On the Road with AXLE

28 Pages·2016·3.16 MB·English

On th e Road with AXLE
2016/2 017
Major Dates for Your First Year
(For a complete listing of events and deadlines for 2016/2017, see the online Undergraduate Academic Calendar.)
Fall Semester, 2016
May 15 Deadline to be in compliance with immunization requirements. Students who are non-compliant will not be permitted to
register for fall classes. Contact the Office of Student Health for more information about immunization requirements.
May 31–June 24 Pre-major faculty advisers available by telephone to help students register for fall 2016 classes. Advisers will be available on
weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. CDT. (Each entering student will be assigned to a pre-major faculty adviser in the
College of Arts and Science Pre-major Academic Advising Resources Center, or CASPAR.)
July 20 Open Enrollment Period in YES begins. CASPAR advisers available to help students who need to make changes to their schedule.
August 17 Deadline for receipt of payment of tuition, fees, and all other charges associated with the beginning of the semester.
August 20 First-year students arrive on campus. Residence halls open at 7:00 CDT that morning.
August 24 Classes begin.
August 31 Open Enrollment Period in YES ends at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Last day students may make changes to class schedules online.
September 1–7 Administrative Change Period. Students may add, drop, or change levels in mathematics and foreign languages.
Required forms are available in the Arts and Science Dean’s Office and are due by 4:00 p.m. CDT on Sept. 7.
September 8– Withdrawal Period. An adviser’s signature is required for any student who wishes to withdraw from a course.
October 21
October 13 Mid-semester deficiency reports issued. First-year students who receive one or two are asked to see their advisers.
First-year students who receive three or more are asked to meet with a dean.
October 31 Enrollment windows open for spring 2017. First-year students must meet with their advisers to have the Adviser Hold released.
December 5 Open Enrollment Period begins for spring 2017.
December 8 Classes end.
December 9– Reading Days and Final Exam period.
December 17
Spring Semester, 2017
January 3 Deadline for receipt of payment of tuition, fees, and all other charges associated with the beginning of the semester.
January 9 Classes begin.
January 16 Open Enrollment Period in YES ends at 11:59 p.m. CST. Last day students may make changes to class schedules online.
January 17– Administrative Change Period. Students may add, drop, or change levels in mathematics and foreign languages.
January 23 Required forms are available in the Arts and Science Dean’s Office and are due by 4:00 p.m. CST January 23.
January 24– Withdrawal Period. An adviser’s signature is required for any student who wishes to withdraw from a course.
March 17
March 9 Mid-semester deficiency reports issued. First-year students who receive one or two are asked to see their advisers.
First-year students who receive three or more are asked to meet with a dean.
April 10 Enrollment windows open for fall 2017. First-year students must meet with their advisers to have the Adviser Hold released.
April 24 Classes end.
April 25– May 4 Reading Days and Final Exam period.
Vanderbilt University
Contents
May 2016
AXLE – Achieving Excellence in
Liberal Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
To the Arts & Science Class of 2020:
What Is AXLE? ....................3
AXLE: An Overview................4
Welcome to Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science! You have enrolled in the largest and
Distribution of Courses in AXLE.....7 most academically diverse undergraduate college at Vanderbilt University, with an entering
class of about 1,000 students and a student body that is some 4,280 strong. Your pre-major
The First-Year Writing Seminar:
faculty adviser, from CASPAR, will assist you in the challenging and rewarding task of select-
An Overview......................8
ing the classes you will take during your first year. We have prepared this booklet to help
How to Choose Courses for Your guide you through the process. Hang onto it! It includes essential information for choosing
First Semester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 and enrolling in classes.
