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Contact Information:

First Year Seminar Program:  Arthur Sanders (x3172)

Assistant Director for the First Year Seminar Program: Charlene Skidmore (x2999).

Purposes and Objectives of Drake's First Year Seminar Program:

First Year Seminars fulfill a requirement under the Drake Curriculum. The Drake Curriculum Handbook states:

"All Drake Students entering direct from high school or having completed fewer than 30 hours of college course work complete a First Year Seminar during their first year of enrollment. First Year Seminars are student-centered learning experiences that involve critical thinking and both written and oral communication skills. Through a topical focus, they foster understanding of methods of analysis and creativity."

First Year Seminars are distinguished by their small size, interactive format, emphasis on oral and writing communication and topical focus. The FYS program seeks to create community among entering students and to immerse new students in a stimulating intellectual culture from their first days on campus.

Characteristics of First Year Seminars

Writing Enhancement:

Students seeking assistance with writing may schedule an appointment with a writing tutor through the Writing Workshop. The Writing Workshop is located in Howard 227. Appointments are available during both daytime and evening hours. Evening appointments meet in Cowles Library, Carrel Study 23 (downstairs past the photocopying machines). Questions about the Writing Workshop can be answered by calling 271-2729. Students may also make appointments for the Writing Workshop at the following web page:

Writing Workshop (from English Dept. home page, click on Writing Workshop link)

Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:  The following link connects you to the Office of Student Records, where a statement on academic integrity can be located in the current edition of the Undergraduate Catalog:  http://www.choose.drake.edu/admissions/resources/catalog.asp

Office of Student Records

Scheduling:

All FYS courses offered in the Fall will be scheduled into one of three time blocks: MWF 12:30-1:20, MW 12:30-1:45 or TR 12:30-1:45.

Academic Integrity Policy:
The First Year Seminar Program supports and enforces the ideal of honesty in all scholarship.  Plagiarism is a serious offense to this ideal.  It is expected that all writing and scholarship will be the student's own creation.  Appropriate citation of others work or ideas is always expected.  Copying another author's work will not be tolerated, will result in a zero grade for the work, and may conclude in the student having to retake the First Year Seminar requirement  
Violations of scholastic  honesty will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Academic Integrity committee of the College of Arts and Sciences.  If the instructor determines that a violation has occurred and assigns a penalty, he/she will notify the Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences.  If the student is majoring in a program in a college outside of Arts and Sciences, the Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (who also serves as the Chair of the Academic Integrity and Appeal Committee) will notify the Dean of that college.  For comprehensive information, please see:  http://www.drake.edu/artsci/as/acadregs.html .