Online Supplemental Syllabus
Course Title: SOSC115-025 Career Dev I – Theory and Practice
Instructor’s Name: Matthew Manning
Email: mtmanning@bryantstratton.edu
Virtual Office Hours/Skills Assistance:
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via the Ask
Your Instructor button in the course or through email. Keep in mind, questions posed
in the Ask Your Instructor are public to everyone enrolled in the course. So, the Ask
Your Instructor is a good place to ask about course content or get clarification on
completing assignments. If you have an issue or question that is more personal in
nature (your grades or personal circumstances, for example), email me. We can also set
up time to chat on the phone or get together on Microsoft Teams or Blackboard
Collaborate if needed.
Student Support Services (SSS):
SSS time is used for taking advantage of added or enhanced learning opportunities with any
instructor. Within the left-hand navigation pane, students will find the “ePortfolio & Tools”
button, which offers links to Brainfuse, a tutoring service, and the ePortfolio. In the “Student
Resources” button, students can find information on APA, taking screenshots, and contact
information for various website supports. Also in this button is the Virtual Library, where
students can access scholarly resources as needed.
Grading & Response Time from Your Instructor:
Grades along with feedback will be updated in Blackboard by Thursday at 11:59pm ET each
week (check the My Grades button). If you have questions on content or need clarification on
assignments, use the “Ask Your Instructor” button. I will respond to your questions within 24
to 48 hours.
Instructor’s Approach:
Learning and critical thinking have never been more important in the job market than
they are today. Whether you are in school with the aim of preparing for your first career
or your next career, you understand the need to learn new information and skills. My
teaching philosophy and my personal teaching goal centers around helping you relate
what you learn in my class to your chosen profession. My role as an instructor is to
create an environment where you can learn how to find the information you need,
analyze it, and articulate your understanding.
This course will encompass topics including resume writing, cover letters, the elevator
speech, and interviewing skills. You will study concepts and approaches to career
readiness and job hunting in your weekly readings, lectures, and discussions.
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This course includes assessments and graded assignments to evaluate your progress.
You will complete the weekly lessons and assignments and study the information
presented. As you acquire knowledge, you will apply what you have learned in your
weekly assignments and discussions. Analyzing the information in your lessons and
working to relate it to your desired career will help you transfer what you are learning
to the workplace. Keep this in mind as you summarize and apply your lessons in your
weekly reflections. You will be graded on your comprehension and application of the
material as evidenced from your work.
Like many of you, I was a non-traditional student. I completed both my undergraduate
and graduate degrees as an adult, all while maintaining a demanding full-time career. I
have personally experienced the transforming effects of academic success, and I hope to
share my experiences to your benefit.
Instructor’s Late Policy:
Ensuring timely submissions is extremely important for success in online learning. There is an
understanding that unexpected events happen and there may be times when you are unable to
meet established deadlines. In these situations, the following guidelines apply:
 Day 1: deduct 5 points
 Day 2: deduct 10 points
 Day 3: deduct 15 points
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Day 4: deduct 20 points
Day 5 and beyond: Instructor’s discretion
We are covering a semester’s material in an abbreviated time frame, so excessively late
work may not be accepted or graded. I encourage you to contact me prior to the
assignment deadline to let me know your circumstances and arrange for a late
submission when you find that you will not be able to complete your work on time.
If you have a documented emergency and need additional time, please let me know.
Late work will not be accepted after the last day of class.
Supplemental Material and Essential Questions:
Week 2
Giving and receiving effective feedback is vital to your personal and professional development.
Feedback often feels like criticism, even when it is well intentioned, so remember not to be reactive and
that you don’t have to respond immediately. Review the following article with definitions and examples
of feedback:
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Indeed. (2023, February 3). Giving and Receiving Feedback: Definition and Examples.
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/receiving-and-giving-feedback
Consider: How do I typically respond to feedback? What can I improve?
