Freshman Interest Groups (FIGs)

An Invitation to UNF Faculty to Participate in a FIG Learning Community

Over the past several years the University of North Florida has offered a special learning community experience to our incoming ”First Time in College” (FTIC) freshmen.  This is the Freshmen Interest Group (FIG) program.  We are inviting faculty from all colleges to participate in the FIG program.

What’s a FIG?  A Freshman Interest Group is a learning community of students registered for two or three General Education courses (or lower division electives) linked around a common theme.  The only entry requirement is FTIC status.  Students sign up for all courses included in the FIG; enrollment is limited to 27 students.  A Residential FIG adds the dimension of residential proximity. Students enrolled in Residential FIGs live in the same residential facility and some of the courses may be taught in these residence halls.

Why a FIG?  Student learning and academic success is enhanced when students (1) can make connections across their courses, (2) have the opportunity to interact and learn from their peers, (3) can engage in active learning tasks and/or in small group learning, and (4) can develop meaningful connections with their instructors.  The FIG program seeks to create these structural and social conditions. This includes courses that are integrated through a common theme, a cohort of student who learn together and from each other, small classes that allow for alternative methods of instruction and group work, and greater levels of interaction with the FIG faculty.  Learning communities here and elsewhere have produced higher course attendance, greater learning, better student retention, and a more positive attitude toward courses and the institution.  FIG faculty also report that learning communities are an especially rewarding teaching experience that involves the opportunity for collaboration with other faculty in designing and delivering FIG courses.  FIGs also offer the faculty an opportunity to experiment with active or experiential learning techniques, and there is a small budget available to each FIG to support these opportunities.  Each FIG has access to $250 for course enrichment materials (speakers, films, etc.) and $125 for a social gathering (pizza party, etc.).  Each faculty member participating in a FIG receives a stipend of $1500, in part as compensation for planning and workshop attendance. 

What characterizes a FIG cluster of courses?  A FIG cluster is composed of courses typically required for General Education, or disciplinary freshman level pre-requisite courses, from three different disciplines.  They will be current 1000 or 2000 level courses with no prerequisites, or with pre-requisites often taken in high school as dual enrollment or AP.  Most will include a writing or literature course.  Faculty meet to plan the FIG so that major writing assignments, tests, and so on are integrated and coordinated.  The courses have some overlap in content. 

What if I am interested or have questions?  Contact David Jaffee in the College of Arts and Sciences at 2560, or e-mail him at djaffee@unf.edu   He will attempt to link you with FIG collaborators, if you do not already have someone in mind.  Team proposals are especially welcome.  It is a very good idea to talk over your plans with your department chair and/or program leader as soon as you think you would like to teach in a FIG.

What will happen if I am chosen and decide to participate?  You will be invited to attend an organizational meeting near the end of the Spring term. Prior to the beginning of the Summer A term, you will be invited to participate in a half-day workshop.  At the workshop we will present what we know about learning communities, the methods and techniques for organizing and integrating FIG courses, and suggested pedagogical practices for learning communities.  You will also be given time to plan your courses with your FIG colleagues.  Shortly before the beginning of the fall term you will have an opportunity to reconvene with your FIG team. During the fall term you will be encouraged to meet on a regular basis to discuss matters related to the FIG. 

SOME ADDITIONAL FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.  How much interaction may I expect with the other faculty in my cluster?  In late spring and early summer FIG faculty will meet to coordinate the course curricula.  Assessments of learning communities point to the critical need for students to perceive connections across the linked courses.  This is a major predictor of student success and satisfaction.  We strongly encourage faculty to attend each other’s classes the first week so that the students see the faculty interacting together.  Faculty should also meet on an ongoing basis throughout the semester.  But team teaching is not necessary.  Your course remains your own, both in content and in grading.

2.  How might my course be changed?  Beyond the content and format changes you will devise with your team and through the theme, you might also want to experiment with active learning techniques if you are not already doing so.  Active learning is one of the significant factors distinguishing successful FIGs. 

You may wish to consider an experiential component somewhere in the cluster.  Such an experience helps the students link the concerns of the courses with the larger community and reinforces the relationship between academic content and real-world problems.

Your FIG may also have a more significant writing component than the typical General Education course. This is because most FIGs include an English writing course (composition or literature) and the smaller class size makes writing assignments more manageable.  

Your course should also be organized around the student outcomes of General Education. These include a content knowledge and values component as well as skills that emphasize critical thinking, competence using information technology, and effective communication.  Each of these skills, in order to be developed, requires active and authentic learning and assessment methods.

Finally, you should take the opportunity to use the course to socialize students into the academic culture, develop basic skills such as oral communication, and encourage them to utilize campus resources such as the library, student academic support, and technology labs. 

3.  Scheduling.  We hope to schedule the FIGs generally for mornings and early afternoons.  We will coordinate your schedule with your department chair and adapt to your schedule needs.  Again, it is important to keep your department chair and/or program leader informed as the planning proceeds.

4.  How much contact am I expected to have with my FIG students outside class?  This is up to you.  Ideally, a learning community will encourage greater faculty-student contact in and out of the classroom and a successful learning community is based on higher levels of interaction than is possible in larger classes.

5. What kind of thematic FIGs have been offered in the past? 

Some past FIGs have included: "Campaign 2004," "Film and Society," "Globalization," "Origins of the Universe," "Technology and Society," "Understanding Cultural Diversity," “Business and Society,” “Work and Society,” “Inequality and Contemporary Society,” “Understanding and Evaluating Human Nutrition,”  “Exploring Global Diversity,” “Mind and Matter: An Ecological Perspective,”  “Harlem Renaissance,” “Biotechnology Terrorism,” “Epidemics,” “Understanding Human Behavior,” “Imagined Worlds,” “Religion and Politics,” “Physical Activity and Health,” “Consumption and Culture,” “CSI: Jacksonville,” “Schooling and Social Change,” “Global Warming,” “The Culture Wars,” “Business and Globalization,” “Religion and Realities,” “Nature’s Place: The Psychology of Environment,” “Human Natures: Here, There, and Everywhere,” “Ethics, Culture, and Mental Health,” “Art and Ideas,” “Seduction, Power and Human Nature: History Through Literature, “Global Religions,” “Nutrition, Education, and Policy,” and “You Are What You Eat: Studying Food and Culture.”

Use your imagination and creativity in developing FIG topics and consider what would attract freshman student interest.