Skip to main content
Penn State Berks
Hotline Give Apply Visit
  • Admission
  • Academics
  • Campus Calendar
  • Information For
    • Future Students
    • Parents & Families
    • Current Students
    • Adult Students
    • Alumni
    • Faculty & Staff
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Berks
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Hotline Give Apply Visit
  • This is Penn State
    • Campus Leadership
    • Chancellor's Welcome
    • Penn State Berks at a Glance
    • Our History
  • Academics
    • Baccalaureate Degrees
    • Registrar
    • Course Schedule
    • Academic Advising Center
    • Thun Library
  • Admission
    • First Year Students
    • Visit Us
    • En Español
    • Adult Learners
    • International Students
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarship Eligibility
    • Tuition & Cost Calculator
    • Paying Your Bill
  • Continuing Education
    • Adult Students
    • Services for Organizations
    • Summer Camps
    • Workforce and Professional Development
  • Student Life
    • On-Campus Housing
    • Residence Life
    • Moving In
    • Clubs and Organizations
    • Family and Homecoming Weekend
    • Student Events Calendar
  • Athletics

Find Information For:

  • Future Students
  • Parents & Families
  • Current Students
  • Adult Students
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Staff

Helpful Links

  • Canvas
  • First Year Seminar
  • LionPATH
  • Driving Directions
  • Educational Equity and Diversity Programs
  • Faculty Directory
  • Staff Directory
  • University Police and Public Safety

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram
  1. Home

FYS: Student Seminar Requirements

 

(L-9: First-Year Seminars)

In December 1997, the University Faculty Senate passed legislation mandating a first-year seminar requirement for all incoming first-year baccalaureate students who were admitted to the University after spring semester 1999.

Procedure
  1. First-year seminars (FYS) are either identified by the course abbreviation "PSU" or by the suffix "S," indicating that the course is a first-year seminar; "T," indicating that the course is an honors course and a first-year seminar; or "X," indicating that the course is both writing intensive and a first-year seminar.
  2. FYS are normally taught by regular faculty?tenured, tenure-track, or full-time fixed term faculty with at least three years experience.
  3. The FYS section size is normally limited to 20 students. Minor exceptions to this limit may occur from time to time but should not be standard practice.
  4. Content and number of credits (between 1 and 4) are at the discretion of colleges, but seminars are designed to engage students in the scholarly community and to introduce them to the faculty. Activities to achieve these goals include:
    • Introducing students to university study and to Penn State as an academic community.
    • Acquainting students with learning tools and resources.
    • Providing opportunities to develop academic relationships with faculty and peers.
    • Introducing responsibilities as members of the community.
  5. It is expected that all baccalaureate degree candidates will include a first-year seminar as part of their first 27 credits scheduled in residence at Penn State. Students are encouraged to complete this requirement in their first two periods of enrollment.
  6. The following students are exempt from the FYS requirement: provisional and nondegree (regular and conditional) students who have completed 18 or more credits in that status, advanced standing admits (18 or more transfer credits), admits with 18 or more credits in another status at Penn State (e.g., associate degree), and associate degree candidates.
  7. Students who do not successfully complete an FYS must fulfill the requirement in an alternative activity as directed by the associate dean of their college.
  8. If a student is changing colleges or equivalent units, his/her FYS course or approved alternative activity is wholly portable and must be counted as meeting the FYS requirement in the new college/unit. However, if a student's college/unit waived the FYS requirement, his/her new college/unit may require an alternative activity.
  9. Each college at University Park will provide as many FYS seats as are required to meet the needs of all first-year students enrolled in that college, plus a proportion of Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) students. Annually, the executive director of DUS will identify and assign, in consultation with the colleges, the number of FYS seats that may be needed in each college. Colleges at other locations will provide as many FYS seats as are required to meet the needs of all first-year baccalaureate students enrolled at that location.
  10. Annually, ACUE will review each college's participation rate using data provided by the University Registrar and Undergraduate Education.
Approved: ACUE (9-06-01)
Revised: ACUE (3-14-0

 

First Year Seminar

  • First Year Seminar Background Information
  • First Year Seminar Guidelines for Students
  • FYS: Student Seminar Requirements
  • FYS: Objectives for Students
  • FYS: Faculty Out-Of-Class Requirements / Formats
  • FYS: Faculty Questionnaires
  • FYS: Student Resources
  • FYS: Faculty Resources

Common Reading

Common Reading Program
Overview of the Common Reading Program
Common Reading Program FAQ
Locations of Penn State's campuses throughout Pennsylvania with Penn State Berks highlighted

Penn State Berks

Nestled on 258 beautifully landscaped acres in Berks County and easily accessible from anywhere in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram
Give Apply Visit
  • This is Penn State
    • Chancellor's Welcome
    • Penn State Berks at a Glance
    • Campus Leadership
    • Advisory Board
    • Our History
    • Freyberger Gallery
  • Academics
    • Baccalaureate Degrees
    • Registrar
    • Course Schedule
    • Academic Advising Center
    • Thun Library
  • Admissions
    • First Year Students
    • Visit Us
    • En Español
    • Dual Enrollment
    • Adult Students
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarship Eligibility
    • Tuition & Cost Calculator
    • Paying Your Bill
  • Research
    • Undergraduate Research
    • Research in Engineering, Business & Computing
    • Research in Humanities Arts and Social Sciences
    • Research in Science
  • Continuing Education
    • Adult Learner Admissions
    • Practical Nursing Program
  • Resources
    • Canvas
    • First Year Seminar
    • LionPATH
    • Driving Directions
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • COVID Information
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • University Police and Public Safety
Penn State University
Tulpehocken Road, Reading, Pennsylvania 19610 610-396-6000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2023
  • We Are Penn State