academic catalogue

2023-2024 Catalogue

Wesleyan Integrative Seminar Experience (WIS) Course Descriptions

WIS 100: Pioneering Approaches to Thinking.
Goal: Pioneering Approaches to THinking (PATH) begins with an intense week-long enrichment program that presents college success information at the very beginning of a student's college career. A summer-bridge week is followed by several meetings throughout the semester to provide ongoing support for students in a critical transition time. The goal is to provide a foundation and ongoing assistance for general college success.
Content: The course includes interactive sessions that will help students learn and enhance skills, give them an opportunity to practice these skills in a low risk environment, and reflect on their experiences
Prerequisite: The Admissions Committee will select students to participate in this program based on anticipated college preparedness. If additional seats are available, students may apply.
Credit: 1 hour. CR/NC.
 
WIS 101: Wesleyan Integrative Seminar Experience.
Goal: To teach writing and critical thinking skills fundamental to success in college, to help students make a successful transition to college, to show students the nature and value of a Wesleyan education, to have students understand what they want from college and how to get it, to give students skills to effectively communicate their ideas and beliefs and to learn from the ideas and beliefs of others.
Content: Collaborative discussion methods, team problem solving, developing teamwork skills and personal agency.
Corequisite: WIS 110: Transition to College.
Gen. Ed. Category: Foundation Building.
Credit: 2 hours. May not be repeated.
 
WIS 110: Transition to College.
Goal: The transition to college seminar is designed to empower new first year students to develop and apply skills to be successful at college.
Content: Students will be introduced to college resources, learn helpful study skills, and engage in experiential learning opportunities in order to be successful in college.
Corequisite: WIS 101: Wesleyan Integrative Seminar Experience.
Gen. Ed. Category: Foundation Building.
Credit: 1 hour. May not be repeated.
 
WIS 115: Mental Health Matters: Being Kind to Myself.
Goal: This course is designed to help students develop the skills needed to identify and regulate negative emotions. Students will learn activities that they can use to help manage stress and process negative emotions even after the course sends. This course should not be considered therapy; any student experiencing a psychological disorder should visit a licensed therapist.
Content: The course includes interactive sessions to help students learn about and enhance their emotional regulation skills. Students will develop the ability to share and process emotions by participating in activities empirically demonstrated to reduce stress and negative emotions, such as creative expression and mindfulness techniques.
Prerequisite: Students must be recommended to the course by faculty or staff.
Credit: 1-hour credit. CR/NC may be repeated four times for a maximum of 4 credit hours.
 
WIS 125: Academic Recovery.
Goal: The Academic Recovery course is designed to empower students on academic recovery to develop and apply metacognition and student success strategies.
Content: The course will explore college success strategies including the use of campus resources and the development of both academic and affective skills and habits of mind for success. Emphasis will be placed on the transferable use of these skills and habits of mind to gain success in a variety of courses. This 1-credit course will include experiential learning opportunities in which students will use materials from their other courses to implement metacognitive thinking and success strategies.
Prerequisite: Students on Academic Probation (Career GPA of less than 2.0).
Credit: 1 hour.
 
WIS 199: WISe Peer Mentorship.
Goal: Peer mentors are selected by WISe faculty to assist in the teaching of WISe 101. Peer mentors serve as liaisons between faculty and students, help students succeed in WISe 101, and contribute to the classes they attend.
Content: Peer mentors attend class twice a week and work with their individual instructor to assist in the class. They can participate in and may lead classroom discussions. They also help coach the IF process of discussion in class. The peer mentors will work with their individual instructors. The instructors will report their work to the Director of WISe (a faculty position), who will administrate WIS 199.
Prerequisite: Selection by WISe faculty.
Credit: 2 hours. CR/NC; May be repeated one time for a maximum of 4 credit hours.
 
WIS 201: Wesleyan Integrative Seminar Experience GU/WC.
Goal: To teach writing and critical thinking skills fundamental to success in college, to help students make a successful transition to the American college experience, to show students the nature and value of a Wesleyan education, to have students understand what they want from their American college experience and how to get it, to give students skills to effectively communicate their ideas and beliefs and to learn from the ideas and beliefs of others. This course is designed for Guangzhou University/Wesleyan College dual-degree students. As such, it will focus particularly on skills in spoken and written English and on the cultural transition from Guangzhou University to Wesleyan College.
Content: Academic writing, active reading and analysis of texts, synthesis of ideas, collaborative learning, student-facilitated discussions.
Gen. Ed. Category: Foundation Building.
Credit: 3 hours. See General Education section of this Catalogue for regulations governing enrollment in WIS 201.
 
WIS 300: Synthesizing Perspectives: Women’s Experiences.
Goal: While the topics vary, all seminars share the common goals of stimulating thought around topics related to women; emphasizing values; transcending disciplinary specialization; modeling interdisciplinary thinking and scholarship; and developing the habits, skills, and patterns of mind that foster a sustained passion for learning.
Content: This Synthesizing Perspectives Seminar within the general education program focuses on topics of women’s experiences and gender. The course may be taught by two faculty members. In this class, students will: 1) Identify relationships among different disciplines; 2) Synthesize ideas and knowledge; 3) Acquire a broader view of a topic by approaching it from different perspectives.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 101 and one Expanding general education course.
Gen. Ed. Category: Synthesizing Perspectives; Women's Experiences; (Interdisciplinary).
Credit: 3 hours.
 
WIS 301: Synthesizing Perspectives: Diverse and Interdependent World.
Goal: While the topics vary, all seminars share the common goals of stimulating thought around global topics; emphasizing values; transcending disciplinary specialization; modeling interdisciplinary thinking and scholarship; and developing the habits, skills, and patterns of mind that foster a sustained passion for learning.
Content: This Synthesizing Perspectives Seminar within the general education program focuses on the interconnectedness of our world. The course may be taught by two faculty members. In this class, students will: 1) Identify relationships among different disciplines; 2) Synthesize ideas and knowledge; 3) Acquire a broader view of a topic by approaching it from different perspectives.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENG 101 and one Expanding general education course.
Gen. Ed. Category: Synthesizing Perspectives; Diverse and Interdependent World; (Interdisciplinary).
Credit: 3 hours.

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