UNV 101.005 The First-Year Student Experience
Instructor
Sheng-Chiang (John) Lee
Office/Contact
SEB 244; 478-301-2599
Lee_SC@Mercer.Edu
Class Location/
Time
SEB 144
Tuesday 10:50am ~ 12:05pm
Office Hours
MWF 3~4 pm or by appointment
Peer Advisor
Kelley Peel
Required Materials
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Lair (Mercer Student Handbook)
2010-2011 Mercer University Bulletin
Calendar/Planner/Organizer
Access to a word processor and internet
Course Description:
UNV 101 will introduce you to the structure of higher education and the heritage of
Mercer University, and is intended to help you make a successful transition to college. The goal
of this course is to help you understand the value of a liberal arts education, identify campus
support systems, develop better learning techniques, and succeed intellectually, socially, and
personally during your first year at Mercer. UNV 101 is required of all first-year students who
are not enrolled in an experiential section of First-Year Seminar or MAP 101 course.
Objectives:
Students who successfully complete UNV 101 will have been exposed to the following:
1. The history and heritage of Mercer as a Baptist institution, and the importance of higher education.
2. Informal (or formal) methods for critical thinking, including decision-making and problem-solving
within the context of weekly topics.
3. Appropriate study skills for their academic success.
4. Diversity issues that affect the individual, the institution, and the community.
5. Various applications of technology as they relate to the academic journey, including the
University’s e-mail system.
6. Available resources and opportunities for involvement, service-learning, and leadership on campus
and in the community.
7. Academic and social policies of Mercer University.
8. The advising and registration processes.
9. Ways to establish a productive relationship with their academic advisors and other faculty and staff.
10. Wellness issues that contribute to academic and personal success.
11. Issues related to career development and vocation, especially relating to the pre-medicine/ predentistry tracks.
UNV 101.005 The First-Year Student Experience
Grading Methods:
Students are graded on the S(satisfactory)/U(unsatisfactory) basis. Students who earn at least
75% of the “points” discussed below will receive an “S”.
Attendance & Participation
Weekly Journal
Honor Code Quiz
“Do What You Are” Assignment
Co-Curricular Activities
Interview a Professor
4-year Academic Strategic Plan
Advising Conference
32 (2 pts/week)
15 (1 pts/week)
11
10
12
5
10
5
Total 100
Attendance & Participation
Attendance of all classes is mandatory. Your participation in class discussions and projects
is crucial to achieving the desired course objectives. You are expected to read all
assignments and participate in class discussions about their content. Your attendance grade
is evaluated upon how you participate in the class discussions. If you actively contribute to
a class discussion, you will get 2 points (full credit) for the class; if you are very passive,
you will only get 1 point. Late for a class will lead to subtraction of 1 point. Absence of a
class leads to 0 point for the class. More than three absences (excused or unexcused) will
result in a course grade of “U”, regardless of your completion of other assignments.
Weekly Journal
Journaling is an excellent way for you to reflect on your academic, social, and co-curricular
experiences in this semester. 15 weekly journal entries are required over the course of the
semester. Journal entries must be typed and submitted electronically via BlackBoard or email by the midnight before each class unless otherwise noted. Use of proper grammar and
punctuation is expected, and entry length should be at least 250 words. Students choose the
topic/content of each journal that reflects one’s academic and personal experience in the
week. Each journal entry can be considered one end of a written conversation with your
instructor, and will be kept confidential.
Honor Code Quiz
Academic integrity is essential in college. For this reason, students in UNV 101 are
expected to understand and abide by the Mercer University Honor Code. To assess a
student’s level of understanding of the Code, a brief quiz will be administered and will be
worth 11 points out of the 100 points possible for the course.
“Do What You Are” Assignment
Visit the Office of Career Services and complete the “Do What You Are” activity. This
experience helps students identify their personality traits and is a great way to help you
match your interests with an academic path or career. This activity is worth 10 pt and must
be completed by 9/20 to receive credit.
UNV 101.005 The First-Year Student Experience
Co-Curricular Activities
Students must participate in at least four co-curricular activities during the semester, one
each from the categories below. Students must attend the event and submit a brief report
about it at the next class meeting that follows the event. Reports should be half to one page
length and contain the name and date of the event, a description of the event, and your
reaction to it or impressions of it. Each event is valued at 3 pt (12 pt total).
1. a visual or performing arts event
3. a Mercer athletic event
2. a meeting of a campus-wide organization (SGA, etc.) 4. a seminar or lecture (e.g., FYF)
Interview a Professor
The purpose of this exercise is to give you an opportunity to meet one of your professors.