How to Place Yourself in Courses
for AXLE........................16 The mission of the College of Arts and Science is to make sure that each student receives a
superb liberal arts education, including opportunities to participate in the research univer-
How to Place Yourself in Courses
sity’s core enterprise: the creation of new knowledge. Through exposure to a wide range of
for Specific Majors................ 19
fields, intensive training in writing and research, and communal study, a liberal arts education
How to Register: Some General lays the foundations for advanced learning and guides students as they identify particular
Questions .......................20 interests and talents. A specialized course of studies (the major) prepares students to enter
Rules of the Road.................21 graduate or professional school or the job market with a suite of highly valued capacities: a
demonstrated ability to engage in critical thinking, strong writing and research skills, practice
Guidelines for Transfer Students ....23
in the scientific method, and a broad context of historical knowledge.
How to Get Help .................24
The 365 faculty members in the College of Arts and Science strive to create the conditions
needed for you to thrive academically. In classrooms, laboratories, studios, and performance
spaces, we will challenge you to think creatively and to make original contributions. The
learning experience continues outside class, in fieldwork and internship opportunities, and
especially in our faculty offices, where we will meet with you to clarify course work, review
assignments, discuss research, and engage in wide-ranging discussions. Faculty-student
exchanges are a crucial part of the liberal arts experience, and we urge you to learn your pro-
fessors’ office hours and to make it a habit to seek them out for conversation and counsel.
One additional word of advice: take intellectual risks. You will have time as an undergraduate
to sample new fields as well as to cast deep intellectual roots in one or more disciplines. You
can begin to make the most of the opportunities that Vanderbilt offers you by exploring the
rich variety of course offerings in Arts and Science.
Four years from now, as graduates of the College of Arts and Science, you will join a dis-
tinguished group of Vanderbilt Arts and Science alumni whose liberal arts education has
propelled them to rewarding and creative careers across a broad spectrum of fields and pro-
fessions. I wish you great success in your first semester and throughout your years at Vander-
bilt. If my colleagues and I in the Dean’s Office can be of service to you, please contact us.
And again: welcome to the learning community of the College of Arts and Science.
Sincerely,
Lauren Benton
Dean
On the Road with AXLE 1
A X L E
Achieving Excellence in Liberal Education
Fear No Learning!
Welcome to Vanderbilt University’s College of Arts and Science, and congratulations on Many courses in the College of Arts and Sci-
ence are interdisciplinary in nature and offer
admission to one of the top-ranked undergraduate liberal arts programs in the United
an ideal training ground for learning new
States. The Arts and Science core program of study—known as AXLE—features inten-
methodologies for problem-solving in the
sive practice in writing and a diverse set of thirteen courses designed to allow maximum complex, global world of the 21st century.
Here, you may work with biologists and
choice in course selection (based on your interests and achievement levels). At the same
psychologists in the Neuroscience program;
time, the distribution requirements of AXLE ensure that you will explore intellectually study with creative writers, sociologists,
and academically the breadth of possibilities represented by the liberal arts. historians, or film studies scholars in the
African American and Diaspora Studies pro-
gram; or take a class, team taught, by
What Is Liberal Education?
professors from the Blair School of Music
The study of the liberal arts—what is his- In a liberal arts education like the one you
and the Department of English in the Col-
torically called a liberal education—is the are beginning, content is always considered
lege of Arts and Science. Over the next four
oldest and most venerable form of higher in its larger context. Thus, the reflective and
years, you will challenge yourself with the
education. It has proved perennially flexible discursive aspects of study in the liberal arts
academic demands of the classes you select,
and adaptive over the past centuries, and it call upon students to move beyond the mere
and you will be challenged by new ideas
remains the single best educational prepara- acquisition of information to inquire into
and unfamiliar ways of looking at issues. At
tion for further, specialized study in the pro- the deeper issues within their studies, and to
times, you will feel excited, outraged, per-
fessions (medicine, law, education, business, connect their learning across disciplines and
plexed, righteous, transformed, offended,
et al.), and for doctoral work in the humani- cultures as they live and work in the com-
and delighted as you undergo the process of
ties, social sciences, and advanced research munal environment of Vanderbilt. The end
expanding your consciousness, and absorbing
in the sciences. The holistic focus of a liberal product of a successful liberal arts education
new content and novel ideas. We hope you
education encompasses all areas of human is a thoughtful citizen who is prepared to
will encourage yourself to Fear No Learning!
