Propose a Seminar

Submitting a proposal to teach a First-Year Odyssey seminar is easy and involves very little paperwork.

The requirements are few: you must be a tenured, tenure-track, clinical, or retired tenured faculty member, and the topic of the seminar must be related in some way to your scholarship. On this website, you will find a variety of resources to help you design an engaging seminar. Approximately 370 seminars are approved for fall semester and approximately 55 seminars for spring semester.

To propose a seminar, log in via SSO.

Checklist of the items you will need when you submit a proposal to teach an First-Year Odyssey seminar

• A title that will intrigue students.
• A brief (150 words max) description of the seminar that reflects your research or service. We recommend that you personalize the description by using “you” instead of “the student.”
• An even briefer (75 words max) biography written in the first person. Students want to know something about you, so do not focus entirely on your academic position and honors but include something about yourself; for example, did you work in industry before joining UGA, own racehorses, or help construct five houses with Habitat for Humanity?

When you submit your proposal, the First-Year Odyssey Seminar program office will notify you that it has been received. If approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to schedule your classroom and receive your compensation.

Once your seminar is approved, if you decide to teach the same seminar in another semester, re-submitting your proposal is as easy as simply logging in and clicking one button.

View Sample Proposal Form

We look forward to receiving your proposal for an engaging seminar that will introduce students to your research and further the goals of the FYO program. Click here for seminar planning tips and suggestions. If you have questions, contact the FYO team at fyo@uga.edu as we are always happy to help.

Go to the portal now to submit a proposal.

Program Goals

Although the content of your seminar is unique to you, you should address the three goals of the program.

Goal 1

Introduce first-year students to the importance of learning and academics so that they are engaged in the academic culture of the University.

Goal 2

Give first-year students an opportunity for meaningful dialogue with a faculty member to encourage positive, sustained student-faculty interactions.

Goal 3

Introduce first-year students to the instruction, research, public service and international missions of the University and how they relate to teaching and learning in and outside the classroom. This will increase student understanding of and participation in the full mission of the University.