General Studies 100A: University Seminar – COMPACT
Fall 2014
Wednesdays, 2:00 PM - 2:50 PM; Room: LSS 246
Credit/No Credit, 1 unit
Course Syllabus
Important Notice: I reserve the right to change, add to, or delete any and all material from this course. Read
carefully the course syllabus to prevent disappointments.
Instructor information
Dr. Estralita Martin, Assistant Dean, College of Sciences
Office GMCS 321 (GMCS = Geology, Math, Computer Sciences)
Office Hours: Office hours vary, walk-ins welcomed. Feel free to telephone or email my assistant Samantha to
make an appointment.
Email: esmartin@mail.sdsu.edu
Office assistant: Ms Samantha Westover
Ms Westover’s phone: (619) 594-1204
Ms Westover’s Email: swestover@mail.sdsu.edu
Course Description:
This course is designed to introduce you to 1) university traditions and culture, 2) academic standards and
expectations and 3) student engagement and leadership opportunities at SDSU by interacting with university
faculty and representatives. The University Seminar is designed to help you develop the skills needed to be a
successful and independent student as well as a future SDSU graduate.
Student Learning Accommodations
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your
accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until
you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your
cooperation is appreciated. More information regarding the services provided by Student Disability Services can
be found at the following website: http://www.go.sdsu.edu/student_affairs/sds/
Religious Observances
“By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses of planned
absences for religious observances. Instructors shall reasonably accommodate students who notify them in
advance of planned absences for religious observances” (see page 20 of the 2014-2015 catalog)
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:
 SDSU Mortar Board or other personal planner
 SDSU 2014-2015 General Catalog – bring to every class when noted
 E-mail account you check on a regular basis. Most of your written assignments will be electronically
sent to me. Occasionally I will request a printed copy.
 Paper and pen
REQUIRED READING
 SDSU University 2014-2015 Catalog
 SDSU NewsCenter
 Daily Aztec
UNIVERSITY SEMINAR LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Students will learn the policies and procedures of the University.
 Students will become active learners and critical thinkers.
 Students will develop a realistic timeline for completing their Bachelor’s Degree.
 Students will establish career goals that fit their personal and academic strengths.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND LOGITICS
This course is graded Credit/No Credit. To earn the class credit you must complete the following.
1. Attend 80% (13/16) class meetings (worth 10 points each for a total of 160 points possible).
There are only two excused absences allowed in this class. If you’re ill or have another excuse for missing a
class, email or phone in your reason for your absence, preferably 2 hours before the class meets - and
certainly by the end of the day you are absent. The University Policy File includes the following statement on
Religious Observances: “By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of
affected courses of planned absences for religious observances.” (see page 20 of the 2014-2015 catalog) You
will be responsible for making up activities that you miss due to absences.
 Being more than 5 minutes late three times constitutes one unexcused absence unless special
arrangements have been made.
 You may have no more than one unexcused absence from the class; a second unexcused absence will be
reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if no credit for the course has been earned. You will be
responsible for making up activities that you miss due to any absences.
 Read class syllabus carefully. The class syllabus describes standards and expectations of your learning.
 Complete all assignments on time. Most are evaluations or personal reflections on the knowledge gained
from guest lecturers and special projects. One (1) point per day, including weekends, will be deducted
for any assignment that is turned in late unless previous arrangements have been made.
 Bring your personal planner and catalog on designated days. During class we will be referring to
different sections of the catalog for discussion.
 Again, you will be responsible for making up activities that you miss due to any absences. One (1) point
per day including weekends will be deducted for any assignment that is turned in late.
2
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
2. Earn 80% of the total points possible for the assignments listed below.
Complete all assignments on time. There are only a few assignments. Most are evaluations or personal
reflections on the knowledge gained from guest lecturer and special projects. One (1) point per day, including
weekends, will be deducted for any assignment that is turned in late unless previous arrangements have been
made.
Required Assignments: In addition to attending 80% of the classes, you must complete 80% (616/760
points) of the assignments. The total points possible for each student may vary depending on the number of
classes in addition to this class a student has. All assignments are to be completed by the beginning of class.
Unless stated otherwise, assignments must be type written using a 12-point font, double spaced, with oneinch margins, and STAPLED! A cover page, including your name, the assignment number, the due date and
the title of your essay, is required. The cover page will not be considered as part of the essay. Should the
cover page be missing one point will automatically be deducted from the total points you earn for the
essay. One-half (0.5) of one point will also be deducted for every poorly written sentence, each word
that is misspelled and each punctuation error. No points will be awarded for sloppy or incomplete
work. One (1) point will be deducted from the total points possible for an assignment for each day it is
late. (Yes, this includes weekends).
