Learning Communities

The Best Way to Start College

Make the most of your first year of college by enrolling in a common learning experience with your new peers. First Year Learning Communities (FYLC) are designed to help you make friends and form relationships with faculty who are interested in helping first-year students make a smooth transition to college. Some learning communities provide an introduction to a major while others are built around an interesting theme or current issue. All communities include two courses that fulfill major or general education requirements.

Some learning communities provide:

  • an introduction to a major while others are built around an area of interest or current issue.
  • a component called New Student Seminar, a one-credit, extended orientation to college that includes college skill development, a chosen piece of text that everyone reads, and an introduction to the liberal arts. The New Student Seminar is very popular.
  • an Information Literacy course, which is a graduation requirement that helps you develop solid research and inquiry skills for your college career.

Fall 2023 Learning Communities

Introduction to the Majors

FYLC 101 A - Business Thinking & Speaking (Business)
What is one thing you must be able to do in the business world? Communicate your ideas and knowledge! Join us for a unique opportunity to learn to think and speak like a polished and professional business person. Accounting Principles offers an introduction to the basics of financial accounting and ways of organizing information with the purpose of communication while Principles of Public speaking teaches students to organize, verbalize ideas, and effectively communicate in teams. ACCT 201, COMM 129, NSS 101.

FYLC 101 B - Communicating Science (Science/Pre-Professional Health Career)
The Communicating Science learning community is designed for students who wish to receive strong scientific training and communications experiences to prepare for careers in health and human services. Students in this learning community will develop critical-thinking skills in biology complemented by focused areas of study in oral communication and information literacy. The overall goal of the learning community is to develop science-minded students who understand that communication skills are essential for future careers in health care. BIOL 199, BIOL 199 Lab, COMM 203, NSS 101, IL 101.

FYLC 101 C - Growing Up Then and Now (Education)
Are you the same person as your great-grandfather or great-grandmother? Were you raised any differently? From generation to generation, there are slight and sometimes huge changes in psychological development of children and adolescents. EDUC 284, NSS 101, IL 101.

FYLC 101 D - Career Exploration in Psychology (Psychology)
Love psychology? So do we! We hope you are interested in psychology because you are curious about human behavior, emotions and mental processes. However, at some point, you will have to get a job! There are so many things you can do with a psychology degree, it can be hard to figure out what is best for you. This Learning Community will allow you explore how psychology is used in a variety of career paths within education and awareness of issues within psychology, prevention and intervention services, clinical careers, research within psychology, and evaluation of community-based programs. PSYC 105, ENGL 101, PSYC 100, IL 101, NSS 101.

FYLC 101 E Supporting Health and Wellness for Life
Are you interested in health and wellness? Are you interested in helping people maintain and achieve health and meaning in their lives? In this learning community, you will explore many health professions and understand how each incorporates person-centered approaches while working with an interprofessional team. The importance of psychology and ethics will be a focus as important components for working with people on their health and wellness goals. PSYC 212, PHIL 207, HS 100, NSS 101.

Open Interest

FYLC 101 F - The Ethics of Forgiveness
This learning community explores the meaning of conflict resolution, reconciliation and forgiveness, through the development of the conflict management skill of mediation and then volunteering as mediators in local middle schools. Students will see how ethical obligations impact our understanding of forgiveness and how integrating the notions of justice and reconciliation can alter our approach to conflict resolution. PHIL 207, THEO 100,
NSS 101.

FYLC 101 G - Faces of Globalization
Faces of Globalization seeks not only to explore various aspects of globalization on a wide range of current global issues including international conflicts/terrorism, climate change, human rights, population and immigration, poverty, trade, labor and social justice, energy, but also to evaluate their implications. PSCI 130 provides Gen Ed credits for social science and COMM 132 satisfies a Gen Ed COMM requirement, and NSS 101 counts toward graduation. PSCI 130, COMM 132, NSS 101.

FYLC 101 H - The Hero's / Heroine's Path
Artists, storytellers, and filmmakers repeatedly revisit themes, depicting and recreating symbols, archetypes, and characters from myths, legends, folklore, and other tales. In The Hero's / Heroine's Path, students will investigate and compare complex artistic and literary portrayals of characters and stories covering a broad range of civilizations, time periods, and forms, from Luke Skywalker to Mulan, and Hogwarts to the Land of the Dead. AH 121, ENGL 120, NSS 101.

Honors Foundation Program

Honors Foundation Program

The Honors Foundation Program fosters the growth of students excited to explore their world and contribute to their communities. Students and professors work together to confront complex human questions using interdisciplinary inquiry and community engagement. Through these experiences students gain skills in communication, integrative thinking, and problem-solving that will serve as a foundation for freedom and growth beyond the first job to a lifetime of exploration, learning, and creative action in the world.

Honors Foundation courses fulfill general education and other University graduation requirements, therefore, the program does not usually add to a student's total credit hour requirements. The Honors Foundation Program can be completed by students of all majors.

FYLC 101-HON1 Exploring Connections: Inventive Storytelling.
HON 101-A: Whether you are writing a scientific report, presenting a new ad campaign to your marketing team, or drafting the next blockbuster screenplay or award-winning poetry collection, it is important to know how to tell your story. Students will explore inventive ways to create and tell stories through an exciting collaboration between English/Creative Writing and Theatre. Come Join the fun!

HON 100-A: In this course, students are invited to connect, inquire, and explore with their SAU Honors Community. Through collaborative activities and independent research, students learn the basics of interdisciplinary inquiry and community engagement. They explore their HON 101 topic from a variety of perspectives, see new connections, and reflect on how these shape their own views. These courses will fulfill 2 general education requirements: 1 Creative Arts and 1 Humanities film and literature. HON 101-A, HON-100-A.

So, what's next?

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