Houston Community College
Department Phone Number: 713.718.6776
Houston Community College
Instructor N a m e : E l i z a b e t h Se a t o n
O f f i c e : 7 1 3 . 7 1 8 . 6 7 7 6
Em a i l : e l i z a b e t h . s e a t o n @ h c c s . e d u
Course Reference
Number (CRN)
Course
Description:
Beginning
Development of leadership skills and critical thinking strategies that promote employment readiness, retention, advancement, and promotion
This course is designed to assist the student to perform successfully in college, and in the workplace.
Course
Prerequisite(s)
None.
Course Semester
Credit Hours (SCH)
(Lecture, Lab)
Credit Hours 2.0
Course
Location/Times
Distance Education - Online Total Course Contact
Hours
32
Instructional
Materials
Reaching Your Potential Personal and Professional Development (Special Edition for HCC
- available at all HCC bookstores) Robert K. Throop, Marion B. Castellucci
Wadsworth Cengage Learning ISBN-13: 978-1-4354-3973-3 ISBN-10: 1-4354-3973-2
Online - Distance Type of Instruction Read & Discuss Instructional
Methods (select one)
Course Length (number of weeks) 12 Weeks
ATTENDANCE
Many of you are amazed to discover that the tuition that you pay to HCCS is only a small portion of what your college course actually costs. The state of Texas is paying for most of your tuition. Therefore, you are required to attend this class. Class attendance is the responsibility of the student. It is also your responsibility to
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notify me regarding your absence from class, preferably prior to the absence.
Class attendance is monitored daily by the instructor. As stated in the HCC Catalog, all students are expected to attend classes regularly. Students in DE courses must log into their Eagle Online class and actively participate or they will be counted as absent. Just like an on-campus class, your regular participation is required.
Although it is the responsibility of the student to withdraw officially from a course, the professor also has the authority to block a student from accessing Eagle Online, and/or to withdraw a student for excessive absences or failure to participate regularly. DE students who do not log into their class by the Official Day of Record will be
AUTOMATICALLY dropped for non-attendance. Completing the DE online orientation does not count as attendance.
Reports of excessive absence will be sent, when appropriate, to the Veterans Administration, the Social
Security Office and/or other agencies responsible for financial aid to the student.
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Instructor's
Requirements
Critical Thinking Activities / Class Participation
Assessments
Final Exam
TOTAL
40%
40%
20%
100%
Instructor
Grading Criteria
Grading RUBRIC will be distributed for each assignment, detailing exactly what type of work is required to earn an A, B, C, etc.
EGLS3 –
Evaluation for
Greater Learning
Student Survey
System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston
Community College Student System online near the end of this term.
COURSE CALENDAR
All assignments are due Sunday nights at 11:55 p.m
. That is the last possible date that an assignment can be submitted. I strongly recommend that you submit assignments SOONER than the DUE DATE posted under that Topic in Eagle Online.
Feb 10
Feb 17
Feb 24
Mar 3
Mar 10
Mar 17
Mar 24
Mar 31
Apr 7
Apr 7
Apr 9
Apr 14
Apr 21
Apr 28
TBA
Computer Science Technology Department
Course Overview, Syllabus, Expectations
Your Personality – On-Line Assessments
Ch. 1 – The Power of Self-Belief
Ch. 2 Goal Setting for Personal & Professional Life
Ch. 3 Thinking Skills
Ch. 4 – Study Skills
Quiz on Chapters 1 -4
Ch. 5 – 6: Eating Well & Staying Healthy
Ch. 7 - Communicating Effectively Ch. 8 Improving Your Listening Skills
Quiz on Chapters 5- 8
Ch 9 Improving Your Speaking Skills
Chapter 10 - Getting Along with Others
Last Day to Withdraw (4:30 pm)
Ch. 11 - Functioning in Groups
Chapter 12: Handling Change and Stress Chapter 13: Managing Money
Chapter 14: Your Career;
Final Exam (The final exam is online only.)
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Note : This section of the syllabus provides the general course learning objectives, the expected students learning outcome, the course scope in terms of the department program, and the instrument used to evaluate the course.
If you have any question, contact the instructor or the department.
HCC Grading Scale
Grade GPA Points
A = 100- 90
B = 89 - 80:
C = 79 - 70:
D = 69 - 60:
59 and below = F
IP (In Progress)
W(Withdrawn)
I (Incomplete)
4 points per semester hour
3 points per semester hour
2 points per semester hour
1 points per semester hour
0 points per semester hour
0 points per semester hour
0 points per semester hour
0 points per semester hour
AUD (Audit) 0 points per semester hour
IP (In Progress) is given only in certain developmental courses. The student must re-enroll to receive credit. COM (Completed) is given in non-credit and continuing education courses. To compute grade point average (GPA), divide the total grade points by the total number of semester hours attempted. The grades "IP," "COM" and "I" do not affect GPA.
Course Student
Learning Outcomes
(SLO):
1. Identify characteristics of employees who are qualified for employment and worthy of promotion and retention in the workforce;
2. Explain critical thinking strategies within the context of strong leadership;
3. Apply effective business communication skills; utilize data and information to make effective decisions; and
Identify roles and strategies used in group processes and team building.
Learning Objectives
Student Assignments
Upon completion of this course, the student will:
• Identify school policies and procedures
• Recognize sound practices to perform well in college
• Identify departments within the college such as Admissions, Counseling, Student
Support, Financial Aid, and Job Placement
• Identify effective communications techniques
• Recognize time management and prioritization techniques
• Demonstrate effective reading, listening and note-taking strategies
• Illustrate effective study and test taking techniques
• Demonstrate critical thinking strategies
• Describe roles, tasks, employment opportunities, and outlook for various workforce careers
• Identify educational requirements, and licensing for various occupations
• Distinguish various degrees and certificate plans offered
• Enumerate various occupations involved in a given field (business, accounting, health, education, engineering, transportation, construction)
• Match personal interests and abilities with careers and majors
• Describe long term growth and opportunities for various careers
Refer to the course calendar
LATE ASSIGNMENTS and MAKE-UP POLICY

