Houston Community College Southeast GUST 1270 Syllabus * College and Career Planning George I. Sanchez Charter School C-506

Transcription

1 Houston Community College Southeast GUST 1270 Syllabus * College and Career Planning George I. Sanchez Charter School C-506 Instructor information Matthew Ryan Wackerle Cell: mwackerle@gmail.com Conference time by appointment Course Text: Ellis, Dave; Becoming a Master Student, 12 th edition Mason, Ohio: Cenage Learning, 2009 Course Objective This course is intended to guide students in the area of college study skills, planning for college and beyond. Grading Policies Please see the class schedule for due dates to the following assignments: The breakdown of the percentage points awarded to each assignment is as follows: Exams Test 1 : 25% Test 2: 25% There will be three tests, but only two of them will count towards your final grade. Your lowest exam grade will be dropped. These tests will be in the format of blue book examinations. There will be no multiple choice or fill in the blank. Instead, on each exam there will be eight ID questions. You will be given a list of ten words and then asked to define each word, provide examples, and write about the significance of the term as it relates to the course. Your ID answers should each be at least a few sentences long and constitute a short paragraph. This portion will count as 80% of the exam grade and will be held on Day 1 of the exam. On the second day of the exam, you will be asked to write an essay in your blue book on a specified topic. This essay will count as 20% of the exam grade. You may not use your notes or class text(s) on your exams, nor may you use any pre-written responses. Although * The instructor reserves the right to modify this syllabus at any time.

2 there is no required length and no required limit to essay responses, students who have been most successful with this part of the exams in the past tend to have written around 3 ½ pages for their essays. You are STRONGLY encouraged to diligently prepare for the exams before you take them, crafting responses to the ID terms and the essay by using the exam study guides, which will be distributed to you at least one week before the first day of each exam. There is no such thing as getting an 'A' for effort in this class. Your grade is entirely based upon your ability to master the content of the course and deliver well-informed, well-written responses in the allotted time. College Preparation Project Project: 25% All students will obtain and show documentation of the following information and compile it into a three-ring binder that will be presented to the instructor. These seven sections must be organized and separated with dividers: 1) Find out or calculate your high school GPA and class rank if possible. This information should be available from Mr. Rosas or Mr. Perez. 2) Print-out the admission information of the college or post-secondary technical program of your choice. This information must include: requirements, the average SAT score and grades of accepted students (if applicable), degree or certification program information (such as academic major or career cluster), application fee (if any) and determine as to whether or not you would qualify for an application fee waiver if there is such a fee, whether or not the college to which your are applying requires other tests in addition to the SAT (if it does not require any tests, then the answer of course would be no), and if you will be required to write a statement of purpose or admission essay. 3) Print-out financial information related to the college of your choice. How much will the tuition cost you? Does the school offer any institutional scholarships? What are the average living expenses for a year for students that attend the college? 4) Financial aid. Complete a paper copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Discover and report any other financial aid resources that might be available to you. 5) Locate resources that will help you make a higher score on the SAT or ACT. If you do not plan on attending a university in the future that requires SAT or ACT scores, then submit information that pertains to any exams you must take that are related to the license or career you want to have after finishing your degree or certificate program. 6) Living arrangements. What living arrangements will you have after high school? What is the setting of your post-secondary institution (ie is it in an urban area, a rural area, a suburb, etc?), will you be living in a dorm, in a coop, an apartment or with parents? 7) Using the Occupational Outlook Handbook, take note of the following: what career options are your exploring? After selecting one career, whether you are sure of it or not, what are its average annual earnings? What are the educational requirements? Is obtaining this job more or less competitive? Participation Participation: 10% A portion of each class will be open to discussion. It is not only necessary to attend class, but also engage the instructor and classmates on the topics that are being discussed in class. Students who exhibit preparation in reading and studying notes, and thus being better equipped to participate, will be awarded more participation points. The instructor will record evidence of participation in each class and an average of the weekly participation grades will be the final grade for this component of the

3 course. Quizzes and Notebook Checks Quizzes: 15% From time to time there will be in-class, short multiple choice quizzes on the course readings and lectures. You will also have notebook checks each Friday to determine whether or not you have been taking appropriate notes in the class. Do your readings in a timely manner and take notes of the material if necessary. You will be allowed to use your notes for the quizzes, but you will not be allowed to use your textbook. Letter Grade by Final Percentage Points A = % B = 80 89% C = 70 79% D = 60 69% F = < 60% Withdrawal, Failure and Incomplete Policies Withdrawal from a Course ( W ) It is your responsibility to officially withdraw from a class and prevent an F from appearing on your transcript. When considering withdrawal from a course, remember the following information: If you withdraw before the Official Date of Record, no grade is given and your transcript reflects no record of the course. A W (indicating withdrawal) appears on your transcript if you drop a course after the Official Date of Record and before the final deadline. College policy requires instructors to write never attended on the official roll sheet next to the names of those students who do not attend class by the Official Date of Record. If you do not attend class before the Official Date of Record, the college may automatically drop you from the course. To attend class in online distance education classes, you must log onto the course in Blackboard before the Official Date of Record. If you do not do so, never attended will be marked on the official roll sheet. The college may automatically drop you from the course, and you will be denied access to your course in Blackboard. A W (withdrawal) may negatively impact your ability to receive financial aid or your visa status if you are an international student. Students who take a course three or more times face additional tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are considering course withdrawal because you are not earning passing grades, confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing homework, test-taking skills, attendance, course participation, and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available. The Texas Legislature passed a law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than SIX total course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a baccalaureate degree. This policy is effective beginning with the Fall 2007 semester. There may be future penalties imposed. If you MUST withdraw, visit with your instructor, a counselor or online student services associate prior to withdrawing (dropping) the class BEFORE the Last Day for Administrative/Student Withdrawals posted in the HCC Schedule of Classes. Instructors are no longer allowed to process a W on their final grades YOU are responsible for processing the paperwork in a timely manner.

