Month: August 2024

Michigan Tech Essential Education will be soft-launching the Michigan Tech Seminar shared modules beginning this Fall, 2024. These modules are embedded in Intro to the Major seminars or included in existing large-format courses (ENG 1101). Several units are in the process of developing new courses that will use the shared modules and fulfill the seminar requirement. Those majors not offering their own seminar course will have their students take a university-wide seminar beginning in Fall 2025.

Required assignments are expected to require no more than ⅓ of a 1 credit course, with expectations of about 15 hours total of combined in and out of class work. Eight of the nine modules in the list below are now available in Canvas Commons for seminar instructors to access and use. We anticipate that the remaining module will be available in Commons by September 6. Anyone from Michigan Tech can view the modules, but we ask that only Michigan Tech Seminar courses use them with students (to avoid unnecessary repetition of materials).

Modules include:

• Welcome to College — Reviews key policies and resources and helps students understand the differences between high school and college.
• Husky Points — Students select activities to help them connect to the community, University, and resources.
• Career Preparation — Students create an About Me page in the PebblePad ePortfolio platform and draft a resume (optional).
• Time Management — Students track their time use and discuss strategies for time management.
• Academic Planning — Students explore personal and academic goals and make a four-year plan.
• Stress Management — Students learn how stress impacts them physically and mentally and explore strategies and resources for managing stress.
• Loneliness — Students learn to recognize signs of loneliness (in themselves and others) and develop strategies for managing feelings of disconnection and accessing resources.
• Reflection — Students learn more about how reflection supports learning and personal growth and receive instruction and feedback in effective reflective writing.
• Introduction to the Essential Abilities — Students use a structured PebblePad workbook to reflect on the Essential Abilities and identify their own strengths and opportunities for growth.

A special thanks to those instructors who participated in the Seminar Training, which took place on Thursday, August 15. We appreciate the efforts of the summer team that constructed the content and Canvas Modules:

• AJ Hamlin – Engineering Fundamentals
• Maria Bergstrom – Humanities/CSA
• Linda Wanless – Center for Teaching and Learning
• Anna McClatchy – Wahtera Center for Student Success
• Dawn Corwin – Wahtera Center for Student Success
• Nancy Barr – Assessment and Writing Support Specialist/APUE
• Heather Simpson – Exploring Majors/CSA
• Susan Liebau – Chemistry
• Jenn Sams – Library
• Kailee Laplander – Electrical and Computer Engineering

Below is the list of courses that will be launching the Essential Education Seminar components, including new Canvas Modules and associated activities in the Fall of 2024

Questions? Contact the Essential Education Implementation Leadership Team: essential-ed-l@mtu.edu or reach out to Steve Patchin: shpatchi@mtu.edu