| UNION COUNTY COLLEGE | ||
| UCC 101 First Year Seminar, Spring 2009 | ||
| Sec 005: MW 11:15-12:10, H-110 | ||
| Log on to ANGEL here | ||
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Dr. Susannah
Chewning |
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Office Hours (Cranford)
M&W
9:00am-11:00am
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Course Description: This course is designed to help students adjust to college by giving them the information, support and strategies they need to feel secure in their college classes. It will help students clarify their goals, become familiar with the academic environment, and sharpen their ability to learn and think critically. 2 lecture hours per week. 2 credit hours. Prerequisite: ENG 087 and ESL 065 if required
Special Note
: This class is linked in a learning community with MAT 011-003, and everyone in this class should also be in the same Math class. We will work in this class on the subjects and issues of UCC 101 as well as support strategies for your MAT 011 class. please bring your MAT 011 folder to this class every day in case we discuss handouts or tests.Course Objectives:
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understand what is expected of college students and how to meet these expectations
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clarify both their short and long term educational and career goals
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utilize learning strategies in their individual courses
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understand ways of thinking critically about articles, books, and other materials in the UCC Library, in databases, and online
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apply critical thinking strategies to learning and life situations
Resources:
Hoerr, Dorothy Lehman. A Student’s Guide to Succeeding in Community College. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
Hopper, Carolyn. Practicing College Learning Strategies. 4th Edition. Boston, MA: Cengage, 2007.
CSFI Code (sold with the Hopper/Hoerr package or separately in the bookstore).
A college planner (available in the UCC bookstore).
The Union County College Student Handbook, 2008-2009, available at the link above. We will use the handbook in class, so please save it to your home computer or to a CD in order to have access to it as we discuss it throughout the semester.
The Union County College Academic Catalog, 2008-2010, available at the link above. Please make yourself familiar with the handbook (print copies are available in MacDonald Hall) both for registration purposes and with respect to your major.
Websites: Carolyn Hopper’s support page http://frank.mtsu.edu/~studskl/ , ANGEL, class website; Mathematics support sites such as Success in Mathematics from St. Louis University, Understanding Mathematics from the University of Utah; and various support and study skills sites from Texas A & M University. UCC email and access to a computer (at home or in a UCC lab) are required for successful completion of this course.
Special Note about Learning Communities: This class is linked in a learning community with MAT 011-004, taught by Professor Milteer. You are all registered for both classes. What this means is that Professor Milteer and I have developed some shared assignments (assignments due in both classes) and will be keeping in touch with you and with each other about your progress throughout the semester. We are very fortunate in this learning community to have several people assigned to help you throughout the term: Patricia is our Academic Mentor; she will attend our class and communicate with both Professor Milteer and myself about your progress. Her email address is 10240881@ucc.edu. Wendy is the ALC tutor assigned to our learning community; Wendy's hours in the ALC are scheduled for Mondays and Fridays from 8:00 - 12:00. Debora Rivera is the Counselor assigned to our learning community. You can contact her at derivera@ucc.edu; Patricia, Wendy, and Ms. Rivera will all be visiting both classes in person, as well. We also have a special learning community website at http://www.ucc.edu/StudentServices/CSS/LCHQ_UCC101005_MAT011004.htm. Although all of the members of the UCC 101/ENG 101 team will be communicating with you and with each other, don’t think of it as a group of people talking about you – think of it as a group of people designated by the College to help you in any way possible in your first semester at UCC.
Course Requirements (please see my course policies link for basic course policies)
Attendance: Attendance is required in this course. No absences are excused. Please let me know before you miss a class if you will not be able to attend.
Participation: Participation is 25% of the overall grade for this course. This includes being here on time with all the necessary materials, participating in class discussion, and completing all in-class and out-of-class assignments. Your participation grade in this class can be affected negatively for any of the following:
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The use of electronic devices such as IPods, laptops, blackberries, cell phones, text messaging, or CD players. All devices should be turned off, not set to vibrate, for the duration of class.
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Doing any work for another class during this class.
Eating food during class that has a smell or makes a noise.
Sleeping, daydreaming, or otherwise failing to participate.
Coming in late or leaving early.
Arriving in class without having completed the assignment due for that day.
Talking to your classmates when others are talking or otherwise disrupting class discussion.
Please see my classroom etiquette handout for more information on acceptable/unacceptable behavior.
Conferences: There are five required conferences during the semester, at which time you will turn in portfolios of completed assignments and we will discuss your progress in both UCC 101 and MAT 011. The conferences will occur during week three, six, nine, twelve, and fifteen. I have special office hours each week on Friday mornings (9am to 11am) to accommodate these conferences, but you can also sign up for additional times during the week.
Portfolio 1: due by Friday, February 13:
Three pow/wows
CSFI Survey
Math Autobiography
Portfolio 2: due by Friday,
March 13:
Three pow/wows
CSFI Paper
Why Paper (and image)
Goals and Outcomes assignment
“Time is My Enemy” response.
Group assignment outline
Portfolio 3: due by Friday,
April 3:
Three pow/wows
Group Presentation outline and
review
Revised CSFI paper
Revised Why Paper
Mid-term exam
Portfolio 4: due by Friday, April 24:
Three pow/wows
Academic Plan
Part 1 of Career Project
Individual Presentation Outline
and review (if completed)
Group magazine article draft
Portfolio 5: due by Wednesday, May 13:
Three pow/wows
Completed Career Project
Revised CSFI Paper
Revised Why Paper
Revised Math Autobiography
Individual Presentation Outline and review
Stand and Deliver paper
Group Magazine Article
Proof of fifteen visits to the
ALC (if you want full credit)
Additional Written Assignments: chapter responses; chapter quizzes; scavenger hunt. There may also be additional assignments; check the online syllabus and ANGEL for any additions to the syllabus. If you miss a class and are not sure of an assignment, check the syllabus or contact a classmate.
