 11	Morton Hall:  Honors Discussion/ Advising
October 16	Your Seminar Room	October 18	Your Seminar Room: Mountains beyond Mountains
October 23	Your Seminar Room: Mountains beyond Mountains	October 25	Morton Hall:  Mountains
October 30	Your Seminar Room	November 1	Morton Hall: Meet a Professor: International Connection and Study Abroad
November 6	Your Seminar Room	November 8	Morton Hall: Schweitzer Award
November 13	Your Seminar Room	November 15	Morton Hall:  Meet a Professor
November 20	Your Seminar Room	November 22	Thanksgiving HOLIDAY
November 27	Your Seminar Room	November 29	Your Seminar Room
December 4	Your Seminar Room	December 7	Final “exam” holiday gathering Madeline Suite 9:30 am to 11:00 am

 

ASSIGNMENT FOR Tuesday August 28:

 

1.   Get a journal!  Feel free to begin writing about your experiences this first week of college.

2.  Review your instructor’s syllabus for your section.  http://www.uncw.edu/honors/Honors_Courses.htm Think about the workshops you want to sign up for.

3.  Review Dr. DePaolo's vita on the UNCW web page http://www.uncw.edu/chancellor/biography.html , and bring in 2 written questions you'd like to ask her.

4.  Prepare a 4 slide (max!) powerpoint about yourself--- one that will introduce you to your instructor, links, and classmates.  Bring in the powerpoint on a flash drive or CD.  Or email the powerpoint to your instructor before class.  See the honors web page for details. http://www.uncw.edu/honors/Honors_Courses.htm

5.  Complete your New York Times subscription form at the bookstore.  Yes, that is one of your "textbooks" for this class.  Sit down and read the NYT...

6.  Take the news survey at: http://www.uncw.edu/honors/honors110/survey.html and email your instructor when you have done it.

 

 

Meet a Professor Discussions:

        We have invited professors to talk with you about their views of learning, the university, and “the life of the mind”.  All feature question and answer sessions.

 

·         Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo, professor of English, will discuss her views about the importance of the university and her vision for UNCW.

·         Dr. Steve Meinhold, political science professor, will share his experiences mentoring students and his thoughts about how students can make a difference.

·         Dr. Denise DePuccio, international programs and foreign languages professor, will talk with you about experiences mentoring students and about study abroad.

 

Workshop Descriptions:  Readings will be announced in small groups.  You will each attend two.  Workshops will be held Sept 11 and 13.

 

A.  Library Resources:  Overview of library resources and search engines.

 

B.  Alcohol Awareness and Issues:  Meet with Crossroads staff to learn more about alcohol and other drugs, campus policies, etc.

 

C.  Career Services:  Counselors discuss opportunities to explore major and career decisions.

 

D.  UNCW Volunteers!/ Leadership Opportunities:  Meet with Center for Leadership Education and Service staff to go over service opportunities and leadership programs.

 

E.   Managing Stress in the First Semester:  UNCW Counseling Center staff present a workshop on the first semester balancing act.

 

F.  Diversity/Equality Issues:  Meet with the head of the campus diversity program and learn what UNCW’s diversity initiatives are about.

 

G.  Healthy Relationships:  Meet with staff from the campus CARE Center to find out about resources on campus.

 

Cultural and Service Requirements:

 

All freshmen honors scholars are required to participate in at least 4 hours of volunteer service activities through UNCW or in the Wilmington area (2 different types).  Your small group instructor will have specifics on this.  All freshmen honors scholars are required to participate in at least 3 different cultural activities at UNCW or in the Wilmington area during the fall semester and at least 2 different cultural activities during the spring semester.  Your small group instructor will have specifics on this.

 

Have a great semester!