S15 GEN 102 syllabus

Ashland Community and Technical College

Course Title
Foundations of Learning
Catalog Number and Section
GEN 102-0112 Semester
Spring
Year
2015

Course Location
Course Campus Location
College Drive Campus
Room Number
G214
Computer Lab G301 (As Needed)

Course Meeting Information

Meeting Day(s)
TR
Tuesday/Thursday
Meeting Times
11:00-12:15

Instructor’s Name
Vicki McGinnis
Instructor’s Campus Location
College Drive Campus

Instructor’s Office Number and Office Hours
323c Main Building
MW 10:00-11:00
TR 9:00-11:00
F 10:00-1:00

Instructor’s email address: vicki.mcginnis@kctcs.edu Instructor’s Telephone Number
606-326-2209
Course Descriptions and Policies

Course Description
Presents strategies which promote academic and personal success in college, including utilizing campus resources, learning and memory, self-management, critical reading, critical thinking, classroom skills, and career exploration, and job interview skills.

Course Text(s)
Focus on Community College Success. Constance Staley. 2nd Edition.
ISBN-13 978-1-285-88844-6

Course Materials

A 3-ring notebook with 5 subject dividers
ACTC Student Planner

Grading Criteria
The final grade for this course will be based on the number of points accumulated.

Attendance and Class Participation
280 points (10 points per day)
In Class Work and Homework Assignments
240 points
Chapter Quizzes
180 points (12 @ 15 points each)
Module Tests
75 (3 @ 25 points each)
Reflection Papers
75 (3 @ 25 points each)
Cover Letter and Resume
50 points
Career Paper and 10 Year Reunion
50 points
Notebook
50 points
Total Points Possible
1000 Points total GRADING SCALE: 900---1000 points = A 800---899 points = B 700---799 points =C 600—699 points = D Below 600 points= E

***There will be both announced and unannounced bonus point opportunities occasionally throughout the semester****

Course Competencies/Learner Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course the student can:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of how he or she is responsible for his or her own experience in college.
2. Describe ways to create a successful and satisfying college experience.
3. List and describe methods to: improve ability to recall information; manage time more effectively; take effective notes; prepare for and take tests; listen to a lecture for comprehension; apply creative and critical thinking skills.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of personal ideas and decisions regarding issues typically faced by college students such as personal relationships, teacher-student relationships, budgeting time and money, drug abuse, and health related practices.
5. Identify and utilize resources that are available on campus and in the community that can assist students with problems related to health, academics, personal relationships, library research, course changes, work, financial aid and other college services.
6. List several guidelines for making plans that help guarantee success.
Starfish—Important Information

Starfish is a software package that allows college faculty and advisors to maintain contact with students concerning their academic progress during the semester. If academic progress is not satisfactory, “flags” can be issued with suggested improvements. “Referrals” to academic support services can be made and positive comments, called “kudos”, may also be issued. These Starfish notices will be sent to students’ college email addresses only. Students will also have the opportunity to schedule appointments with their academic advisors through the Starfish calendar feature. Students may access Starfish through a link in Blackboard.
Students should contact their instructor, their advisor, or an advisor in the Advising Center if they have questions about this program. Starfish has been introduced during orientation sessions and there will be Starfish Outreach sessions scheduled this fall.
Students may expect to receive Starfish communications from the following email addresses.
Kudos – will be sent from the instructor’s email
Flags and referrals – will be sent from studentsuccess@kctcs.edu
Daily notification summaries – will be sent from notices@starfishsolutions.com

Withdrawal Policy
Withdrawal Policy

From the end of the drop/add period through midterm of the session, a student may withdraw from a course and receive a “W”. From the first day after midterm until the last day of course work of the session, a student may, at the instructor’s discretion, withdraw from a course and the instructor will assign a grade of “W” at withdrawal. The student must initiate the official withdrawal. No grade will be reported for a student who fails to pay registration fees in accordance with established policy or who withdraws by the last day to drop without a grade.
“W” – Withdrawal represents a withdrawal from class without completing course requirements. A student may officially withdraw from any class up to and including the date of mid-term with a “W” grade. After the date of mid-term and through the last class of the semester or session, the student may officially request a “W” grade which may be given at the discretion of the instructor. Each instructor shall state on the first or second class meeting the factors to be used in determining the assignment of a “W” grade during the discretionary period. An instructor shall not assign a student a “W” grade for a class unless the student has officially withdrawn from that class in a manner prescribed by the college. The grade of “W” may be assigned by the Community College Appeals Board in cases involving a violation of student academic rights. It may not be assigned to a student found guilty of an academic offense without permission of the instructor in whose class the offense occurred. A president of a college (or designee) may, if the student concurs, assign the grade of “W” to a student who has been reported to the president for unsatisfactory scholarship or excessive absences and who, after being reported, has made no improvement.

