Educational Opportunity Fund 364

11:364:106 First-Year Student Success Seminar I: College Exploration (1) The course is designed to assist incoming freshman with a successful transition to collegiate life through class assignments, readings, and projects. Sessions will build upon each student's individual skills as determined by discussions, academic performance, and observed social skills.  The curriculum will integrate various subject matter, along with the student's personal life, to promote and develop cognitive study skills necessary for coursework in mathematics and science. Collaborations with university departments and community organizations will offer an adaptive instructional pedagogy that will encourage student self-directed learning. Seminars and out-of-class experiences will enhance the student's ability to connect classroom activities with real-life situations to develop communication and leadership skills, adding to their personal and intellectual growth.

11:364:107 First-Year Student Success Seminar II: Career Exploration (1) A continuation of academic sessions designed to facilitate entering student's successful transition to collegiate life. In addition to readdressing selected topics from SSS I in the fall semester, topics of graduation/career planning, financial literacy, and the history of higher education access will be incorporated using both in-class and online sessions. Each session will build upon each student's individual skills as determined by discussions, academic performance, and observed social skills.  The curriculum will promote and develop cognitive study skills necessary for coursework in mathematics and science. Collaborations with university departments, academic/community organizations, and alumni will offer an adaptive instructional pedagogy that will encourage student self-directed learning. Seminars and out-of-class excursions will enhance student's ability to connect classroom activities with real-life situations to develop communication and leadership skills, adding to their personal and intellectual growth.

11:364:108/109 Transfer Student Seminar (TSS) (1) This course engages students, new to Rutgers University and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), in learning about the processes by which individuals learn in class and, ultimately, achieve academic success. The course is geared toward transfer students in a semi-individualized, small discussion/seminar format. Transfer students will gain a clear understanding of SEBS and Rutgers University program policies; stay connected to the Office of Academic Programs, Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) and academic advisers and be more aware of resources offered; find and create peer support networks within the SEBS and EOF community; and experience a smoother transition into Rutgers developing into EOF scholars within SEBS.

11:364:110 Emerging Topics in Environmental Science (2) This course is designed to foster understanding of societal vulnerabilities and being resilient as essential tools when transforming our lives and practices in the 21st century to be competitive and successful individuals. Concepts have interdisciplinary components, which can make the class attractive to students in other programs. This course is shorter than the courses provided during the spring and fall semesters. It provides an introductory understanding of the importance of new topics, including resiliency, and areas of transformation as needed for tomorrow's world. Online. Summer Session.

11:364:254 Critical Thinking in the Sciences (1) "Critical Thinking in the Case of Learning the Water-Energy-Food Nexus Seminar" provides an introductory understanding of the importance of conscious thinking, developing and using potential intellect, and applying critical thinking to important scientific and social matters. Most people unconsciously absorb and adopt the thinking of the people around them, in the media, and social media. They don't develop their own intellect or use it very effectively to rationalize or justify their infantile or egocentric thoughts including the matters related to the environment, food, energy, health, and ethics. Learning to be a critical thinker is going to help students to ask the right questions at the right time with correct skills and to practice skills that enable a student to learn quickly and speak and decide factually. This class will teach students to learn to engage in good and efficient disagreement which is a skillful critical thinking tool. These skills will help students learn how to build strong arguments and to evaluate the strength of arguments made by others. These skills will also help students in the short term in achieving academic success and in the long term to think consciously, deliberately, and skillfully in ways that transform them into strong and secure persons who not only learn to agree to disagree but also dare to disagree with relevant supporting knowledge.