Department number (e.g., ABC198)
Course Title
Registration #12345
UB Seminar - 1 credit
Fall 2016
COURSE INFORMATION
Date(s)/Time(s)
Location
1 Credit
Instructor(s) names and contact information (including office hour information when applicable)
Other relevant persons (when applicable) and contact information (including office hour information when applicable)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The 1-credit UB Seminar is a discussion-based seminar built around grand challenges and big ideas. It addresses the goal
of bringing faculty and new upper division UB transfer students together to establish a successful transition to becoming
a student at the University at Buffalo. The course provides opportunities for small group interactions, focused on the
learning that takes place in a large, public research university setting, specific to students’ chosen major or among a
selection of fields. The course will help students understand the UB Curriculum philosophy so that all can create an
electronic portfolio as a capstone to present transfer and UB academic work that demonstrates achievement of the UB
Curriculum expectations and requirements. The course will include an introduction to field of study and learning within a
large research university.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Having completed a UB Seminar, students will be able to:
Course Learning Outcome
Delivered through
the Following
Instructional
Method(s):
Student Achievement Assessed with
the Following
Method(s)/Assignments:
Articulate the components of the UB
Curriculum program and the integration of
multiple disciplines.
Degree program assignment,
attendance at appropriate programs
Understand their chosen major or other
fields of study and the key concepts that will
be explored in those disciplines.
Journal or paper, discussion and
academic plan, attendance at
appropriate programs if offered.
Describe the unique character of higher
learning in a university, such as deep domain
knowledge, the role of research, and the
value of experiential learning.
Journal, paper, readings, and
discussion; attendance at appropriate
programs if offered.
Understand the necessity for
writing/communication in university and
professional settings.
Written and oral assignments to
reflect learning outcomes.
* Undergraduate Only
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Course Learning Outcome
Initiate use of the eportfolio and select a
thematic framework for the UB Curriculum
program using articulated transfer and UB
coursework.
Delivered through
the Following
Instructional
Method(s):
Student Achievement Assessed with
the Following
Method(s)/Assignments:
Assess the eportfolio written material
and other presentations of outcomes;
develop integrative material.
Note: *This course meets or contributes to meeting the SUNY General Education Requirements (GER) for Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, and Basic
Communication: (SUNY website), as well as areas of general education required by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
 The number of papers, tests, and any other requirements, such as homework, attendance, class participation,
laboratory assignments, and clinical performance, that will count toward the final grade.
 A brief description of each assignment and how it fulfills the learning outcomes. A single assignment may be used to
assess more than one learning outcome, and an outcome may be assessed on more than one assignment. These
descriptions may be given in chart form (see above), or in another form the proposer chooses. For examples, see the
Sample Approved Proposals posted on the
.
 Deadlines for assignments should also be specified.
 All requirements should relate to the course description and the student learning outcomes.
 It is strongly recommended that students be provided with clear guidelines as to how their work will be evaluated,
whether in the form of rubrics, checklists, exemplars, etc. (Any and all courses that fulfill General Education
requirements must assess the SUNY-specified student learning outcomes for that particular General Education
area.*)
POTENTIAL COURSE ACTIVITIES
 Written reflections and journals
 Directed Readings- focused upon the research university, public education, and the individual students; college life;
and oral communication
 Oral presentations
 Observation/participation in University events
 Workshops
 E-portfolio assignments
POTENTIAL READINGS
The Research University, Public Education, and the Individual Student:
 Dewey, John. Experience and Education. Dover, 2004.
 Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory. Godine, 1982.
 Nussbaum, Martha C. Not for Profit: Why Democracy needs the Humanities. Princeton, 2010.
 Rose, Mike. Lives on the Boundary: The Struggles and Achievements of America’s Educationally
Underprepared. Penguin, 2005.
 Bartholomae, David. “Inventing the University.” Journal of Basic Writing 5.1 (1986): 4-23.
POTENTIAL READINGS CONTINUED
Oral Communication
 Berko, Roy M., et al. Communicating: A Social, Career, and Cultural Focus 12th ed. Boston: Allyn &
Bacon, 2012.
 Lucas, Stephen E. The Art of Public Speaking. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2004.
* Undergraduate Only
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Glenn, Ethel C., Philip J. Glenn, and Sandra H. Forman, Your Voice and Articulation. 4th ed. Boston:
Allyn & Bacon, 1997.
Wilder, L. Seven Steps to Fearless Speaking. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1999.
Beebe, Steven A., and Susan J. Beebe. Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach. 8th ed.
Pearson, 2012.