knowledge: the natural and social sciences, take up his or her rights and responsibilities
We cannot promise that you will always feel
mathematics, foreign languages and cultures, in a democratic society, to analyze and cri-
serene or confident as you make your way
the arts, and the humanities. The empiri- tique received information, to articulate the
through Vanderbilt’s challenging undergrad-
cal disciplines guide us in our efforts to live issues at hand or the personal values at stake,
uate curriculum. Committing yourself to
most productively and efficiently. And the and whose intellectual life is marked by
explore beyond the boundaries of your intel-
rest of the curriculum—the humanities and ongoing internal dialogue about the quality
lectual comfort zone in order to admit new
the arts—makes it possible to reflect upon and meaning of life for him or her, as well as
ideas is one of the most important aspects of
the right use of the remarkable scientific for the community at large.
higher education. What we can promise is
knowledge we have acquired.
that the time and effort you devote to select-
ing thoughtfully the courses you will take for
the fulfillment of AXLE requirements will
prepare you for the more specialized study
that you will undertake in your major (or
majors). And we can also promise that you
will graduate with a much expanded under-
standing of yourself and other people, and
that you will be well on your way to creating
a meaningful and productive life.
2 Vanderbilt University
What Is AXLE?
AXLE is the acronym for Achieving Excellence in Liberal Education. It is the core All students must also complete requirements
for at least one major (between 27 and 48
curriculum that all students in the College of Arts and Science must fulfill. The AXLE
credit hours of course work) and earn a
curriculum is flexible and user-friendly. It consists of two parts: the Writing Require- minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate.
ment and the Liberal Arts Requirement. Only courses in the College of Arts and Science
How to Get on the Road
(or Music Literature courses in the Blair School of Music) may satisfy AXLE require-
During your four years at Vanderbilt, your
ments; all courses for AXLE must be taken on a graded basis.
program of studies will be divided approxi-
mately into thirds:
The Writing Requirement Communication courses are also counted
⅓ – courses to meet the requirements of the
in the thirteen-course Liberal Arts Require-
The Writing Requirement has four segments: Writing and Liberal Arts requirements;
ment. These thirteen courses must be taken
demonstration of basic skills in English Com- ⅓ – courses required to complete your
from at least seven different academic
position (by a minimum combined score of chosen major;
departments.
1220 on the Writing and Critical Reading ⅓ – electives, which will complete the 120
portions of the SAT test with a minimum credit hours required for graduation.
1. The Writing Requirement (3–4 courses)
score of 500 in each, or a minimum score These divisions are approximate and may
a. English Composition (appropriate test
of 27 on the English portion combined with differ for individual students.
score or one course, ENGL 1100)
a minimum score of 19 on the Writing por- For the fall semester of 2016, most of
b. First-Year Writing Seminar (one course)
tion of the ACT test, or by appropriate AP your selections should be from the first
c. 1000-level W Requirement (one course)
or IB credit in English); a First-Year Writing group, courses that will fulfill the Writing
d. 1000-level or 2000-level or higher W
Seminar; completion of a 1000-level (intro- and Liberal Arts requirements. Your aca-
or Oral Communication course
ductory) writing course no later than the demic background, your career goals, and
(one course)
fourth semester in residence; and completion your general talents and interests will affect
2. The Liberal Arts Requirement (13 courses)
of either a second 1000-level writing course your choice of courses.
a. HCA — Humanities and the
or a discipline-specific, major-oriented writ- Students in the College of Arts and Sci-
Creative Arts (three courses)
ing course at the 2000-level or higher or an ence will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree
b. INT — International Cultures
approved course in Oral Communication. after completion of the other five require-
(three courses)
ments in addition to AXLE: fulfillment of
c. US — History and Culture of the
The Liberal Arts requirements for one major, a 2.000 average
United States (one course)
Requirement in the major, 120 cumulative earned credit
d. MNS — Mathematics and Natural
hours, a 2.000 cumulative grade point aver-
The Liberal Arts Requirement consists of a Sciences (three courses)
age overall, and, for most students, 102 cred-
total of thirteen courses taken at Vanderbilt, e. SBS — Social and Behavioral Sciences
it hours in courses in the College of Arts
and distributed across six areas of inquiry. (two courses)
and Science.