If a student is unable to attend class sessions as required, he/she is responsible to inform the instructor and officially withdraw from this course. Withdrawal must be completed by submitting the required form to the Admissions Office. However, students wishing to withdraw from this course after MID-TERM and through the last class meeting prior to the final must obtain the instructor’s written approval.

If you are receiving Title IV funds (financial aid, grants or loans) and you do not successfully complete or prematurely withdraw from this course you could be asked to repay a portion of the tuition for the class. Please check with the financial aid office before dropping this or any class.

Incomplete Grade Policy

“I”–Incomplete represents part of the coursework remains unfinished. It shall be given only when there is a reasonable possibility that a passing grade will result from completion of the work. The instructor shall not give an “I” grade when the reason for incompleteness is unsatisfactory. The instructor and student will contract requirements for completion of course with the time limit for completion not to exceed a maximum of one year; failure to do so will result in a change of grade from “I” to “E”.
Grades of Incomplete will only be awarded if the student has completed 75% of the course work and has a documented reason for the request.

Security: Information regarding campus security as well as the college’s annual security report and incident log are available at: http://ashland.kctcs.edu/security.”

ACTC is a tobacco free campus.

Students With Disabilities
Ashland Community and Technical College is committed to ensuring that all students will disabilities have an equal opportunity in the pursuit of their educational objectives. If you have a disability and need accommodations, contact the Disabled Student Services Coordinator at 606.326.2051 or in Room 215A. You should also inform your instructor(s) of your special needs.

Financial Information

Return to Title IV
If you are receiving Title IV funds (grants or loans) and you do not successfully complete this course or you withdraw from this course, you could owe a portion of your financial aid back to the college and/or the Department of Education. Please check with the Office of Financial Aid before dropping this or any class.

Student Loans
Student loan borrowers…please remember borrowing a student loan is a legal obligation that you must repay once you drop below half-time (6 credit hours) or stop attending school. You can keep track of the total amount of loans you have borrowed at www.nslds.ed.gov. This link will also provide contact information for your loan servicer (the company who will collect your loan payments). You are responsible for repaying your student loans, even if you never receive a bill. When it is time to begin repayment, please contact your loan servicer to discuss your loan repayment options. Please do not miss making your student loan payments. Missing payments can have serious consequences.

Academic Honesty Policy
Academic Honesty Statement
Humanities Division
Ashland Community & Technical College
August 31, 1999
The information given below has been taken from Volume VI (Student Affairs Policy Sources), pages 33 and 34 of the KCTCS Faculty Source Book (1999). Sanctions for academic offenses may range from lowering a grade on a paper or assignment to permanent expulsion from the Community College. Refer to the latest edition of the Code of Student Conduct for further details.
ARTICLE III
ACADEMIC OFFENSES
3.1 PLAGIARISM
All academic work, written or otherwise, submitted by a student to an instructor or other academic supervisor, is expected to be the result of the student’s own thought, research, or self-expression. In any case in which a student feels unsure about a question of plagiarism involving the student’s work, the student is obliged to consult the instructor on the matter before submitting it.
When a student submits work purporting to be the student’s own, but which in any way borrows ideas, organization, wording or anything else from another source without appropriate acknowledgement of the fact, the student is guilty of plagiarism.
Plagiarism includes reproducing someone else’s work, whether it be a published article, chapter of a book, a paper from a friend or some file, or whatever. Plagiarism also includes the practice of employing or allowing another person to alter or revise the work which a student submits as the student’s own, whoever that other person may be. Students may discuss assignments among themselves or with an instructor or tutor, but when the actual work is done, it must be done by the student and the student alone.
When a student’s assignment involves research in outside sources of information, the student must carefully acknowledge exactly what, where, and how the student has employed them. If the student uses words of someone else, the student must put quotation marks around the passage I question and add an appropriate indication of their origin. Making simple changes while leaving the organization, content, and phraseology intact is plagiaristic. However, nothing in these Rules shall apply to those ideas which are so generally and freely circulated as to be part of the public domain. Any question of definition shall be referred to the Community College Appeals Board.
3.2 CHEATING
Cheating is defined by its general usage. It includes, but is not limited to, wrongfully giving, taking, or presenting any information or material by a student with the intent of aiding the student or another on any academic work. Any question of definition shall be referred to the Community College Appeals Board.

