All new first-year students will take a First-Year Seminar during their fall term. First-Year Seminars constitute the gateway to the K-Plan and to college life for entering students, while also serving as the foundation of the Shared Passages Program. They are primarily designed to orient students to collegiate learning practices, with particular emphasis on critical thinking, writing, and speaking.

In keeping with K’s emphasis on intercultural education, First-Year Seminars aim to engage students in the study of significant social and historical differences. They integrate collaborative and group work, effective research strategies and discussions, all promoting active, engaged learning. They work to accustom students to modes of academic behavior likely to promote success in college, including class participation, productive approaches to assignments, visits to faculty members’ offices, and awareness of support structures for K students.

First-Year Seminars create connections with the components of the K-Plan: depth and breadth in the liberal arts; learning through experience; international and intercultural engagement; and independent scholarship.