Sustainability Freshman Inquiry Sept. 30, 2009 Jeff Fletcher

Logistics Need some students to shift to 4 pm mentor session Thursday office hours I need to be off campus Assignments –Read Omnivore’s Dilemma Intro and Chapters 1 and 2 (Due this Wed.) –Sustainability Artifact & Description REVISION (Due next Wed.) Students not on BB?

Syllabus What is a syllabus? Go over syllabus policies Questions or concerns?

Expectations: Civil Discourse We expect everyone to participate in class discussions. To facilitate this we will follow these rules. 1.One person speaks at a time –but everyone is expected to speak 2.Honor all opinions 3.Respond to ideas, not people 4.Silence is Not consent 5.No put-downs 6.Be present. Actively listen and respond. – No texting, , laptops, phone calls, side conversations etc. 7.No rat holes –As moderators, we reserve the right to cut off discussion on topics that deteriorate –As active participants, you should also feel free to encourage us to get back on track

Why all the rules?! You are learning a new culture—the culture of academia –How to state and support (with evidence) a position –How to be both skeptical and polite about positions Transitions are naturally difficult –Think of this as boot camp for the brain –If you find yourself feeling a little uncomfortable, this may be a good thing… –If you find yourself feeling VERY uncomfortable, talk to someone. Ask for help! Rules help us all have a common structure from which to help each other learn

Learn the facts Be sure you know how the following work. Registration Grading options Gen Ed requirements Choosing a major –Course planning to get in the major of your choice Advising Financial aid Great Resources: Student Success (Ondine 204, ): Students First Success System –

Registration Many students forget to register, or register too late. –The last day to add or make changes freely is Oct. 4, 2009 –The last day to add class with instructor approval is Oct 9, 2009 Don’t forget to officially drop classes if you decide to drop them. –The last day to drop (not recorded on transcript) is Oct 11, 2009 –The last day to withdraw from a class (recorded as W) freely is Nov. 15, after this one can withdraw with instructor approval.

Collected Advice for Freshman Go to class. –More than any other factor this is an indicator for success. It is OK to take more than 4 years to graduate –sometimes it’s a good idea! Take classes at a rate at which you can do well in all of them. –12 credits of A’s and Bs, is much better than 15 credits of C’s and an F Spend 2-3 hours on your own, studying or doing assignments, for every hour spent in class. –Exercise. How many hours a week are you expected to put in outside of class? The minimum? The maximum? Total hours including class time? You are taking too many classes when you can’t get the homework done for all of them. –If you wait until you’re flunking one of them IT IS TOO LATE. –Do something as soon as you can’t keep up. Ask for help! It is our job; we won’t mind.

Advice about life Be positive—remember you are smart –you come from a long line of good thinkers –you are the ones that survived (my view as an evolutionary biologist). Do something other than coursework –extra curricular activity / exercise –work –volunteer Get enough sleep ( 7.0 – 8.5 hours per night ) – Avoid alcohol and drugs Eat healthily

Where to get help Undergraduate Advising and Support Center (UASC) –Academic support and advice Academic Support Program Community College Relations Disability Resource Center Student-Athlete Advising Veterans Services Student Health & Counseling (SHAC) Student Success Office Your professor, mentor, LCA, fellow students

Focused Tutoring Resources Skills enhancement and tutoring center – The Writing Center – Math – Foreign Languages –FLL department 393 Neuberger Hall –

Artifact Fair Set out your artifact and description Half the class stay with your artifact; half view artifacts Now switch

Ways of Knowing Instinct Experience Math/Reason/Logic Philosophy Science/Evidence Literature/Art Oral tradition (parents/elders) Religion/Spirituality Cultural Experience Social Expectations Education/Books/Internet