You could choose a professor in whose class you may be having difficulty. Explain to the
professor that you need 10-15 minutes of his or her time to complete an assignment for
UNV 101 and make an appointment. Meet with the professor and verbally ask suggested
questions (or questions that personally interest you) which will be given in the class. The
answers will be reported back to the class for grade. You may also give a brief presentation
about your interview.
Four-Year Academic Strategic Plan
Attempt to map out all the courses you will need to graduate from Mercer over the next
four years. If you are not very sure about your major, use any major as an example.
Completion of this assignment will help you learn about the course requirements, their
prerequisites (if any), the sequence in which some courses have to be taken, and their
typical frequency of offerings. Note that class time will be devoted to this activity, which is
worth 10 pt and must be completed by 11/09 to receive credit.
Advising Conference
You are required to make an appointment for an advising conference with the instructor
during the advising and registration period for the spring semester. At this conference you
will plan your spring schedule and discuss your perceptions of college life thus far.
Attendance of and active participation in the appointment is worth 5 points.
Use of BlackBoard
BlackBoard will be used for submitting your weekly journals and monitoring your progress. It is
a web-based software, which allows various interactive activities outside the class room. You
may likely encounter this software in other courses. Make sure you know how to use this
software and report to me or technical support immediately if you have any problems.
Evaluation
In an ongoing effort to improve the quality of instruction, each student enrolled in this course is
required to complete an end-of-semester course evaluation, to be administered through
BlackBoard during the last week of the semester. Students failing to submit the evaluation by
12/10 will be assigned the grade of “Incomplete,” which will automatically turn into an “U” if
the evaluation is not submitted by the midterm of the very next semester.
Important Dates:
Last Day for Course Withdrawal: 10/29
UNV 101.005 The First-Year Student Experience
Advising/Priority Registration for Spring 2011: 11/04 ~ 11/19
Class Policies:
Honor Code: You are bound by the Mercer honor code. The College’s academic misconduct
policy will be followed. All work, for which a grade is received, must be the original work of
the student without aid or assistance of another party, or any printed and or electronic
data/information. Academic misconduct cases will be referred to the honor council and the
student will automatically receive a grade of incomplete (IC) pending a ruling by the honor
council.
Cell Phone and Pager Usage: Out of courtesy for all those participating in the learning
experience, all cell phones and pagers must be kept in your pocket/backpack with power/ringer
off before entering any classroom, lab, or formal academic or performance event. Warning will
be given for the first-time violation. One semester credit will be taken for each following
violation up to three times. If a student keeps violating the policy, one may be asked to leave the
room by the instructor.
Documented Disability Statement: Students requiring accommodations for a disability should
inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon as possible. The instructor
will refer you to the Disability Support Services Coordinator to document your disability,
determine eligibility for accommodations under the ADAAA/Section 504 and to request a
Faculty Accommodation Form. Disability accommodations or status will not be indicated on
academic transcripts. In order to receive accommodations in a class, students with sensory,
learning, psychological, physical or medical disabilities must provide their instructor with a
Faculty Accommodation Form to sign. Students must return the signed form to the Disability
Services Coordinator. A new form must be requested each semester. Students with a history of
a disability, perceived as having a disability or with a current disability who do not wish to use
academic accommodations are also strongly encouraged to register with the Disability Services
Coordinator and request a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester. For further information,
please contact Carole Burrowbridge, Disability Services Coordinator, at 301-2778 or visit the
Disability Support Services website athttp://www.mercer.edu/studentaffairs/disabilityservices.
UNV 101.005 The First-Year Student Experience
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Tentative Class Schedule
Week
1
Class Date
Topic
8/24
Course Introduction; Introduction to Higher Education
8/27(FYF) Whisper of the River (FYF: First Year Friday; 10:00 am, Willingham Auditorium)
2
8/31
Adjustment to Mercer
9/03(FYF) Baptist heritage, and service and civic engagement, Three Cups of Tea
3
9/07
Ethics & Academic Integrity
4
9/10(FYF) Academic Success
9/14
Academic Success I
9/17(FYF) The Many Faces of AIDS: A Presentation by Dr. Harold Katner
5
9/21
Academic Success II
6
9/28
The Student-Faculty Connection
7
10/05
Involvement & Leadership (Guest Speaker; PA)
10/8 “Pilgrimage to Penfield” with SGA
8
10/12
Appreciating Differences
9
10/19
Relationships
10/21 Lights On After School: Service Project, 3~6pm, Tattnall Square Park
10
10/26
Financial Issues
10/29 Deadline for Withdrawal
11
11/02
Service & Civic Engagement
12
11/09
Advising and Registration
13
11/16
Individual Advising Appointment – No Class
14
11/23
Vocational Exploration (Guest Speaker)
15
11/30
Evaluating your first semester; Setting goals for the next semester;
Learning style revisited
16
12/07
Preparing for Finals & Home; Course Evaluation