The First-Year Writing Seminar, all writing- f. P — Perspectives (one course)
intensive courses, and all approved Oral
On the Road with AXLE 3
AXLE: An Overview
AXLE consists of two parts: the Writing Requirement and the Liberal Arts Requirement. d) All students must successfully complete
(1) a second 1000-level “W” course, or
The Writing Requirement their ideas and to refine their skills in (2) a 2000-level or higher “W” course,
these areas. Thus, students learn not only or (3) an approved course in Oral Com-
Excellent communication skills, including the
about the subject matter of the seminar, munication in the College of Arts and
ability to articulate ideas and defend positions
but are also exposed to new methods of Science (CMST 2100, 2110, or 2120),
in writing, will be indispensable for 21st-
acquiring knowledge, different ways of regardless of test scores earned prior to
century graduates of Vanderbilt University;
expressing and sharing ideas, and unique matriculation. The 2000-level or higher
therefore, all students in the College of Arts
opportunities to participate in critical “W” courses foster advanced, discipline-
and Science must successfully complete the
inquiry. specific writing skills. Departments or
Writing Requirement prior to graduation.
programs in the College of Arts and Sci-
All first-year students must enroll in a
a) All students must demonstrate compe- ence that offer these courses determine
First-Year Writing Seminar. This course
tence in English composition. Appropriate their specific writing content. In 2000-
may be taken during the fall or the spring
skills in composition are essential to suc- level or higher “W” courses, continued
semester. Students who must take English
cessful progress at the university. Many attention to the process of writing is
1100 should take it in the fall and the
students will complete the requirement by included in the classroom. Students
First-Year Writing Seminar in the spring.
presenting a minimum combined score of receive regular writing assignments
All First-Year Writing Seminars also count
1220 on the Writing and Critical Reading throughout the semester and feedback
in their appropriate distribution areas
portions of the SAT test with a minimum on their writing that will enhance writing
within the Liberal Arts Requirement. See
score of 500 in each, or a minimum score skills appropriate to specific disciplines.
the section in this booklet for an overview
of 27 on the English portion combined The process of revising written work
of the First-Year Writing Seminar program
with a minimum score of 19 on the Writ- allows students to reflect on the writing
and for a listing of the First-Year Writing
ing portion of the ACT test, or by appro- process; writing tutorials assist in the
Seminars offered in fall 2016.
priate AP or IB credit in English. Students development of writing skills. Oral Com-
c) All students must successfully complete
who do not must enroll in English 1100 in munication courses focus on developing
at least one 1000-level writing course
the first year. improved public speaking skills. These
(indicated by a “W”) in the College of
courses advance the principles and prac-
b) The First-Year Writing Seminar is an
Arts and Science, regardless of AP or IB
tices of public discourse and reasoned
integral part of the experience in the Col-
credits, or SAT or ACT scores earned
argument. Attention to the process of
lege of Arts and Science. Through these
prior to matriculation. These writing-
effective oral communication is inher-
seminars, students engage in independent
intensive courses emphasize general
ent to these classes. Students receive
learning and inquiry in an environment
writing skills within the context of disci-
regular speaking assignments throughout
in which they can express knowledge and
pline-specific subject matter. All students
the semester and regular feedback on
defend opinions through intensive class
are encouraged to complete Part c of the
their speaking that will enhance effec-
discussion, oral presentations, and writ-
Writing Requirement as soon as possible;
tive speaking skills. All students must
ten expression. The small-group nature
this requirement must be completed
complete Part d of the Writing Require-
of these seminars allows direct student-
no later than the fourth semester at
ment before graduation. All 2000-level
faculty interaction that stresses training
Vanderbilt University. The 1000-level
or higher “W” courses and approved
in techniques of scholarly inquiry. The
“W” requirement may not be satisfied by
Oral Communication courses (CMST
students’ written work and oral presenta-
taking a 2000-level or higher “W” course.
