Becoming Ecoliterate . . .

Sustainability &
Freshman Seminar
FSEM 1404.02
Fall 2018

Instructor:​​ Annette Lucksinger Hours: ​Wed. 11:00-12:30

Class time: ​MWF 10:00-10:50

Required Texts & Materials

• Folder for handouts, journals, weekly assignments, etc.

• Notepad/spiral for in-class writing and notes

• A Pocket Style Manual, 7th edition

• Course packet of readings

• Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

What IS Freshman Seminar?

Freshman Seminar will introduce you to academic life at the university level and help you
become a part of the community at St. Edward’s and in Austin. Freshman seminars are not
lecture courses but instead are classes where students and faculty discuss course materials
and actively engage with one another as co-creators of knowledge. There are several topics
within the Freshman Seminar umbrella. Our class will be a cluster of four seminars that will
investigate the concept of sustainability. Occasionally, we will all meet together in a larger
setting for guest speakers.

Becoming Ecoliterate, Sustainably-Savvy Students

In this class, we will get to issues of sustainability through environmental literature and through
student presentations that supply relevancy and applicability to our daily lives. Throughout the
semester we will examine the importance of place, the human role in the environment, and
actions that foster sustainability. We will also ask a lot of questions, such as: What is the
relationship of people to the environment? How do attitudes towards nature change over time?
How is Austin making efforts to become more sustainable?

Course Objectives

In this course, you will develop critical thinking skills necessary to become a successful student
and lifelong learner by meaningfully confronting questions of social justice through the course
materials and co-curricular experiences that test these ideas outside the classroom. To achieve
this goal, students will:

Develop an emerging awareness of assumptions by engaging a variety of perspectives

through readings and course discussions

Interpret and then evaluate issues/evidence/sources central to course content

Communicate effectively about multiple perspectives explored during the course

Reflect on and apply knowledge developed in the classroom and through co-curricular
experiences.

Course Work

Your final grade for Freshman Seminar will be based on the quality of the following work
(specific details to come with each assignment). Because this course emphasizes the process
and not simply the product, effort and participation are key to doing well.
JOURNALS 20%
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS 25%
2 SHORT PRESENTATIONS10%
IN-CLASS WORK, PARTICIPATION 5%
CO-CURRICULAR PORTFOLIO PROJECT
SUBMISSION 1 10%
SUBMISSION 2 10%
FINAL SUBMISSION 15%
PRESENTATION 5%

CO-CURRICULAR PORTFOLIO PROJECT

Co-curricular activities outside of class represent one credit of our 4-credit course, or 15 hours
over the course of the semester. Some will be required, and we will participate together. For
others, you will be given choices in areas that most interest you. Together, the short reflections
you write about these experiences and the visuals you collect will form the Portfolio Project and
Presentation, which comprises 40% of your course grade.

JOURNALS AND CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

Over the course of the semester, we will have 11 journal assignments and 13 Critical Thinking
question sets (one for each reading assignment plus a final reflection) that encourage you to
delve deeper into course readings and content. You may opt to not complete one of each of
these without affecting your grade. If you do complete them all, your lowest journal grade and
your lowest grade on the critical thinking questions will be dropped.

Critical Thinking Questions are due by midnight of the class day due (e.g., for questions due on
Mon., you will need to submit them by midnight, early Mon. morning to receive credit).