IDS 100: Foundations of Inquiry

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General objectives for this course

	To help students see what it is to be a genuine college student.
	To develop habits of thoughtful engagement with ideas.
	To develop skills in reading, evaluating, and constructing arguments in favor of an opinion or theory.
	To develop skills in listening to and objectively evaluating opposing points of view.
	To create understanding of how reasons and evidence are used in every academic subject area, from the fine arts to the natural sciences, in application to a wide variety of issues.
	To develop skills in organizing and carrying out research projects that require finding reliable sources of information and ideas.
	To ensure that students can use computer systems in support of various common academic activities.

Why these objectives?

When looking at what students need to be able to do in order to be successful in college, the faculty decided that these items are of crucial importance. By developing your skills and knowledge in these areas, you will be starting out on the right foot in college and being prepared for life after college.

Maybe more important: if you really get into this kind of thing, you'll have a lot more fun going to college, and so you'll get a whole lot more out of it than if you had just drifted along looking for the easiest way out.