HOUSATONIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DS 099 Academic Skills
Professor: Scott Empric
Spring 2008
Office: B202
Telephone: 332-5147
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Page: www.geocities.com/scottempric
Office Hours: Monday - Wednesday 2:30 - 3:30; Thursday 4:00 - 5:00; By Appointment
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
The Confident Student 5th Edition: Carol C. Kanar(Textbook can be purchased in college bookstore)
HCC College Catalog/Student Handbook: I will provide these
Email Account
Personal Journal
A notebook to take notes
PURPOSE:
Academic Skills is designed to help students to develop the academic skills necessary to succeed in academic coursework and in college life, including managing assignments, reading textbooks, finding information, test-taking, and planning for the semester and for graduation. This course will help students to develop a learning plan that addresses educational and career goals. This course must be taken within the first 12 credit hours and this course does not satisfy graduation requirements.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
HCC is committed to a code of values that honors academic and personal integrity, honest and ethical standards. We expect students to complete their own work. When a student refers to the ideas of another person, we expect students to acknowledge this work by the appropriate citation.
In this class, any incident of academic dishonesty will result in the attachment of a failing grade for the entire course and may involve college disciplinary action.
CLASS PARTICIPATION:
Your participation is an important part of your learning in this course. We expect you to contribute when you have something to add to the discussion, and to listen to your classmates when they are talking. The quality of your participation will be much more important than the quantity. You will be evaluated on how you contribute to the class in terms of discussing, sharing, and active listening. In 'higher ed', the notion that what you put into determines what you get out will be the key to getting the most out of every university level class.
RULES FOR CLASSROOM::
We will follow these ground rules for promoting positive and safe discussion:
Confidentiality - all that is said in the class stays in the classroom.
No put-downs
Active Listening
Mutual respect
Right to pass
Please set cell phones to vibrate
COURSE REQUIREMENTS, GRADING
The format of the class is based on experiential learning and group discussion. Requirements include:
� Classroom work including group and individual classroom presentations;
� Out of class assignments and papers;
� Attendance and participation
� Tests
ATTENDANCE:
In a class that explores the process of becoming a better college student, attendance and participation are crucial to your success. Because this course requires you to be actively involved through attendance, class discussion, and group work; however, you are responsible for whether or not you attend class, so there is no formal attendance policy. You are responsible for what you miss, and are expected to have all assignments completed by the next class period. If assignments are not complete a zero will be given. Work done in-class, including tests, cannot be made up.
*Those who attend all classes will get their final grade raised by one half letter grade.
ACCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a disability that requires accommodation in this class, you should notify your Instructor before the end of the second week of class. You should register with the campus Disability Support Services (DSS), located in B120. DSS will provide written documentation of your verified disability with the recommended accommodation and an authorization, which you will then present to your Instructor.
IMPORTANT CAMPUS POLICIES
The link: www.hcc.commnet.edu/gen/PDF/publications/catalog_handbook/07-08catalog/index.asp will take you to the Student Handbook with 5 important campus policies: the Add/Drop Policy; Cheating and Plagiarism Policy; Grade Appeal Policy; Access to Programs for Students with Disabilities; and the campus Diversity Statement. All of these have important information and we will be discussing them throughout the semester.
OUTSIDE EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES
A minimum of 2 are required
� Attend a Campus Play or Third Thursday Cultural Celebration
� Attend a Campus Lecture or Concert
� Attend a club/senate meeting
� Give Blood
� Meet with a tutor at the Tutorial Center or the Writing Center
ADVISING MEETINGS
To receive Credit for the course, you must find out who your advisor is and set up a meeting with him or her.
GRADING:
| Homework | 25% |
| In-class Assignments/Quizzes | 25% |
| Tests | 25% |
| Oral Presentation | 25% |
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Journals
Weekly Throughout the Semester
You will be writing in your journal each week at least 12 entries for the semester. We want you to reflect on your experiences in college and respond to various topics we will assign. Your writing is confidential, but I will check periodically to see if you are keeping up.
2. Introduce Yourself
Due: January
Write a short message introducing yourself to the entire class. You should
include what you are most excited about as you start your first year of college, where you are from, your major and some concerns that you may have as you start your college years at HCC. Please keep this introduction short, approximately 1 to 2 paragraphs in length.
3. Outside Events and Experiences
Throughout the semester You will be expected to attend at least 2 campus events and experiences, and write a brief response to them.
Please include documentation to show you were there (e.g. a program to a campus play or agenda from a club meeting).
4. Advising Meeting
Due: April/May
You will find and meet your advisor and begin planning your academic career
5. Autobiography
Due: February
This is an opportunity to look at your life, what you have accomplished, and the path you have taken to get to HCC. You will write a 2-3 page paper describing your life and discussing specific events and people that motivated you to attend college.
6. Campus Resource Presentation
February - March
For this assignment, you and a classmate will go to one of the resources on campus, interview a staff member, and do a short (5 mins. maximum) presentation to our class on what you learned. This will be a way for you to learn about a number of services and resources on campus and share the information with the rest of the class.
7. Time Management
Due: February
One of the most difficult skills for freshmen to develop is managing their time. In this exercise you will plan out your time for a week and use a classmate to help you stay on track. You will then write a short response paper describing your experience.
9. Cultural Sharing Experiences
Due: March
Cultural artifact: Bring something you own that represents your culture and share it with the class. You can use powerpoint/overheads..etc.
10. Interview a Professor
Due: March
You will have the opportunity to interview a faculty member from your chosen major or possible area of interest. You will be expected to create at least 5 questions for the faculty member to respond to. The questions should include what you want to know about your major or area of interest. You will then turn in a short write-up (1-2 pages) summarizing the faculty�s response.
11. Culmination Project: Oral Presentation
Due: April/May
A 5-10 minute presentation about you. Each student will be asked to examine a trend popular culture in the 21st Century and present to the class his/her findings. Each oral presentation will require research and at least five sources.
12. Tests
We will have tests to test your retention of the information presented in class. Some information will be tested individually while other information will be combined. You will be presented with a study guide before each test so you will be aware of what information you will need to review.
13. Class Participation
As was previously mentioned, your participation is a crucial part of your learning in this course. I expect you to contribute when you have something to add to the discussion, and to listen to your classmates when they are talking. The quality of your participation will be much more important than the quantity.
An Important Note:
This syllabus serves as a contract between us, detailing what to expect from the course and what's expected of you. Save it and consult guidelines as needed. Be sure to take the time to read it carefully and share your questions and concerns.