General Information

What is INQR 1000?

INQR 1000 is a one credit hour, seminar course designed to engage first and second year students in the discovery, exploration and analysis of ideas. There are two types of INQR 1000:

Option A: Designing Your Life

A semi-structured curriculum designed to encourage students to move beyond a job title and work toward uncovering their purpose.

Option B: Discipline-Based

A topic-driven seminar which uses active learning strategies to emphasize the importance of asking questions in the process of learning.

Who is eligible to teach an INQR 1000?

INQR 1000 courses will be taught by faculty members, including emeritus faculty and clinical faculty who hold the rank of lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor.

When should a student take INQR 1000?

INQR 1000 should be taken within the first two years of a student’s undergraduate career. Students should see their advisor in the Academic Advisement Center to determine the appropriate semester to take the course.


Compensation and Scholarly Support

What is the Compensation and Scholarly Support available to teach INQR 1000?

Faculty members who teach INQR 1000 will receive $1,000 in professional development per course with a max of $2,000 per year. These funds will be available as research/scholarly support (e.g., travel, supplies, computer, and equipment).

What is the timeline for these funds to be distributed?

Funds will be dispersed the fiscal year immediately after faculty have taught (for example, if faculty teach fall 2021 or spring 2022, the funds will be available August 2022) and must be spent during that fiscal year.

Can faculty teach more than one course per year?

Yes. But no more than 2 annually.

Do the funds have to be spent by a certain deadline?

Funds must be used within the fiscal year they are received.

If a faculty member chooses to purchase equipment (e.g., computer, laptop), who owns the items purchased?

Augusta University will own the items regardless of whether they are inventoried or not. If they meet the inventory threshold, Property Control will affix an inventory barcode.

Will taxes be taken out of these funds?

No

What support will be provided to faculty?

In addition to the professional development funds, faculty will receive formal training that can be used for other classroom pedagogies.

Will faculty be given release time for teaching a course?

No. The faculty will still be responsible for teaching a normal load in a department.


Faculty Proposals

When can course proposals be submitted?

Proposals may be submitted once a year during the Fall semester.

Proposal Forms

What specific information needs to be included in the course proposal? Is there a standard format?

Yes. There is a standard format with required fields.

What are the criteria for acceptance of a proposal?

The following criteria will be used in determining acceptance of a proposal: demand; diversity of offerings across schools, colleges, and departments; and whether or not the proposal is likely engage students given the expectations of this unique course. Preference is given to faculty with prior success in teaching INQR 1000.


Resources and Faculty Development

Will courses be taught by faculty from all colleges?

Yes. Faculty from every school and college are encouraged to teach INQR 1000 courses.

How much control will faculty have over when the course is taught?

Courses are taught Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at either 1:00- 2:15 pm or 2:30- 3:45 pm or online.

Does the course have to meet for 1.25 hours each week for 10 weeks?

Yes. However, there are exceptions, such as study abroad INQR courses. For a one credit course, students must have 750 minutes of contact time.


Course Syllabus

Will there be a common syllabus?

There is a common syllabus template that includes course objectives.

Will syllabi be posted online?

Yes, faculty will submit their syllabus onto D2L under the INQR 1000 training module. It is especially helpful to review other syllabi before creating your own.

Will all faculty be required to submit their own syllabus? What is the deadline for submission?

Yes, all faculty should submit a syllabus during the proposal process. The syllabus can be in draft form, allowing for changes and flexibility. The final syllabus should be submitted electronically to the Office of First and Second Year Experiences the week prior to class beginning. This allows students to review instructions and prepare for the course.


Grading

How will the INQR 1000 Class be graded?

The INQR 1000 will have A-F grading.

Where and when should final grades be posted?

As with all courses, INQR 1000 grades must be posted in POUNCE. However, students will not have access to these grades until the end of term, after the final exam period.

What is considered to be a passing grade?

The grade of “D” is considered passing for INQR 1000 courses.

Is there a final exam for INQR 1000?

There is no final exam for INQR 1000. Students present a final project at the INQR 1000 EXPO.


EXPO

What is INQR 1000 EXPO?

INQR 1000 EXPO is an end-of-course academic festival at which students present their learning about a particular topic using an experiential process.

Is there a student rubric for EXPO presentations?

Yes. Students will be measured on their ability to define questions, collect resources, represent multiple perspectives and contribute effectively to a group within the confines of their end of term project.

What if a student cannot/does not participate in EXPO?

This issue will be addressed on a case by case basis.

Do students have to stay at their presentation table or can they review other student projects?

Students are encouraged to do both - take time to present their own research and view other group projects. Learning about other topics and disciplines is encouraged in the process of exploration and inquiry.


Evaluations

What feedback will faculty receive from the student evaluations?

Faculty will have access to the student evaluations for their classes. Instructions for how to access the evaluation results will be emailed to faculty each semester.

How will students evaluate the class?

Students will complete an online course evaluation at the end of the semester.


Course Schedules

When will the classes be offered?

Courses will be offered fall and spring semesters.

Who will load the course schedule?

The Office of First and Second Year Experiences will submit approved courses to the registrar.

How will we ensure that students will have access to a desired course?

The Office of Academic Advisement will assist first and second year students in registration for these courses.

What information about the courses will be provided to students and advisors?

The course title, course description, and the name of the faculty member teaching the course will be provided for students and advisors.

How will students and advisors be able to sort through course choices? How will they be categorized?

The Augusta University course schedule website provides information about each INQR 1000 class by title, instructor, department, college, day and time.

Is this course counted in the Augusta University General Education Core Curriculum?

Yes, INQR 1000 is a core course in Area B. It must be satisfied for graduation.


Student Registration

Will any students other than first or second-year students be allowed to register for a course?

No. this course is designed to introduce the fundamentals of research and inquiry. It is not appropriate for juniors or seniors.

May students take more than one INQR Course?

No. We want to ensure that there are enough seats for every student.

Will students be able to register for a particular course?

Students will register for one course of interest at the time of registration. If this course is full, they must make another choice.


Transfer Students

Is it true that a first-year student who brings in 60 hours (more or less) of joint-enrollment and AP credit will be able to take an INQR 1000, but a transfer student with 60 hours will not?

Only first or second-year students are eligible to take the INQR 1000 course. At this time we do not have enough resources to be able to offer these courses to transfer students with more than 60 hours.

How will this requirement impact transfer students?

This requirement is for first and second-year students and will not apply to transfer students.


Honors, Audits, Withdrawals

Is there an Honors version of the INQR course?

Yes.

Will students be able to withdraw from the course just like any other course?

Yes. The normal midterm date for all courses will be the same date for INQR 1000 courses, despite the shortened 10 week term.

Will students be allowed to audit an INQR course?

No.

Will the course be repeatable?

No, unless the student earns a W, WF or an F.