Teaching a CC100 is different from teaching a traditional, subject-driven course in at least four ways.

1.2.A: CC100 as an introduction to the nature of disciplines

CC100s are, first and foremost, a broad introduction into the nature of discipline and interdisciplines. Although the courses will inevitably cover content specific to the disciplinary or interdisciplinary context of the course, that context functions more like a “case study” that allows students to reflect more generally on the idea of academic knowledge production that grounds the liberal tradition. Although my specific course might be rooted in philosophy, it is designed to introduce students to philosophy as one way of asking and answering questions in the context of the liberal arts. For further reading, see the list of Readings on the Nature of Disciplines and Interdisciplines.

1.2.B: CC100 as inquiry- and problem-based seminars

CC100s are best taught as inquiry- or problem-driven courses, meaning that they are organized around specific disciplinary or interdisciplinary questions or problems. CC100s leverage the questions at the center of the class as case studies that allow students to (a) experience and (b) reflect on the operations and cultures of the discipline or interdiscipline at the center of the course. The goal is not for students to understand the academic “content” but the cultural practices of a discipline or interdisciplinary through which an academic community developed and came to accept that “content.” For further reading, see the list of Readings on Inquiry- and Problem-Based Pedagogies.

1.2.C: CC100 as intentionally reflective on the nature of disciplines

CC100s create frequent, intentional opportunities to reflect on the nature of the disciplines throughout the course.

1.2.D: CC100 as collaborative pedagogy

Although the majority of CC100 & CC120 courses are taught by a single instructor, to effectively meet the core outcomes of the FYP instructors will need to design and teach courses in conversation and partnership with other instructors and academic staff across the College.

CC100 Clusters & Convergence Experiences

To foster cross-disciplinary dialogue that showcases the diverse frameworks, paradigms, and cultures of the disciplines and interdisciplines, all CC100s are connected with 2-4 other courses via a shared topic (“thematic cluster”) and are required to offer several (2-4) cluster convergence experiences for their students to discuss and compare the different approaches to knowledge creation taking place in their respective courses. These cross-course experiences help facilitate thinking about knowledge production in a comparative framework.

Per the FYP guidelines adopted by the faculty, instructors in thematic clusters must collaboratively develop several (2-3) “convergence experiences” in which the students and faculty jointly engage in activities that emphasize the differences and commonalities of the disciplinary and interdisciplinary modes of inquiry in the cluster (e.g., case studies, inquiry-based work, interviews, and participant-observation). These activities provide a platform on which cross-disciplinary dialogue and critical reflection between students and faculty can be developed.

During course planning, faculty should communicate with other “cluster” members to develop potential convergence experiences. During this planning phase, it is often helpful not to move directly to designing activities, but to spend time getting to know others in your cluster, share your goals for the class and your students, and find points of intellectual connection that might not be immediately transparent.

CC100/120 Linked Pairs

All CC100 and CC120 courses are formally connected through a “linked pairing” in which a single cohort of students start in a specific CC100 and then move into a “linked” specific CC120 course. As much as possible, these linkages are cross-departmental (i.e., two linked instructors should not come from the same department) and thematic (i.e., the two courses should share some natural thematic affinity) in order to reinforce the cross-disciplinary goals of the FYP.

Unlike the CC100, the CC120 has no requirement that “linked” CC100 and CC120 pairs jointly create formal activities. However, developing an informal connection with your linked CC100 faculty member can be invaluable to support student learning in your course.

The First-Year Program recommends that the CC100 & CC120 faculty members consider meeting at least once prior to the start of the semester to get a sense of one another’s courses, and to identify possible points of connection that can be used to scaffold student learning. For example, a CC100 might emphasize a particular writing skill that can become the basis for a larger project in the CC120. In past iterations of the FYP, it has also been extremely helpful for CC100 faculty to have a conversation with the CC120 faculty member about the writing habits and skill sets of students in the course close to the end of block 1, so that the CC120 faculty member can calibrate expectations appropriately. It is also extremely effective if each of the linked faculty members can come sit in one another’s courses for a brief period of time to illustrate to students the continuity of the courses.

Partnering with Academic Staff experts

In addition to partnering with other faculty around course content, it is highly recommended that faculty partner with faculty and academic staff who have pedagogical expertise in areas related to the goals of the CC100 & CC120.

Drew Cavin, Ph.D.
- Field study, experiential learning
Steve Getty, Ph.D.
- Student motivation, data analysis, quantitative lab design, teaching & learning environment analysis, field work support
Jennifer Golightly, Ph.D.
- Digital teaching & learning, digital humanities
Jordan Travis Radke, Ph.D.
- Community engaged pedagogies, action research projects
Roy Jo Sartin, M.A.
- Grant writing, proposal and application writing, writing for publications (scholarly and popular), writing in History, writing for MATs (rsartin@coloradocollege.edu)
Chris Schacht, M.F.A.
- In-class activity/workshop development (peer review, drafting, idea generation, rhetorical analysis), creative writing (prose), scientific writing, student academic mentoring
Aaron Stoller, M.F.A., Ph.D.
- Inquiry-guided, experiential, and problem-based pedagogies; teaching disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking; writing process pedagogies.
Chelsea Walter, Ph.D.
- Culturally and linguistically diverse students, culturally responsive pedagogies