Freshman 129 Seminar Recruitment

To: UT Knoxville Faculty

From: Todd Diacon, Vice Provost for Academic Operations

As of today, 606 students are enrolled in 129 Freshmen Seminars this semester. With a year of experience, we can now see what a jewel the 129 program has become. I continue to hear from both students and professors about how rewarding their experiences are in the program. If you know a colleague who is teaching a 129 seminar, please ask her or him how things are going. I believe you will receive a positive response.

Now it's time to request proposals for fall 2008. Tenured and tenure-track professors may submit proposals for these one-credit courses, which are offered on a satisfactory/no credit basis with enrollment capped at 18 students per seminar. Professors receive a $1,500 research grant for teaching a seminar.

This fall we will ask the 129 professors to offer their seminars either for the full semester, or during the first or second session of the semester. Some professors prefer to hold their seminars more than once a week and to have the course end at midterm. Others enjoy meeting the same total amount of time with their students but spread out over the full semester. Finally, we also know that students needing to add credits enroll in large numbers in second-session 129 Seminars. By offering a seminar in any of these formats, you will be helping our first-year students make a successful transition to college by creating a safe and more intimate space for learning.

Attached to this message are suggestions for offering a 129 Seminar. Also, please visit our Web site at www.utk.edu/freshmanseminar, where you will find more information on the program and a Frequently Asked Questions page. In order to propose a 129 Freshman Seminar course for Fall 2008, click the "Propose a Course" link in the left-hand column.

The deadline for seminar submissions is April 14, 2008.

I do hope you will join us as we strive to improve the first-year experience of our students.

 

Posted: March 11, 2008