Not Teaching Freshman Seminar this Year

I started at NJIT in September 1992, but started teaching a section of Freshman seminar in September 1996. Perhaps facilitate is a better word than teach. I did this for 12 years in a row, but I feel this year it is time for me to give it up. A few of my colleagues in the library did participate in the program, but not nearly as long as I. It was my opinion that Freshman Seminar should not be a burden on the students, since although attendance is required, there is no academic credit for it. Students recieve a grade of satisfactory or unsatisfactory at the end of the 10 week course. Over the years I failed only a few students who were absent too many times. My feeling is that cutting class will catch up to them sooner or later. For most of the 12 years I organized the library tours. One of my biggest diasappointments was when several students in my section a few years ago, walked away from my tour. Was it that boring? Since blogging is so popular among students, I assigned students last year to write a blog of 10 entires discussing their experiences as a first year student. Less than half the class did the assignment that I thought would be fun for them.

I felt that pariticipating in the Freshman seminar program was good service to NJIT. I decided to stp, because I feel that a younger person would be more effective in reaching the students. It is 41 years since I was a freshman at CCNY. 1967 was in a completely different era socially, politically, and technlogically. I think a graduate student or even an upperclassman would be more effective in helping new students acclimate to college life.