You are expected to adhere to the weekly schedule of assignments printed in the course syllabus. Assignments are correlated with student learning
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objectives.

All assignments have a specific due date. All assignments for each Topic are due on Sundays at 11:55 p.m. Central Time.

Late assignments will not be accepted No make-up exams will be given.

If there is a documented catastrophic event, an extension may be granted.
Under no circumstances will an extension be granted for more than two (2) days .

Any assignment or quiz which is not submitted will earn a grade of zero.

It is your responsibility to obtain any handouts, material or course supplements that were distributed in class or posted to the Internet during your absence.
Student Assessment(s) Assessment criteria under development
1. Identify characteristics of employees who are qualified for employment and worthy of promotion and retention in the workforce;
2. Explain critical thinking strategies within the context of strong leadership;
3. Apply effective business communication skills; utilize data and information to make effective decisions; and
Identify roles and strategies used in group processes and team building.
Program/Discipline
Requirements:
Assessment criteria under development
Instructors will use syllabus that will satisfy CurricuUNET requirements and improve on-going assessment of student-centered learning and teaching.
Academic
Discipline/CTE Program
Learning Outcomes
SCANS and/or Core
Curriculum
Competencies
1. Identify characteristics of employees who are qualified for employment and worthy of promotion and retention in the workforce
2. Identify the components of a computer system;
3. Use common business applications software
4. Explain the impact of computers on society
5. Identify computer careers; identify fundamental programming structures
6. Identify ethical use of computers
The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) from the
U.S. Department of Labor was asked to examine the demands of the workplace and whether our young people are capable of meeting those demands.
Specifically, the Commission was directed to advise the Secretary on the level of skills required to enter employment. In carrying out this charge, the Commission was asked to do the following:
Define the skills needed for employment,
Propose acceptable levels of proficiency,
Suggest effective ways to assess proficiency, and
Develop a dissemination strategy for the nation’s schools, businesses, and homes.
SCANS research verifies that what we call workplace know-how defines effective job performance today. This know-how has two elements: competencies and a foundation . This report identifies five competencies and a three-part foundation of skills and personal qualities that lie at the heart of job performance. These eight requirements are essential preparation for all students, whether they go directly to work or plan further education. Thus, the competencies and the foundation should be taught and understood in an integrated fashion that reflects the workplace contexts in which they are applied.
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The five SCANS workplace competencies identified by the Commission are the following:
1. Resources
—An ability to identify, organize, and allocate time, money, materials, space, and people. Much of what you do in the classroom can help students develop competency with resources. Emphasize planning skills in relation to preparing, working, and completing assignments.
2. Interpersonal
—Skills to participate as a member of a team, teach others, serve customers, exercise leadership, negotiate, and work with others possessing diverse backgrounds. Cooperative/collaborative learning activities are an effective way to teach interpersonal skills. In discussions after group activities, emphasize interpersonal lessons and challenges of the activities.
3. Information
—An ability to acquire, organize, evaluate, interpret, and communicate information along with using computers to process information.
Competency with information is basic to any classroom. Emphasize those efforts to master information skills prepare students for future employment.
