by: Georgina Hickey, Foundations Director, Professor of History, Department of Social Sciences
More than a quarter of our students fail to come back from one year to the next. This attrition rate
is not unique to UM-Dearborn, but it is troubling. Rates are higher among low income students,
students of color, and first generation students, making attrition not just a financial challenge for the
institution, but also an equity problem. Faculty in CASL want to interrupt these trends and so we are
launching a new initiative in the Fall of 2020, aimed at helping students find their footing at a
university and create a strong base of skills and knowledge on which they can build during their time
on campus and beyond. Thus equipped, we hope students will be better able to continue their
education. We call this program Foundations.
Designed around evidence based best practices, the Foundations program is actually a collection of
unique seminars designed and taught by faculty from across the College of Arts Sciences and Letters.
All incoming CASL students, be they FTIACS or transfer students, will take one seminar during
their first year on campus (students from the other colleges are welcome). We have created the
courses with the most vulnerable students at our institution in mind, the ones who are most likely to
face challenges to completing their education and who are the least likely to ask for help. This is why
CASL has chosen to require that all incoming students take a seminar in their first year.
unique seminars designed and taught by faculty from across the College of Arts Sciences and Letters.
All incoming CASL students, be they FTIACS or transfer students, will take one seminar during
their first year on campus (students from the other colleges are welcome). We have created the
courses with the most vulnerable students at our institution in mind, the ones who are most likely to
face challenges to completing their education and who are the least likely to ask for help. This is why
CASL has chosen to require that all incoming students take a seminar in their first year.
Designing these seminars with transfer students in mind is unique, as most campuses with first year
seminars focus only on the Freshman experience. As many faculty have noticed, students coming
from dual enrollment programs or community colleges, however, have not necessarily acquired the
skills they need to thrive in a university setting. Their time to recover if something goes wrong is
short and the stakes are high as they try to figure out a new institution. We are committed to helping
students finish, so all seminars fulfill at least one DDC requirement and we offer a mixture of lower
and upper division courses.
seminars focus only on the Freshman experience. As many faculty have noticed, students coming
from dual enrollment programs or community colleges, however, have not necessarily acquired the
skills they need to thrive in a university setting. Their time to recover if something goes wrong is
short and the stakes are high as they try to figure out a new institution. We are committed to helping
students finish, so all seminars fulfill at least one DDC requirement and we offer a mixture of lower
and upper division courses.
While the different course topics reflect the passions and interests of the individual faculty teaching
them, the seminars share a common set of goals. These include helping students develop their critical
thinking skills, make connections to their peers and a faculty member, take ownership of their
education, and become help seekers. Foundations seminars are designed to help students understand
how the University works and what professors want from them. Academic skills are taught, but they
are given depth by coming out of the focus of the course. Finally, the seminars will guide students in
making plans for their time on campus and funnel them into other High Impact Practices on campus
such as undergraduate research, travel abroad, and internships.
them, the seminars share a common set of goals. These include helping students develop their critical
thinking skills, make connections to their peers and a faculty member, take ownership of their
education, and become help seekers. Foundations seminars are designed to help students understand
how the University works and what professors want from them. Academic skills are taught, but they
are given depth by coming out of the focus of the course. Finally, the seminars will guide students in
making plans for their time on campus and funnel them into other High Impact Practices on campus
such as undergraduate research, travel abroad, and internships.
Developing these courses and working with faculty and staff from across campus to build faculty
skills in creating accessible, transparent pedagogy and increase faculty knowledge of campus
resources for students has proved an energizing process. Foundations faculty are making connections
with each other across disciplinary boundaries and the cross pollination of ideas is spilling into
teaching in our regular courses.
skills in creating accessible, transparent pedagogy and increase faculty knowledge of campus
resources for students has proved an energizing process. Foundations faculty are making connections
with each other across disciplinary boundaries and the cross pollination of ideas is spilling into
teaching in our regular courses.
As the program develops, new faculty and new courses will be added to the program each year and
Foundations will host professional development workshops and other events to continue to build the
cohort and support faculty in teaching and mentoring the new students arriving on campus.
Foundations will host professional development workshops and other events to continue to build the
cohort and support faculty in teaching and mentoring the new students arriving on campus.
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