What is University 101?University 101 is a course that focuses on critical thinking skills. Its purpose is to develop and strengthen three specific areas of thinking that are basic to college success: recognition, interpretation, and analysis of factual evidence.
Will University 101 count toward my degree requirements?
Yes, University 101 fulfills elective credit toward a degree. Both the three semester hours offered for the course as well as the course grade earned are computed into your grape point average as well as the progress toward completing the requirements for graduation.
What is elective credit?
A University degree requires completing a set number of credit hours while maintaining an acceptable grade point average. The number of required hours depends on the student's major and/or minor.
The total required hours are divided into three categories: core, major/minor, and elective. Core hours are those courses all students must complete regardless of their field of concentration. Major and minor hours are those required to fulfill a specific degree area such as History, Sociology, or Education. Elective hours are courses outside the major and minor concentrations. These elective hours can be selected by the students according to interest, curiosity, need, or other reasons. University 101 is considered an elective; while it does not fulfill a core or major/minor requirement, it does fulfill an elective credit and counts in the overall grade point average.
What kind of assignments can I expect in University 101?
While individual daily assignments will vary from class to class, all University 101 classes do have some common types of work. All sections of University 101 will include a Pre/Post Test that measures the entrance and exit levels of the critical thinking skills covered in the course: identification, interpretation, and analysis of factual evidence. Additionally, all students will complete an Advising Assignment. This is a two-part assignment that includes meeting with an advisor, assessing academic strengths and weaknesses, defining your educational goals, and developing strategies to help you attain your goals. Finally, all students will complete a team-assigned Course Project that will be presented to the remaining students in the class. Each class will include assignments that include texts, graph, and visual material.
How will these assignments be graded?
Common assignments such as the Advising Assignment and graphs will be graded by the individual course instructor following a rubric--that is, grading standard--developed by the entire University 101 faculty. The Pre/Post test is graded by a scantron machine, and the data is analyzed by a University statistician before being returned to course instructors. Course Projects and daily assignments are graded by the instructors who design and administer them. Answers may include a combination of written answers, short answers, graphs, and charts. Each course section will also include three major tests, one following each of the three elements focused on: identification, interpretation, and analysis of factual evidence. The results of all of these grades from individual assignments to common projects to tests will be combined for the final course grade.
Is attendance require for University 101?
Course attendance is determined by individual instructors since the University has no set policy except to excuse absence because of military or jury duty. Most instructors do require attendance and penalize missing class beyond the posted number of allowable absences. Specific information about attendance will be included in the course syllabus distributed on the first day of class.
How important is class participation in University 101?
Class participation is extremely important in University 101. Students who actively participate in class by being attentive, asking questions, and joining in discussions are generally more successful than inattentive, passive students. Furthermore, participation in team assignments such as the Course Project is vital not only to the success of the Project itself but also for the individually graded portion of the assignment. Outside the class, interaction with the advisor and attending the required seminars is also an important form of participation. All of these activities are examples of active learning which is a mark of a successfully engaged college student.