CUNY Scholars Program
General Description:
The Freshman Seminar is a requirement for all Baruch students. This seminar is specifically designed for honors freshmen and each class has approximately 35 students. As a result of the freshman seminar experience, students will:
- Learn about the various opportunities at Baruch to enrich your Honors College experience
- Learn to develop a personal time management schedule
- Create the beginning of the college narrative
- Develop a support system within the Baruch campus community
- learn about your personal values as well as the diverse values and perspectives of others
Syllabus:
| Date | Topic |
31 Aug |
Topic: Introduction to the course Meet your instructors, student leaders, and classmates through a game of Baruch College Bingo. We will go over the course syllabus and explain the College Narrative. What is a Student Leader?
Student Leaders are successful CUNY Scholars at Baruch who have an outstanding academic record and are involved in campus life. Student Leaders attend each of their assigned Freshmen Seminar Honors sessions as well as assist in the planning and implementation of the course content. Most importantly, Student Leaders serve as a bridge between the instructors and students, assist in facilitating class discussions, communicate with students outside of class, provide feedback to the 3 instructors, serve as a guide to campus resources, and serve as role models for academic, co-curricular, and leadership behaviors. Assignment - Due Sept 7 Begin working on your college narrative, which is a written account describing your goals while in college and beyond. Turn in 1-2 pages about your impressions of the CUNY Scholar Freshman Orientation as well as your impressions about your first week as a student at Baruch. Also, include your fears about your first-year of college and what are you looking forward to as a CUNY Scholar. |
7 Sept |
Topic: Honors Program and Baruch College Academic Policies Guest Speakers: Dr. Susan Locke, Director, Baruch College Honors Program & Dr. Ron Aaron, Associate Dean of Students |
14 Sept |
Topic: Using the Library Services Meet with Baruch College Honors Librarian, Stephen Francoeur to find out how to use the numerous library resources to meet your academic needs. Class Visit: Newman Library, 151 E. 25th Street |
21 Sept |
Topic: Career Exploration Meet with a Career Counselor to learn about the various services offered by the Baruch College Career Development Center such as internship and job placement, resume and interview workshops, and information about choosing your major. Class Visit: Career Development Center, 2-150 Vertical Campus |
28 Sept |
Topic: Time and Stress Management Tools will be provided for identifying and managing stress as well as information about the various services provided by the Counseling Center. Guest Speakers: Representatives from Baruch Counseling Center.
Assignment due Oct 19
Attend a Baruch College club or organization event or meeting of your choosing and be prepared to discuss your experiences in class. |
19 Oct |
Topic: Making the most of your College Experience Guest Speakers: Dr. Ron Aaron, Associate Dean of Students and Ms. Jennifer Gordon, Honors College Graduate
Assignment due Oct 26 Professor Interview! Arrange a 15 minute interview with a Baruch College professor. The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to get to know your professor outside of the classroom and begin to form mentorships. The interview might include questions about the instructor’s academic background, how they chose the field they are in, research interests, what he or she likes about teaching undergraduate students, and what the challenges are of teaching. Additionally, feel free to ask the professor any advice he or she may have for first-year honors students. Please hand in a 1-2 page synopsis of the interview. |
26 Oct |
Topic: Meet the Deans Guest Speakers: Dean Myrna Chase, Weissman School of Arts & Sciences, Associate Dean Phyllis Zadra, Zicklin School of Business, Acting Dean David Birdsell, School of Public Affairs, Vice President Ben Corpus, Student Development and Enrollment Management This is an opportunity for you to talk with the Deans of the individual schools at Baruch. Come prepared with any questions or comments that you have about the various academic programs offered at Baruch College. |
2 Nov |
Topic: Identity and Relationship Building in a Multicultural Society Small group activities will begin or continue your own self-reflection process.
Assignment due Nov 9 Students will be divided into groups and each group will receive a written description of a real-life situation. Be prepared to role-play your situation and lead a discussion about what options and resources are available to the student/s in your scenario. |
9 Nov |
Topic: Real-life situations as first-year students CUNY Scholars at Baruch Students will present their assigned scenario to the class and lead the discussion of real life situations encountered by Honors Scholars. |
16 Nov |
Topic: Academic Advisement: Prep for Registration In preparation for early registration, students will learn about Baruch’s academic curriculum as well as the academic requirements for Baruch’s honors program. Students will have the opportunity to talk with the students leaders about possible courses and professors for next semester. |
23 Nov |
Topic: Opportunities for Academic Enrichment Learn about many opportunities to enhance your academic experience at Baruch such as: writing an honors’ thesis, studying abroad, 5 year BBA/MBA program, Writer in Residence Program, Feit Seminar in the Humanities Guest Speakers: Dr. Susan Locke, Chair, Committee on Undergraduate Honors, Dr. Richard Mitten, Director, Study Abroad, Dr. Michael Wynne, Director, 5 Year BBA/MBA Program, Dr. Roslyn Bernstein, Director, Writer in Residence Program, Professor Paula Berggren, Director, Feit Seminar in the Humanities |
| 30 Nov |
Topic: Baruch College Jeopardy and Course Evaluation Show us what you learned from the seminar in a friendly game of Baruch Jeopardy! Prizes will be awarded to the winning team. We are asking for your honest and open feedback regarding the course. What topics did you find helpful and what topics need to be included in this course? |
Grading Policies:
Students will receive a PASS or INCOMPLETE grade for the seminar. Due to the seminar format of this course, students must attend each seminar and participate fully in class discussions. The pass grade is based on class participation and course assignments listed above. Note: Students will not receive a grade for the assignments, but will receive credit for having turned them in. Therefore, in order to receive a passing grade for the seminar, in addition to attendance and class participation, all assignments must be turned in!
Contact person: Jacqueline Klein, Jacqueline_Klein@baruch.cuny.edu.