Engaging Complexity: College Course Development Grants for First Year Seminars

The College announces Engaging Complexity Course Development Grants for new or returning First Year Seminar instructors interested in joining with colleagues to enhance strategies for preparing their First-Year students to encounter complexity in the classroom and gain confidence in engaging in robust dialogue across differences. Successful applicants will engage with colleagues to develop and enhance strategies for supporting students in learning from differing points of view and contributing to the open-ended exploration of ideas.

Grants may include up to three components. You may apply for one, two, or all three of these components here. The deadline for applications for Fall 2025 is March 31, 2025. (If you encounter difficulties in using this link, you may submit your proposal or any questions via email to sas-academic-affairs@sas.upenn.edu).

In addition, we will be asking all instructors of first year seminars to upload a prospectus or syllabus to Courses In Touch by June 1, 2025 so that incoming students can review the courses and find a good fit.

Learning Outcomes for all First Year Seminars

  • Students will be introduced to ways of thinking, reading closely, and engaging in lively and sometimes difficult intellectual conversations.
  • Students will experience a small seminar learning environment in which to learn how to be a college student and get feedback on their academic work.
  • Students will gain a first exposure to some of the ways our disciplines or interdisciplinary scholarly pursuits define what counts as evidence and how arguments are put together in our fields.
Component 1 – Strengthening Dialogue

Commit to incorporating into your First Year Seminar opportunities for students to practice engaging in dialogue and to participating in three faculty workshops with fellow First Year Seminar instructors. Focusing on dialogue might include enhancing students’ abilities to engage in debate, recognize multiple points of view, wrestle with questions that do not have easy answers, or address problems that require nuanced contemplation.

The first faculty-to-faculty workshops on syllabus design and strengthening dialogue in the classroom will occur before classes begin and the remaining two during the semester, chosen from a range of topics. Topics may include “Why College?” “Supporting Engaged Reading,” “Difficult Dialogue” (Paideia), “Strategies for Co-creation of Knowledge,” “Best Practices in Using and Mentoring Learning Assistants,” “Teaching in an AI Environment,” and other topics of faculty interest. Please fill out your availability on the grant application. The grant award assumes that you will attend at least three faculty-faculty workshops, though you are welcome to attend more.

Component 2 – Learning Assistant

If you would like to make use of a Learning Assistant in your course to assist in your students’ transition to college with office hours, outings, and check-ins, the cost of the Learning Assistant (who will be paid hourly) will be covered. You will choose your own Learning Assistant (ideally a student with whom you have worked in the past or who has already taken your course). Learning Assistants are typically not used as graders, but can help to facilitate dialogue in the classroom, develop co-curricular programming to build the class cohort, provide check-ins with students outside of class, and model the ability to engage in complex discussion, dialogue, and debate.

Component 3 – Co-Curricular Activities

Up to $2000 is available for First Year Seminar faculty who wish to incorporate co-curricular activities and field trips into their course. Funds may be used for museum trips, meals, tickets to a performance or film, or other activities that can enhance your course and help to strengthen your class cohort and sense of belonging at Penn.