What is Freshman Seminar at Appalachian State University?
Catalog Description US 1150.
Freshman Seminar/(3).F;S;SS

Designed especially for first semester freshmen, this course acquaints the student with the opportunities and demands of higher education and supports students in their transition to the University. The course involves students in the Appalachian community through a mix of activities, lectures, discussions, and participation in cultural events. In small classes, students build learning skills, practice time management and other life skills; examine the purpose and value of higher education and learn to set goals for this semester and beyond. (WRITING, COMPUTING, CROSS-DISCIPLINARY)

The college catalog describes Freshman Seminar as a three-credit hour, letter-graded, elective freshman orientation course. Over the past eleven years, annual student enrollment has gradually risen to around 800, a little more than one-third of the freshman class. US 1150 is offered fall, spring, and summer terms, although most students enroll in the fall. The course offers three Course Designators which meet graduation requirements (Writing, Computing, and Cross-Disciplinary). Freshman Seminar at Appalachian is rooted in a fundamental, long-standing commitment to student growth and success. In the 1960s, a course similar to this was offered to accommodate the rapid influx of new students. Rapid growth and shifting priorities ended this experiment. New initiatives in the 1970s and early 1980s known as Mountaineer Community and Applstart continued earlier efforts to support academic success among entering students for several years. When these efforts could not be generalized, Appalachian turned to the freshman Seminar concept. Freshman Seminar began in 1987. It grew out of earlier commitments as well as recommendations made by University planning agencies, the Barton-Gillet Task Force Report, and the University’s Task Force on Undergraduate Education. Caring faculty, staff, and administrators like Jimmy Smith, Randy Swing, O.K. Webb, Harvey Durham, and Chancellor John Thomas provided the initiative and early direction, believing that Appalachian owed its freshmen the very best start possible in college. Thus Freshman Seminar is rooted both in national trends and Appalachian’s unique commitment to undergraduate students.