FIRST-YEAR OPTIONS
Seminars, Clusters and Block Courses

Fall 2009

Get Connected!

Your first year of college is a time of exciting changes and dramatic transitions. Hofstra’s first-year seminars, clusters and block courses are designed to get your college experience off to a great start. At the heart of the program are small classes taught by distinguished faculty in areas of interest ranging from architecture to writing. Not only will these courses introduce you to the intellectual and social life of the University, but — even if you are undecided about a major — they will help you satisfy the general education requirements for all majors. We’ve reserved space for first-year students, so once you’ve looked over this brochure, please go to My.Hofstra.edu and give us your preferences.

SEMINARS:

Limited to 15 students, first-year seminars allow you to interact in a smaller setting and connect with a faculty member who may become your major adviser, depending on what major you choose. We’ve tried to design seminars to fit every interest, from hip-hop to baseball to legal studies to computing.

CLUSTERS:

First-year clusters are usually three courses grouped around a common theme. For example, cluster F1, “Fairy Tale in Literature and Film,” includes courses in film, literature and English Composition; F15, “The Psychology and Philosophy of Everyday Life,” contains psychology, philosophy and English Composition courses, and so on. By taking a few courses with the same group of students, you’ll make friends more quickly, form study groups, and come to feel at home on a large campus. Seven first-year clusters — F3, F4, F10, F11, F12, F13, F14 — are linked to “living/learning communities.” Residential students enrolled in these clusters may choose to live in a house together in the Netherlands First-Year Complex. Through these vibrant communities, first-year students are exposed to environments that are intellectually stimulating, supportive and conducive to building lasting friendships and academic excellence.

BLOCK COURSES:

Block courses give you the option to immerse yourself in a subject by taking one course at a time. Block courses meet four days a week over a 3 1/2 week period and are worth four credits each. You take four such courses in a row per semester. Block courses are small by design and you'll make friends quickly. On a typical day, class begins with a lecture and discussion, followed by activities that give you first-hand experience with the subject matter. In addition, block courses feature weekly field trips to New York City and elsewhere as an essential component of your learning experience. Block courses are offered by New College for Interdisciplinary Studies.

It’s All About New York:

When you look over the seminars, clusters, and block courses, you’ll notice that many of them involve activities in New York City. We want all our students — especially our first-year students — to be comfortable getting in and out of “the city.” To that end, seminar, cluster, and block course faculty accompany their students on related events in New York City. Thus, students in music, dance and drama courses attend performances; science students visit museums and laboratories; politics students attend lectures, visit government offices, etc. In essence, all these courses will help you navigate the city and make it your own.

Why Enroll in a First-Year Seminar, Cluster or Block Course?

Whether you’re in a seminar, cluster, or block course, you will get to know a diverse group of people in a relaxed and friendly setting, and you’ll get to know your way around campus. What’s more, all these courses satisfy University-wide distribution requirements for graduation. All of them count toward your degree requirements, regardless of your eventual major.

Time to Choose!

Please take some time to look over your first-year options in this brochure—either in print or online. Then, if you’re interested in seminars, clusters or block courses, please go online at My.Hofstra.edu and send us your choices. If you’d like to enroll in block courses, please go to the block course part of the online checklist. If you’re interested in clusters and seminars, please express your top three choices in any order; for example, two clusters and a seminar, or two seminars and a cluster. We can’t always guarantee your first choice of seminar or cluster, but we can generally enroll you in one of the top three you indicate. Then, when you come to one of the summer orientation sessions, you’ll sit down with an adviser and complete the rest of your fall schedule. (At that time you’re welcome to change to a different first-year seminar or cluster, or to block courses.) If you have questions about fall courses now or at any time, simply call the Center for University Advisement at (516) 463-6770 or the Student Center Advisement Office at (516) 463-7222.