Office Location: SVC 2043 Office Hours: Tues. 8:30 9:30 am or by appt.

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1 Academic Foundations Seminar Summer B 2013 SLS 2901, Section 001 (CRN 55555) Tuesday/Thursday 9:30-11:50 am, CPR 248 and Thursday 1:00-2:35 pm, ULH 101 Instructor: Joe Instructor, M.Ed. Title: Student Success Coordinator joeinstructor@usf.edu Office Location: SVC 2043 Phone: Office Hours: 8:30 9:30 am or by appt. Course Description An introduction to students' first years at USF that is designed to prepare them for a successful college experience. Provides the necessary knowledge and experiences to be successful personally and academically during their college years and beyond. Course Objectives This course is a three-credit, discussion-based introductory seminar designed to facilitate students successful acclimation to the University, development of academic strategies, and exploration of careers and majors. This course will emphasize the following objectives: Identify University resources to support academic and personal success Develop effective financial literacy skills Improve various dimensions of personal wellness including relational, emotional, and physical health Utilize reflective practice to assess the effectiveness of both past and current approaches to academic learning Explore multiple models of proven learning tactics and resources and select strategies appropriate to each assigned task Understand the career development process and utilize decision-making models to make an informed decision about a career and major. Define personal interests, abilities, skill sets, personality type and work values and explain their importance in making a career choice. Prepare to conduct a job search for short-term and long-term employment Course Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: Locate and utilize a wide range of campus resources, including the library Articulate the importance of becoming engaged in campus activities Employ effective time management techniques and establish short/long-term goals Create a realistic budget and successfully navigate the financial aid process Make responsible and positive decisions related to personal wellness Develop and implement a personal academic and career plan Engage in self-directed learning and problem-solving techniques Utilize the tools of reflection, self-assessment, and self-regulation for the purpose of improving academic performance Work closely with faculty to identify immediate difficulties and select appropriate strategies to fulfill all academic expectations Identify academic majors/options appropriate to personal characteristics and career goals

2 Effectively use electronic and printed resources for occupational research Create a resume for targeted job search Required Text Conway, J., & Rathburn, M. (Eds.). (2013). Experience USF (11 th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Course Policies Attendance/Participation: In order for this class to function properly, attendance and active participation is expected from all students. Showing up to class but not contributing to discussions or activities may result in a loss of participation points. Likewise, arriving late or leaving early may cost you participation points for that day. In addition to the regular class meetings, there will be a weekly seminar held each Thursday at 1:00 pm in ULH 101. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY FOR ALL STUDENTS. Absences due to extenuating circumstances such as a family emergency, serious illness, or observance of a religious holiday will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You are expected to your instructor with a detailed explanation in advance if you are absent for a class or weekly seminar. You are also responsible for determining what was covered in class and for completing any assignments that are due. Late Assignments: You are expected to turn in all assignments on the due date noted in the Class Agenda (page 5). For each class meeting that an assignment is late, your grade for that assignment will be reduced by 10 percent. Classroom Behavior: You are expected to arrive to class on time and prepared to participate in all class activities, as well as turn in any assignments that are due that day. In return, you have the right to expect that your instructor will come to class ready to teach. s will be answered and graded assignments will be returned in a timely manner. One purpose of this class is to create a safe environment where everyone is encouraged to share their opinions, emotions, and aspirations in class discussions. Please respect your classmates by maintaining confidentiality and not discussing this information outside of the classroom. Any student exhibiting rude or disrespectful behavior will be asked to leave class and will lose participation points for that day. Cell phones and other electronic devices (including laptop computers) are NOT permitted in class. Please turn them off before entering the classroom and do not leave class to answer a phone call. Participation points will be deducted at the instructor s discretion for any inappropriate behavior. This includes, but is not limited to: disrespectful behavior toward your instructor and/or classmates, arriving late to class or leaving early, texting, playing games, doing work for another class, excessive talking, or other disruption (such as a ringing cell phone). For more information concerning appropriate student behavior, please refer to the Student Code of Conduct at The Student Code of Conduct can also be found in the SG Student Planner, available at the Information Desk in the Marshall Student Center.

