Disclaimer: Revisions to this document may be made at any time at the instructor’s discretion.
SECTION 1: COURSE OVERVIEW
Valencia College West Campus Fall 2019 Syllabus SLS 1122
New Student Experience (3 credit hours) M 10:00 am – 11:15 am CRN 12844
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Guerriero (last name is pronounced, “Gary-arrow.”)
Advising hours: Mondays 11:30-1:30pm and Wednesdays 11:45 – 3:45pm in Room 6-326
Email: jguerriero1@valenciacollege.edu
Course Description
The New Student Experience is designed to assist students in formulating their purpose in life. Through
self-discovery, students will investigate their interests, strengths and personal values that align with
their educational and career goals. Emphasis is on orientation to college, integrated student success
skills, and the development of an individualized education plan. Students will learn and integrate
practical applications to communicate across diverse populations.
Course Overview
Students will choose a major and articulate a pathway to complete their academic and career goals.
Major topics include: defining your purpose, demonstrating awareness of college support systems,
communicating effectively, and navigating college sources, applying college success skills, designing an
education plan and creating a financial plan.
Core Competencies
Valencia’s Student Core Competencies are complex abilities that are essential to lifelong success.
This course will help you develop and demonstrate the abilities to (1) think clearly, critically, and
creatively; (2) communicate with others verbally and in written form; (3) make reasoned value
judgments and responsible commitments; and (4) act purposefully, reflectively, and responsibly.
Due to the nature of these global competencies, many problems activities will be presented in
the context of an application. These applications will require students to select appropriate
information from the problem and communicate effectively how to arrive at an appropriate
solution for the problem.
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Students will create a personal purpose statement that outlines and articulates their values,
goals, interests, and strengths in relation to their educational and career aspirations.
2. Students will choose an academic program aligned with their
educational/career goals, interests, strengths, and values.
3. Students will design an education plan that include goals for learning and a financial plan.
4. Students will apply college success skills.
5. Students will demonstrate effective communication skills with diverse groups.
6. Students will demonstrate awareness of college support systems.
SECTION 2: COURSE POLICIES
Required Resources
Clifton Strengths for Students: Your Journey Begins Here by Don Clifton (Only the Access Code is
Required. You do not have to buy the actual textbook).
Assignments & Grades
Major Assignments:
Support Services Exploration (Group)
College, Self & Career Exploration
Purpose Paper*
Academic Blueprint
Final Story Project
700
100
100
200
200
100
*Purpose Paper includes homework assignments that are not graded separately. They are
assessed as part of the Purpose Paper. If you don’t do the homework, you will lose several points
on the Purpose Paper. In fact, it will be impossible to complete this assignment without the
homework.
The Final Story Project is considered the Final Exam in this course. Any student who misses the
final exam will lose 100 points, which is a full letter grade. The Final Project must be presented as
a whole assignment. Students cannot receive partial credit for the Final Project. A student either
completes the exam or not.
Minor Assignments:
Reflection 1: Metacognition
Reflection 2: Boundaries
Reflection 3: Medicalizing Free Speech
Reflection 4: Personal Finance
Reflection 5: Closing Thoughts
Advising Videos
Advising Appointments
End of Course Survey
300
25
25
50
50
25
75
40 (2 at 20) each
10
Final Grades are earned as follows:
A = 900-1000
B = 800-899
C = 700-799
D = 600-699
F = 599 and under OR missing any of the above mandatory assignments, regardless of total
All grades will be posted in Canvas. Students may check their progress throughout the semester by
viewing their grades on Canvas.
Submission of Assignments
All assignments must be submitted in Canvas. All submissions must be in PDF or MS Word Document
(.doc or .docx). If you are having difficulty submitting assignments, please contact the help desk or
see me during advising hours to troubleshoot the problem.
Due Dates and Late Assignments
All graded assignments are due in Canvas at 11:59 pm on the stated due date. If you need an extension, you
are allowed up to one week after the assignment is due to turn it in. This one-week extension is built into all
assignments. Your work will not be marked late, but if it is not turned in by the end of the extension
period, you will receive a zero.
If you are missing too many assignments by the withdrawal date (November 1, 2019), I will
immediately drop you from the course, as you will not have enough points to be able to pass.
Advising Appointments
You are expected to visit with me this semester. You may choose: two 30-minute appointments for 20
points each or one 60-minute appointment for the full 40 points.
Attendance and Late Policy
I don’t grade attendance*, however I do take attendance every day. If you miss more than 3 classes,
you will be dropped from the course. This is a strict rule, and I won’t make exceptions. Please note that
being unreasonably late (more than 1/3 of the class minutes) will count as an absence.
No Shows
Any student who does not attend class by the No Show/ Drop/Refund deadline for this course will be
withdrawn by the instructor as a no-show. This will count as an attempt in the class, and student will
be responsible for tuition. If your plans have changed and you will simply not be attending this class,
please drop yourself from the course through Atlas to avoid financial responsibly for the course and a
grade of WN on your transcript. Simply signing into Canvas does not count as attendance.
