Quinnipiac University students are required to take a first-year seminar (FYS), primarily taking place in their first fall semester. However, to offer more flexibility, additional sections will be offered in the spring semester beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
Students choose from a variety of different topics for their FYS course. They span across a variety of different focuses, including music, pop culture, leadership, world peace, exploration and many more.
“Each FYS section is a faculty-designed seminar constructed to help examine a complex problem, an enduring question, or new ideas from multiple perspectives,” Annalisa Zinn, vice president for academic innovation & effectiveness, wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “Feedback from students has indicated that they appreciate the opportunity to select an FYS section on a topic that resonates with their interests.”
While the course description and seminar format will remain the same, more offerings in the spring will allow for students to enroll in the FYS focus they are most interested in. This helps to avoid students being placed in a section purely based on their schedule, rather than a focus that truly piques their interest.
“To provide students with more opportunity to register for a FYS section on one of their preferred topics, we plan on repeating more FYS course sections in the spring semester,” Zinn wrote.
Several FYS sections have a peer catalyst, (PC), working alongside the professor.
According to Quinnipiac’s website, “These specialists work directly in First-Year Seminar courses. They lead a range of in-class initiatives, including group discussions and projects, and also collaborate with professors to suggest, design and execute in-class activities.”
On Monday, March 17, PCs were informed via email by Diana Swancutt, PC program lead, of the upcoming changes to FYS and how they would affect the PC program. However, FYS professors were not yet aware of these changes.
Swancutt explained that for at least the next year, FYS sections would be closer to evenly divided, with 60% in the fall and 40% in the spring. With there now being less sections in the first semester, there will also be less PC positions available.
Instead of the anticipated 85 positions in the fall, there will now be about 60 positions available, resulting in 25 fewer positions. For honors FYS sections, there will be 16 positions instead of 19.
“I do not know how many FYS sections there will be in the spring,” Swancutt wrote. “Possibly as few as 5-10, possibly as many as 20-25.”
With there now being fewer positions available, those interested in holding one must be assessed.
“I am required by the exigencies I outlined to reassess your commitment to this program, and to place those who have demonstrated through your commitment to service and your excellent performance that you truly want this position,” Swancutt wrote. “I will also be looking at your FWS status carefully.”
Swancutt also noted that several students in the PC program preferred other positions, but landed in the PC program, having had it as more of a backup position.
“For some the PC Program is necessarily just one work site among several other options, a way to make money while doing something you enjoy,” Swancutt wrote. ”Last year, some PCs decided only very close to fall term to work as a PC when other options have fallen through.”
On the other hand, some began their position, but did not remain in the program for the semester.
“A few agreed to serve as a PC only to quit at the beginning of term or after committing to a placement because their first choice of workplace or internship has finally come through,” Swancutt wrote. “I also understand the practical need to hedge bets.”
For first-year students, these new changes give them more flexibility and a higher chance to enroll in a section with a topic they are interested in. However for PCs, they face a shortage of available positions.
