Scribner Seminars | Skidmore College

The Scribner Seminar is the cornerstone of Skidmore’s FYE Program. This 4-credit class is a small, seminar style course designed to stimulate intellectual curiosity, challenge preconceived notions, and provide a solid foundation for continued study at Skidmore. All students are required to enroll in a Scribner Seminar during the fall semester of their first year. By design, the academic component of the course comprises three of the four credits, and the fourth credit is devoted to content to help students transition to the college environment at Skidmore.

Scribner Seminars are courses about knowing, particularly about ways to identify problems, formulate productive questions, and go about answering those questions. Students in this course will demonstrate the ability to:

distinguish among, and formulate, types of questions asked by different disciplines
read critically, and gather and interpret evidence
distinguish among the evidence and methodologies appropriate to different disciplines
consider and address complexities and ambiguities
make connections among ideas
recognize choices, examine assumptions and ask questions of themselves and of their own work
formulate conclusions based upon evidence
communicate ideas both orally and in writing
relate the results of the course to their educational goals

Seminar topics change from year to year; students should consult the First-Year Experience website for currently offered courses and their descriptions.

Director of the First-Year Experience and Professor Mathematics and Statistics: Rachel Roe-Dale

Associate Director of the First-Year Experience and Student Academic Development Coordinator: Marla Melito

First-Year Experience Coordinator: Christy Brown

SSP 100 - Scribner Seminar

Credits: 4

These interdisciplinary seminars introduce students to perspectives on a particular subject of inquiry. Each seminar, limited to 16 first-year students, allows participants to work together closely and also acts as a foundation and context for future college studies. Faculty instructors develop the seminar theme around their research and scholarly interests. In addition, faculty instructors serve as mentors and advisors to the students enrolled in the seminars. During each seminar, students enhance their abilities to read critically, communicate ideas both orally and in writing, and relate the seminar to their educational goals. Click Scribner Seminars to view the list of seminars available. All first-year students must take one Scribner Seminar in their first semester. This course must be taken for a letter grade.