Presentations: Each student will make three opal presentations to the class, one as part of a group and two individually. The presentations are as follows:
1. “Talk Show” Presentation: you will be paired with one student from our class and you will talk to that person in as much detail as possible to learn enough to give a two-minute introduction, like you’re introducing a guest on a talk show, to the rest of the class. Due dates: February 9 and February 11.
2. Group Presentations: each group will initially be made up of five students; you will choose a topic from a list I will provide in class. Each group will speak for a minimum of ten minutes—each member of the group must speak for part of the presentation. You will have a specific responsibility in your group. The various responsibilities include editing the final presentation, doing research, writing up the outline and flier, completing an interview or survey, and locating images or artwork for the flier and subsequent printed article. Each group’s presentation will eventually be put together as a short article for the class magazine. Due dates: March 4, March 9, March 11, and March 23.
3. Individual Presentations: each student will complete an individual presentation on a topic chosen from a list I will provide. Each student will speak for ten minutes. Presentations will be made from note cards—no Power Point—and can include fliers or other hand-outs but cannot be read: they must be made using notes and visual aids only. Due dates: April 6, April 8, April 13, April 15, April 22, April 27, April 29, and May 4.
Quizzes: There will be unit quizzes at the end of each portfolio period. The quizzes will be based on the following material. Quiz 1: Hopper Survival Kit and chapters 10 and 11, Hoerr chapter 1; Quiz 2: Hopper chapters 1, 2, and 3 and Hoerr chapters 2 and 3; Quiz 3: midterm examination including previous material and Hopper, chapters 5, 6, and 8; Quiz 4: Hopper, chapters 4 and 7 and Hoerr, chapter 4; Quiz 5: Careers—Ellis handouts and Library resources. You can study for all of these quizzes (and take sample quizzes) by visiting Hopper’s website at http://college.cengage.com/collegesurvival/hopper /practicing_college/4e/site_index.html. For Ellis, visit http://college.hmco.com/pic/msme2e/ (a password is required, which I will give you in class).
Final Examination: The final examination will cover the chapters of Hopper, Hoerr, and Ellis that we went over in class. We will spend a class period going over an exam review sheet.
MAT 011 ALC Tutoring Sessions will take place on Fridays in the ALC from 11:15am-12:10am, during the time we are in UCC 101 on Mondays and Wednesdays. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to work one-on-one and in groups with a tutor who is specially trained to help you with MAT 011. Tutoring is for people who need help, but it’s also for people who are already getting good grades to help them maintain their averages and prepare for next semester. Your tutor will help you every Friday; I will attend some of these sessions, as will your mentor, and when there is time, and if you need the help, we will work with you on assignments that are relevant to both UCC 101 and MAT 011. Extra Credit: for every five visits you make to the ALC for any class (up to fifteen) you will receive one point added to your final grade; you can get an additional five points on your final grade in this class for visiting the ALC frequently and meeting with a tutor.
Breakdown of Grades: Participation (in-class discussion, completion of assignments, presentations, and attendance) 20%; Pow/Wows 10%; Out-of-Class Papers/Portfolios 50%; Quizzes and tests 20% .
Grading Scale: 100-92 A; 91-87 B+; 86-82 B; 81-77 C+; 76-72 C; 71-67 D+; 66-62 D; below 62 F. Please see grade explanation attached. Please note that Union County College does not permit the assignment of minus final grades (such as A-, B-, or C-), so I will try not to give such grades on your work. See attached for my grading rubric.
How to reach me: E-mail: chewning@ucc.edu. Voice mail: (908) 709-7182. Office: Cranford H-125. On ANGEL at http://ucconline.ucc.edu. By regular mail at UCC.
Because of my busy class schedule, I may not have time to return telephone calls. You are much more likely to get an immediate response from me if you e-mail me during the hours of 9am and 5pm. I cannot accept e-mailed or faxed papers, nor can I relay grades (including final course grades) via e-mail or phone. No exceptions. My office hours are M&W 9am-11am; T&Th 1pm-3pm and by appointment. Please make an appointment if you would like to meet with me to discuss your progress in this course. You will be required to meet with me in a conference at least twice during the semester. Plainfield Students: our conferences and my office hours will be directly before and after class.
Extra-Credit and Revisions: We can talk about this on an individual basis. Please note that plagiarized papers (which receive the grade of F) cannot be revised. Revisions can only be completed on papers if we have met to discuss it prior to your turning it in.
A Note on Grammar: We will not spend much time in class on grammar, but we will discuss your writing in our conferences and in my comments on your written work. I expect your writing (and grammar) to be correct, to begin with, and to develop in style and creativity as the course progresses. All papers must conform in style and format to the MLA System of Documentation and Style. If you find that you need further help with the MLA Style or grammar, speak to me and we can discuss it on an individual basis. You are also strongly urged to visit the Writing Center (in the ALC) for help. I recommend the text A Writer’s Reference, edited by Diana Hacker, if you need a grammar and style handbook. You can also get help on writing on my webpage at http://faculty.ucc.edu/english-chewning.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity: The first instance of plagiarism or cheating of any kind will result in the failure of the assignment. A second instance of academic dishonesty will result in failure of the class and possible censure and dismissal from the College. Plagiarized papers cannot be revised. Please see the attached handout for more specific expectations.
Schedule of Assignments: All assignments are listed below. In addition to these assignments, there may be homework given in class. Some of these assignments will be posted on the online syllabus; however, if you miss a class and miss the homework, you should speak to a classmate (or check ANGEL) to get the assignment--don't count on me to give you assignments.