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Early Engagement of University Undergraduate Students in Environmental Monitoring
Oral Presentation
Prepared by B. Kiepper1, C. Ritz2
1 - University of Georgia, 309 Poultry Science Building, Athens, Georgia, 30602
2 - University of Georgia, 309 Poultry Science Building, Athens, Georgia, 30602
Contact Information: bkiepper@uga.edu; 706-542-6776
ABSTRACT
In 2010 the University System of Georgia, in an effort to increase retention rates of freshman students across the state, established a series of early student-faculty engagement goals. In response, the University of Georgia, in Athens, created the “First-Year Odyssey” seminar program. All freshman students at UGA are required to complete a 1-credit hour seminar during one semester of their first year on campus. The goals of the FYO seminar are to introduce first-year students to the importance of learning and academics in the academic culture of the University, to give first-year students an opportunity for meaningful dialogue with a faculty member to encourage positive, sustained student-faculty interactions, and to introduce first-year students to the instruction, research, public service and international missions of the University and how they relate to teaching and learning in and outside the classroom. To maximize student-faculty engagement, class size is limited to 15 students. This paper will discuss the development of the UGA FYO seminar entitled “Environmental Monitoring: How Scientist use Water, Air and Soil to Learn about the World around Us”. The seminar uses a combination of field environmental sampling events coupled with laboratory tours and analytical exercises to not only meet FYO seminar goals, but to also engage university freshman students into the field of environmental monitoring. The seminar has been taught during three semesters to a total of 45 freshman students. Seminar marketing, curriculum development and lessons learned will be discussed.
Oral Presentation
Prepared by B. Kiepper1, C. Ritz2
1 - University of Georgia, 309 Poultry Science Building, Athens, Georgia, 30602
2 - University of Georgia, 309 Poultry Science Building, Athens, Georgia, 30602
Contact Information: bkiepper@uga.edu; 706-542-6776
ABSTRACT
In 2010 the University System of Georgia, in an effort to increase retention rates of freshman students across the state, established a series of early student-faculty engagement goals. In response, the University of Georgia, in Athens, created the “First-Year Odyssey” seminar program. All freshman students at UGA are required to complete a 1-credit hour seminar during one semester of their first year on campus. The goals of the FYO seminar are to introduce first-year students to the importance of learning and academics in the academic culture of the University, to give first-year students an opportunity for meaningful dialogue with a faculty member to encourage positive, sustained student-faculty interactions, and to introduce first-year students to the instruction, research, public service and international missions of the University and how they relate to teaching and learning in and outside the classroom. To maximize student-faculty engagement, class size is limited to 15 students. This paper will discuss the development of the UGA FYO seminar entitled “Environmental Monitoring: How Scientist use Water, Air and Soil to Learn about the World around Us”. The seminar uses a combination of field environmental sampling events coupled with laboratory tours and analytical exercises to not only meet FYO seminar goals, but to also engage university freshman students into the field of environmental monitoring. The seminar has been taught during three semesters to a total of 45 freshman students. Seminar marketing, curriculum development and lessons learned will be discussed.