LAS Seminars at The College

LAS 12525 First Year Seminar

Taken in the first semester of the first year, this seminar is designed to evoke questions, to develop habits of mind that lead to independent thinking, and to orient students to the academic realities of college. Discussion and small group work are emphasized. Reading and focused writing assignments will be required. The thematic focus for individual sections is determined by instructors; students rank their preferences and are assigned to one of their top three choices.

LAS 42515 Group Problem Solving

This interdisciplinary, student-drive course challenges seniors (classified as having earned 92 or more semester credit hours) to bring their entire college experience to bear on a complex issue. Working in small groups, students work in the first half of the semester to identify an issue of significant interest and concern, research the issue, and raise questions and draw conclusions from that research in a paper defended before a jury of faculty. During the second half of the semester, groups work to determine a response, whether a “solution” articulated in a second paper, or a project (community service, Website, collaboration with local entities, film documentary), again justified and defended before a faculty jury. Each group has primary responsibility for the content and process of the course. Prerequisite: LAS Interdisciplinary Seminar.