FIRST YEAR SUCCESS SEMINAR
UCOL U110 SECTION 3665
Tuesdays 3-4:15 p.m.
UC 2127
Your instructional team:
Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Nancy Goldfarb
Office: UC2001F
Office phone: 278-8431
Office hours: T 10:30-1; F 1-2:30 and by appointment
E-mail: ngoldfar@iupui.edu
Academic Advisor: Frank Rowen
Offiice: UC 3022
Office phone: 278-9954
E-mail: frowen@iupui.edu
Student Mentor:
Kelsey Carrier
E-mail: kedicarr@iupui.edu
Librarian:
Bill Orme
Office: UL4120B
Office phone: 274-0485
E-mail: orme@iupui.edu
Welcome to the First Year Seminar linked with Communication R110 on No Impact
Man. This First Year Seminar (S100) is a learning community in that the students, staff,
and faculty all work together to make a meaningful course experience. We will cultivate
our own TLC class as a community connected to IUPUI, Indianapolis and the world. In
addition, our seminar will familiarize you with tools and information that will help you
become a successful student.
Course Goals
The goals of this seminar are two-fold:

First, this course is designed to provide a comfortable place where you can gain
important skills that are essential to your success in college. You’ll have the
opportunity through this class to make new friends of other students, faculty, and
staff. You’ll also get comfortable with using the library, the Math Assistance
Center, the University Writing Center, and some of the many other resources
available on the IUPUI campus. In addition, this course will introduce you to
academic expectations and show you how to develop competencies in oral and
written expression, use of technology, use of information resources, and
analytical reasoning skills.
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
Second, you’ll begin the exciting process of discovering a career and major that
you can be passionate about. Our work during this semester will focus on giving
you the tools to assist you in your search for the ideal career/major fit. You’ll
have the opportunity in this course to explore some of the disciplines in the
School of Liberal Arts and how those fields investigate and solve problems. In
addition, you’ll get a head start on career planning, making your ultimate life
goals easier to attain.
Learning Community Roles
Your success in this course, as well as in the university at large, depends on your
commitment and participation. The team’s commitment to you is to function as your
coaches, planning learning activities that will engage you in the community you have
joined and engage you in deeper learning in your linked courses. The instructional
team – Frank, Kelsey, Bill, and Nancy – will be assisted by many other IUPUI
professionals who will serve as guides and resources in your achievement of the above
goals. However, this course is ultimately about you. Therefore, we invite your input, not
only when we actively ask for it but also when you sense a need or have a question.
Our librarian, Bill Orme, will meet with us occasionally, but he is also eager to hear from
you about any of your information needs.
Contact information for all instructional team members is above; in addition, you can
reach any of us through Oncourse.
Required Materials:
 Student Planner. Indianapolis, IN: IU Office of Publications (given to you during new
student orientation)
 Assigned readings posted on Oncourse (the course management system for IUPUI,
which you can access from the IUPUI home page or from this url:
https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal.
Attendance
Administrative Withdrawal: A basic requirement of this course is that you will participate
in class and conscientiously complete writing and reading assignments. Keep in touch
with me if you are unable to attend class or complete an assignment on time. If you
miss more than half our class meetings within the first four weeks of the semester
without contacting me, you will be administratively withdrawn from this section. Our
class meets once a week; thus if you miss more than two classes in the first four weeks,
you may be withdrawn. Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and
financial aid implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund
period, and if you are administratively withdrawn from the course, you will not be eligible
for a tuition refund. If you have questions about the administrative withdrawal policy at
any point during the semester, please contact me.
Most of what you will learn in this course will occur during class time. Therefore, it is
extremely important that you attend each class session and participate in the activities
*Syllabus subject to change*
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and discussions in a constructive, respectful manner. Your participation is vital to the
learning experience for everyone involved. Failure to actively participate in
discussion/activities or participation that is counterproductive or disrespectful will
negatively affect your grade, as will repeatedly arriving late, leaving early, working on
material other than what we are addressing at a given time, text messaging, or sleeping.
Please note that it is your responsibility to let me know you are present if you arrive
after I take attendance, and it is also your responsibility to get any information you miss
if you are absent.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Forum Reflections (150 points)
You are to write a forum reflection to be handed out at the beginning of specific class
sessions (see schedule). Each reflection should be an expression of your thoughts
about your experience in the transition to college, including your thoughts about the
material/activities in this course. Questions to consider are: What are particularly
significant lessons I’ve learned during the past few weeks? What has been
troublesome/frustrating, and is there anything I need to do about it, and if so, what? Am
I feeling comfortable with my courses, classmates, instructors, and mentors? What are
my general feelings about college life – am I feeling upbeat? Excited? Nervous?
Tired? Frustrated? Why? Each reflection should be at least one full typed, doublespaced page in length, 12-point font, with one-inch margins.
