SYLLABUS – NSM 21
First Year Seminar: “Becoming an Educated Person” GE Area E
Course Information:
Instructor
Office Hours
E-mail
Meeting
Web
Texts &
Materials
Brett Holland, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Tue/Thurs 12-1:30, SQU 120C
Holland@csus.edu Subject line: Include "NSM"21. Do not write to me through
MySacState.
TuTh 3 - 4:15PM, 2300 Lassen Hall; Section 50 (87253)
SacCT 9.1. Materials may be downloaded here.
1. One Book: Sherman Alexie (2012) Blasphemy. Grove Press.
2. Supplemental reading specific to this section of NSM 21
3. Weekly calendar (electronic or papyrus)
NSM 21 Peer Mentor: Maddy Lehman
mlehman510@gmail.com
Learning Community Partner: Dr. Ron Coleman (BIO 1)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
NSM 21 is a freshman seminar intended to provide students with an introduction to the nature
and possible meanings of higher education, and the functions and resources of the University.
This course is designed to help students develop and exercise fundamental academic success
strategies and to improve their basic learning skills. The seminar will also provide students with
the opportunity to interact with fellow students and the seminar leader and to build a
community of academic and personal support.
Learning Goals
 Students will demonstrate an understanding of academic content knowledge regarding
self-development as a physiological, social and/or psychological being.
 Students will critically examine prior or current experiences or behaviors from their own
lives in response to real world physiological, social and/or psychological contexts (may
be evident in self-assessment, reflection or creative work).
 Students will apply skills and knowledge regarding development of the self to differing
situations, such as real world challenges, and/or to make connections across
perspectives.
Learning Outcomes
 Students will be able to identify their own perspective and make
connections/comparisons across perspectives.
 Students will be able to plan, monitor, and assess their own learning.
 Students will be able to set personal and/or professional goals.
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EVALUATION: (Point totals may vary from the estimates below)
Written Assignments
200 pts
 Written reflections on assigned readings and class activities (100 pts)
 Reports on Extracurricular Events (4 x 25 = 100 pts)
Each student must attend and write a one page report on FOUR extracurricular
activities/events. At least one of the events must be science/health related and at
least one must be non-science/health related. Reports on at least TWO of the events
must be submitted on or before the date of the Midterm, and the remaining reports
must be submitted on or before the last class day for this course (Dec. 6). Examples
of the types of activities/events will be provided on a weekly basis.
 All work submitted for a grade is to be printed.
Participation
100 pts
 Attending class, contributing to discussions and online forums, and engaging in class
activities, being respectful of speakers (80 pts)
 Meetings with Peer Mentors (2 x 10 = 20 pts)
Each student must meet with the assigned peer mentor at least TWO times during the
semester. At least one of these meeting should be held before the midterm and at
least one meeting should be held after the midterm.
Group Project/Oral Presentation
50 pts
Each Student will work on a group project, which will require preparation of PowerPoint
slides and an oral presentation on a particular career.
Midterm exam (objective and essay questions)
Final exam (objective and essay questions)
TOTAL
75 pts
75 pts
500 pts
Normalizing: SacCT points may not add up to the totals shown above. I will normalize the
scores to course points at the end of the semester. For example if you have 32 participation
points and there were 48 possible points awarded to date, then your current course points in
Participation are: 32/48 x 50 = 33.3. In general, to estimate your grade use the fraction of the
total points possible that you have earned.
GRADING
Final grades will be awarded for the following levels of performance:
A =93%-100%,
B- = 80%-82%
D = 60%-69%,
A- = 90%-92%
C+ =77%-79%,
F = 59% and below
B+ =87%-89%,
C = 73%-76%,
MAKE-UP POLICY
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B = 83%-86%,
C- = 70%-72%
Late assignments will be accepted only if they are submitted within 1 week of the due date (2
pts will be deducted from the maximum points available). MAKE-UP EXAMS will only be given
if the instructor is contacted ON OR BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EXAM AND DOCUMENTATION OF
A SERIOUS AND COMPELLING REASON FOR MISSING THE EXAM IS PROVIDED (e.g. serious
illness in yourself or a close family member)
Except as provided below, students who miss the final exam will be assigned a "WU" grade (if
they were passing the course prior to the final) or an "F" grade (if they were not passing the
course). A student who misses the final may be assigned an "I" grade only if: (a) the student is
passing the course; b. the student notifies the instructor prior to the exam and presents a
physician's verification of illness to the instructor by Friday of final week; and (c) the student
files an "Incomplete Petition" by Friday of finals week.
