The Augustana Project-Based Core

Augustana helps students prepare for their future careers and studies by providing the opportunity to build their resume before they graduate.

All Augustana Faculty students take two core courses during their degree that develop their professional and academic skills through hands-on learning and networking with professors and community organizations. This is called the Project-Based Core.

Courses part of the Project-Based Core started being offered in Fall 2017. These courses are interdisciplinary to ensure professional skills students develop are transferable across various industries and professions.

Courses

The core is made up of two courses – one at the junior level and one at the senior level. These courses are intended to bookend a students’ studies in an Augustana Faculty program. 

The junior-level course, the First-Year Seminar (AUIDS 101), has been designed to set students up for success in university. To accomplish this, these courses include opportunities for students to connect with other students, develop core academic skills and get to know faculty and staff on campus.

The senior-level course, Community Partner Project and Professionalization (AUIDS 401), has students work within a small group on a project posed by a community organization. This course gives students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned during their degree to a real-world problem while building professional skills and connections.

Effective for the 2026/27 academic year, core courses will be taught during the 13 week semester in the 11:00-12:20 time block on Mondays and Wednesdays. Review the timetable HERE. 

Resources for AUIDS 101 - First Year Seminar

The list of FYS Instructors for the current year can be found HERE. 

The shared drive where resources are found is HERE. 

For the 2026/27 year we will be having just one student mentor per section of FYS, who will be enrolled in AUIDS 300, which is being taught by Stephen Cruikshank. To better understand expectations of your mentor in their course, you can review the draft syllabus for AUIDS 300 course HERE. 

Guidelines for what mentors can and cannot do in your FYS course can be found HERE. 

FYS Assignment resources can be accessed HERE.

AUIDS 101 Syllabus template - be sure to include the following custom elements in your syllabus beyond the regular Augustana template. After completing your syllabus - be sure to review the checklist HERE that the committee will use when reviewing your syllabus to ensure consistency in the offerings among the many sections of the course. *** there were issues with instructors not being able to see the tracked changes - don't use tracked changes in future years - just a complete stand-alone document with all of the changes accepted/implemented***

The Library Support for FYS document outlines library resources and services for FYS courses. These include Library Research Skills Modules, an in-class workshop led by your student mentor, a 2-minute video tour, optional online workshops, and more.

Information about co-curricular activities to be included in your course syllabus - including important dates - can be found HERE (please don't share this doc with students). Review the scheduled co-curricular Fall 2026 FYS Orientation Passport folder that Randal has confirmed for your class HERE (Please share this google folder link with your students as soon as possible - this folder will be updated and provides information on where and when students need to be. Access is only with their ualberta email address). Contact Randal Nickel, Manager Student Life, at rnickel@ualberta.ca if you have any questions about co-curricular programming. 

AI Policy was developed by Stephanie Oliver and Marina Endicott and for 2026/27, each section should incorporate the AI language that has been added to the syllabus template.  

Upload a copy of your syllabus HERE when ready for review (extended deadline August 7). Feedback will be shared with you later on the week of August 10th after Core committee member review - with comments on your FYS checklist shared in the same folder where you submitted your syllabus. 

The Dean's office has generously provided budget to support the cost of an on-campus lunch for each instructor with their tutor at some point during the semester. The cafeteria has been provided with the list of all instructors and their mentors. Once you have scheduled the day that you are going to the cafeteria - please email augfood@ualberta.ca to let them know what day you will be coming and providing any dietary restrictions. 

Resources for AUIDS 401 - Community Partner Project and Professionalization 

AUIDS 401 instructors should be connecting with the Career Centre before the start of the term and have their AUIDS 401 section registered with the Career Integrated Learning (CIL) program. This should be done several weeks in advance of the class start date. The goal of CIL is for students and instructors to enhance their awareness of the employable skills students developed through their academic work. The implementation of CIL is not designed to increase instructor workload. As such, all components of the CIL program are developed by Career Centre Staff. The components include:

1.       An Employability skills inventory – Career Centre Staff will review your syllabus and draft a list of employable skills students will learn.

2.       An in-class presentation by Career Centre Staff at the beginning of the term.

3.       An End-of-Term Reflective Activity facilitated by Career Centre Staff

The tentative schedule of co-curricular activities is being drafted HERE.