For Students

Come "find your fit" and enroll in ECPY 302: Personal and Academic Inquiry

This three-credit, small seminar is for students who might be asking themselves one or more of these questions:

• How can I make my learning experiencing more meaningful to me?
• Am I in the right major for me?
• What do I want to do with my life?
• How do I figure out what my career goals are?

This seminar is designed for, but not limited to, students who:

• Have earned 30-59 credit hours
• Have completed ENGL 101 and 102 or the equivalent
• Have a GPA of 2.0 – 3.49*
• Have not yet decided on a major, or
• Have not yet been admitted to their unit of choice and are open to considering other options, or
• Are questioning their major fit, or
• Are already transitioning between majors.

*this is a flexible requirement

To learn more, contact the Student Success Center,
Exploratory and Transitioning Advising.

Email: succeed@louisville.edu
Phone: (502) 852-7969

For a list of past seminar and themes offered, click here

ECPY 302: Personal and Academic Inquiry

Fall 2020 Seminar Sections

This seminar is designed for undergraduate students who are undeclared, are pre-unit majors, or are in transition between majors. Students will explore an academic topic or theme of personal interest related to the seminar theme as they develop, complete and present their work on an original inquiry project. They will also engage in a variety of individualized and group activities to assist them in choosing a major and career path. Students will document their journeys and produce an Academic and Personal Plan in which they integrate their new knowledge and insights about the seminar topic, themselves, and their major and career trajectories. Each seminar has an academic theme which is described below.

Section 02:
Persuasion and Communication

Time:	Tuesday & Thursday, 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Location:	BAB 410A
Instructor:	JoAnne Sweeny
Advisor:	Jessica Newton
Librarian:	Amber Willenborg

What is persuasion? Is it convincing others to accept our point of view? Or, is it something else? This seminar provides a platform for you to seek out the answers to these types of questions and any others that may arise about the art of persuasion. The goal is to work to “get underneath” writing/communications we see every day and learn skills that you can apply to any chosen major or career path. We will engage in the topic through games and in-class activities that center around identifying persuasive techniques in writing. And, because persuasion exists in every discipline, you will have a wide variety of potential paths for your inquiry project on this theme. Your inquiry project can be drawn from a wide variety of subjects by looking at how persuasive communication impacts your chosen area such as marketing, war propaganda, relationships, management, social justice and political campaigns. Some of the questions that will guide us are: How do we persuade others to our point of view and how are we persuaded? Is it with facts, stories, or something else? What makes an argument persuasive and can we use those techniques to be more persuasive ourselves? Can we use those techniques to be more resistant to others’ arguments? And should we?

Section 03:
Music, The Universal Language: Where Words Stop, Music Begins

Time:	Monday & Wednesday, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location:	TBD
Instructor:	Kimcherie Lloyd
Advisor:	Jessy Rosenberg
Librarian:	Rob Detmering

Music occupies an integral place in the human narrative; it is a universal language, bringing people together. It can provide a voice to the silenced, unity to the divided. Without exception every movement in history has been represented through music from the “Marseillaise” sung by the revolutionaries during the French revolution, to “We are the World” produced to raise awareness and funding for African famine relief in 1985, to the American social media culture commentary in “This is America” by Childish Gambino and to the folk songs sung by Italians quarantined to their apartments during the coronavirus.

The academic theme of this seminar will focus on music as representative of the many narratives within our culture. This seminar is aimed at students who enjoy learning about music and/or diverse cultures as a way of exploring your personal learning and future trajectories. This course will provide a new perspective to the way the students hear music and view culture.

Questions that will be explored in this seminar may include:

• Which music or musicians have resonated for you? Why?
• What are stories and what does their work say to you?
• What are the power dynamics at play in a song when considering privilege and empowerment?
• What are the stories behind the music that most resonates for you?
• How can we learn about other cultures through their music?
• How do artists combine research with creativity when they create?

This seminar will provide students with an opportunity to carry out an inquiry project of their own design on the theme of cultural representation through music or the universal language of music and will be focused heavily on the music that resonates most profoundly with each individual student.

Section 04:
Who am I?: Knowing Yourself and Finding Your Path

Time:	Monday & Wednesday, 4 - 5:15 p.m.
Location:	BAB 410B
Instructor:	Amanda Mitchell
Advisor:	Daniel Darland
Librarian:	Lidiya Grote

How would you describe your temperament? Have you considered throwing a dart into a wheel of majors as means of picking yours? What drives how you respond to situations? What gives your life meaning? If any of these questions spark your curiosity, this seminar might be a good fit for you.

These questions reflect layers of your ever-changing personality: your role as an actor, as an agent, and as an author. Learning about your personality can inform how you think about your college experience and your career path.

In this seminar, we will explore the process of self-awareness using a theory of personality development. Building a sense of who we are can help us ask meaningful questions and make intentional decisions in the context of school, work, and our personal lives.

Key questions we will consider include: Why is self-awareness important? What should we be self-aware of? How do we engage in self-awareness?

This seminar will provide you with an opportunity to carry out an inquiry project of your own design on topics related to self-awareness and will be heavily focused on the aspect of these topics (author, agent, and actor) that resonates most profoundly with each individual student.

Section 01:
Braving the Unknown: Exploring Vulnerability and Connectedness

Time:	Tuesday & Thursday, 9:30 - 10:45 a.m.
Location:	TBD
Instructor:	Judy Heitzman
Advisor:	Marissa Williams
Librarian:	Latisha Reynolds

Vulnerability is a normal human condition, yet we sometimes run from this feeling.

“People who wade into discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories are the real badasses.” - Brene Brown

In this seminar, you will have an opportunity to dive deep into the concept of vulnerability. We will think deeply about how vulnerability is experienced in our inner lives and in our relationship with others. Some questions we may ask ourselves: What makes me, me? How do I know my values? What kind of situations give me affirmation? What kind of situations give me frustration? Delving into these questions makes us feel vulnerable or scared. They have to do with the meaning of our existence, also called existential questions. Yet, when we have the courage to look at these questions we begin to connect with ourselves.

Looking inward will helps all people to look outward. In this seminar we approach these concepts as wholeness. As part of this exploration, we will work with concepts such as Attachment Theory, the Social Construction of Reality, and Trauma Informed Care. Some questions that we might address include: Do we go through life alone, in a family, a community, community, or a combination of these? How do the questions we raise help shape our ability to cope with vulnerability, and act as a springboard to wholeness and connectedness? How can you connect your values with your life experiences?

Using regular journal entries, you will explore your own experiences with vulnerability while also connecting your thinking to an academic inquiry project related to the course theme. Some everyday experiences of vulnerability might be asking your professor for help, exploring new social circles in college, admitting you want to change our major or need career direction, or interviewing for a new job or internship that might push you out of your comfort zone.

One objective of focusing on looking inward is to allow a space for your inquiry around these themes, consider how these help you better understand yourself, and connect your thinking to an academic inquiry project related to the course themes. These experiences can help you connect to the world, including finding a major and career path that is right for you.

Get Involved

Interested in getting involved? Find Your Fit is actively seeking FYF Alumni Advocates who have already taken the course. These students will help enhance the future direction of the initiative for future students who enroll in FYF.

We are always looking for students to spread the word about this initiative. If you would like to become a social media ambassador for the program, please contact us.

Additionally, recent graduates from the university and alumni are also encouraged to reach out for potential participation in career panels for current students.