CLASS CONDUCT/AND OTHER COURSE POLICIES
Class attendance and participation: Class attendance and participation are MANDATORY.
Attendance will be monitored either by roll call, completion of in-class assignments, and/or
submission of assignments that are due during a particular class period. A student who misses
FOUR (4) scheduled classes will be awarded a WU grade in the class, even if their total points
in the course would have earned a passing letter grade if they had not missed four or more
classes. Students are expected to arrive in lecture on time and to remain in class for the full
period (otherwise you may be counted as absent)
Students are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner during class (i.e., to
listen, take notes, and refrain from engaging in conversations unless so directed); to ask
questions at appropriate times; to participate in activities and discussions; and to respect the
opinions of everyone.
No electronic devices are permitted to make sounds during the lecture period, nor are they to
be used for non course related activity. If you think you might receive an urgent call during
class time, please (1) inform the instructor, (2) set your phone on vibrate, and (3) leave the
classroom to take the call. Failure to comport one’s self in accordance with the rules stated
above constitutes disruptive conduct. See link for consequences.
DROP POLICY
Note: the procedures provided below pertain to dropping NSM 21. However, because this
course is tied to other courses in a learning community, you may be required to drop all courses
in the learning community at the same time.

Dropping: Until the end of the second week of instruction of the semester, students are expected to
drop courses by using "My Sac State" (http://www.my.csus.edu). Students will be charged
registration fees for all courses not dropped prior to the first day of instruction. The drop in units
refund deadline is the end of the second week of instruction.
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
Drops during the third and fourth weeks of instruction are processed in the academic department
offering the course and (1) require approval of the instructor and the Chair of the Department of
Biological Sciences, and (2) will be permitted only for reasons deemed by the instructor and
department chair to be "serious and compelling". Serious and compelling reasons may include
illness, change in work schedule, carrying an excessive course load, or inadequate prior academic
preparation for the course. Ordinarily, drops will NOT be permitted after the 6th week of class.
Forms are available at academic department offices, or at the Office of the Registrar's website
(http://www.csus.edu/registrar/pdf/PetitionToAddDropWithdraw.pdf).
POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
No communication between students or with the outside world is permitted during exams. No
sources of information or materials other than the student's writing implements and exam
materials provided or specified by the instructor may be in the student's possession during
exams. Whether or not the student was "cheating" during a communication or planning to
"use" the material or information in his/her possession, the communication or the possession
of the material is considered inappropriate academic conduct and the student will receive a
"0" grade on the exam during which such conduct is observed by the instructor of facilitator.
The incident will be reported to the Dean of Students, and the instructor may seek formal
disciplinary action.
In the case of take-home writing assignments, students are free (and encouraged) to discuss
the assignment with other students, but the writing must be done independently. Copying
another individual's words, using another individual's ideas and answers as if they were your
own, or letting someone else write your answers constitutes PLAGIARISM. If, in the opinion of
the instructor, all or part of the paper is plagiarized, a “0" grade will be assigned to the paper.
In some cases, the instructor may allow the student to rewrite and resubmit the paper, and
only a late penalty will be applied. If the instructor determines that plagiarism has occurred a
second time, the student will be assigned an "F" grade in the course, the incident will be
reported to the Dean of Students, and the instructor will seek formal disciplinary action.
Schedule: All events and due dates are listed on the Calendar at the course web site.
This syllabus is subject to change when the instructor views it to be in the best interest of the
student goals and learning outcomes.
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