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Questions &Answers
Michael E. Ryan is vice provost and dean for undergraduate education.
The Office of the Provost has created two new programs—freshman seminars and "learning academies"—that are geared toward bringing faculty closer to students. Can you tell me about these programs?
The Discovery Seminar Program offers a small class experience where undergraduate students can engage with faculty on a broad range of scholarly topics and current issues. Students can explore subject areas of interest, improve their skills in critical thinking and discourse, and experience the excitement of being part of a community of scholars. Although the Discovery Seminar Program is primarily intended for freshmen, the seminars also are open to other undergraduates. Additional information regarding the Discovery Seminar Program can be found at http://discoveryseminars.buffalo.edu. The Undergraduate Academies are communities composed of faculty, students and staff who share common goals and interests. These academies relate to the distinctive strengths of our university, namely:
UB faculty and students are engaged in scholarship (research/creative expression).
UB has many international faculty and students, and a long tradition of international education opportunities (study abroad and international programs).
UB is a public university with a strong commitment to civic engagement, leadership and community involvement.
Based on these strengths, planning and implementation teams composed of staff from the Office of Undergraduate Education and the Division of Student Affairs are working with faculty to establish four Undergraduate Academies—two for fall 2007 and an additional two for fall 2008. They would cover four topics: civic engagement (fall 2007), research exploration (fall 2007), global and international issues (fall 2008) and creative expression (fall 2008). Each academy will be led by a faculty master scholar and a board of faculty fellows. The academies will connect students and faculty to each other and help students to more easily identify the opportunities that are available at UB that relate to their particular interests, irrespective of their academic major. For example, a student interested in civic engagement will be able to identify relevant courses, seminars, workshops, community projects, service learning opportunities, advanced courses, independent study options, study club activities, leadership experiences, etc. that relate to this theme. All of these options are available to all students, whether they are majoring in anthropology, sociology, mathematics, or electrical engineering. Some students may be attracted and able to undertake many of these options; others may only have the time or level of interest to engage in one or two activities. In addition, each academy will offer a residential learning community experience for a small group of students. This fall, we will provide rooms and learning spaces in the residence halls for approximately 25 entering students in each of the academies.
How are you marketing them to students?
For students entering this fall, print materials are being sent to inform them of the academies and the discovery seminars. They are directed to the new Undergraduate Academy Web site at http://academy.buffalo.edu. Students will be asked to indicate their possible interest in an academy on the orientation data form. Further communication with prospective students will follow. Additional information will be provided at summer orientation. For the discovery seminars, students are directed to our Web site at http://discoveryseminars.buffalo.edu, where they can read about the many benefits of the program and see course descriptions for current and future offerings. We are raising awareness through MyUB, the academic advising community and the UB orientation Web site. Current students can register for the seminars during their normal registration windows, and incoming students are registered for the seminars when advisors register them for their first semester classes.
At a large university like UB, there are always complaints about the size of undergraduate classes and the unavailability of faculty. What's UB's track record in this regard?
The reality is that only a small percentage of all scheduled classes are in a large lecture format. However, like most institutions our size, it is most efficient to deliver high-demand introductory required courses and prerequisites (e.g. biology, chemistry, psychology, etc.) in this fashion. This becomes a particular issue for lower-division students, particularly freshmen, since many of their first classes may be of this type. I believe that most students would give us a low grade on this aspect of their educational experience at UB. The discovery seminars are intended to provide a better balance by enabling students to interact with faculty in a small-class setting. With regard to faculty availability—as is typical at research universities—faculty are very busy with regard to their research, teaching and service responsibilities. Nevertheless, faculty schedule office hours to meet with students in their courses. Many faculty have an open-door policy or are willing to schedule individual appointments outside of scheduled office hours. In addition, electronic technology has made it commonplace for students and faculty to easily communicate via email at all hours during the week.
How do you convince faculty members, especially senior researchers, that it's worth their time to teach a freshman seminar?
I believe that most faculty enjoy being at a university because of the students and the opportunity to discuss a topic that they are passionate about with students that are excited about learning. I believe that most faculty feel it is in their interest to attract students to their disciplines, motivate students to excel in their studies and prepare students for continuing their education. My challenge is not to convince the faculty that it's worth doing, but rather that the time commitment is modest. Discussing a topic of interest, arranging for a guest speaker or organizing a lab tour or field trip involves a relatively modest commitment of time. I think that most faculty would find the experience to be very rewarding and well worth the effort. Many of the faculty that have been involved with our initial pilot have signed on to continue. In fact, seven of the 19 instructors who taught seminars in the 2006-07 academic year have enjoyed their experience so much that they have decided to offer a seminar again in the 2007-08 academic year.
How do you involve faculty from the professional schools, many of whom do not come into contact with undergraduates?
Faculty from the professional schools are solicited and even though they may not normally have contact with undergraduates, they have a tremendous opportunity for informing students about their profession, where the profession stands today and where the profession may be in the future. It is very much in the interest of faculty to have prospective students well informed about the educational requirements, challenges and career possibilities of their professional discipline. Several faculty members from the professional schools will be involved in both the academies and the discovery seminars.
What are the benefits—to both students and faculty—of building these kinds of relationships?
In my view, the benefit to students is a more exciting and transformative learning experience. Research on higher education has shown that faculty-student interaction has a significant effect on student grade-point average, time to graduation and level of academic aspiration. For faculty, the benefit is a more interesting instructional environment and a more rewarding teaching experience. Having a faculty member intellectually engaged with a small number of students on a topic of mutual interest can only result in a positive outcome for all.
What question do you wish I had asked, and how would you have answered it?
How can I get more information or volunteer to help with the Discovery Seminar Program and the Undergraduate Academies? Drop us a note at vpue@buffalo.edu. We would love to hear from you.