Make up Work and Late Work Policies

All work is due on the assigned date. If you are absent on a day when an assignment is due, you should present that work the day you return.
Work turned in past the due date will receive a penalty of a 5 point deduction per each class period it is late.
Work that is over one week past the due date will not be accepted without appropriate documentation of the reason for the absences.
If you are absent for a test, you will not be permitted to make up the test during class time. You should be prepared to take the test on the day of your return during my office hours. If this is not possible it is your responsibility to schedule a make-up test time with me within a week of missing the test.
Make up of in-class work This cannot be made up if you are absent without appropriate documentation. Some activities are class participation and interaction by nature, and cannot be made up.

Classroom Etiquette Policy

Turn off your cell phone when you come into class. If you have a family emergency that requires you to have your phone on vibrate, alert me BEFORE class. Otherwise, if you use your phone to accept/make a call or TEXT, you will not receive your daily attendance grade or your in-class work grades. Continued use of your cell phone will result in expulsion from the class.
Don’t use your laptop or IPad during class time. In this class you will need to take notes the “old fashioned” way, by hand.
Come to class on time. If you must come in late, do so quietly.
Come to class. Absences will affect your attendance grade which is approximately 28% of your total points for the class.
Show respect to your fellow classmates. This is a class based on discussion and argument; however, no actual verbal arguing is intended to be a part of the curriculum. Don’t interrupt when others are speaking, and try to use the appropriate “tools” of argument when responding to others in the class. No verbal abuse or bullying will be tolerated.
I understand that if I miss class, the assignments for that day will be on Blackboard by 5:00 PM of that class day. It is my responsibility to check Blackboard to see the material and assignments that I missed in class.
I understand that it is my responsibility to come prepared to class, with my 3 ring binder, student planner, and work assignments each class session.

I understand the requirements listed in the Classroom Etiquette statement and the Make Up Work and Late Work Policies explained above, and realize that violating any of these could affect my grade and/or could result in my expulsion from the class (see KCTCS Code of Student Conduct at http://ashland.kctcs.edu/Academics/Student_Policies.aspx ).

_________________________________________________ Signature

Foundations of Learning (GEN 102)

Our semester studies will be divided up into four learning modules. We will be covering the chapters in your book out of order.
Module One- Learning About Yourself and the College (Approximately four weeks)
Chapters 1,2,6,12
In this module you will learn about yourself as a person and as a college student, coming to understand ways that you can make your college experience valuable. You will also learn about the college programs and services available to you. Understanding your role in the teaching/learning process will help you assume responsibility for your own learning and lead you to success as a college student.

Module Two – Becoming a Successful Student (Approximately five weeks)
Chapters 3,7,8,9,10

In this module you will explore learning styles and multiple intelligences to understand how these affect you as a learner. You will learn about effective study skills and how to improve your memory. You will also examine critical reading and be able to use all of these tools to help you become a successful test taker.

Module Three – Managing Your Life (Approximately three weeks)
Chapters 4,5,14

In this module you will learn tools to assist you with time management and money management. You will discover the importance of a healthy lifestyle and understand how to manage the stress in your life.

Module Four –Building Relationships, Choosing a Major and Building a Career (approximately two weeks)
Chapters 11,12,13

In this module, you will learn the importance of building strong relationships. You will learn how diversity may impact your workplace. To help you build a career, you learn how to create an academic plan based on a major with the possibility of transfer to a four-year school. You will explore your career options. You will learn how to look for a job, follow up on job leads and create a resume. You will experience an actual job interview and learn how to put your best foot forward in an interview. You will also learn about the credentials and skills required for your chosen profession.