Liberal Studies Program > First-Year Program > For Faculty > FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions: Chicago Quarter & Focal Point Seminar

Discover Chicago

The Pre-Immersion Week meeting for all members of Discover Chicago teaching teams is typically scheduled the Wednesday or Thursday prior to the start of Immersion week. 

Chicago Quarter Service Day (CQSD) provides new students with the opportunity to become acquainted firsthand with DePaul’s Vincentian mission, as well as their new DePaul family. If you are seeking more information, please contact Katie Sullivan, in University Ministry, Student Center 311, 773-325-4490.

Explore Chicago

The “Great Starts” meeting for all members of Explore Chicago teaching teams is typically scheduled the Wednesday before the quarter starts. 

Common Hour (Chicago Quarter)

Within each Chicago Quarter class, one hour of class each week (10 hours total) is dedicated to Common Hour, a co-curricular program designed to address common issues of transition for first-year students. Common Hour is comprised of information sessions, discussions, activities and workshops led by Chicago Quarter Mentors and staff professionals and designed to help students make a successful academic and developmental transition into DePaul University. The curriculum centers on three key ideas: understanding and believing in myself; connecting to the DePaul community; and transitioning to college.

Assessment data about Common Hour show that faculty participation in Common Hour has an important and positive effect. While Common Hour is conducted primarily by the Chicago Quarter Mentor and Staff Professional, faculty presence and participation reinforce several key ideas: that the course is team-taught, not taught by a tag-team; that Common Hour involves serious work that is important to student success in this class and beyond. While never taking over the Common Hour, faculty can serve as a good source of feedback and an important support for the staff professional and student mentor.

Faculty

The Chicago Quarter course proposal deadline is set for December 15 in order to meet the mid-March date when information about Chicago Quarter courses is posted online for the incoming students to view. The intervening three-month period is necessary to allow the committee to review, possibly request revisions, and finally approve new course proposals; and then for the Office of the First-Year Program to coordinate the scheduling of 100+ sections of Discover and Explore Chicago in coordination with some 40 departments and programs drawn from across the colleges and schools of the university, followed by NSFE's assignment of teaching teams.

The February 1 Focal Point proposal deadline is set for similar reasons to allow for a thorough approval process followed by the scheduling of Focal Point classes, which takes place during the spring quarter; it also allows faculty interested in proposing a FY@broad section the opportunity to apply for a QIC travel grant.

Instructors may request office space in the Loop (on the 16th floor of the Lewis Center) during the quarter they are teaching there. Instructors teaching in the Loop should expect to receive an email about office space, mailboxes, etc. about a month before the quarter starts. If the start of classes is fast approaching and you have not received such an email (or if you simply want to take care of things earlier), please contact Eunice Morales, Lewis 1630, 312-362-8882.

Staff (Chicago Quarter)

If I have questions about...

Who is the right person to contact?

​Proposing a new Chicago Quarter course or Focal Point Seminar
Online Teaching Evaluations
Doug Long, Office of the FYP, 773-325-4569
Scheduling a CQ course or Focal Point Seminar Michael Edwards, LSP/Office of the FYP, 773-325-1187
​Class budget
Transportation & logistics
​Brent Nunn, Office of the FYP, 773-325-7188
CQ Welcome Letter
Catering & logistics
Website & social media
 Heather Easley​, Office of the FYP, 773-325-8785
Reimbursements & honorarium payments
 accountspayable@depaul.edu
LASFS@depaul.edu
Chicago Quarter Mentors, staff professionals, or how to become a CQM or staff professional Yasmeen Nanlawala,
New Student & Family Engagement, 773-325-2273
New Student Service Day Katie Sullivan, University Ministry, 773-325-4490
Honors Discover & Explore Chicago Jennifer Conary​, Honors Program, 773-325-4640
FY@broad Scott Ozaroski, Study Abroad, 312-362-6347
QR: LSP 120 David Jabon, Quantitative Reasoning Center, 773-325-7248
First-Year Writing:  WRD 102, 103, 104 Erin Workman, First-Year Writing, 773-325-2486
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