O’Hair, Dan, Rob Stewart, and Hannah Rubenstein. A speaker’s Guidebook. 5th ed. Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2011.
GRADING POLICY
Students should be apprised of how various graded activities will be combined to form their single, final grade for the
course. How results from various requirements will be combined into a final grade: relative weightings, make-up policy
for tests, etc. Grading Policies should also include:
 Specification of the level of work must be completed in order to obtain specific letter grades (A-F). Consult the
Undergraduate Catalog for the Explanation of Grades.
Learning assessments will be graded based on rubric criteria and weighted according to the following break-down.
Weighting Assessment / Assignment
xx%
xx%
xx%
100%
Final Grades:
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F

Quality Points
4.0
3.67
3.33
3.00
2.67
2.33
2.00
1.67
1.33
1.00
0
Percentage (EXAMPLE)
93.0% -100.00%
90.0% - 92.9%
87.0% - 89.9%
83.0% - 86.9%
80.0% - 82.9%
77.0% - 79.9%
73.0% - 76.9%
70.0% - 72.9%
67.0% - 69.9%
60.0% - 66.9%
59.9 or below
Also include Reference to the university Undergraduate Incomplete Grade Policy. Which states that
o Any additional instructor requirements and comments regarding the use of incomplete grades.
Incompletes (I/IU)*: A grade of incomplete (“I”) indicates that additional course work is required to fulfill the
requirements of a given course. Students may only be given an “I” grade if they have a passing average in coursework
that has been completed and have well-defined parameters to complete the course requirements that could result in a
grade better than the default grade. An “I” grade may not be assigned to a student who did not attend the course.
* Undergraduate Only
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Prior to the end of the semester, students must initiate the request for an “I” grade and receive the instructor’s
approval. Assignment of an “I” grade is at the discretion of the instructor.
The instructor must specify a default letter grade at the time the “I” grade is submitted. A default grade is the letter
grade the student will receive if no additional coursework is completed and/or a grade change form is not filed by the
instructor. “I” grades must be completed within 12 months – see the Incomplete Grade Policy for the schedule.
Individual instructors may set shorter time limits for removing an incomplete than the 12-month time limit. Upon
assigning an “I” grade, the instructor shall provide the student specification, in writing or by electronic mail, of the
requirements to be fulfilled, and shall file a copy with the appropriate departmental office.
Students must not re-register for courses for which they have received an “I” grade
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Academic integrity is a fundamental university value. Through the honest completion of academic work, students sustain
the integrity of the university while facilitating the university's imperative for the transmission of knowledge and culture
based upon the generation of new and innovative ideas.
 Reference to the university Undergraduate Academic Integrity Policy and any additional instructor requirements
and comments regarding academic dishonesty.
ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES
If you have any disability which requires reasonable accommodations to enable you to participate in this course, please
contact the Office of Accessibility Resources, 25 Capen Hall, 645-2608, and also the instructor of this course. The Office
of Accessibility Resources will provide you with information and review appropriate arrangements for reasonable
accommodations.
SAMPLE COURSE ORGANIZATION/SCHEDULE (AS INDICATED IN THE FACULTY HANDBOOK, FINALS MAY NOT BE GIVEN DURING THE
SEMESTER, BUT RATHER DURING THE SCHEDULED EXAM PERIOD).
Week # and/or
Date
Topic
Required Readings / Assignments(s)
Due Date
COURSE MATERIALS
 Required and recommended materials, resources, textbooks, and resources citations.
 Availability of course materials or resources can be specified (e.g., items on reserve through the library; use of
UBlearns Blackboard site)
COURSE FEES
The dollar amount of any course-specific fees above and beyond UB tuition and fees, as well as the reason such fees are
being assessed.
Optional Components
ATTENDANCE POLICY
May include reference to:
 Attendance issues related to religious observances
* Undergraduate Only
4
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University sanctioned events
Athletic commitments
Family/Work obligations/emergencies
Course Cancellation/ Emergency Planning
Reference the university website for cancellations/delays due to weather or other unforeseen events at the
UB Alert page.
INSTRUCTOR AND COURSE SUPPORT STAFF INFORMATION
 Relevant professional information and/or teaching philosophy.
 Roles and responsibilities of course support staff (i.e., TAs/GAs).
CLASSROOM DECORUM
Discussion of classroom expectations, for example tardiness, and/or use of cell phones and laptops.
UNIVERSITY SUPPORT SERVICES
Students are often unaware of university support services. For example, the Center for Excellence in Writing provides
support for written work, and several tutoring centers on campus provide academic success support and resources.
* Undergraduate Only
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