Personal Development Plan (200 points)
The Personal Development Plan is an open-ended portfolio in which you explore your
academic and career goals. It is designed to help you effectively plan your education at
IUPUI, even if you change majors, and show you how to transfer your college
knowledge to your career. You will be given a separate assignment sheet for each part
of the PDP, but they will be submitted all together in a folder at the end of the semester.
Annotated Bibliography on No Impact Man or related subject (100 points)
This assignment will involve library research and critical assessment of the reliability of
your sources. You are to find three books or articles on No Impact Man or a related
subject, at least one of which is from a peer reviewed professional journal dated 2000 to
the present. Sources should be compiled into a bibliography that follows MLA format.
All three articles should be annotated with a brief summary. Please note: You are to do
your own research and not share sources. The idea is for you to learn how to use
library sources on your own. More handouts regarding this assignment are forthcoming.
This assignment will be due September 28.
Reflective Essay on an Article from your Bibliography (150 points)
This assignment involves summarizing and reflecting on one of the articles from your
annotated bibliography. What is the central point? How does the article support its
point? Is the article convincing? Why or why not? This essay should be between 250
and 500 words (1-2 typed, double-spaced pages).
*Syllabus subject to change*
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Service-Learning Essay (200 points)
For this project, students will participate in a service-learning project that puts them into
contact with people from different socio-economic backgrounds. Students should
complete at least 5 hours of service before October 26, when the reflective essay is
due. The instructional team will provide you with a list of opportunities for servicelearning. If a student is already involved in a service project, it may be used as the
basis of the essay assignment. The service-learning essay should be between 500 and
750 words (2-3 typed, double-spaced pages) and should describe the service activity
and articulate what the student learned from the experience.
Final Poster Project (50 points)
Students should collect souvenirs and other reminders about the activities they
participated in during the semester. The final project is to compile a visual
representation of the activities and challenges and celebrations the student experienced
during the semester. You are invited to be creative with this assignment.
Attendance: (100 points)
As you begin your college career at IUPUI, attending courses regularly and on time will
be vital to becoming a successful student. You have made a significant commitment to
yourself, your college, your classmates and your professors to be involved in the
classes for which you have enrolled. Students who are present and participate are best
able to learn; those who regularly attend class, come prepared and on time, and
participate are also in the best position to demonstrate what they have learned. Only
documented absences for genuine emergencies will be excusable, and there will be
grade penalties for incomplete participation and tardiness. After one absence, the
penalty for an absence is 5 points; the penalty for tardiness is 1 point. Please stay in
close contact with your instructional team should a conflict arise.
Participation/Professionalism: (100 points)
Participation is defined for this class as active listening to the presentations and to your
fellow classmates. Professionalism includes respect for all classroom activities and for
each other.
Grade Calculation
Forum Reflections
Personal Development Plan (PDP)
Annotated Bibliography on No Impact Man or related subj.
Reflective Essay on an Article from your Bibliography
Service-Learning Essay
Final Project – Poster
Participation/Professionalism
Attendance
Extra Credit (Student Mentor assigns)
*Syllabus subject to change*
150 pts
200 pts
100 pts
100 pts
200 pts
50 pts
100 pts
100 pts
25 pts
15%
20%
10%
10%
20%
5%
10%
10%
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Learning Outcomes
1. Students will develop the skills necessary to become successful IUPUI students
1a. Students will recognize the role of and make full use of IUPUI resources and
services that support their learning and campus connections.
1b. Students will discover technology available to support their academic goals,
including various functions of Oncourse, Webmail, Onestart, IUCat and online
databases.
1c. Students will select strategies for effective learning including study skills such as
note taking, test taking, critical reading methods and time management.
1d. Students will recognize IUPUI’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning.
1e. Students will recognize academic expectations.
2. Students will develop a better understanding of themselves and others.
2a. Students will explain their own cultural identities and backgrounds and support
those of others.
2b. Students will develop their individual academic, career and personal interests and
goals.
2c. Students will analyze their own values and interpret values of others.
2d. Students will identify their individual strengths and weaknesses.
3. Students will develop a communal, multi-faceted, integrated approach to learning.
3a. Students will establish a support network of peers, faculty, staff and
administrators who support their learning.
3b. Students will identify connections between their learning experiences and IUPUI
as an academic community.
3c. Students will identify connections between their learning experiences and the
Indianapolis community.
3d. Students will identify connections between their learning experiences and the
world.
3e. Students will understand connections between different disciplines and courses.
3f. Students will begin to understand how disciplines differ in their approaches and
tools for solving problems.
4. Students will develop improved oral, written, interpersonal and intrapersonal
communication skills.
4a. Students will practice oral communication in formal and informal situations,
individually and with groups.
4b. Students will practice writing for a variety of audiences and purposes.
4c. Students will practice using visuals to communicate effectively.
4d. Students will use intrapersonal communication to increase concentration and
retention or to discover ideas.
4e. Students will effectively manage group projects and give useful feedback to
others.
*Syllabus subject to change*
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5. Students will employ critical thinking by evaluating ideas and sources of information
to make informed decisions.
