Sitting awkwardly in the front row of the classroom, my stomach turned on end. The room was packed, and I had no idea who was sitting next to me or what was to happen next. This was my very first day of college and my first class was starting in a matter of minutes. After what seemed an eternity, the professor arrived and the semester began. It didn’t get easier from there, but I never again experienced such anxiety in school, at least on that level.
That class was my Integrated Seminar, or ISEM course. The class was titled “War and Video Games,” and aside from the angst I experienced on that day, and the fact we examined “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” I don’t remember much from it. Which begged the question in my mind: “Are ISEMs really necessary?”
According to the University of Idaho website, “Your (integrated) seminar: Is among the smallest courses you will take in your first year; deeply examines current and interesting topics; focuses on college-level critical and creative thinking, communicating, explorations of diversity and other important skills; encourages group work; encourages open, respectful class discussion and the building of rich and supportive relationships among students and faculty.”
While these points do accurately represent the spirit behind ISEMs, they similarly represent the spirit behind the university’s curriculum, despite major.
As the university’s website describes concerning its mission as a university, “The University of Idaho is the state’s land-grant research university. From this distinctive origin and identity comes our commitment to enhance the scientific, economic, social, legal, and cultural assets of our state, and to develop solutions for complex problems facing society. We deliver on this commitment through focused excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and engagement in a collaborative environment at our residential main campus, regional centers, extension offices, and research facilities throughout the state.” Everything that is encouraged in ISEMs is also encouraged here, and then some.
In the course of your college career, you will take multitudes of courses that match ISEM criteria. I have, and I am only a junior. Most professors here at the university do create such learning environments that meet, if not exceed ISEM expectations.
Essentially, ISEMs shouldn’t be condemned, but their implementation may be misguided – especially when one considers how little time students spend in the seminars compared to their remaining years of schooling. With ISEMs, our university officials may be going overboard in their attempt to give each student a well-rounded education. The university already provides a splendid assortment of diverse courses without ISEMs.
If expansion is what the university seeks in its commitment to excellence in learning, engagement, outreach and teaching, then perhaps they should ingrain the ISEM program into the school’s curriculum further. Currently, it’s only an unnecessary blip on our radars.
Andrew Jenson can be reached at [email protected]