2100, 2110, or 2120) also count in their
tions are subject to thoughtful critical
All 1000-level “W” courses also count
appropriate distribution areas within the
review by the faculty member, providing
in their appropriate distribution areas
Liberal Arts Requirement.
feedback that can be used to reconsider
within the Liberal Arts Requirement.
the manner in which students articulate
4 Vanderbilt University
The Liberal Arts tory and culture of a single society or time Italy Scotland
Requirement period in human history and/or that repre- Japan Senegal
sent a broad spectrum of different human Jordan Serbia
The Liberal Arts Requirement consists of
societies and time periods. Kenya Singapore
successful completion of thirteen courses from
Language courses introduce students Morocco South Africa
the College of Arts and Science. Most courses Nepal Spain
to the language of a different culture and
in the College of Arts and Science fulfill one Netherlands Sweden
provide insight into that culture in ways
of these Liberal Arts requirements. Although New Zealand Switzerland
that are not possible to achieve through
some courses may be appropriate to more than Peru Tibet
detached study. Even at the most basic
one requirement, each course will fulfill only Russia Uganda
level, exposure to the language of a differ-
one requirement. These thirteen courses must Samoa Vietnam
ent culture prepares students to think and
be distributed as outlined below, and must Note: All students who study abroad must
act in a global community. At intermedi-
be taken from at least seven departments or register with International SOS (ISOS).
ate and advanced levels, students are able
subject areas. Information is available on the GEO website:
to explore the culture in depth, using the
as.vanderbilt.edu/geo.
a) Humanities and the Creative Arts – language itself to read, discuss, and write
HCA (3 courses) about its various aspects. All students must complete three
Intermediate and advanced language courses in the International Cultures cat-
Courses in the humanities and the creative
courses prepare students for study abroad egory, irrespective of previous language
arts challenge students to examine their
programs, which the College of Arts and study or proficiency in a language other
personal understanding of life and how
Science strongly recommends. Students than English. At least one of the three
their individual experiences overlap with
shall receive one International Cultures courses presented in fulfillment of this
those of the rest of humankind. These
course credit for successfully completing a category must be a second-semester (or
courses testify to the varying ways in which
semester or summer study abroad experi- higher) language acquisition class taught at
people think, form values, confront ambi-
ence of six weeks in duration or longer Vanderbilt University, unless the student
guity, express spiritual and aesthetic yearn-
in a Vanderbilt-sponsored program or successfully demonstrates proficiency in a
ings, and grapple with moral and ethical
pre-approved programs offered through language other than English at or above the
problems. By analyzing and interpreting
other providers. Students may exercise this level achieved by second-semester language
literary, philosophical, religious, or artistic
option only once. Additional course credit acquisition classes taught at Vanderbilt
works, students examine the foundations
may be earned toward AXLE requirements University. Students may demonstrate
of human experience. By producing origi-
by successfully completing courses through proficiency in a number of ways: SAT sub-
nal artistic works in imaginative writing,
Vanderbilt in France and the Vanderbilt ject test scores (French, 540; German, 470;
studio art, theatre, film, music, and dance,
in Berlin summer program that have A&S Hebrew, 530; Italian, 540; Japanese with
students have the opportunity to connect
numbers and titles. Listening, 440; Latin, 530; Spanish, 520);
the universal sources of human inspiration
In addition to the Vanderbilt-sponsored with AP or IB credit in a foreign language;
with their own creative processes.
