What is FCI?

CRLT’s Foundational Course Initiative (FCI) partners with instructional teams to redesign foundational courses, which are typically large introductory or early career courses, that offer gateways into a field of study. Our mission is to transform these courses into engaging, equitable, and inclusive learning experiences for all students.

Why is it important?

Foundational courses introduce students to a discipline or a course of study and are pivotal in their future career paths. Due to their size and the wide range of student backgrounds, they present both unique instructional challenges and outsized opportunities for impact across the University. Furthermore, structural inequities and historical exclusion show up in these courses as in all higher education. Equity-focused teaching and other high-impact practices address disparate outcomes and ensure engaging and deep learning experiences for all students. Using evidence-based teaching practices we seek to transform these courses into experiences that allow every student to further explore their interests and thrive in their chosen disciplines and future careers.

By focusing on large enrollment courses, we have the opportunity to positively affect the learning experience and create educational equity for tens of thousands of students. In the 2022-2023 academic year alone, over 40.5% of all undergraduates at the University of Michigan were enrolled in FCI-Partnered courses. 

How do we partner with these large courses?

Designing learning and teaching experiences that are purposeful, equitable, and effective requires a holistic approach. Our team-based transformational process unites FCI consultants with course teams composed of instructors, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students. These collaborative course design (CCD) teams engage in a three-year process that is highly iterative, goal-driven, and data-informed. 

Why Participate? 

FCI enables department teams to turn their visions into reality through a three-year partnership that provides:

• Educational design expertise and dedicated consultants for each course
• Resources necessary for large-scale change, including $10,000 per year for course design and implementation needs
• Implementation of equity-focused teaching principles and practices
• Comprehensive data gathering and analysis to inform course design decisions
• Instructional team development and training for student assistants
• Robust logistical support and coordination to enable transformation

To learn more about FCI or explore a possible redesign partnership, please complete this contact form. For general questions please contact [email protected].