3 Student/Instructor Communication: Your USF address is considered the official means of communication among students and instructor. Personal accounts, such as Yahoo or Hotmail, should not be used. In addition, this course will involve frequent use of Canvas. You are expected to log in to your Canvas and USF accounts at least twice each week to check for new announcements and assignments. If you do not have Internet access at home, you may utilize the computer labs on campus. You will be held responsible for any assignments or announcements that are posted on Canvas or sent to your student account. s to your instructor will be answered in a timely manner. Emergency Closure: In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, and messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It s the responsibility of the student to monitor Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, s, and MoBull messages for important general information. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students in need of academic accommodations for a disability may consult with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. Students are required to give reasonable notice (typically 5 working days) prior to requesting an accommodation. SDS can be contacted at (813) or via Religious Observances: All students have a right to expect that the University will reasonably accommodate their religious observances, practices, and beliefs. Please notify your instructor in writing before the second class meeting if you intend to be absent from a class, in accordance with this policy. Academic Integrity: You are expected to be familiar with the Academic Dishonesty and Disruption of Academic Process Policy found in the USF Undergraduate Catalog ( Neither cheating nor plagiarism (defined as unattributed quotation of the exact words of a published text or another s writing, or the unattributed borrowing of original ideas by paraphrase from a published text) will be tolerated. The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism detection service which allows instructors to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism. Your instructor reserves the right to submit assignments to this detection system. Assignments are compared automatically with a database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student's paper was plagiarized. Dropping/Withdrawing from Class: The last day to drop this class (to receive a refund) is July 8. The last day to withdraw (with a grade of W - no academic penalty) is July 20. You are strongly advised to consult with your academic advisor and the Office of Financial Aid (if applicable) before dropping or withdrawing from any class. Note: Effective Fall 2011, you may withdraw from no more than three courses prior to the completion of 60 credits unless you have college approval. Refer to the Drops/Withdrawals policy in the USF Undergraduate Catalog ( for more information.

4 Incomplete Grades: An incomplete (I) grade is temporarily given in rare instances when a student is passing, but due to unforeseeable circumstances he/she is unable to complete the course requirements before the end of the term. This is at the instructor s discretion and specific conditions must be met. Please refer to the I Grade Policy found in the USF Undergraduate Catalog ( for more details. Assignments and Grading Grades are issued based on the total points earned for class attendance, participation, and completion of the assigned readings, self-assessments, papers, and activities. Grades will not be negotiated or curved. This means you should invest time in preparing for class and submitting your best effort on all assigned work. Since this is a college-level course, you are expected to write in a scholarly manner using proper grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Research sources are to be properly cited using MLA or APA format. All assignments must be typed unless otherwise indicated, and some must be submitted electronically via Canvas. Detailed instructions for each assignment will be posted on the Canvas course site. Below is the grading system that will be used for this course: Assignment Point My Overall Letter Value Grade Percentage Grade Class Attendance/Participation % A+ Seminar Reflection 2 pts each) % A 90-93% A % B % B 80-83% B % C % C 70-73% C % D+ Total % D 60-63% D- 59 or below F

5 Class Agenda Schedule and assignments above are subject to change. Modifications to the class agenda and/or make-up work may be necessary in the event of a University closure. Check Canvas regularly for updates. Day Topic/Activity Due Today 7/2 Course introduction Self-directed learning 7/4 7/9 7/11 7/16 7/18 7/23 7/25 7/29 8/1 8/6 INDEPENDENCE DAY HOLIDAY NO CLASS SEMINAR: Welcome/Student Panel SEMINAR: Financial Literacy: Budgeting for Success SEMINAR: Campus Resources: Services Offered by USF SEMINAR: Relationships: What s Love Got to Do with It? SEMINAR: Course Audit 101: Policies, Procedures, and DegreeWorks 8/8 Course wrap-up SEMINAR: Wrap-Up