Faculty Resources

Existing TSEM topics can be taught by any TU faculty member. If the topic is offered outside the department that created the initial proposal, faculty must include a new topic description and copy of the new syllabus so that the correct course description is posted for the term. These should be shared with the Registrar’s Office when scheduling. For a list of all approved TSEM topics, visit the Undergraduate Catalog.

Guidance for new TSEM Proposals

(updated Fall 2025)

Any TU faculty member can teach TSEM and new TSEM topics are welcome!

Topic proposals move through the following workflow for approval: Departments/Chairs > TSEM Director > Office of Assessment > College Committees > Honors (if an Honors topic) > Registrar

New topics must be submitted through CIM and include a course proposal and assessment plan that clearly illustrate how the topic fulfills TSEM student learning outcomes (SLOs). (SLOs 1-4 are required for all TSEM sections; SLOs 5 and 6 are optional)
Please use TU’s course proposal template and core assessment plan template for your submission in CIM to ensure that all parts of your proposal are complete for the approval process. New topic proposals also require a catalog description, rationale, and syllabus of record.
All TSEM course syllabi should include TU’s required policies. For further syllabus guidance, please review the university’s Guidelines for Best Practice for Syllabi.
When proposing a new topic, remember your audience. New TSEM topics should appeal to a variety of first-year students and support TSEM learning goals (100-level: research, information literacy, communication, and critical analysis). Compelling topic titles are encouraged!
All TSEM topics are proposed and offered through academic departments.

Guidance for Scheduling

Departments/programs should submit TSEM section scheduling requests to the Registrar’s Office: acadscheduling AT_TOWSON. For further scheduling information, please visit the university’s Guidance for Schedule Building.

General TSEM Policies

Fall and Spring TSEM sections must be conducted in person. Synchronous online sections will be approved at the discretion of the TSEM director. No hybrid or asynchronous sections are offered. Summer sections can be offered in 5, 7, or 10-week formats either in person or synchronously online. TSEM sections are not offered during the January term.
Freshmen and Sophomores can enroll themselves for TSEM for either a first or second attempt. Students with more than 60 credit hours/juniors and seniors need to contact the Registrar's Office for manual enrollment. Students needing to retake TSEM a third time must submit an appeal to the Academic Standards Committee.
Core assessment data for TSEM (Core 1) should be collected for every section each semester and annually submitted by department core assessment coordinators to the Office of Assessment.
TSEM course caps are determined by room availability. TSEM 102 sections are capped at 21 or 24 students. TSEM 190 sections are capped at 18 students. Room requests should be made through department administrators.