Week 3
Resumes help demonstrate how you fit a job description. They type of resume you create and submit
will vary depending on your experience and what the employer seems to be looking for. Review the
following article regarding resume types:
Indeed. (2023, August 31). Why Is a Resume Important? (Types and Why You Need One).
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/why-is-a-resume-important
Consider: What type of resume best represents my history?
Week 4
The way you choose to represent your work experience on a resume can make all the difference in the
selection process. Review the following article regarding how to list various kinds of experience to make
it most appealing to hiring managers:
Kurtuy, A. (2023, December 27). Work experience on a resume - How to list it right. Novorésumé.
https://novoresume.com/career-blog/how-to-list-work-experience-on-a-resume
Consider: What can I do to make my experience stand out?
Week 5
There are exceptions to every rule, but the items on the following list generally should not be included
on a resume:
Smith, J., Gillett, R., & Jackson, S. (2022, December 22). Take these 32 things off of your resume for a
better shot at landing the job. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/things-toremove-from-resume-2016-11#-20
Consider: What might be included in my resume that would serve to distract the hiring manager?
Week 6
I am generally not a proponent of cover letters. That said, every single academic job posting I have seen
at least encouraged, if not required, a cover letter. They have never been required for any other type of
position I have applied to. Read the following article on the cover letter debate:
Morrison, C. (2023, March 22). The great cover letter debate: Is the cover letter dead? LinkedIn.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-cover-letter-debate-dead-chris-morrison
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Consider: Does my chosen industry tend to favor cover letters in the application process? If not, is there
a good reason for writing and submitting one?
Week 7
Interviewing is a skill. You can bet the person on the hiring side of the table has had some training and
likely a fair amount of practice. It doesn’t make sense that you wouldn’t also come prepared. If you
haven’t been interviewing regularly, you can still prepare yourself. Review the following article regarding
improving your interviewing skills:
Doyle, A. (2009, October 12). How to improve your interview skills. The Balance.
https://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-to-improve-your-interview-technique-2061322
Consider: What are the weakest aspects of my interviewing skills and what can I do to improve?
Week 7.5
Formal education is still important, but informal learning is a valuable tool that you are likely already
constantly taking advantage of, especially through your daily use of technology. You can pick up valuable
information and skills this way, and you should absolutely leverage these in the interview process.
Review the following article:
Rehmova, T. (2022, September 9). How to present your informal education to employers. Enhancv.
https://enhancv.com/blog/how-to-present-your-informal-education-to-employers/
Consider: What have I learned through informal sources that will help me in my job search and
application?
Course Assessment Evaluation Criteria:
90-100% – A
85-89% – B+
80-84% – B
75-79% – C+
70-74% – C
65-69% – D+
64% and below – F
An additional breakdown of gradebook categories and assignments can be found on the
Tracking Calendar.
Cheating
According to the Bryant & Stratton College Catalog, cheating includes (but is not limited to): 1)
inappropriate collaboration or carrying out conduct which the student knew or should have
known provided him with an unfair advantage in the course; 2) using materials found on
crowdsourcing source sites (such as Course Hero, Grade Buddy, and Koofers); 3) the use of any
unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations or in completing assignments;
4) use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing
reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; and 5) plagiarism. Plagiarism
may involve self-plagiarism (reusing significant or identical portions of previously submitted
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work without citing our acknowledging one is doing so), use of purchased reports or
assignments, use of another person’s direct wording or ideas without proper acknowledgment
and citation, and/or use of crowdsourcing sites mentioned previously.
The ramifications of cheating can range from failing an assignment (with or without the chance
to resubmit) to dismissal from the college.
DSI Statement
Diversity, Sensitivity, and Inclusion are part of Bryant & Stratton College’s strategic plan and
integral to the achievement of academic excellence. We seek to cultivate the College’s
continuing efforts to foster an inclusive culture and atmosphere of mutual respect and equity.
We encourage dialogue that will attract, retain, celebrate, and embrace all backgrounds,
cultures, perspectives, and abilities. This will be done by creating awareness through campus
events, workshops, instructor training and development, while being purposeful about
engaging with our students and community.