No Show/Drop/Refund Deadline is September 13th by 11:59 PM.
Extra Credit
I do not offer extra credit through additional assignments. My philosophy is that you are offered
plenty of opportunities to earn credit. Coming to class and completing assignments as they should be
completed eliminates the need to do “extra” credit.
Classroom Behavior
Inappropriate or disruptive behavior may prompt your instructor to ask you to leave. If this occurs, it will
count as an absence. Please note: I consider not being prepared for class a form of disruptive behavior.
Classroom disruptions are a violation of the Valencia College Student Code of Conduct.
SECTION 3: VALENCIA COLLEGE POLICIES
Academic Dishonesty
All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to,
plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information, forgery, alteration or misuse of documents,
misconduct during a testing situation, and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive.
Plagiarism is claiming as your own paper, report, article, or speech, which in whole or in part was
prepared by someone other than you. Plagiarism is also using your own work completed for one
assignment and submitting it for a second assignment. Anyone who is suspected of plagiarism will
receive a zero for the assignment. A second violation of plagiarism will receive an “F” for the course.
Withdrawal
The withdrawal deadline for receiving a non-punitive grade of “W” is November 1, 2019. During a first or
second attempt in the same course at Valencia, if you withdraw or are withdrawn by the professor, you
will receive a W (Withdrawn). You will not receive credit for the course, and the W will not be calculated
in your grade point average; however, the enrollment will count in your total attempts in the specific
course.
After the Withdrawal Deadline
A student is not permitted to withdraw after the withdrawal deadline. A professor may withdraw you
up to the beginning of the final exam period for violation of the class attendance policy in which case
you will receive a grade of W.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with their professor(s), preferably
during the first two weeks of class. The Office with Student Disabilities is located in SSB, Room 102.
Baycare
Valencia College is interested in making sure all our students have a rewarding and successful college
experience. To that purpose, Valencia students can get immediate help with issues dealing with stress,
anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, time management as well as relationship
problems dealing with school, home or work. BayCare Behavioral Health Student Assistance Program
(SAP) services are free to all Valencia students and available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 878-5470.
Free face-to-face counseling is also available.
Conduct
Valencia College is dedicated not only to the advancement of knowledge and learning but it is
concerned with the development of responsible personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia
College, a student assumes the responsibility for becoming familiar with and abiding by the general
rules of conduct. The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the
faculty. Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may
be directed by the faculty member to leave the classroom. Violation of any classroom or Valencia’s rules
may lead to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from Valencia. Disciplinary action could
include being withdrawn from class, disciplinary warning, probation, suspension, expulsion, or other
appropriate and authorized actions. You will find the Student Code of Conduct in the current Valencia
Student Handbook. In addition, see college policy relating to children on campus and please make
arrangements for childcare outside the classroom.
SECTION 4: COURSE CALENDAR
Schedule subject to change. Mandatory Assignments are boldfaced.
WEEK DATE
DONE IN CLASS
DONE ONLINE
1
8/26
2
9/2
Spectrograms/Locograms,
Auxiliary Intro, Course Intro
LABOR DAY: NO CLASS
3
4
5
9/9
9/16
9/23
Boundaries Activity
Personal Finance Unit
Support Services Group Project Work on Group Project
Support Services Group Project Time Management Unit
6
9/30
Interests Activity
7
10/7
Values Activity
8
10/14 Strengths Activity
Begin Working on
Strengths Quest
Assessment
Begin Writing Purpose
Paper
Advising Unit
9
10
10/21 The Late Paper Activity
10/28 FSP Planning
Academic Blueprint Unit
Personality Unit
11
11/4
12
13
11/11 VETERANS DAY: NO CLASS
11/18 FSP
Self, College & Career
Exploration
Role Theory Unit
14
11/25 FSP
15
12/2
Personality Activity
FSP
Metacognition Unit
Boundaries Unit
ASSIGNMENTS DUE (on the following
Monday)
Metacognition Reflection 9/2
Boundaries Reflection 9/9
Medicalizing Free Speech Reflection 9/9
Finance Reflection 9/23
Complete Interest Inventory in
MyPlan.com – Bring Results to next class
meeting 9/30
Complete Career Values Assessment in
MyPlan.com – Bring Results to next class
meeting 10/7
Strengths Quest – Study Results for Next
Class Meeting 10/14
Purpose Paper 10/21
First Advising Appointment
recommended to occur by this week
Advising Video Assignment 10/28
Complete Personality Assessment in
MyPlan.com – bring results to next class
meeting 11/4
Academic Blueprint 11/11
Self, College & Career Exploration 11/18
2nd Advising Appointment
recommended to occur by this week
Closing Thoughts Reflection 12/2
Student Feedback Survey 12/2