programs in France (Aix-en-Provence) or through proficiency tests administered
b) International Cultures – INT and Germany (Berlin), students may by the Tennessee Foreign Language Insti-
(3 courses and demonstration of choose from pre-approved study-abroad tute. (A minimum score of 4 on both the
foreign language proficiency) options in: written and oral TFLI tests is required to
Argentina Denmark demonstrate proficiency.) The first semes-
The study of international cultures provides
Australia Dominican ter of an introductory language acquisition
students with a basis for understanding the
Austria Republic class in any language cannot be used in
diversity of experiences and values in our
Brazil England fulfillment of the foreign language profi-
contemporary, global society. Options in
Canada France ciency requirement. Intensive elementary
this category include not only international
Chile Germany language courses that cover the content of
history and cultural studies courses, but
China Hungary two semesters in one count as one course
also courses in literature, film studies, the
Costa Rica India
toward this category.
social sciences, art, music, and languages. Cuba Ireland
Students may satisfy this requirement by Czech Republic Israel
choosing courses that focus on the his-
On the Road with AXLE 5
c) History and Culture of the are the hallmarks of the natural sciences. The Major
United States – US (1 course) Natural science courses prepare students
In addition to fulfilling the AXLE require-
to understand the complex interactions
The study of the history and culture of ments, all students must successfully com-
between science, technology, and society;
the United States provides students with plete a course of study leading to fulfillment
teach students to apply scientific princi-
a basis for understanding the American of one of the approved major programs
ples to everyday experience; and develop
experience and the shaping of American in the College of Arts and Science, or suc-
the capacity to distinguish between sci-
values and viewpoints within the context cessfully complete an independent contract
ence and what masquerades as science.
of an increasingly global society. Inter- major designed in consultation with College
preting history and culture in the broad- e) Social and Behavioral Sciences – of Arts and Science faculty and approved by
est sense, options in this category include SBS (2 courses) the College of Arts and Science.
traditional history and cultural studies Courses used to fulfill AXLE require-
Social scientists endeavor to study human
courses, but also courses in literature, ments may help students decide on a major
behavior at the levels of individuals, their
film studies, the social sciences, art, and field of study.
interactions with others, their societal
music, which illuminate historical peri- A major consists of a concentrated unit
structures, and their social institutions.
ods or cultural themes in United States of intellectually related courses. Students
The remarkable scope represented by
history. Students may satisfy this require- may formally declare a major in the third
these disciplines extends from studying
ment by choosing a course that focuses semester and must declare a major in the
the underpinnings of brain function to
on the history and culture of a single fourth semester of study. At that time, the
the dynamics of human social groups to
social group or time period in American student will move from the pre-major fac-
the structures of political and economic
history and/or that represents a broad ulty adviser to a faculty adviser in the stu-
institutions. The methods employed
spectrum of different social groups and dent’s major.
by social scientists are correspondingly
time periods. In summary, graduation with a Bachelor
broad, involving approaches as varied as
of Arts degree from the College of Arts and
d) Mathematics and Natural Sciences – mapping brain activity, discovering and
Science requires:
MNS (3 courses, one of which must charting ancient cultures, identifying the
1) fulfillment of the AXLE requirements,
be a laboratory science) societal forces that shape individual and
2) fulfillment of the requirements for
group behavior, and using mathematics
Courses in mathematics emphasize quan- one major,
to understand economic phenomena.
titative reasoning and prepare students 3) a minimum of a 2.000 grade point
By studying how humans and societies
to describe, manipulate, and evaluate average in the major,
function, students will learn about indi-
complex or abstract ideas or arguments 4) a minimum of a 2.000 grade point
vidual and societal diversity, growth, and
with precision. Skills in mathematical average overall,
change.
and quantitative reasoning provide essen- 5) a minimum of 120 cumulative
tial foundations for the study of natural f) Perspectives – P (1 course) credit hours,
and social sciences. Students are generally 6) and, for most students, a minimum
Courses in Perspectives give significant
introduced to mathematical reason- of 102 credit hours completed in Arts
attention to individual and cultural
ing through the study of introductory and Science courses.
diversity, multicultural interactions,
courses in calculus or probability and The summary of degree requirements for
sexual orientation, gender, racial, ethi-
statistics. Courses in the natural sciences transfer students is found at the back of
cal, and religious issues within a culture
engage students in hypothesis-driven this booklet.
