PORT 110 Freshman Seminar

Mission Statement:
The goal of all VWC Freshman Seminars is twofold: first, to help new students make a smooth transition to their first semester of college; and second, to introduce students to the aims and expectations of a liberal arts education. This is accomplished through a combination of advising, orientation/co-curricular activities, and seminar discussion. This seminar also provides an introduction to the PORTfolio Program.

Course Goals:
The Seminar is designed socially and academically to help students with the often rough transition from high school to college life. Further, it is to facilitate the orientation and advising process, helping students to begin the challenge of a liberal education. Students meet weekly during the first semester with a faculty member and peer advisors to address a series of important questions ranging from the most concrete, bureaucratic concerns up to the most universal questions regarding life goals and liberal education. This PORTfolio section, coupled with PORT 121, will expand these course to include a penetrating examination of yourself and your circumstances as a student at Virginia Wesleyan College. IN PORT 121, you will also begin work in constructing in your electronic portfolio, the medium on which you document your growth and development as a scholar and community citizen. We can use this class at times to facilitate that construction by providing extra help with your web page.

Class Attendance and Participation and co-Curricular Events:
You must attend each of our class meetings, which are held (unless otherwise noted) every Tuesday at 11:00A.M. in Clarke 125. Only documented excuses will be accepted. If you miss a class (e.g. documented illness, death in the family, ...), please see or call your instructor as soon as possible before the class or event and leave a message on voice-mail.

Course Requirements:
1. Orientation/Co-Curricular Activities: You must attend at least three of the following:

• Wednesday, September 8, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Blocker Auditorium - "'Suicide' Attacks and Religion: Psychological, Sociological, and Theological Reflections on New Warfare" A screening of the 50-minute documentary "Human Weapon", followed by responses from Dr. Rita Frank, Professor of Psychology, Dr. Tom Lopez, Professor of Sociology, and Dr. Craig Wansink, Professor of Religious Studies. Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom.

• Thursday, September 23, 11:00-11:50 a.m., 1/3 Boyd Dinning Hall - Intro to the “What's at Stake?” Series:"The Religious Culture Wars and Election 2004: What's at Stake?"
A lecture and discussion led by Dr. Ted Vial, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Dr. Craig Wansink, Professor of Religious Studies. Sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies and the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom as part of the "Election 2004: What's at Stake?" series.

• Thursday, October 7, 11:00-11:50 a.m., 1/3 Boyd Dinning Hall - "The War and Election 2004: What's at Stake?" A lecture and discussion led by Dr. Dan Margolies, Assistant Professor of History. Sponsored by the Department of History and Campus Kaleidoscope (through the CSRF) as part of the "Election 2004: What's at Stake?" series.

• Thursday, October 21, 11:00-11:50 a.m., 1/3 Boyd Dinning Hall - "The Economy and Election 2004: What's at Stake?" A lecture and discussion led by Mr. David Garraty, Professor of Economics. Sponsored by the Liberal Arts Management Program and Campus Kaleidoscope (through the CSRF) as part of the "Election 2004: What's at Stake?" series.

• Thursday 9/2, 11 a.m, in Convocation Hall, Batten Student Center: Honor Code Convocation

• Thursday 9/16, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Shaffer Room, a talk by Elizabeth C. Benjamin, co-sponsored by the VWC Women’s Resource Office, followed by lunch.

• Thursday 9/16, 4:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m. for athletes, Hofheimer Theater: Acquaintance Rape Presentation, followed by a discussion in Birdsong Hall.

3. Majors Competition/Oral Presentation:
Each student will choose a major and research the requirements for that major at VWC. Students will also state the reasons for choosing this major. The student will then describe the major to the class (Tuesday, October 26th in class) and try to convince the class to major in that major. Students will then vote for the best/most convincing presentation. This oral presentation should not last more than 10 minutes and is worth 25% of your grade for this course. The presentations will be video taped.

Weekly schedule•Tuesday 8/31: Introduction to the course and the PORTfolio program. Who went to Silver Beach? Tell the group about your experience.

• Thursday 9/2: Honor Code Convocation, 11am in Convocation Hall, Batten Student Center

• Friday 9/3: Last Day for late registration/Last day to drop courses without record.

• Tuesday 9/7: Presentation by the Writing Center, Learning Resource Center, Tutoring Center (all four PORT 110 groups) in the Blocker Auditorium. Study skills and note taking will also be addressed. Speaker: Jeff Waller

• Thursday 9/16, 4:30, 7:00 p.m. for athletes, “Equalogy: - Alcohol/Sexual Assault,
Hofheimer Theater, followed by a discussion in Birdsong Hall.

• Tuesday 9/21: Lisa Fentress from the Career Services Center – on Choosing a Major - Fanney/Risk Blocker 12

• Tuesday 9/28: Bill Brown from Counseling Services – on Stress Management - Fanney/Risk Blocker 12

• Tuesday 10/5: Outside Speaker: Lambuth Clarke (all four PORT 110 groups), in Clarke 118

• Tuesday 10/19: Group Advising – General Education Requirements, PORTfolio sequence of coursework. View your Progress Reports on MARSIS prior to class.

• Tuesday 10/26: Course Evaluation online and the Oral Presentation Project. Students will select a major to research and make a ten minute presentation to classmates.

• January 24, 2005 (the first day of spring semester classes) has been designated as a day for freshman to meet with their advisors to make any necessary schedule adjustments.

Grading
Students will be graded on the basis of attendance, participation, completion of the course evaluation and an oral presentation project on a major at VWC. You will receive a traditional letter grade even though this course is only worth 1 credit hour.

Attendance at all Freshman Seminar sessions and proof of attendance at any THREE co-curricular events listed on the Fall 2004 Special Events Calendar.	25%
Participation is a grade of effort to prepare for class and participation during the class meeting. Participation means that when you attended class you contributed to the discussion and/or asked meaningful questions.	25%
Your feedback on this course is very important to us, and to emphasize this you will receive an A for feedback if you complete the course evaluation online prior to the end of October.	25%
This course will have one oral presentation project on the major of your choice at VWC. These presentations will be made during our last meeting on October 26^th and should not last more than 5 minutes.	25%

A 93-100	A- 90-92	B+ 88-89	B 83-87	B- 80-82	C+ 78-79
C 73-77	C- 70-72	D+ 68-69	D 63-67	D- 60-62	F 0-59

The standard procedures for meeting the responsibilities associated with this course can be modified for students with certain disabilities. To qualify for such accommodations, a student must provide the college with appropriate professional documentation that confirms to our satisfaction the presence of the disability. To begin the confirmation process or for further information about it, contact our coordinator of disability services, Fayne Pearson, at 455-3246.