1. Due September 10 by 2:00 PM– worth 55 points total
a. Bring one hard copy of your schedule to my office in both the regular and timetable formats (worth 5
points for each format for a total of 10 points).
b. Bring all of your syllabi to class (worth 20 points).
You will be doing an in-class activity using your syllabi and your printed schedules (worth 25 points).
2. Due September 17 by 2:00 PM – worth 100 points total
a. Maintain a two-week (14 days) time diary (worth 70 points). Keep track of everything you do and
how long it takes you to do it. The diary will begin in the morning of Wednesday, August 27, and
will end Tuesday evening, September 9. Bring your completed diary to class on September 10 for an
in class activity worth 20 points.
b. Using your time diary, write a 1-2 summary (worth 10 points) stating what you’ve learned regarding
how you use your time. Your essay along with the in class activity project (worth 20 points) is due
September 17.
3. Due September 17 by 2:00 PM – worth 30 points total
Bring in the results of your the TypeFocus assessment and be prepared for a class discussion.
TypeFocus is a career assessment tool that helps focus career decisions by providing individualized
information about personality preference patterns, career satisfaction, and career options. TypeFocus
can be applied to a variety of areas such as choosing majors, investigating occupations, and considering
graduate school. TypeFocus is a personality profiler that helps you choose a career path that's likely to
fit your personality type. Free for students registered with Aztec Career Connection.
3
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
4. Due September 24 by 2:00 PM - worth 10 points
Provide proof (e.g. a picture of you at the event with the name of the event in the forefront or
background, a note from a supervisor/coordinator or mentor who was there, the ticket stub, etc.) you’ve
attended an on campus event this semester (e.g. New Student Convocation, Aztec Nights, Welcome
Week event, a play, a recital, a Greek event, a student organization meeting, or a sporting event) or an
off campus event sponsored by the University. Pictures on iphones will not be accepted. Either make a
hard copy and bring it to class or email your proof to me. Only those events that occurred between
August 23 and September 23 will be allowed to satisfy this assignment.
5. Due October 1 by 2:00 PM - worth 60 points
Autobiography-Family-Memoir Paper: The paper is to be at least 5 pages long (does not include title
page), double-spaced, using a 12-point font and one inch margins. In this assignment you will write an
autobiography or personal memoir that explores your own life history. You will reflect on your personal
life and how those experiences have impacted you today.
6. Due October 1 by 2:00 PM – worth 45 points
Learn about the library’s services, materials and history with this self-guided tour. Bring proof you’ve
completed this assignment to class or to my office.
7. Due October 8 by 2:00 PM – worth 20 points
Schedule and attend at least one personal visit with Dr. Martin. Allow yourself 60 minutes for this
visit. Unless Dr. Martin’s assistant Samantha or Dr. Martin reschedules your visit or an emergency
occurs and you’ve notified one of them, preferably 2 hours minimum before your meeting and
certainly by the end of the day you are scheduled to meet, 0.5 point will be deducted for each day after
October 6 until your meeting occurs. Yes, this includes the holiday breaks.
8. Due October 22 by 2:00 PM– worth 40 points.
SDSU Scavenger Hunt Presentations. You will be assigned to teams to begin this activity on October 8.
Your team’s mission is to locate SDSU landmarks, areas on campus and/or departments based on the
clues provided. When you find each location, you must take a picture of the ENTIRE team at that
location (worth 20 points). Be creative. Each team will display their photos in class (worth 20 points)
and discuss what occurs at each where appropriate.
9. Due October 29 by 2:00 PM – worth 30-50 points total (10 points per instructor signature)
Visit all your professors, excluding Dr. Martin, following your first exam or major assignment and find
out what suggestions they have to improve your performance on the next exam or major assignment.
Have each professor indicate the date and time you came to visit as well as sign his/her name to the
form provided for verification that you have talked with him/her. This does not mean you shoved a
piece of paper in from of her/him before or at the end of class and asked him/her to sign it. You must go
to the professor’s office and talk with him/her. Should any of the three – date, time or professor’s
signature – be missing, you will not receive credit for that particular visit.