across time or between cultures, thereby
quantitative reasoning that enables expla-
extending the principles and methods
nations of natural phenomena, the roles
associated with the liberal arts to the
of testing and replication of experimental
broader circumstances in which students
results, and the processes through which
live. These courses emphasize the rela-
scientific hypotheses and theories are
tionship of divergent ethics and moral
developed, modified, or abandoned.
values on contemporary social issues and
Laboratory science courses engage stu-
global conflicts.
dents in methods of experimental testing
of hypotheses and analysis of data that
6 Vanderbilt University
Distribution of Courses in AXLE
Where to Get Information The distribution of all Arts and Science courses into AXLE categories is
Two publications will help you make your included in the Undergraduate Catalog. The most up-to-date information
course selections for the fall semester and
for any semester is available in the “advanced class search” section of YES.
decide on your academic career. The Under-
graduate Catalog is the official publication
of Vanderbilt University and includes the
rules, regulations, and policies of the College
of Arts and Science as well as descriptions of
In YES (Your Enrollment Services: vanderbilt.edu/yes), you can
the academic programs of all the undergrad-
search for all classes scheduled in a semester (e.g., Fall 2016) that
uate schools. You should familiarize yourself
are in a particular AXLE category. Login to YES. Go to “class search,”
with the contents of the catalog as soon as
“advanced,” and choose the appropriate semester (in the upper left
possible. The full catalog is available online:
corner). In “class attributes,” select the AXLE category (e.g., “AXLE:
vanderbilt.edu/catalogs/undergrad/.
1000-level W course”) you are interested in, and hit “search.”
This booklet, On the Road with AXLE,
is a publication of the College of Arts and
Science. It is a manual for entering students
and contains an explanation of the AXLE
requirements, suggestions on how to choose
courses, and instructions on how to register
for the fall. It has been designed exclusively however, see their CASPAR adviser three The Ins and Outs of
for the entering class of 2016 and differs times during the first year: during orienta- Course Numbers
from previous or future editions. In case of tion for the fall semester, during the Regis-
As of fall 2015, all courses at Vanderbilt
doubt, check the Undergraduate Catalog. You tration Period for the spring semester, and
have four-digit numbers. Faculty, deans, and
should also familiarize yourself with your during the Registration Period for the fall
older students may still refer to courses with
degree audit, available through YES (Your semester of their second year.
their former three-digit numbers; please bear
Enrollment Services). During the month of June, your CASPAR
with us! The course renumbering lookup
adviser will be available to help you make
tool will be handy for translating old to new
Where to Get Advice course selections for registration for the fall
numbers and vice versa: registrar.vanderbilt.
and begin to understand your interests and
Entering students are assigned pre-major edu/faculty/course-renumbering/course-
goals. Be sure to familiarize yourself with
faculty advisers in CASPAR (College of Arts lookup. All course descriptions in YES and
the information in your registration materi-
and Science Pre-major Academic Advis- in the Undergraduate Catalog include both
als and follow the instructions on how to
ing Resources Center). Pre-major faculty current and former course numbers.
contact your adviser between May 31 and
advisers are carefully selected and receive
June 24.
intensive training on how to help students
proceed effectively through the require-
ments of AXLE and chart a course of study.
These advisers will counsel students through
their first three and a half semesters or until
they declare a major. At that time, students
are assigned faculty advisers in their major
departments.
Students are encouraged to see their
CASPAR advisers at any time. They must,
On the Road with AXLE 7
The First-Year Writing Seminar: An Overview
Learning How to Learn analyzing information, and for beginning oral and written reports (which themselves
to understand how the faculty scholar, become subjects of discussion), fieldwork,
The goal of your undergraduate education
researcher, or artist who leads your FYWS library work, experimentation, and other
should be something more and better than
performs the intellectual tasks of approach- means of becoming involved in your own
just acquiring information; it should be
ing the unknown, challenging the accepted, education. You will gain experience in for-
learning how to learn. Information, no mat-
and, ultimately, contributing to the ongoing mulating questions, finding the sources of
ter how valuable it is today, becomes dated,
history of human ideas. information to answer those questions, gath-
even irrelevant, in a world that is changing
A seminar is a small class led by one ering, organizing, and analyzing the data you
as rapidly as the one in which we live. Creat-
(occasionally, two) faculty members. acquire, and communicating your conclu-
ing an educational experience for yourself
There usually will be no more than fifteen sions to others, both orally and in writing.