Workplace Readiness
For students at Bryant & Stratton College, workplace readiness is paramount. The instructional
methodologies used have been specifically chosen for their effectiveness in preparing students
to achieve both academic and career success. These methodologies include the integration of
key workplace competencies throughout the curriculum; outcomes-based learning; active,
experiential learning activities and assignments; authentic assessment; portfolio; and others.
This course is designed to bridge together the workplace, the real world, and the classroom. The
content will give you the opportunity to better prepare for the workplace and for the real world.
Program Outcomes & Institutional Outcomes & Technology Requirements:
Refer to the catalog link below to look up your program/institutional outcomes associated with
your degree and the most current technology requirements needed to be successful in online
learning. A weblink to the Bryant & Stratton College Catalog is provided below.
Bryant & Stratton College Catalog.pdf
Professionalism:
Much like employees perform best in work environments where they feel supported and
appreciated, students learn best when they are in a positive environment for learning. At Bryant
& Stratton College, the classroom is your preparation space for the workplace as well as life. As
such, following these expectations will ensure that your classroom experience is positive,
supportive, and leads to academic and career growth.
Creating a sense of community is essential in an online classroom. You must feel comfortable
when participating in a discussion forum and you must understand that your ideas can be
presented without fear of ridicule or cyber-bullying. Professional demeanor and
communication with your instructor and classmates is of the utmost importance. You should
practice treating your classmates the way you would colleagues in the workplace.
To portray an image of professionalism, please observe the following guidelines when
participating in discussion and communicating with classmates and instructors:
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Do not write in all capital letters.
Do not write in any font color other than black.
Do not use any sort of profanity.
Do not use text language like “LOL”.
Be respectful and constructive in all communications.
CareerLifePrep (CLP):
An education from Bryant & Stratton College comes with a unique set of experiences that helps
prepare students at every step in their journey, both while in college and after graduation so
that they may achieve a long and fulfilling career coupled with a fulfilling life. Within the
CareerLifePrep experience, there are several key pillars: CareerLifePrep Path, Pro, Plus, and Team.
As part of CareerLifePrep, the Pro Pillar is designed for interaction between instructor and
students to help prepare students with the proper workplace knowledge, skills, and behaviors.
Each class has been designed to include assessments making connections between the course
topics and the real world. Assessments, connected to specific course and program outcomes, are
intended to mimic situations and scenarios you may encounter in your chosen field and will
give you the opportunity to demonstrate your new skills.
ePortfolio Inclusion:
The purpose of the portfolio projects completed in each course is to help prepare students for
the Articulation and Evidence assignment they will be asked to complete in their Capstone course.
This activity is focused on getting students ready for the workforce. Students identify work(s)
produced in each course that allow them to demonstrate, reflect on, and speak to the acquired
knowledge, skills, and behaviors that will benefit them and their future employers.
Once a portfolio project has been completed and graded, students should review the
instructor’s comments, revise the project as appropriate, and upload the most recent version of
the project to your electronic portfolio account for use later.
Some classes, such as those in the first term, do not include a portfolio project. In these classes,
no items will be uploaded into the student ePortfolio.
Time Commitment Necessary to Earn Course Credit:
Bryant & Stratton College subscribes to a philosophy commonly held by institutions across
higher education: achievement of success with college-level study will necessitate that the
student devotes both scheduled ‘in-class’ time as well as significant ‘out-of-class’ time to
meeting course outcomes. To achieve all outcomes for this 3-credit hour course, each student
should expect to participate in the scheduled ‘in-class’ asynchronous hours (6 or more) and to
dedicate approximately 90 hours total during the session for class preparation and work time.
Out-of-class time is necessary for completing textbook readings (if applicable), reviewing
lecture content, completing related assignments, accessing and using additional resources as
identified by the instructor, and/or researching, participating in discussion forums, completing
graded assignments and assessments, and preparing for the final project.
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