4
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
10. Due November 5 by 2:00 PM - worth 10 points
Bring proof (e.g. a picture of you at the event with the name of the event in the forefront or
background, a note from a supervisor/coordinator or mentor who was there, a ticket stub) you’ve
attended an on campus event this semester (e.g. rushing, can food drive, a student organization
meeting, recitals/concerts, a play, AS events or a sporting event) or an off campus event sponsored by
the University. Pictures on iphones will not be accepted. Either make a hard copy or email the picture
to me. Only those events that have occurred between September 24 and November 4 will be allowed
to fulfill this assignment.
11. Due November 5 by 2:00 PM – worth 100 points
Maintain a two-week (14 days) time diary. Keep track of track of the time you spend studying. The
diary will begin in the morning of Wednesday, October 22, and ends the evening of Tuesday,
November 4. Bring to class the completed diary (worth 70 points) along with a pie chart of your
activities (worth 20 points) and a 1-2 page summary (worth 10 points) stating what you have learned
regarding how you are now using your academic time compared to the first diary.
12. Due November 19 by 2:00 PM - worth 40 points
Attend the Journey to Shared Humanity exhibition at Tula on campus. Show proof (worth 30 points)
that you’ve attended this event. This event will be discussed in class. Also a 1-2 page essay (worth 10
points) stating what you learned from this experience is due.
The only times and days to experience the Journey to Shared Humanity are the following:
 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Sunday, November 9
 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday, November 10
 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 12
 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Thursday, November 13
If upon arrival, the current tour is full, students will be given a ticket to return for a later tour time.
Warning: Attend this program early!!! Tickets do run out and not getting in because you waited until
the last minute is not an excuse for not being able to attend.
Should you fail to attend the exhibition, a 4-5 page essay (worth 30 points) will be required discussing
the different forms of prejudices a person may meet, what types of challenges/prejudices you’ve faced
and what you’ve done to overcome it. This will be due on November 19.
13. Due December 3 by 2:00 PM – worth 30 points total (each activity is worth 10 points)
a. Provide proof that you’ve turned in your immunization records to Student Health Services.
b. Go to the Student Health Services website (aod.sdsu.edu/prevention.html) and take the e-CHUG and
the e-TOKE assessments. Email either proof that you have taken these assessments or the results of
these assessments to me.
5
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
12. Due December 10 by 2:00 PM – worth 10 points
Bring proof (e.g. a picture of you at the event with the name of the event in the forefront or
background, a note from a supervisor/coordinator or mentor who was there, a ticket stub) you’ve
attended an on campus event this semester (e.g. rushing, can food drive, a student organization
meeting, recitals/concerts, a play, AS events or a sporting event) or an off campus event sponsored by
the University. Pictures on iphones will not be accepted. Either make a hard copy or email the picture
to me. Only those events that have occurred between November 4 and December 9 will be allowed to
fulfill this assignment.
13. Due December 17 by 2:00 PM – worth 30 points
Make and attend a formal appointment with your major advisor to plan your spring 2015 schedule.
Bring proof with your advisor’s signature on it (worth 20 points) as well as a copy of your tentative
spring schedule in the regular and timetable formats to class (worth 5 points each).
6
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
Summary of how the points are distributed:
Attendance to class held in LSS 246 = 160 points (16 classes x 10 points per class)
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 6
Task 7
Task 8
Task 9
= 55 points – syllabi, planner and time diary to class due Sept 10
= 100 points – time diary due Sept 10; time diary, essay and in class activity due Sept 17
= 30 points – TypeFocus assessment due Sept 17
= 10 points – proof attended on/off campus University sponsored event due Sept 24
= 60 points – autobiography due Oct 1
= 45 points – self-guided library tour assignment due Oct 1
= 20 points – visit with Dr. Martin due Oct 8
= 40 points – Scavenger Hunt presentations due Oct 22
= 30-50 points - professor visitations form (10 points for each class other than general
studies 100) due Oct 29
Task 10 = 10 points – proof attended on/off campus University sponsored event due Nov 5
Task 11 = 100 points – time diary #2 due Oct 29; time diary, essay and in class activity due Nov
5
Task 12 = 40 points – proof attended Journey to Shared Humanity and essay due Nov 19
Task 13 = 30 points – immunization records turned in to Capulli and proof completed eCHUG
and eTOKE assessments due Dec 3
Task 14 = 10 points – proof attended on/off campus University sponsored event due Dec 10
Task 15 = 30 points – proof visited with major advisor due Dec 17
Subtotal = 610 - 630 points
Total points possible 760 - 780 points (160 pts for attendance + 610-630 pts for assignments)
To pass this class you need to earn at least 616 points
= 488 (610 x 0.80) pts for the assignments + 128 pts for attending 80%of the classes
(160 x 0.80)
REMEMBER:
1. Unless stated otherwise, assignments must be type written, 12 point font, double spaced, one inch
margins and STAPLED!