5a. Students will learn and use criteria to evaluate information sources.
5b. Students will use analysis and synthesis skills to explore questions and propose
solutions to ill-structured problems.
5c. Students will practice applying new information to beliefs and actions.
5d. Students will reflect on their thinking and learning processes.
IUPUI’s Principles of Undergraduate Learning (PULs)
In addition to the learning outcomes listed above, the course will explore IUPUI’s
Principles of Undergraduate Learning:
1. Core Communication and Quantitative Skills
2. Critical Thinking
3. Integration and Application of Knowledge
4. Intellectual Depth, Breadth and Adaptiveness
5. Understanding Society and Culture
6. Values and Ethics
Administrative withdrawal policy
A basic requirement of this course is that you will participate in class and
conscientiously complete writing and reading assignments. Keep in touch with me if you
are unable to attend class or complete an assignment on time. If you miss more than
half of our class meetings within the first four weeks of the semester without contacting
me, you will be administratively withdrawn from this section. Our class meets once a
week; thus if you miss more than two classes in the first four weeks, you may be
withdrawn. Administrative withdrawal may have academic, financial, and financial aid
implications. Administrative withdrawal will take place after the full refund period, and if
you are administratively withdrawn from the course you will not be eligible for a tuition
refund. If you have questions about the administrative withdrawal policy at any point
during the semester, please contact me.
Students with Disabilities
The Office of Adaptive Educational Services (AES) helps students with disabilities
receive appropriate accommodations from the university and their professors (students
need to register with the AES office in order to officially receive such services). If you
need accommodation in order to complete the work of this course, please let me know
as soon as possible.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
All in class assignments are due at the end of the class period unless otherwise
stipulated. There will be no make-up assignments for in-class work – NO
EXCEPTIONS. All out of class assignments are due on the date indicated on the
syllabus. Assignments may be submitted in class, to my office or by Microsoft Word
*Syllabus subject to change*
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attachment through Oncourse or e-mail. All assignments will be considered late after
4:00PM on the due date; late assignments will be subject to an automatic 10%
deduction in points. After one week from the assignment due date, late assignments will
no longer be accepted. Exceptions to this policy will only be granted in rare instances of
individuals with acceptable documentation.
Academic Honesty Policy
If a student is caught cheating on an assignment, s/he will receive an automatic zero (0)
for that assignment and may risk failing the entire course. In addition, the usage of a
sentence, phrase and/or paragraph “word-for-word” from the text or Internet resource
without proper citation is considered an act of plagiarism, which will be met with
disciplinary action. For specific policies regarding cheating and/or plagiarism and other
detailed policies, please refer to the “Indiana University Student Code of Ethics” at
http://campuslife.indiana.edu/Code/index1.html.
GRADING SCALE
A+
980-1000
A
940-979
A900-939
B+
870-899
B840-869
B800-839
C+
C
CD+
D
D-
770-799
740-769
700-739
670-699
640-669
600-639
*Grades for all assignments will be posted on Oncourse..
FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE
Date
Topics
Aug 24
Introduction to course, Oncourse, and PDP;
Service-learning assignment (ALL)
Aug 31
Sept 7
Sept 14
Sept 21
Sept 24
*Syllabus subject to change*
Scavenger Hunt (Frank & Kelsey)
4-Year Academic Plan (Frank & Kelsey)
Assignments Due
Forum #1
PDP Response #1
Time Management (Kelsey)
PULs (Nancy)
Library Research on No Impact Man or
related subject (Class in UL0106)
IUPUI United Way Day of Caring,
Class in Library (UL 0106)
8
8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Register at:
http://life.iupui.edu/osi/volunteer/doc.html
Sept 28
Study Skills (Kelsey)
Annotated Bibliography
Due
Oct. 5
PULs; Discussion of articles on No Impact
Man or related subject (Nancy)
Reflective Essay Due – On
an Article about No Impact
Man or related subject
Oct 12
Stress Management (Frank)
Forum #2
Oct 19
Fall Break – No Class
Oct 26
Nov 2
Class Discussion of Service Learning
Experiences
REGISTRATION FOR SPRING SEMESTER
Please bring the Academic Plan you have
developed with Frank!
Service-Learning Reflective
Essay Due
Bring Registration Materials
& PDP
Visit to Career Center/Career Couseling
No Class – To attend lecture by Colin
Beavan (No Impact Man)
Nov. 9
Nov. 10
Lecture by Colin Beavan
Nov. 16
Discuss Beavan Lecture; Diversity Session –
Multicultural Center (ALL)
Attend Lecture & Take
Notes
Forum #3 on Lecture by
Colin Beavan
Nov. 23
PDP (Frank)
PDP Response #2
Nov. 30
Financial Management (Frank)
Forum #4
Dec. 7
Students Post Posters; Wrap-Up; Reflections
& Surveys
End of U110 Celebration
Final Poster Project Due
*Syllabus subject to change*