Learning Communities & First-Year Seminars, Fall 2013 - Kennesaw ...

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Kennesaw State University Learning Communities & First-Year Seminars | Fall 2013
ABOUT FIRST-YEAR PROGRAMS
The Department of First-Year Programs is home to two of Kennesaw State
University’s most important initiatives intended to promote the success
of first-year students: the Learning Communities program and the First-
Year Seminar course, which is offered in four different versions. These
initiatives are a cornerstone of the University’s nationally recognized,
award-winning first-year experience program designed to help you
transition successfully into higher education. The department also houses
IT 2101, KSU’s information literacy course.
According to the current Undergraduate Catalog, students entering KSU
with fewer than 15 credit hours are required to complete either a learning
community or a first-year seminar course.
In a learning community, two or three courses are linked together with
a common theme or academic interest. Enrollment is small, (no more
than 25 students), so that students can get to know each other and their
professors. Students in learning communities often establish friendships,
form study groups, and find an immediate sense of belonging on KSU’s
large campus of more than 24,000 students. Faculty who teach in learning
communities are aware of the unique needs of first-year students and are
committed to helping them succeed during their first semester at KSU.
We offer numerous learning communities with a variety of themes. Some
are designed for specific majors, while others focus on a topic of general
interest and are open to all students. This booklet presents a description of learning communities that are
being offered for the Fall 2013 semester. We encourage you to read through the listing, and select two or
three that sound interesting to you. Orientation Advisors can help you with the registration process.
Named by U.S. News & World Report for ten consecutive years as one of the top first-year programs
in the nation, KSU’s first-year seminars are academically rigorous courses developed to help you grow
in four key areas: life skills, strategies for academic success, campus and community connections, and
foundations for global learning. The seminars count toward graduation as a free elective in most degree
programs.
National studies indicate that students who complete a first-year seminar course are more likely to return
to college for their second and third semesters than are students who do not. However, the greatest
benefit is realized when students participate in a first-year seminar that is part of a learning community.
We are offering 46 learning communities and more than 100 sections of first-year seminars this fall,
including morning, afternoon, evening, hybrid, and online classes. Your Orientation Advisor can
help you register for the first-year seminar or learning community that best fits your interests. Use
this booklet to choose a few learning communities that interest you (first choice, plus a couple of
alternatives, just in case).