General Studies 100C: University Seminar – METS
Fall 2014
Mondays, 12:00 p.m. -12:50 p.m.; Room: SSW 2501
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)
GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 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% (6/8) class meetings (worth 10 points each for a total of 80 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.
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
2. Attend all (100% or 7/7) mandatory out-of-class assignments held on campus in the Tula Community
Center unless otherwise noted.
Proof of attendance is required. Some form of attendance sheet will be passed out at each. You are required
to make sure you sign this sheet or turn in the “ticket” given at the event. The dates and times of these events
are listed below. An in-class discussion or assignment will occur the week following each presentation.
1. September 8: Wellness Session #1 – presented by Student Health Services – Title: TBD
2. September 15: Getting Involved – presented by Student Life and Leadership
3. October 6: Lunch Hour with STEM employers in the Cuicacalli private dining room. You will need
to use your meal plan to attend this session
4. October 13: Wellness Session #2 – presented by Student Health Services – Title: Live Well Aztecs
5. October 27: Career Services Overview
6. November 3: Academic Integrity – presented by Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities
7. November 10: Journey to Shared Humanity – presented by Residential Education staff
3. 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% (315/350
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 8 by 4:00 PM– worth 15 points total
Bring one hard copy of your schedule to my office in both the regular and timetable formats. On the
timetable format copy be sure to denote times that you are working and/or doing other extracurricular
activities. If you are not working or doing other extracurricular activities, be sure to denote this as well.
(5 points for the regular format copy + 5 points for the timetable format + 5 points for denoting your
work/extracurricular activities on the timetable formatted copy = 15 points total).
Should you add or drop a class before the 11:59 p.m. deadline on September 8, bring the revised
schedule to Dr. Martin’s office no later than noon on Wednesday, September 10. There will be no
penalty assessed for changing your schedule unless you submit the new version before noon on
September 10.
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
2. Due September 15 by 4:00 PM – worth 90 points total
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 at the beginning of class August 25 and will end at the
beginning of class September 8. Using your time diary, write a 1-2 page summary (worth 10 points)
stating and a pie chart (worth 10 points) showing what you have learned regarding how you use your
time. Either bring a hard copy to my office or email your essay and pie chart to me.
3. Due September 22 by 4:00 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 21 will be allowed to satisfy this assignment.
4. Due October 6 by 4:00 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.
5. Due October 13 by 4:00 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.
6. Due October 20 by 4:00 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.
7. Due October 27 by 4:00 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.
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
8. Due November 3 by 4:00 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 22 and November 2 will be allowed to
fulfill this assignment.
9. Due November 10 by 4:00 PM – worth 90 points
Maintain a two-week (14 days) time diary. Keep track of track of the time you spend studying. The
diary will begin October 20 and ends November 3. Bring to class the completed diary (worth 70 points)
along with a pie chart of your activities (worth 10 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.
10. Due November 17 by 4:00 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 also 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 oppressions 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 24.
11. Due December 1 by 4:00 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.
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
12. Due December 8 by 4:00 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 7 will be allowed to
fulfill this assignment.
13. Due December 15 by 4:00 PM – worth 30 points
Make and attend a formal appointment with your major advisor to plan your spring 2014 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).
