Foundations Development Program and Major Declaration M.Ali Alpar, Director, FDP EUA-EC0P at Sabancı University Turkish students enter institutions of higher education based on scores on nation-wide Student Selection Examination (ÖSS) consisting of a series of multiple–choice tests. Rote learning habits geared to scoring on the exam result in serious challenges on university education. Most students are not happy with their chosen programs, which are geared to very specific professions. There is little chance of changing programs after enrollment. At Sabancı University students declare their major programs at the end of their sophomore year. The curriculum is deliberately at odds with the dominant mode of secondary education, which is plagued by the preparation for the university entrance exam. Many students enter university without analytical reading or problem solving habits, having been trained for success at a single multiple choice exam. We aim at unlearning some of the attitudes acquired in school and exam prep courses

FASS Initial Declaration Final Decision MAJOR DECLARATION / Cumulative until the end of the 2nd semester

MAJOR DECLARATION / Cumulative until the end of 2nd semester FENS Initial Decleration Final Decision

TRANSFERS BETWEEN THE FACULTIES FASS FENS&

The mandatory core curriculum at Sabancı University is called “the Foundations Development Program/University Courses”. Students who do not meet the standards of English language proficiency enroll in the School of Languages (SL) for a preliminary Foundations Development Year or Semester. This is more than an English Language prep year. Students take a coıurse in the Turkish Language to improve their writing and reading skills. The English language assessment is based on course work rather than oriented towards language proficiency tests alone. Like most of the University Courses there is a systematically accumulated body of in house produced course materials. The Foundations Development Year English course textbooks and materials (“Beyond the Boundaries”) are now published and used in other universities worldwide.

The rest of the Foundations Development Program is a series of “University Courses” taken by all Sabancı University undergraduates. These are: All of the first year courses, A choice of second year courses on Major Works of art, A course on Law and Ethics, taken in the third or fourth years. A project course taken by first year students aims at introducing students to independent team work. An important part of our system, the Civic Involvement Projects, will be described in a separate presentation (T. Hopkins)

All first year students take the same courses, at the same level. (More detailed information on course contents is given in the Annex.) Humanity and Society: the development of human societies, the structures of society and civilization, the development of concepts in the perspective of world history. The Making of Modern Turkey: 19th and early 20th Century Ottoman Empire, the foundation and development of the Republic of Turkey, up to the present. Turkish Language and Literature: The development of Turkish literature in parallel with the history, in close correlation with the Making of Modern Turkey course. Science of Nature : Basic concepts in physics, chemistry, and biology; our understanding of Nature, through the development of Science. Functions Discrete and Continuous: The language and concepts of Mathematics, at a level including the calculus. Freshman English: Enhancing reading, communication, critical thinking, public speaking and writing skills through the study of modern fiction and other texts (essays, newspaper articles etc.)

University courses are at an introductory level and require little previous knowledge. These courses prepare the students for subsequent “Faculty Courses” and provide guidance for their choice of degree program. In each area the most fundamental concepts are highlighted; only the most important concepts are chosen to be treated in a basic way with depth. As a minimum standard, university courses aim at developing the basic concepts and methods that students will need for their subsequent courses. Secondary and detailed subjects are left out.

University courses emphasize that there is a ‘real’ subject matter of study and learning in different areas of intellectual effort, mathematics, natural and social sciences, history, language, literature and art, and aim to open up the links between content and ideas, and conduct with ethical sensibility. We hope that students, as individuals, develop and use their intellects in self-confidence. We are working to integrate University Courses in a way that will allow time and possibilities for each person to discover, choose and develop his or her talents, tastes and preferences.