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Chapter Topics: [ I. Administration & Governance] [ II. Funding, Budget and Operations] [ III. Personnel ] [ IV. Other Personnel Policies ] [ V. Curriculum and Related Policies ] [ VI. Student Academic Affairs ] [ VII. College Relations ] [ VIII. Resources & Services ] [ Glossary of L&S Terms ]

Chapter VI Contents: [ VI.1 L&S Student Academic Affairs ] [ VI.2 L&S SAA Staff ] [ VI.3 Academic Advancement Program ] [ VI.4 L&S Advising Service ] [ VI.5 Bradley Learning Community ] [ VI.6 Cross-College Advising Service ] [ VI.7 Letters and Science Career Services ] [ VI.8 S.O.A.R. ] [ VI.9 Student Records ] [ VI.10 Degree Audit Reporting System ] [ VI.11 Academic Misconduct ] [ VI.12 Accommodation of Religious Belief ] [ VI.13 Policy & Guidelines on Nondiscrimination ] [ VI.14 Summary Blocks/Final Exams ] [ VI.15 Multi-Section Courses ] [ VI.16 Chadbourne Residential College ] [ VI.17 Deleted Section] [ VI.18 First-Year Interest Groups ] [ VI.19 Pathways to Excellence Programs and Services ] [ VI.20 African American Student Academic Services ] [ VI.21 American Indian Student Academic Services ] [ VI.22 Chicano/a Student Academic Services ] [ VI.23 Southeast Asian American Student Academic Services] [ VI.24 Summer Collegiate Experience ] [ VI.25 Undergraduate Research Scholars ] [ VI.26 Grading Policies ] [ VI.27 The Grading System ] [ VI.28 Grade Change Procedure ] [ VI.29 Student Appeals of Grading ] [ VI.30 Grade Disputes ] [ VI.31 Distinction: in the Major, in the Thesis ] [ VI.32 Scholarships ] [ VI.33 Major Declaration Form ]

VI.18 FIRST-YEAR INTEREST GROUPS

Website: www.lssaa.wisc.edu/figs

The primary mission of the First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs) Program is to enhance student learning through the development of community by fostering academic and social connections. Each FIG consists of twenty first-year students who live in the same residence hall or residential "neighborhood" and who are also enrolled in a cluster of three classes together. Each cluster of courses has a central theme, and the central or "synthesizing" course, taught by the lead professor of that FIG, integrates content from the other two classes. Only the twenty students in each FIG are enrolled in that group’s "synthesizing" course. The other two courses will have larger enrollments, but the FIG students will have their own discussion sections in courses which involve lectures and discussions. All courses meet degree requirements, but more importantly they allow students to explore areas of common interest through a multidisciplinary approach. In addition, most FIG clusters include at least one course which deals with some aspect of ethnic or cultural diversity, in keeping with the goals of Plan 2008.

Examples of FIG clusters include:
  • "The United States and the Korean War"
    • History 200: The Korean War (synthesizing course)
    • Political Science 106: Introduction to Comparative Politics
    • East Asian Studies 222: Introduction to East Asian Civilization
  • "Human Nature, Animal Nature"
    • Psychology 211: Animal Nature and Human Nature (synthesizing course)
    • Anthropology 105: Principles of Biological Anthropology
    • History of Science 203: Science in the Twentieth Century: a Historical Overview
  • "Classical Myth and Modern American Culture"
    • English 155: Classical Myth and Modern Literature (synthesizing course)
    • Classics 300: The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece
    • History 110: The Ancient Mediterranean

FIGs are part of a concentrated effort on the part of the UW-Madison campus to provide a better transitional academic and orientation experience to first-year students. By involving participating students in integrated learning experiences and by creating collaborative learning environments, FIGs will, it is hoped, help improve student achievement and retention. In addition, the goals of the FIGs Program are to provide diversity education for students, supporting the goals of Plan 2008 , to offer integrated learning across a cohort of classes, and to contribute to the building of living/learning communities.

For more information about FIGs, check the website or contact

Greg Smith, FIGs Director
413 South Hall
608-263-6504
glsmith@lssaa.wisc.edu 

Kari Fernholz, FIGs, Coordinator
608-262-7375 
klfernho@facstaff.wisc.edu  

Last updated: January 2007

 

It is the nature of this document to be a work in progress. 
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