Summary of how the points are distributed:
Attendance to class held in SSW 2501 = 90 points (9 classes x 10 points per class)
Attendance to mandatory presentations = 70 points (7 classes x 10 points per class)
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 6
Task 7
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
15 points – syllabi, planner and time diary to class due Sept 8
90 points – time diary essay due Sept 15
10 points – proof attended on/off campus University sponsored event due Sept 22
20 points – visit with Dr. Martin due Oct 6
45 points – self-guided library tour assignment due Oct 13
60 points – autobiography due Oct 20
30-50 points - professor visitations form (10 points for each class other than general
studies 100) due Oct 27
Task 8 = 10 points – proof attended on/off campus University sponsored event due Nov 3
Task 9 = 90 points – time diary #2 and essay due Nov 10
Task 10 = 40 points – proof attended Journey to Shared Humanity and essay due Nov 17
Task 11 = 30 points – immunization records turned in to Capulli and proof completed eCHUG
and eTOKE assessments due Dec 1
Task 12 = 10 points – proof attended on/off campus University sponsored event due Dec 8
Task 13 = 30 points – proof visited with major advisor due Dec 15
Subtotal = 480 - 500 points
Total points possible 640 - 660 points (160 pts for attendance + 480-500 pts for assignments)
To pass this class you need to earn at least 524 points
= 384 (480 x 0.80) pts for the assignments + 70 pts for mandatory meetings + 70 pts
for attending 80%of the non-mandatory classes (90 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.
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
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.
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
MEN IN ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE (METS)
Fall 2014
DATE (Class #)
AUGUST
23
25 (Class #1)
29
SEPTEMBER
1
8 (Class #2)
15 (Class #3)
22 (Class #4)
29 (Class #5)
OCTOBER
6 (Class #6)
13 (Class #7)
18-19
20 (Class #8)
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. GUEST SPEAKERS: Student Health Services – Wellness Session #1 – Title: TBD
– Class will meet in the Tula Community Center
2. Assignment #1: Hard copies of class schedule due
3. Assignment #2: Time diary ends
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.
1. GUEST SPEAKERS: Student Life and Leadership – Title: Getting Involved - Class
will meet in the Tula Community Center
2. Assignment #2: Time diary, essay and pie chart due
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 #3: Proof attended an event on/off campus sponsored by the University
due
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION
SDSU Rocks Hunger Food Drive throughout the month
1. GUEST SPEAKERS: Lunch with STEM employers in the Cuicacalli private dining
room
2. Assignment #4: Visit with Dr. Martin must be completed
1. GUEST SPEAKERS: Student Health Services - Wellness Session #2 – Title: Live
Well Aztecs - Class will meet in the Tula Community Center
2. Assignment #5: Self-guided library tour due.
Family Weekend
1. Assignment #6: Type written copy of autobiography due
2. Assignment #9: Time diary begins
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014
27 (Class #9)
NOVEMBER
2-8
3 (Class #10)
9-13
except
November 11
10 (Class #11)
11
17 (Class #12)
24 (Class #13)
26-28
DECEMBER
1 (Class #14)
8 (Class 15)
10
11-17
15 (Class #16)
FINAL
23-26
30-31
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1. GUEST SPEAKERS: Career Services – Title: Career Services Overview –
Location TBD
2. Assignment #7: Visit professors due
Homecoming Week
1. GUEST SPEAKERS: Students Rights and Responsibilities – Title: Academic
Integrity – Class will meet in the Tula Community Center
2. Assignment #8: Proof attended an event on/off campus sponsored by the University
due
3. Assignment #9: Time diary ends
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
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION
2. Assignment #9: Time diary, essay and pie chart due
HOLIDAY – VETERAN’S DAY – CAMPUS CLOSED
1. OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION
2. Assignment #10: Journey to Shared Humanity proof of attendance and essay due
OPEN CLASS DISCUSSION: Transcript and DAR
HOLIDAY – THANKSGIVING RECESS
NO CLASSES NOV 26 - CAMPUS CLOSED NOV 27-28
1. CLASS DISCUSSION: Grade Point Average Calculations, unit deficiencies, and
course forgiveness
2. Assignment #11: Immunizations are to be turned and provide proof have taken both
eCHUG and eTOKE assessments due
1. CLASS DISCUSSION: Grade Point Average Calculations, Transcript and DAR,
unit deficiencies, and course forgiveness
2. Assignment #12: Provide proof attended an event on/off campus sponsored by the
University due
Last day of classes before final examinations
FINAL EXAMINATIONS
Assignment #13: 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)
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GS100C Section 12: University Seminar- METS Mondays 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Fall 2014