College Nine Frosh Seminar
International and Global Issues is the College Nine “core course” that all first-year students take in the fall quarter. Every college at UCSC has its own distinct core course. One of the goals underlying the course is provide incoming students a shared learning community. Because all first-year students take this class, we hope that it becomes a catalyst for exploring ideas together as well as making new friends. When meeting another student from College Nine that you do not know, you can always get things started by sharing your thoughts about the core course!
International and Global Issues
The core course reflects the intellectual theme of the college. At College Nine our focus is on international and global perspectives such as economic globalization, human rights, regional conflicts, the environment, and cultural identity. Some of the topics addressed in the course may include:
- What is globalization and how is affecting us?
- World hunger and the food supply
- Global ethnic conflicts
- Genocide
- Are there universal human rights?
- What can people do to help?
Emphasis on Developing Your Writing, Reading, and Oral Presentation Skills
In addition to introducing students to global issues, the class is also designed as a writing workshop. Students write and revise several papers during the quarter.Writing is an important component in most professions. Therefore, developing your writing skills will contribute to your success while in college as well as afterwards in your career. We will also offer some workshops designed to strengthen your overall academic skills including class time on time management, studying, reading, note taking, and using the library. Although the core course is only one class, we hope it will become the foundation for your future success here at UCSC.
In addition to writing, effective reading and oral presentation are two other skills that we try to develop in the course. Some class meetings are devoted to discussing how to assess the most important points that an author makes. Also, students are required to make several presentations and participate in class discussions. Our goal is to develop your ability to articulate your ideas in speech as well as writing.