SYLLABUS HANDOUT
for
FALL 2011
COLLEGE SUCCESS STRATEGIES
RDLS 1200 4A
Department Motto
“Making College Count through Motivation, Collaboration, and Connection”
INSTRUCTOR
DEB HOLST, M.S.
Metropolitan Community College
Class Syllabus – 2011-Fall
CLASS IDENTIFICATION
TITLE:
PREFIX/SECTION:
CREDIT HOURS:
CLASS BEGINS/ENDS:
MEETING DAY(S)/TIMES:
NO CLASS DAYS:
WITHDRAWAL DATE:
CLASS LOCATION:
LAB LOCATION:
College Success Strategies
RDLS 1200 4A
4.5
September 7, 2011 – November 21, 2011
Mon. & Wed. 12:00 p.m. – 1:55 p.m.
N/A
November 7, 2011
FOC, Bldg. 10, Rm 208
N/A
CONTACT INFORMATION
INSTRUCTOR NAME:
OFFICE LOCATION:
OFFICE TELEPHONE:
FACSIMILE:
OFFICE HOURS:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
FACULTY WEB SITE:
ACADEMIC AREA:
Deb Holst, M.S.
FOC, Bldg. 10, Room 204
457.2897
N/A
Mon./Wed. 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. and Tues. 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
dholst@mccneb.edu
http://faculty.mccneb.edu/dholst
Foundations for Academic Success and Community
Services
COURSE INFORMATION
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The purpose of this course is to facilitate and promote student success in college and
life. Students are exposed to learning styles, goal setting, time management, memory
techniques, reading strategies, note-taking skills, test-taking skills, critical thinking, and
effective communication. Upon completion, students should be able to manage their
learning experiences to successfully meet their academic, personal and professional
goals.
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
There are no prerequisites for this class however it is highly recommended you have
basic computer knowledge and can read at the college level.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the completion of this course, the student should be able to demonstrate mastery of
the following concepts:
1. Demonstrate the ability to utilize campus services and resources.
2. Provide a personal definition of success and identify college and life expectations.
3. Develop skills in time management, budgeting and planning that lead to success in
college and life.
4. Demonstrate skills in communicating effectively and working cooperatively in groups.
5. Develop and demonstrate skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and reading
comprehension.
6. Develop and demonstrate the ability to use memory and reading strategies.
7. Display and demonstrate effective methods for note taking, listening, test-taking, and
using memory techniques.
8. Demonstrate effective test taking strategies.
9. Understand and demonstrate effective research skills and career planning
techniques.
10. Articulate ways to apply course skills to other classes and life situations.
REQUIRED & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS:
1. Keys to Effective Learning by Carter, Bishop & Kravits (6th Edition).
2. Notebook paper
3. 2 Paper folders,
4. 1- 3 ring paper/plastic folder
5. USB Drive
6. Planner/Agenda
7. Pen, pencil, highlighter, colored pencils
8. Poster Board
9. Blue Book
SOFTWARE/FILE SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Metropolitan Community College uses Microsoft products as part of its standard
software and encourages students to do the same. You may save word-processed
documents for file attachments in Microsoft Word .doc or .docx format. If your software
does not allow either of these, then save files in Rich Text Format (.rtf).
CLASS STRUCTURE:
Students are expected to complete all in-class assignments, chapter project
assignments, participate in class discussions, and fully participate in group activities.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for obtaining any missed information from another student,
as information presented in class will not be re-presented on an individual basis.
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT WORK
TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS/ASSIGNMENTS:
This course includes lecture, small and large group activities. There are weekly reading
assignments, in-class assignments as well as out of class assignments. The mid-term
and final exams are mandatory in order to pass the class. All assignments must be
typed.
a. This course includes quizzes, exams, projects, Face Book postings,
journal writing, in and out of classroom textbook assignments, as well as,
My Student Success Lab assignments.
b. This class is highly participatory.
c. Computer instruction is graded via the computer, classroom, homework,
quizzes and writing assignments will be graded on a point scale, the basis
for grading projects are rubrics, exam 1 and 2 are objective and the final
is subjectively graded.
d. NO late assignments will be accepted. All assignments are due at the
beginning of class on the due date. If your assignment is not completed
and ready to turn in at that time, it will not be accepted.
e. All assignments and exams will be returned to students within a week
after the due date. Once the 1st exam has been taken each student and
their instructor will meet for a scheduled conference, at that time students
will be given a handout so that they are able to keep track of their
progress throughout the remainder of the quarter. The instructor is
available to assist you with classroom issues during office hours.