4. Systems —An understanding of social, organizational, and technological systems; an ability to monitor and correct performance; a competence in the design and improvement of systems. Look for opportunities for students to use critical thinking skills to identify and analyze systems in their school, community, nation, and world.
5. Technology —The knowledge and skill to select equipment and tools, apply technology to specific tasks, and maintain and troubleshoot software and hardware. Although there are many forms of technology that can be used in your class, computers create real interest and opportunities for your students.
Encourage your students to make computers an important part of their education, whether the computers are used in self-paced learning or in group projects.
The following skills will be developed in the Workforce Development with
Critical Thinking course:
Using Resources: Identify—Plan—Manage
Developing Interpersonal Skills: Collaborate—Negotiate—Lead
Applying Technology: Select—Apply—Enhance
Understanding Systems: Connect—Support—Improve
Acquiring Information: Evaluate—Communicate—Apply
The three SCANS foundation skills identified by the Commission are the following:
Basic Skills —Reading, writing, mathematics, listening, and speaking. classroom activities can develop and reinforce all these basic skills. Teaching these skills in the classroom can provide cross-curricular opportunities.
Thinking Skills
—Creative thinking, decision-making, and problem solving, seeing things in the mind’s eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning. During their careers, students will need this foundation to adapt to a rapidly changing society. Helping students to think critically becomes very important so that they may adjust to change. Seek opportunities for students to stretch their minds, find new answers, ask hard questions, and lay foundations for lifelong learning.
Personal Qualities
—Responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management,
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and integrity. Throughout their lives, your students will need to get along with others: with classmates, friends and family, customers, and coworkers. Look for chances to reinforce good personal qualities. And remember the power of teaching by example.
HCC Policy Statement http://hccs.edu/student-rights Student Services
Policies
Student Accommodations
Students experience difficulties in courses for a variety of reasons. "Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office at the beginning of each semester. Instructors are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office." If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please let me know as soon as possible.
For questions, contact one of the following Counselors:
 Jette Lott
Central ADA Counselor
 Jaime Torres


Central ADA Counselor
Martha Scribner
Central ADA Counselor
Andrea Guerrero

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Supervisor
John R. London
Central ADA Technician
 Raj K. Gupta

Coleman ADA Counselor
Kim Ingram

Northeast ADA Counselor
Mahnaz Kolaini
Northwest ADA Counselor
 Norma Jean Brand

Northwest ADA Technician
Dr. Becky Hauri
Southwest ADA Counselor
At any point in the semester, if you encounter difficulty with the course or feel that you could be performing at a higher level, consult with me. For problems with writing skills or time management, contact the Student Support
Services Program at 713-718-7799.
The Distance Education Student Handbook contains policies and procedures unique to the DE student.
Students should have reviewed the handbook as part of the mandatory orientation. It is the student's responsibility to be familiar with the handbook's contents. The handbook contains valuable information, answers, and resources, such as DE contacts, policies and procedures (how to drop, attendance requirements, etc.), student services (ADA, financial aid, degree planning, etc.), course information, testing procedures, technical support, and academic calendars.
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http://de.hccs.edu/de/de-student-handbook
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