New Seminars Give Freshmen Access to Top UA Faculty

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama’s new Freshman Seminars are the latest addition to its efforts to attract and retain freshmen at the Capstone.

Offered for the first time this semester to freshmen only, the nine seminars taught by some of UA’s top senior faculty members give students a chance to discuss contemporary issues with a small group of classmates.

“We think of these seminars as one piece of the puzzle that involves how to reach out to freshmen at UA, make them feel welcome and help them succeed,” said Dr. Hank Lazer, assistant vice-president for undergraduate programs and services. “That welcome takes on many forms, from a tent to a map to freshmen seminars. We want all the pieces to fit together to work for them.”

According to Lazer, the idea for the seminars came from Provost Nancy Barrett and is patterned after similar ones at Ivy League schools.

“At those schools, freshmen are offered some sort of special class often with their finest faculty so that as freshmen, they have real contact with key faculty and get a sense as to what the life of learning is really all about and see how it can be fun,” he said.

“We have followed that model and the courses typically have some sort of contemporary emphasis to them,” he added.

Seminar topics include HIV/AIDS, Holistic Healing, Emerging Global Issues, Legal and Ethical Issues in Computing, and Abusive Behaviors.

Lazer said the participating faculty have been very energized about these seminars and welcome this opportunity.

“The faculty members asked that we all meet together this summer before the semester started and it was one of the most gratifying hours I have ever spent,” Lazer said. “They were so excited and wanted to really strategize with each other about how to teach such a course.”

“I think the seminars are a good idea, especially in so far as they match senior faculty with incoming freshmen,” said Dr. Rich Megraw, assistant professor of American Studies, who is teaching “The Good War and After: America and World War II.”

“One of the overarching concerns of higher education, of course, is the complaint heard all too frequently that for at least the first two years of an undergraduate education students are rarely instructed by anyone other than a graduate teaching assistant — hardly a good way either to stimulate student interest or improve retention rates,” Megraw added.

Norman Singer was one of those faculty members who had never taught freshmen and welcomed the opportunity.

“I have only taught upper level undergraduates and graduate students and thought it would be interesting to see what students coming right out of high school would be like and what kind of background [intellectual preparation] they would have,” said Singer, Stokes Professor of Law and professor of anthropology, who is teaching, “Anthropology of the AIDS Epidemic.”

“I have been pleasantly surprised,” he said. “As the class is dealing with the anthropology of the AIDS epidemic, I thought that community outreach would be appropriate and was not sure that it was right to impose it right up front. The students took care of that and proposed it themselves.”

Dr. Jeffrey Richetto, a professor of geography who is teaching “Emerging Global Issues: Learning to Think Globally and Act Locally,” said the Freshman Seminars offer incoming freshmen “a unique and potentially valuable portal to what the University learning/research environment is all about.

“This initiative will give them an introduction to college without the restraint of upper class students taking the same course alongside them. To me, this will encourage unrestricted participation and sharing of ideas and comments by the freshman students; hopefully making their first college impressions exciting and inviting,” Richetto said.

“The outcome for these seminars will enhance their critical thinking capabilities and make their learning more of an exploration,” said Dr. Marietta Stanton, professor of nursing, who is teaching “Holistic Health and Healing.”

“Many of the students are undeclared majors who are trying to ‘taste’ different topical areas as they try to make career choices. Still others are interested in broadening their horizons and taking a step away from the beaten path even though they have a major,” said Stanton.

Lazer said he hopes positive comments like these will encourage more senior faculty to participate.

“This is the beginning of a process that I hope will keep growing enough that by the fall of 2003 we will be offering 40 such seminars that would reach 800 freshmen,” he said.