Kennesaw State University KSU 2290: Transfer Student Seminar Section 02 Fall 2013 CLASS MEETINGS: MW 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. in UC, Room 205 INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Stephanie Foote Prof. Jean So Associate Professor of Education Assistant Director Department of First-Year Programs Office of Orientation and Transition Programs Office: UC 117 Office: ST 156 Office Hrs: TR 11 a.m. 12 p.m., WF 9-11 a.m., Office Hrs: By appointment and by appointment Office Phone: (770) 794-7919 Office Phone: (770) 423-6503 Email: cso1@kennesaw.edu Email: sfoote@kennesaw.edu Please allow up to 24 hours for a response to your email message(s). COURSE INFORMATION COURSE DESCRIPTION First-year seminars at KSU are designed to develop college-level skills for academic success by focusing on life skills, strategies for academic success, connecting with campus and community, and foundations for global learning. This course emphasizes strategies for academic success by engaging students in a systematic, intentional approach to inquiry, problem solving, investigation and discovery. This course satisfies the first-year curriculum requirement by meeting the four learning outcomes of first-year seminars. COURSE GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES This course is designed to broaden your skills and knowledge in four major areas: I. Life Skills: Students will acquire knowledge of the life skills necessary to succeed in college and their post graduate life. Differentiate between personal and career goals Apply time management strategies Develop a goal-setting plan with action steps Analyze spending habits and construct a budget Apply communication and leadership skills within a group setting II. Strategies for Academic Success: Students will acquire a knowledge of the strategies necessary for academic success. Implement critical thinking skills Utilize study skills and test preparation strategies Implement research and library skills Apply presentation skills and explain different types of speech delivery Create a presentation Recognize and apply appropriate academic writing skills Explain types of learning styles Apply technology skills III. Campus and Community Connections: Students will be able to explain and appreciate the importance of campus and community connections. KSU 2290.02: Transfer Student Seminar 1
Explain various academic services, campus resources, and policies Explain the importance of faculty and peer relationships Evaluate on- and off-campus activities Describe the importance of civic engagement IV. Foundations for Global Learning: Students will be able to articulate the importance of the foundations of global learning. Define ethics and apply their knowledge of it Identify leadership styles and traits Define citizenship Describe and explain diversity and inclusiveness Explain the importance of global perspectives KSU 2290: TRANSFER STUDENTS SEMINAR PORTFOLIO This section of KSU 2290 has been designed specifically for students who have transferred to the university. In addition to the learning outcomes associated with other first-year seminars, students in this course will complete assignments that become part of a personal portfolio. Each portfolio will include evidence of all of the following: A personal plan of study connected with an academic major, and personal career exploration and/or goals; Participation in undergraduate research, community service, or campus activities; Interview with professional or academic mentor; Personal reflection (follow guidelines posted in D2L) REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS Braden, S., & Lynn, K. (Eds.). (2013). Foundations of academic inquiry. 6 th Edition. Bay City, MI: Hayden- McNeil Publishing. (Online access for selected chapters; referred to as FoAI ) Sandel, M. (2009). Justice: What s the right thing to do? New York, NY: Farr, Straus, and Giroux. (KSU Common Reader) Additional required readings will be posted in D2L. ATTENDANCE Because this class is active and collaborative, it is important for you to attend and participate in each class meeting. We will keep a record of class attendance, and attendance is a component of the overall assessment of this course. Please plan to arrive on time and stay until class is dismissed to ensure you will not be counted absent. In addition to attending our face-to-face class meetings, responding to questions and postings on the discussion boards in Desire2Learn (D2L) contributes to the participation portion of your grade. ACQUIRING FINAL GRADES The final grades for this course will be posted to the student s permanent record using the KSU Owl Express (Banner) system. Students may acquire their final grades by accessing their Banner account online. Students needing verification of grades or enrollment should request either an official transcript, or enrollment verification, through the Office of the Registrar. LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MISSED EXAMS Please note that we do not accept any late assignments. KSU 2290.02: Transfer Student Seminar 2
Missed homework/written assignments due to an absence will not be made up without prior arrangements with the instructors or an excused absence (documented medical condition or family emergency, for example). Assignments will not be accepted as email attachments. Exams may not be made up without prior arrangements with the instructors or documentation of an extreme medical emergency. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS This course requires the use of D2L. The majority of your course assignments will be posted and submitted in this system. Additionally, messages from instructors, as well as class announcements and supplemental readings will be posted in D2L. You are automatically enrolled in this site for this section of KSU 2290, and your log-in is the same as your KSU email address. Assignments in the course will be submitted using either Microsoft Office compatible programs or Adobe Acrobat. All Kennesaw State University computer labs provide free use of computers running these applications. Refer to http://its.kennesaw.edu/labs/index.html for locations/hours of computer labs. Note: KSU provides technology support for students. Use this support for issues with any of the standard campus technologies (such as D2L, KSU wireless, student email, etc.). Students can contact KSU s Student Technology Services (STS) in three different ways: Email: studenthelpdesk@kennesaw.edu Phone: 770 499 3555 Walk in service: located in Burruss 475, ITS Student Labs. Please contact technology support, rather than your instructors, with D2L problems. COURSE SCHEDULE The course schedule is available in D2L. All assignments and assignments must be completed and submitted in D2L following the instructions provided and by the date and time designated in the course schedule. Minor changes to the schedule may be made during the semester if required; any updated schedules will be posted in D2L. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an informal resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of Conduct s minimum one semester suspension requirement. Any written assignment that includes references to outside work must be cited using the current MLA (Modern Language Association) formatting and style guidelines. Information about MLA is available through the KSU Writing Center (see Student Resources ) or the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/. STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University s policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized KSU 2290.02: Transfer Student Seminar 3