GRADING POLICY:
Student grades will be determined by: assignments, exams, attendance, projects and
participation. In order to successfully pass this class you are to receive a 70% (C) or
better. Below is an outline of class requirements and points assigned to each.
Class Attendance
Class Materials
Username/Password
Email
Facebook Posts
Exam 1 (1 – 5)
Exam 2 (6 – 11)
MyStudentSuccessLab
Dream Board
Pre/Post Assessment Final
Final Project
200
10
10
10
50
150
100
200
50
50
300
1130
A = 1130 – 1017
B = 1016 – 904
C = 903 – 791
D = 790 – 678
F = 677 – below
MAKE-UP TEST PROCEDURES:
Exams must be made up within one week of the original test date. Make up exams
must be taken in the testing center, appointments are required. The student must
inform the instructor before the scheduled exam time if he/she is going to be absent.
Only in case of an emergency will the student be allowed to make-up the exam.
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAM:
Metropolitan Community College is committed to continuous improvement of teaching
and learning. You may be asked to help us to accomplish this objective. For example,
you may be asked to respond to surveys or questionnaires. In other cases, tests or
assignments you are required to do for this course may be shared with faculty and used
for assessment purposes.
USE OF STUDENT WORK:
By enrolling in classes offered by Metropolitan Community College, the student gives the
College license to mark on, modify, and retain the work as may be required by the
process of instruction, as described in the course syllabus. The institution shall not have
the right to use the work in any other manner without the written consent of the
student(s).
INSTRUCTOR’S EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS
ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION POLICY:
Regular attendance, active participation and timely submission of assignments is
ESSENTIAL to successfully passing this course. By doing so the student is
demonstrating the ability to manage their learning experiences, and to successfully meet
their academic, personal and professional goals.
It is the student’s responsibility to attend class and communicate with me if you are
experiencing any problems. Please Note: 3 late arrivals or early exits = 1 absence. (A
student is counted late once the instructor begins taking attendance and an early exit is
defined as leaving the classroom before or after break and not returning or being gone
from class for 10 minutes or more and then returning. If you return from class after a
break more than 5 minutes late you will be counted absent as well.) After 3 absences
you will receive an FX as a final grade, you will be allowed to continue to attend class,
however you will not pass due to failure to attend required class time.
WX: After the first class meeting and through the Census Date, the instructor will
disenroll (WX) students who have never attended. The Census Date is listed under the
Important Dates for the course in the official Class Schedule at
http://www.mccneb.edu/schedule/. There is no appeal/recourse to this action.
FX: A student who fails to meet class attendance expectations will receive a final grade
of FX, indicating an absence-related failure. A student earning an FX grade prior to the
end of the quarter may avoid receiving the failing grade by withdrawing from the course
before the Last Date to Withdraw from Class.
COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS:
When you communicate with others in this course, you must follow the Student Code of
Conduct (http://www.mccneb.edu/catalog/studentinformation.asp), which calls for
responsible and cooperative behavior. Please think critically, ask questions, and
challenge ideas, but also show respect for the opinions of others, respond to them
politely, and maintain the confidentiality of thoughts expressed in the class. You may
also wish to review information at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/.html.
While there are many informal situations in which people have neither the desire nor the
right to prescribe how others ought to behave, a college classroom requires a higher
level of courtesy than many people exercise in ordinary public space. Everyone in a
classroom is there for the purpose of learning, and no one should be able to deprive
another person of the chance to learn.
RECORDING IN THE CLASSROOM:
Students may not video or audio record class sessions without the instructor’s
knowledge and permission. If recording of class sessions is authorized as a reasonable
accommodation under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the instructor must have
the appropriate documentation from College Disability Support Services. Permitted
recordings are to be used only for the individual student’s educational review of the class
session and may not be reproduced, posted, sold or distributed to others. Students who
violate this policy are subject to disciplinary procedures as outlined in the Student
Conduct Code.
PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
NO cell phones or any type of communication device shall be used during class time.
The devices should be turned off prior to the beginning of a class and left off until after
class is dismissed. If there is continued use of texting by anyone you will be asked to
leave class. Laptops are to be used for note taking purposes only.
ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT:
Students are reminded that materials they use as sources for class work may be subject
to copyright protection. Additional information about copyright is provided on the library
website at http://www.mccneb.edu/library or by your instructor. In response to incidents
of student dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.), the College imposes specific actions
that may include receiving a failing grade on a test, failure in the course, suspension
from the College, or dismissal from the College. Disciplinary procedures are available in
the Advising/Counseling Centers or at http://www.mccneb.edu/procedures/V4_Student_Conduct_and_Discipline.pdf.
STUDENT WITHDRAWAL:
If you cannot participate in and complete this course, you should officially withdraw
through WebAdvisor at http://webadvisor.mccneb.edu or by calling Central Registration
at 402-457-5231 or 1-800-228-9553. Failure to officially withdraw will result in either an
attendance-related failure (FX) or failing (F) grade. The last date to withdraw is noted in
the CLASS IDENTIFICATION section of this syllabus.
LEARNING SUPPORT
MCC's Academic Resource Centers, Math Centers, and Writing Centers offer friendly,
supportive learning environments that can help students achieve educational success.
Staff members in these centers provide free drop-in assistance with basic computing,
reading, math, and writing skills. Self-paced, computer-assisted instructional support in
reading, vocabulary, typing, English as a Second Language, and online course
orientation is also available.
Detailed information about the Academic Resource, Math, and Writing Centers is in the
Student Handbook, College Catalog, and online at http://www.mccneb.edu/arc/.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
If you have a disability that may substantially limit your ability to participate in this class,
please contact a Disability Support Services Counselor located in the Student Services
Office on each campus. Metropolitan Community College will provide reasonable
accommodations for persons with documented qualifying disabilities. However, it is the
student’s responsibility to request accommodations. For further information, please visit
http://www.mccneb.edu/dss/ and/or contact Student Services.
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
For assistance with student email, passwords, and most other MCC technology, contact
the Help Desk at 457-2900 or mcchelpdesk@mccneb.edu.
TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES:
By using the information technology systems at MCC (including the computer systems
and phones), you acknowledge and consent to the conditions of use as set forth in the
Metropolitan Community College Procedures Memorandum on Acceptable Use of
Information Technology and Resources. It is your responsibility as a student to be
familiar with these procedures. The full text of the Procedures Memorandum may be
found at the following website: http://www.mccneb.edu/procedures/X15_Technology_Resources_Use.pdf.
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
NOTICE: This syllabus sets forth a tentative schedule of class topics, learning activities, and
expected learning outcomes. However, the instructor reserves the right to modify this schedule to
enhance learning for students. Any modifications will not substantially change the intent or
objectives of this course and will conform to the policies and guidelines of Metropolitan
Community College.
Week 1
Introductions
RDLS Video
Homework: Buy text
Bring required materials to class
Bring username and password
Complete pre-course assessment in class
Team Building Activity
Chapter 1
Habit – “Persist”
Scavenger Hunt
How Can Habits Change Your Life? Group Activity
Week 2
Chapter 2
Habit – “Keep Learning”
Did You Know? – Video
Multiple Intelligences
Personality Spectrum
Week 3
Chapter 3
Habit – “Think Before You Act”
Budget Activity
Weekly Schedule
Week 4
Chapter 4
Habit – Reach Out to Others
Values/Goals/Career Handouts
SMART
Stress Management
Emotional Intelligence
Week 5
Chapter 5
Habit – Create and Imagine
Why Is It Important to Ask and Answer Questions?
Improve Your Critical and Creative Thinking Skills
Exam 1
MSSL(Chpts 1 -5)
Dream Board Due
Week 6
Conferences
Chapter 6
Habit – Put Your Senses to Work
Improve Your Memory
Mnemonic Devices
Week 7
Chapter 7
Habit – Ask Questions
4C Method
Improving Reading Comprehension
Chapter 8
Habit – Use What You Know
How Do You Read Texts from Different Academic Areas?
Week 8
Chapter 9
Habit – Listen Actively
Become a Better Listener
Discover the Note Taker in You!!
Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture
Week 9
Chapter 10
Habit – Take Responsible Risks
Test Taking I
How Do I Improve My Test Taking Performance?
Exam 2
Final Project Due
Week 10
Chapter 11
Habit – Be Flexible
Best Essay Work
Giving Effective Team Presentations
Review
MSSL Due (Chpts 6 – 11)
Week 11
Chapter 12
Bucket List
Post Assessment
Pre/Post Assessment Paper (FINAL)
Assignments Returned
IMPORTANT DATES
www.mccneb.edu/sos/enrollman.asp.
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
www.mccneb.edu/academics/calendar.asp