The First-Year Odyssey Seminar program is designed for students to learn about the many resources available on campus and to become engaged in the cultural and intellectual life of the University. With this in mind, all FYO students must attend at least three campus events during the semester that highlight some aspect of the mission of the University. There are many events to choose from, including musical performances, films, visiting speakers, and the Study Abroad Fair. In addition, students may participate in five hours of service to the community through VolunteerUGA as one event.
Students are notified and reminded about this requirement directly via email from the FYO Program office. Most students will select three events from those listed on the website; however, some instructors may specify particular events for their students to attend. The events specified by the instructor will count as FYO events even though they may not appear on the website. When students complete the course evaluation form at the end of the semester, they will be asked which events they attended and asked for their input about the events.
While not required, instructors have the option of integrating the events requirement into their individual seminars. For example, some instructors have used the requirement as a basis for assignments, while others have connected a specific event to the seminar content. If you have any questions about the FYO events requirement, please contact the FYO Program office at fyo@uga.edu or 706-542-6358.
Although three events are required of all students, instructors are not required to verify that students have attended campus events or to incorporate events into the seminar content. If instructors wish to connect events to the seminar content or use the requirement as the basis for assignments, that is up to the individual instructor.
No, students are not required to provide proof of attendance at events unless the instructor asks for proof for the purpose of assigning credit.
Some events may require registration or ticket purchase in advance. Students should refer to the event description on the FYOS site or contact the event host.
The student will only need to complete a written assignment if the instructor requires it as part of their seminar.
The requirement will not affect a student's grade unless the instructor chooses to make it a part of the graded assignments in the seminar or wishes to assign credit for event attendance.
Events that appear on the FYO website are approved FYO events. These events appear online on the FYO website at fyo.uga.edu under the Events tab. However, any event that an instructor asks students to attend will count as one of the three events.
Faculty and staff who have an event they would like to list on the site can click here). After logging in with a UGA MyID, click “Add an Event” to enter the event information. The information will then be reviewed by FYO staff and posted on the site.