access to University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an informal resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of Conduct s minimum one semester suspension requirement. EXPECTATIONS ABOUT CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR KSU 2290 is an active and collaborative class, with many opportunities to interact, and share opinions and thoughts. To accomplish this goal, it is important that every member of this class demonstrate respect for each other and for the instructors. Texting and other disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Belligerent, abusive, profane, threatening and/or inappropriate behavior on the part of the students is a violation of the Kennesaw Student Conduct Regulations. ACADEMIC SUCCESS/ SUPPORT RESOURCES KSU offers a variety of resources to support the success of all students. Links to these online and campus resources are available in D2L. SPECIAL NEEDS AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT Kennesaw State University provides program accessibility and reasonable accommodations for persons defined as disabled under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Disabled Student Support Services at 770-423-6443 (V) or 770-423-6480 (TDD). Please do not request accommodations directly from the instructors without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Disabled Student Support Services. For additional information, please visit: http://www.kennesaw.edu/stu_dev/dsss/dsss.html. NOTE: If you have an ADA issue that results in difficulty in viewing or listening to material in this course, please notify your instructors immediately. Alternate delivery mechanisms can be arranged if coordinated through the Disabled Student Services office. TTY: (770) 423-6480 Phone: (770) 423-6443 KSU MANDATORY ADVISING REQUIREMENT KSU has a mandatory academic advising requirement that all First-Year students meet with an academic advisor two times during their first year. First-Year students will be required to schedule an appointment and meet with an academic advisor in First-Year Advising or in their major department prior to registering for the second and third semester. The required academic advising meetings will be enforced by placement of the FY-Advising Required hold on the student s registration. First-Year students will not be able to register until they have met with an academic advisor. Email reminders with instructions for clearing the registration hold will be sent throughout each semester. COURSE GRADING Grade Scale A 1000-900 pts. B 899-800 pts. C 799-700 pts. D 699-600 pts. F 599 pts. or lower Participation... 25 pts. Campus Events (Total of 4)... 100 pts. Mid-Term Exam... 100 pts. Final Exam... 100 pts. Portfolio Presentation... 100 pts. Homework Assignments and Discussion Board Postings... 200 pts. Portfolio... 400 pts. KSU 2290.02: Transfer Student Seminar 4
Grades in this course are earned through performance and participation. Your final grade will be determined by the total number of points you accumulate, which will be turned into a percentage (i.e., 1000=100%). See the grade scale above for the specific point breakdown. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS Participation: See the Student Attendance section. Campus Events: For this requirement, you will participate in four campus events. Details about the assignment are posted in the weekly modules. Homework Assignments and Discussion Board Postings: Assignments may take many forms, such as discussion posts, research, group or online work. Students should follow instructions, and check spelling and grammar to receive full credit for each assignment. Additional information and guidelines for all assignments and discussion board postings are available in the weekly modules. Exams (Mid-Term and the Final Exam): Each of the exams in this course will consist of two parts: multiple choice questions, and short answer/essay. Exam material will be derived from class discussions, readings, videos, and assignments. None of the exams will be cumulative. Portfolio: Comprised of several key components, this project provides you with an opportunity to put the information you will learn in this course into action. Additional information, guidelines, and due dates for components of the portfolio are posted in D2L. KSU 2290.02: Transfer Student Seminar 5
KSU 2290.02: Transfer Student Seminar Tentative Course Schedule Module Date Class Topic Readings/Assignments Due Week 1 August 19 (M) Introduction to the Course, KSU History and Traditions, and Demystifying Academia August 21 (W) Identifying Big Rocks, and Chapters 1 and 6 in FoAI Setting Personal Goals Discussion board posting Week 2 August 26 (M) Understanding Myself as a Chapter 2 in FoAI Learner Assignment #1 August 28 (W) Undergraduate Research and Chapter 4 in FoAI Writing Skills, and Critical Portfolio contract Thinking/Inquiry and Learning Skills Week 3 September 2 (M) Learning Strategies for Academic Chapter 3 in FoAI Success Reading posted in D2L Discussion board posting September 4 (W) Time Management Chapter 7 in FoAI Week 4 September 9 (M) Creating a Personal Mission Reading posted in D2L Statement/Elevator Speech Assignment #2 September 11 (W) Getting Involved and Engaged at Common Reader (first half) KSU Discussion board posting (Common Reader) Week 5 September 16 (M) Career and Academic Planning Chapter 9 in FoAI Reading posted in D2L September 18 (W) Mid-Term Exam Campus Events 1 and 2 Week 6 September 23 (M) Common Reader Discussion Common Reader (second half) Assignment #3 September 25 (W) Leadership, Ethics, and Chapter 12 in FoAI Citizenship Reading in D2L Week 7 September 30 (M) Getting Engaged in the Local, Campus Events 3 and 4 National, and International Reading in D2L Communities October 2 (W) X/Y Game Chapter 13 in FoAI Reading in D2L Week 8 October 7 (M) Bentley Rare Book Room Tour Assignment #4 October 9 (W) Know Your Strengths Strengths Assessment Week 9 October 14 (M) Giving Back to Make a Discussion board posting Difference Guest Speaker/Class Project October 16 (W) Portfolio Presentations Portfolio (submit in D2L) Week October 21 (M) Wrap-Up and Exam Review 10 October 23 (W) Final Exam KSU 2290.02: Transfer Student Seminar 6