(No. 3)

In the Undergraduate Mind: The First-Year Experience from Three Perspectives

Introduction

The courses that comprise the centerpiece of the University's mission hold the potential to produce that magical, transformational moment that can change a life forever. Many of us have experienced that and value it for others, especially members of our own family. Yet it is often difficult to discern what kind of learning goes on in a college classroom, as well as to assess the longer-term effect of that learning. This Occasional Paper presents the opportunity to examine multiple viewpoints about the first-year University experience by exploring how one course fits into the larger picture. The ensuing essays offer three personal accounts-one from a student in the class, the second from that student's mother, and a third from the course instructor. Writing independently, the authors responded to guiding questions about teaching and learning.
The course, a University Seminar (USEM) entitled "Drugs in Modern American Society," was taught by Bill McAllister, who holds a Ph.D. in History and was at the time of writing an Assistant Professor and Faculty Consultant at the University of Virginia Teaching Resource Center. The Undergraduate Record states that USEMs, "are designed to give first-year students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and explore new ideas in an environment that encourages interactive learning and intensive discussion. The seminars are based on ideas that have changed the way we think about our relation to the world around us." This two-credit course, which examined historical patterns of drug use and drug control, required students to read important texts, watch films, write papers, participate in class discussions, and make a formal class presentation on an individualized topic.
Each essay places the writer's experience of this USEM within a larger context, providing insight into the impact of the University's core mission on individual lives and the community. The student, who graduated from a private, college-preparatory high school, compares his USEM with the other classes he took in his first semester. The mother, a faculty member at a US university, contrasts the USEM and first-year phenomena more generally with her son's previous academic life. The instructor examines how this course fit into his longer experience as a teacher. The identities of the authors and other U.Va. faculty (except Mr. McAllister) remain anonymous in order to assure confidentiality. Although this Occasional Paper does not presume to represent everyone's University experience, we hope these perspectives might give readers pause to contemplate the potential inherent in all of us to grow and learn.

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