4 Failure of a Course ( F ) You will receive an F in this class if your grade is less than 60%. Receiving an F (failure) may negatively impact your ability to receive financial aid. It is YOUR responsibility to submit collegelevel quality work in a timely fashion or to withdraw yourself from the course by the deadline if you cannot complete your work satisfactorily. Incomplete ( I ) You will receive an I (incomplete) only in the event of a documented emergency situation that prevents you from completing the last assignment, such as the final exam. You must speak with your instructor as soon as possible in the event of such an emergency to arrange a course completion schedule. If you receive an I, you must arrange with the instructor to complete the course work before the end of the next long semester. After that deadline, the I becomes an I/F. All I designations must be changed to grades prior to graduation. The changed grade will appear on your record as I/Grade (ex: I/B ). Student Course Reinstatement Policy Students have a responsibility to arrange payment for their classes when they register, either through cash, credit card, financial aid, or the installment plan. Faculty members have a responsibility to check their class rolls regularly, especially during the early weeks of a term, and reconcile the official class roll to ensure that no one is attending class whose name does not appear on it. Students who are dropped from their courses for nonpayment of tuition and fees who request reinstatement after the official date of record payment of tuition and fees who request reinstatement after the official date of record (OE Date) may be reinstated by making payment in full and paying an additional $75 per course reinstatement fee. A student requesting reinstatement should present the registrar with a completed Enrollment Authorization Form with the signature of the instructor, department chair, or dean who should verify that the student has been regularly attending class. Students who are reinstated are responsible for all course policies and procedures, including attendance requirements. A dean may waive the reinstatement fee upon determination that the student was dropped because of a college error. The dean should note the nature of the error in a memo to the registrar with appropriate documentation. Statement on Scholastic Dishonesty Scholastic Dishonesty Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be initiated by College System officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating on a test includes: Copying from another student s test paper; Using materials during a test that are not authorized by the person giving the test; Collaborating with another student during a test without authority; Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the

5 contents of an unadministered test; Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered. Plagiarism means the appropriation of another s work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one s own written work offered for credit. Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit. Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F on the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System. A recommendation for suspension or expulsion will be referred to the College Dean of Student Development for disciplinary disposition. Students who wish to appeal a grade penalty should notify the instructional supervisor within 30 working days of the incident. A standing committee appointed by the College Dean of Instruction (Academic or Workforce) will convene to sustain, reduce, or reverse the grade penalty. The committee will be composed of two students, two faculty members, and one instructional administrator. A majority vote will decide the grade appeal which is final. Students with Disabilities Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support Services (DSS) Counselor at the beginning of each semester. Faculty members are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the DSS Office. Mrs. Baldwin is the Southeast College s DSS counselor. Her telephone number is (713) HCC Student Handbook Please refer to the HCC Student Handbook regarding your rights and responsibilities. You are first of all responsible for reading the HCC Student Handbook. The HCC Student Handbook may be read online at Schedule of Topics, Readings and Assignment Due Dates Week 1: General Introduction to the Course Week 2: Thinking About Your Future: exploring careers

6 Becoming a Master Student: Useful website The Occupational Outlook Handbook: Week 3: Thinking About Your Future: choosing the school that is right for you Becoming a Master Student: Week 4: Diversity Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 9 Week 5: Money Matters: paying for higher education and living independently Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 10 Useful websites Free Application for Federal Student Aid: Fastweb scholarship search engine: Week 6: Test #1 on 3/10 & 3/11 The First Step to Becoming a Master Student: discovering how you learn Requiring reading Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 1 Week 7: Strategies for Taking Better Notes

7 Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 5 Week 8: Time Management Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 2 Week 9: Understanding Your Memory Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 3 Week 10: Reading Strategies Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 4 Test #2 on 4/7 and 4/8 Week 11: Test-Taking Strategies Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 6 Week 12: On Thinking Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 7 Week 13: Why Communication is Important Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 8 Week 14:

8 A Healthy Body is a Healthy Mind Becoming a Master Student: Chapter 11 DUE: COLLEGE PREPARATION PROJECT on 05/06/2011 FINAL TEST 05/05 05/06