2. No points will be awarded for sloppy or incomplete work.
3. Unless stated otherwise, one (1) point per day including weekends and campus breaks will be
deducted for any assignment that is turned in late unless previous arrangements have been made.
7
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
GENERAL STUDIES 100A – COMPACT SCHOLARS
Fall 2014
DATE (Class #)
AUGUST
23
27 (Class #1)
29
SEPTEMBER
1
3 (Class #2)
8
9
10 (Class #3)
17 (Class #4)
24 (Class #5)
OCTOBER
1 (Class #6)
8 (Class #7)
15 (Class #8)
18-19
22 (Class #9)
TOPIC
New Student and Family Convocation
1. Introductions
2. Class Logistics
3. Get to know your classmates
4. Assignment #2: Time diary begins
CareerLink Reception – 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at SSE 1200
HOLIDAY – LABOR DAY – CAMPUS CLOSED
1. Bring planner and all syllabi to class for in class activity
2. Assignment #1: Hard copies of class schedule due, also need for in class activity
Last day to add or drop a class and/or change grading basis using your webportal
account. Must be done by 11:59 p.m.
Assignment #2: Time diary ends
1. TIME MANAGEMENT AND GOAL SETTING. Success is a function of being
able to arrange your schedule smoothly in order to accomplish daily tasks. University
expectations and campus life significantly alter your personal time. Academic success
and the feeling of accomplishment are enriched by your ability to create time for your
personal interests and needs. A big part of the solution is to figure out what is
important to you.
2. Assignment #1: Hard copies of class schedule and syllabi due - need for in class
activity
3. Assignment #2: Time diary – Bring time diary to class for in class activity
1. GUESS SPEAKER – Career Services – Topic: TypeFocus
2. Assignment #2: Time diary essay due along with diary and in class activity
3. Assignment #3: TypeFocus assessment due
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: Likes and dislikes so far
2. Assignment #4: Proof attended an event on/off campus sponsored by the University
due
SDSU Rocks Hunger Food Drive throughout the month
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #1
2. Assignment #5: Type written copy of autobiography due
3. Assignment #6: Self-guided library tour due.
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #2
2. Assignment #7: Visit with Dr. Martin must be completed
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #3
2. Assignment #11: Time diary begins
Family Weekend
1. Assignment #8: SDSU Scavenger Hunt Presentations
8
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
OCTOBER
(cont)
28
29 (Class #10)
NOVEMBER
2-8
5 (Class #11)
9-13
except
November 11
11
12 (Class #12)
19 (Class #13)
26-28
DECEMBER
3 (Class #14)
10 (Class 15)
11-17
17 (Class #16)
FINAL
23-26
30-31
31
Assignment #11: Time diary ends
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #4
2. Assignment #9: Visit professors due
3. Assignment #11: Time diary – Bring time diary to class for in class activity
Homecoming Week
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #5
2. Assignment #10: Proof attended an event on/off campus sponsored by the
University due
3. Assignment #11: Time diary, essay and in class activity due
Journey to Shared Humanity presentations on campus from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
on Sunday, November 9 and 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday. All presentations will be in the Tula Community Center
HOLIDAY – VETERAN’S DAY – CAMPUS CLOSED
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #6
OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION: Journey to Shared Humanity and other challenges
2. Assignment #12: Journey to Shared Humanity proof of attendance and essay due
HOLIDAY – THANKSGIVING RECESS
NO CLASSES NOV 26 - CAMPUS CLOSED NOV 27-28
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #7
2. Assignment #13: Immunizations are to be turned and provide proof have taken both
eCHUG and eTOKE assessments due
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION – Topic: University Policies discussion #8
2. Assignment #14: Provide proof attended an event on/off campus sponsored by the
University due
Last day of classes before final examinations
FINAL EXAMINATIONS
Assignment #15: Spring 2015 class plan with major advisor’s signature due
HOLIDAY – WINTER RECESS – CAMPUS CLOSED
CAMPUS OPEN – NO CLASSES
Grades due from instructors (11:00 p.m. deadline)
9
GS100A Section 14: University Seminar- COMPACT Wednesdays 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
Fall 2014