that will nurture curiosity, independence
students in your FYWS. It will meet two
of thought, contemplative attitudes, and
or three times a week, and everyone will What Is a First-Year
an informed, critically inquiring mind will
be a first-year student. You will meet in Writing Seminar?
instill dynamic patterns of learning neces-
seminar rooms: specially designated, small
sary in a changing world. Successful learning depends on the suc-
classrooms, located all across campus, that
The First-Year Writing Seminar (FYWS) cessful communication of ideas to self and
encourage intimate, face-to-face learning,
encourages you to develop these intellectual others. While the pedagogical model of the
and allow everyone in the group to par-
qualities in order to learn how to learn. In seminar encourages the lively exchange of
ticipate easily in discussion. Although the
your FYWS, you will be expected to examine ideas and information through its interactive
common element in the FYWS program is
all ideas critically; to develop a mind free of format, the process of learning continues
the seminar venue, you will find that profes-
preconceptions; to encounter opinions and into the ability to make a convincing and
sors conduct classes in different manners.
attitudes different from your own in an open, intellectually supported argument for the
Some will deliver prepared comments to
nondefensive manner; and to provide intel- consideration of new ideas. Reading and
encourage group discussion. Others will
lectual support for your newly evolving ideas talking are the first part of the process. Writ-
never lecture from notes and will appear to
and evaluations by engaging in challenging ing—which allows for further articulation of
be allowing the class to determine the course
levels of dialogue, research, and writing. ideas—is the second. A new idea or insight
of the discussion. Some will use PowerPoint
which you are unable to communicate per-
presentations or overhead projection. Some
What Is a Seminar? suasively to others in writing is of question-
will show videos in class or assign films to be
able value in your college experience. In the
Some of you may have had the opportunity viewed out of class. Some seminars will fea-
College of Arts and Science, you will have to
to take seminar-style classes in high school; ture small-group work that may take place
write. And writing begins in the FYWS.
others of you may have spent your time in or out of the classroom. Some will gener-
AXLE, the undergraduate curriculum
in regular lecture-style classrooms. Here ate lively, parallel dialogues online. What-
of the College of Arts and Science, places
at Vanderbilt, you will encounter various ever pedagogical approach your professor
a particular emphasis on training in aca-
approaches to instruction: lecture, laborato- favors, he or she will encourage you to be an
demic writing, and on the research and
ry, studio/workshop (in the arts), fieldwork, active learner, rather than a passive receiver
information literacy skills associated with
independent reading, tutorial, service learn- of information. In a seminar, students and
writing. To that end, AXLE requires every
ing, internship, and seminar. In the College professor co-create the learning experience
Arts and Science student to take at least
of Arts and Science, a First-Year Writing not only to optimize the acquisition of new
three writing classes during his or her four
Seminar is probably the most important information, but also to provide a work-
years at Vanderbilt. For most students, the
learning experience you will undertake ing model for how to evaluate, analyze, and
first of these classes will be the FYWS. In
during your first year. Success in your four- articulate the new ideas that arise from the
your FYWS, at least one class session will
year program of study will rest, to a large close encounter with the subject matter.
be dedicated to a library research tutorial,
extent, on the methodologies and academic The precise nature of student participa-
conducted on site in one of the nine Vander-
self-discipline you master during your first tion will vary from one seminar to another,
bilt University libraries. In this tutorial, a
year. Your FYWS will be the primary model but it will generally take the form of discus-
librarian will teach you how to search most
for developing a toolkit of different meth- sion of ideas emerging from assigned read-
effectively the library book and periodicals
odological approaches to acquiring and ing, research on special projects leading to
8 Vanderbilt University