First Year Seminar Student Resources & FAQs

All new, first time Freshman must take the FYS. The FYS is designed to help students transition from High School to the University. The courses are much more than simply learning about study skills and time-management (although these issues may be embedded in the course). All seminars are designed to help promote the higher-order thinking skills (information literacy, and critical and creative thinking) that students will need to help them succeed at UW. The courses also aim to excite students to explore the world of ideas through active participation, research and discussion, while promoting a community environment. Students who transfer with an Associate’s Degree or with 30 credits post-high school, are not required to take the seminar. If students transfer in with 30 credits of dual enrollment college classes, they must enroll in the FYS. If students have questions about their particular case, they may contact the FYS Coordinator, Allison Gernant. If possible, the FYS is best taken in the Fall, but it must be taken at some point during the First Year.

Not necessarily. Some FIGs have FYS as the anchor class, and others chose to use a major-restricted class (so that the FIG is for majors only). If an FYS does not show up when you are searching, it may be part of a FIG. To find out if an FYS is a part of a FIG, please see the FIG website. Please see the Freshman Interest Groups page for more details. Additionally, if you see that one of your pre-enrolled classes has the number 1101, you can be sure that you are already enrolled in their FYS. If you are still confused, please contact Mollie Hand for clarification.

Students in the Bridge Program will choose an FYS and will be pre-enrolled into a Bridge FYS by the time they come to Orientation. Please contact Makayla Stewart for more information.

No. These are separate requirements. The FYS is part of the University Studies Program (USP) that all students, regardless of their Major, will take. The Honors colloquium is a required class for the Honors program, and also meets the USP requirement for the COM1; the 2nd Honors colloquium (in the Spring) meets the requirement for the COM2.

We actually encourage students to take a course that tweaks their interest, rather than one that is directly associated with their Major.  FYS classes are skills, and not content, based, and no student will be at a disadvantage by taking any FYS outside their discipline. Of course, you are welcome to choose a FYS that is aligned with your Major – you are simply not obligated to do so.

No, the class is graded on the A-F scale, and students must receive a C in order to pass the class.

The FYS policy states that students must successfully pass the FYS (with a C grade or higher) during their first year.  Before withdrawing from your FYS, you must discuss possible consequences with your instructor and advisor, and make sure that you know what to do in the following semester.

• Fall Semester: Students who did not earn a passing grade in their Fall FYS (i.e. failed, earned a D, withdrew or never took), and who end the semester on academic probation, should enroll in an Academic Success Skills class (UWYO 1105) in the Spring semester; these students must then enroll in a specialized "2nd Year" FYS course the following Fall. Students who withdrew or failed to earn a passing grade in the Fall semester FYS, and who end the semester in good academic standing, must enroll in a FYS in the Spring semester.
• Spring Semester: Students who withdrew or did not earn a passing grade in their FYS in the Spring semester, and who end the semester on academic probation, must enroll in a "2nd Year" FYS in the Fall semester. Students who withdrew or did not earn a passing grade in their FYS in the Spring semester, and who end the semester in good academic standing, must enroll in a "2nd Year" FYS in the Fall semester.

• Once the student gains permission from the instructor and advisor, the student attaches a copy of the email withdrawal approvals from the instructor and advisor, and now sends an email withdrawal request to the Office of the Registrar.
• Any questions regarding these policies or individual student queries pertaining to these policies should talk with Ben Herdt.

No, the class is part of the first-year curriculum and is included in tuition.

The purpose of the FYS is to help with critical thinking skills required in college. While some instructors also incorporate some transition skills, they are not at the core of an FYS. However, a one-credit course is available to incoming first-year students which serves that purpose: STEP 1102, Pathways to College Success – a First Year Experience Course. For more information, see the First Year Experience page.