CORE 101. The First Year Seminar (4F)
The First Year Seminar serves as the gateway course to the honors college. All students entering the College with fewer than 32 units of college credit (e.g., through transferred coursework, AP exam credit) will take CORE101. The Seminars will encourage students to engage deeply with an intellectual topic through exercising the four fundamental liberal arts skills (critical thinking, information literacy, written expression, and oral expression). These seminars are:
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CORE 101: Who Am I? Where Am I? Navigating the Politics of Difference at St. Mary’s – The rural liberal arts honors college comes as a culture shock to most students. But it poses special challenges to students from urban environments (“Is there anything to do here?”), those who are the first in their families to go to college (“What the heck is …?”), those from ethnic minority groups (“Am I really the only Latino/Asian/black student in this class?”), and those from other underrepresented groups. In this seminar, we explore the distinctive experiences, challenges, and opportunities of underrepresented students at St. Mary’s. We examine the complexities of race, class, gender and sexuality, and disability in academic culture and consider their impact on students’ identity development and academic life. The springboard for our discussions are narratives drawn from a variety of sources: advanced students, professors, psychologists, social theorists, public figures, screenwriters, and, most importantly, you! You will discover how you, like those who have gone before you, can maximize the benefits of your liberal arts education by cultivating self-understanding, developing critical skills, managing time and relationships, and much more.
DBSP 101: Academic and Leadership Seminar I – The DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program cultivates the leadership potential of students who are traditionally underrepresented at St. Mary’s. Our hope is that the Scholars will guide the College’s efforts to increase understanding of diversity and inclusion, both on our campus and beyond it. The Summer Bridge Academic and Leadership seminar focuses on academic culture and equips first year Scholars with information and skills to navigate this “different world” with optimal success. We reflect upon the history and ideology of the academy in order to explain the “culture shock” almost all first-year college students experience. More importantly, we develop strategies for resisting shock and maximizing the benefits of liberal arts education: cultivating self-understanding, developing critical skills, managing time and relationships, and much more. The springboard for our discussions will be several interesting narratives drawn from a variety of sources: professors and advanced students, social theorists, public figures, but, most importantly, you. You are invited to enter into conversation with these sources as you explore and deepen your own thoughts about college culture and experience.
DBSP 102: Academic and Leadership Seminar II – The DeSousa-Brent (DB) Scholars Program cultivates the leadership potential of students who are traditionally underrepresented at St. Mary’s. Scholars will guide the College’s efforts to increase understanding of diversity.
Last semester we focused on three themes: (1) the gifts and challenges of academic culture, (2) identity development among first generation, working class, minority and white students, and (3) cultivating academic success skills. This semester we focus on positioning DB Scholars to become campus leaders. You’ll continue to sharpen your academic and professional skills, but you’ll also now shift your gaze outward, exploring ways DB Scholars can apply your gifts, talents, and perspectives to promoting better understanding of identity differences and greater inclusiveness at St. Mary’s. DB Scholars will lead the College in creating better experiences for all students in these areas.
DBSP 101. Academic and Leadership Seminar I (2)
This course examines the transition to the honors college through critical study of academic culture, liberal arts education, regional history, theories of ethnic identity development, critical and creative thinking, and a review of study skills and campus resources. Each student participates in an approved diversity experience.
DBSP 102. Academic and Leadership Seminar II (2S)
This course explores the nature of leadership, styles of leadership, and how leadership and power intersect with each other and with service. Each student participates in a service project during the semester. Participation in DBSP 101 is preferred but not required.
DBSP 301. DeSousa-Brent Mentor (2F)
This course is designed for two students for each section of DBSP 101. Students serve as mentors and learning assistants for both the summer program and the fall seminar. They act as role models for scholars and serve as resource persons both in and out of class. Specifically, peer mentors assist with adjustment issues to college and to college-level work. They will assist with individual conferencing, provide guidance for presentations and diversity projects, read the seminar course material, read articles on teaching first-year students, and maintain journals throughout the semester. A reflection paper on their experiences with the course, concepts of teaching and learning in relation to their role, and the benefits of the seminar to students will serve as the culminating project. (Prerequisites: DBSP 101, DBSP 102, and successful completion of the application process.)
DBSP 302. DeSousa-Brent Mentor (2S)
This course is designed for two students for each section of DBSP 102. Students serve as mentors and learning assistants for the spring seminar. They act as role models and serve as resource persons both in and out of class. Specifically, peer mentors continue to monitor the academic progress of students in their section. They assist with conferencing, plan and participate in program activities, coordinate panelists for panel discussions, design a service project for the course or approve individual service projects, read course material, and maintain journals throughout the semester. A reflection paper on what they have learned about leadership (including leadership of their peers), and their experiences of and beliefs concerning intersections of leadership, power and service, serve as their culminating project. (Prerequisites: DBSP 101, DBSP 102, and successful completion of the application process.)