In Fall 2025, the former US 101US: First Year Seminar Program will update its title to:

COMX 101US, First-Year Experience: Place and Identity

Why the update? 

We were asked by OCHE (The Office of Commissioner of Higher Education, which administers the MUS: Montana University System) to update our prefix, since US is not a prefix in use by any other Montana Universities- it was unique to our program. This name change, then, will be a good thing, as it will help our students, who decide to transfer to another MUS university, transfer our course more easily. We chose the COMX (Communications) prefix, since our course has a significant focus on helping students build their communications skills in both writing and presenting. 

Course Description:

COMX 101US is an interdisciplinary, academic first-year experience course, taught seminar style, that builds communication and critical thinking skills while facilitating students' transition to college. The course examines questions of place, identity, and important societal issues. COMX 101US fulfills the university seminar requirement of the Core curriculum. It is only open to first-year students (less than 30 credits taken at MSU) and can only be repeated with approved enrollment in a unique retake section.

Course Learning Outcomes:

By taking COMX 101US, students will:

  1. Evaluate the role place and identity plays in shaping one’s world views and self-awareness (MSU Core Quality: Local and Global Citizen).
  2. Synthesize interdisciplinary readings and materials as support for engaging in informed civil discourse (MSU Core Quality: Effective Communicator and Thinker and Problem solver).
  3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate informative concepts, opinions, and arguments from multiple perspectives through student-driven class discussions and formal oral presentations (MSU Core Quality: Effective Communicator).
  4. Design a well-informed and college-level research project (MSU Core Quality: Effective Communicator, Thinker and Problem solver, and Local and Global Citizen).
  5. Identify student resources and services that aid in students’ transition to and engagement with the MSU community (MSU Core Quality: Local and Global Citizen).

Required Texts:

Hinton, Anthony Ray. The Sun Does Shine.  St. Martin’s Griffin, 2019. [available in print and eBook]

Saslow, Eli. Rising out of hatred: The awakening of a former white nationalist. Anchor, 2018. [available in print and eBook]

University Studies. COMX 101US First-Year Experience: Place and Identity. (2025-2026). Hayden-McNeill, 2025. [eBook only]

NOTE:  The COMX 101US First-Year Experience: Place and Identity eBook is a REQUIRED text for this course. It is embedded in the course's Canvas page and purchased through the Inclusive Access program (students have automatic access to the eBook via a link on Canvas and pay for it through their student account).  It includes most of the required readings, assignments, activities, grading rubrics and course resources. The other two required texts can be purchased at the MSU Bookstore or via your preferred vendor. Additional course readings are posted on the course Canvas page.

What to Expect in Class?

COMX 101US focuses on examining questions of place, identity, and topics of societal importance from multiple viewpoints, all while supporting first-year students’ transition to college and the academic environment. This course uses multidisciplinary readings to engage students in collegiate level discourse in order to foster meaningful and respectful dialogue with their peers. Students are asked to critically reflect on their personal identities and develop self-awareness through an exploration of their own values and beliefs and the values and beliefs of their peers informally in discussions and formally in their presentations. They accomplish this by:

  • Exploring how where they are from shapes their worldviews as they enter college and impacts their personal identities. 
  • Investigating how individual identities and personal experiences create diversity of thought and sense making through reading about issues from multiple perspectives. 
  • Practicing active listening while engaging in discourse with peers. 
  • Reflecting on their place in society and their responsibility to others. 

 

 In order to get the most out of the experience, we ask students to:

  • Ask meaningful questions, of themselves and their peers.
  • Be willing to learn from what challenges them.
  • Engage with the material and their peers.
  • Be willing to join into the discussions and active learning activities facilitated by their instructors in the classroom.

This course and the instructors who facilitate it expect students to be curious and proactive as learners. Attendance is mandatory and students are required to be in class every day the class meets, including the weeks adjacent to holidays or breaks, as well as during finals week. Students are asked to make sure they and their parents do not schedule trips during required class meeting times as it will impact their attendance and participation grades.