UNIV Instructional Resources

UNIV Faculty Manual

NEW! Please click here for the Diversity Manual created by the Freshmen Seminar Diversity Committee.

Dear Faculty member,

First, we would like to thank you for volunteering to teach UNIV100/UNIV101 this semester.  We promise that you will have an exciting and memorable time teaching the course!

The following links are here to help and to guide you as much as you feel is necessary.  The manual is divided into the following six sections (please click on the name of the section for the corresponding manual materials):

1. Introduction– An overview of the original proposal for UNIV100/UNIV 101, current goals of the courses, and the history of the University of Maryland.

2. Course Syllabus– What you should include in your syllabus, sample syllabi, and whether to have a teaching assistant.

3. Teaching Tips– Helpful advice adapted from UCDavis to help you plan, organize, and facilitate your class activities.

4. Sample Exercises– Former and current instructors have provided exercises that have worked in their classes.  Please use them as you see fit and feel free to photocopy them. There are seven main topic areas that should be covered in the course:  Academics, Career Exploration, Diversity, Campus Resources, Responsible Choices and Critical Thinking (regarding Alcohol and Sexual Responsibility), Time Management, and Why Am I Here (focused on Reflection and Goal Setting).  For all of these categories, you will find several sample exercises, along with explanation forms for each.  In addition, there is a section of Icebreaker exercises to assist you in the beginning of the semester.

5. College Resources– A good number of UNIV100/UNIV 101 sections are linked to a specific college on the Maryland campus. 

6. University Resources– A number of offices provide instructors with resources designed to assist you in your instruction.  Please use these offices for guest speakers, handouts, or additional suggestions.

We hope that this manual is helpful for you.  If you have any questions and/or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at the Orientation Office at (301) 314-8217 or email nsp@umd.edu.

Section One-Introduction

UNIV100/101 Goals:

• To assist students in their transition to the University of Maryland Community

• To introduce students to the academic environment at the University of Maryland.

• To help students explore the world of Higher Education and clarify why students are in college and establish realistic goals for their collegiate experience.

• To assist students in identifying with the University of Maryland while learning about they are and they fit in the University environment.

• To help students learn about the vast number of resources available to them (e.g., library, cultural activities, computer resources) at the University.

• To assist students in their skill development.

• To help students understand their knowledge and capabilities in utilizing information technologies (e.g., web browsing, web-browsing, e-mail, on-line research).

• To assist students in their understanding of developmental patterns that they will face in their undergraduate career.

• To develop an appreciation for the cultural diversity at Maryland

Many students enter college with only vague notions of what undergraduate education is all about, where it is supposed to lead, and what their institutions expect of them.  We believe that the clearer and the more public our statements about what we expect, the more likely students are to map the appropriate course of study.

"Involvement in Learning: Realizing the Potential of American Higher Education" the report of the study group on the conditions of excellence in American Higher Education" (Mortimer, 1985).

Higher Education has experienced many changes in the last decade with respect to the student population that it now serves.  Students are changing from academically skilled, middle-class youths to students with a more complicated mix of academic preparation, age, socioeconomic status, backgrounds, and reasons for enrolling in college (Gordon, 1984).  Institutions of higher education across the country are becoming more aware that these new students need help during their transition from high school or work to college.  It has been shown through numerous research studies that without assistance, students will become a part of the attrition statistic that is greatest between the freshmen and sophomore years (Beal & Noel, 1980).

The recent report on the Conditions of Excellence in Higher Education has shown that more students are attending large institutions.  The Excellence report goes on to describe the scenario facing students enrolled in these large institutions:

The greater the size of institutions, the more complex and bureaucratic they tend to become, the fewer the opportunities for each student to become intensely involved with the intellectual life, and the less personal the contact between faculty and staff (Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept. 1984).

These large, bureaucratic institutions across the country that are enrolling students from increasingly diverse backgrounds have student populations that are experiencing a great deal of anomie. As a result, institutions of higher education are experiencing retention problems that appall faculty and administrators who care about the potential of their student populations.

The University of Maryland, College Park finds itself in a similar position with other large, public state supported institutions.  A major problem facing UMCP is our retention rate.

At the University of Maryland, College Park, only 52% of all students enrolled will complete degrees, and 21% of a freshmen class will leave after only one year.  Black students suffer an unacceptable 74% attrition rate with 29% of Black freshmen leaving after the first year.  In the past, UMCP has had a good track record in getting students to attend UMCP, but for many it is a revolving door.  While the orientation program at the University of Maryland is designed to acquaint students with information on academic life, extracurricular activities, and support services, there are limits as to what can be accomplished within a one or two day program.

With knowledge about student adjustment concerns, retention factors, and problems inherent in large institutions, a freshman seminar course is proposed for the University of Maryland.

UMCP should offer through the Counseling and Personnel Services department an eight-week freshmen seminar course.  This course will meet once a week for two hours, and students will be awarded one credit hour for completion of the course.  The course will be graded on a pass/fail basis.  Faculty will be recruited and rewarded with mechanisms consistent with UMCP policy.  All faculty teaching the course will be required to attend a faculty-training seminar designed specifically for this course. (Originally written 1986)

Section Two- Course Syllabus

Sample Syllabi

Section Three- Teaching Tips

As an instructor plans a course where he/she intends to use cooperative learning groups the areas to think about include: instructional activities, instructor's role, students' role, introduction of group dynamics, group formation, criteria for instruction, and assessment evaluation. While most all instructors will consider these same areas as they plan, cooperative learning methods allow faculty the freedom to vary approaches within areas and activities. (Cottell, 1998)

It is important to communicate to students the reasons a particular course is taught using methods of cooperative learning from the beginning.  Cooperative learning methods differ greatly from the traditional college classroom, where they were passive learners and require students to be an active part of the process in order to be successful. When introducing cooperative learning to students it is also important to talk about different learning styles with students and to communicate the desirability of moving toward more sophisticated modes of thinking. (Cottell, 1998)

Cooperative learning methods while being more active are also preferred by many educators because it offers students who have difficulty learning from the traditional lecture format other learning opportunities. Educators have done much research into the subject and found most people have preferred ways of learning: visual, auditory, or tactile. Communicating material using all three of these modalities means more students are likely to be engaged in
the learning process.

Cooperative Learning Article and Activities
It's a Matter of Style Article

Section Four- Sample Exercises

Academics
Career Exploration
Diversity
Icebreakers
Campus Resources
Responsible Choices
Time Management
Why am I here?

Section Five- College Resources

College Resources Quiz
Please visit each individual college's websites for more information regarding majors and colleges.

Section Six- University Resources

First Year Book Program: Each year the First year Book Program selects a book for all first year students. The goal of the program is to provide a shared intellectual experience for all new students with the opportunity to discuss the book from a variety of disciplines.

Access the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator online: online.cpp-db.com

Center for Health & Wellbeing (Peer Educator Presentations on General Wellness and Stress): www.health.umd.edu/CHWB TERP

C.H.O.I.C.E.S (Peer Educator Presentations on Alcohol and Drugs): http://www.health.umd.edu/healthed/AOD

Library Safari: http://www.lib.umd.edu/UES/library_safari.html

Terp Impact! :Terp Impact is a great way to introduce students to civic engagement and leadership as important aspects of a University of Maryland Education. Classroom visits can be arranged through ccel@umd.edu.