URI 101 Instruction Guide – Fall 2014
Table of Contents
Overview
 Goals of URI101
 Advice from former instructors
 Learning Communities
pg. 2
pg. 2
pg. 2
Being an Effective Instructor
 Student-instructor connection
 Student-student connection
 Student-course connection
pg. 3
pg. 3
pg. 3
Syllabus & Logistics
 August/September to-do’s
 Grading
 eCampus assistance
pg. 4
pg. 4
pg. 10
Class Topics and Course Materials
 Class themes and text
 Prescheduled presentations
 Cancelling a presentation
 Feinstein Service Experience
pg. 5
pg. 6
pg. 6
pg. 7
Working with your Mentor
 Mentor training
 CSV course for mentors
 Instructor-mentor contract
pg. 8
pg. 8
pg. 8
Services, Resources, Contacts
 Early Alert
 Academic Enhancement Center
 Websites
 Academic Calendar
 Staff resources and contacts
pg. 9
pg. 9
pg. 9
pg. 9
pg. 11
1
Overview
What are the goals of URI 101?
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Practice collaborative learning skills in the learning community
Explore academic, co-curricular, and career options
Know yourself as a learner in the context of your discipline while enhancing your academic skills
Encourage leadership via service learning through the Feinstein Enriching America Service Project
Provide a safe and fun place to ask questions where you will gain valuable information
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What do I need to know about first year students?
Advice from former instructors:
On the first day, have students fill out contact cards with their name, address, cell, class schedule, e-mail
and other pertinent information.
 Tell students at the end of each class what is due the following class.
 Follow up with students who are not handing in work or are missing class.
 While you may receive many emails from students, it is important to respond in a timely manner, as this
is one purpose of URI 101 – being there for the student.
 Be sure to meet individually with students to review MapWorks survey information.
 Use TypeFocus to help students explore career and major interests with their skills and knowledge
base.
 Participate in the service-learning project.
 Keep records of students’ grades even after the semester has ended. Also, keep records of how you
obtained those grades, as students will often inquire.
 Have students prepare questions ahead of time for the in-class presentations.
 HAVE FUN IN CLASS!
What are Learning Communities?
As universities grow in size and professors’ responsibilities continue to grow and vary, students may feel a
lessened sense of community. It is this sense of “disconnect” with a college that often leads to students leaving
college, especially in their first semester. To help students feel a sense of commitment to the university, which
increases their likelihood to persist, they must be adequately integrated into the social and academic aspects of
college life. This most often occurs through involvement in the university’s programs and interaction with other
members of the university community. Learning communities are important because they have the power to
facilitate this type of involvement and interaction.
Learning communities alter the settings and classrooms in which education occurs. In its most basic element, it
is a cluster of courses that a single cohort of students takes. Learning communities are made up of a
cohort of 25 students or fewer, who share two to four classes in common. All students in the learning
community take URI101 together. They may vary by the type of classes that are linked together, the themes
connecting the linked classes, and the degree to which course material overlaps between classes. Often learning
communities link a smaller skill-focused class such as writing with larger content-focused classes such as
psychology or a natural science. Please note that your learning community is attached to your syllabus.
We hope you will contact the other faculty with whom you share these students, as there is great potential
for shared information, support and insight.
2
How to be an effective URI 101 instructor
Three key teaching “connections” that promote active involvement and social integration
1) The student-instructor connection: Student-Instructor rapport is often a precondition for active student
involvement in the learning process, in and out of the classroom.
 Right from the start, encourage out-of-class interaction with students by emphasizing your
availability outside the classroom, and by inviting students to visit you in your office.
 Make an individual appointment with each student to review their MapWorks survey
responses. This instrument provides great guidelines on how students can be more successful
during their adjustments to college in academic, social, and personal ways.
 Share your personal experience – who you are and why you are teaching this course.
 Individualize the course—encourage students to make some personal choices about what you will
focus on in class. Have students rank topics and try to spend more time on these.
2) The student-student (peer) connection: Have students interact with one another as much as possible.
Establishing connections with others makes them more likely to attend class, to be interested in the
subject, and to be successful in the transition process.
 Your mentor can play a major role in this connection. With support, give your mentor the
opportunity to co-teach the course, assuming responsibility for various assignments and
communication. Student mentors are able to:
• Develop and implement a lesson plan based on the set curriculum
• Assign, collect, and respond to student journals
• Facilitate icebreakers, team builders, and small group discussion
• Communicate with students via e-mail on a weekly basis
 Make URI 101 a student-centered course in which students work independently of the teacher, and
assume more personal responsibility for their own learning by occasionally “sharing the stage” with
students and the mentor.
3) The student-course (subject matter) connection: Of course, student interest in the material relates
directly to student motivation to learn.
 Discuss the shared courses students have in their learning community, their shared interests in a
major, and how different experiences in courses related to their learning styles.
 Review course syllabi from other classes to clarify assignments and to promote study groups within
your class.
 Use multiple methods of teaching/learning: mini-lectures, whole-class discussions, small-group
discussions, paired peer interactions, self-reflection exercises, role plays, case studies, guest
speakers, panel presentations, open forums. This will contribute to student interest and motivation,
and will help accommodate different learning styles.
 Our on-line course materials found at www.uri.edu/uri101 are designed to help students be involved
in the topics covered. There are important links embedded in each chapter and helpful reflective
questions. Assign these chapters and homework, ONLY after you have read them yourself and feel
they warrant course time.
 Use TypeFocus to help students connect personal interests and skills to major choices and career
options.
3
What about my Syllabus?
URI 101 Syllabus
Please review your electronic syllabus to make any desired changes.
In preparing for the semester we suggest the following:
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August:
You have an electronic copy of the template syllabus. Please share this with your mentor so you can
review it and make any changes for the semester. Mentors are ready to help in this process. They have
previous experience with the course and can offer suggestions and insights. Anything highlighted needs
editing. Be sure to pay special attention to fall course schedule and the impact of holidays.
Please review the on-line course materials (www.uri.edu/newstudent/uri101) and determine which PDFs
and which homework you want to assign. Do not assign everything or topics you do not plan to cover.
Please add your specific information such as service activities, due dates for homework and so forth.
Mentors are encouraged to send a welcome email to your class prior to the first day of classes and to
establish facebook connections. Please email your mentor the class email addresses from your roster.
We cannot give this to them, they must receive it directly from you.
September:
The first day of class is very important for helping students meet each other and to discuss connections
they have with each other (most share a learning community and common majors). Also, this is the time
to collect all emails and cell phone numbers.
Classroom and community behavior such as plagiarism, civility, respect, and so forth are good opening
topics. Students often become more comfortable with each other sooner in the semester since they
share other courses in common, due to learning communities. Some faculty noted an increase in student
disrespect towards each other because of this familiarity. You might want to address this now.
We will ask students to complete the Map Works Transition survey between September 18 and
October 13. This survey focuses on how students are managing their academic and personal
transition. Please reinforce that completing these surveys, while always optional and confidential,
are intended to help us know how best to help them to succeed.
Grading
 URI 101 is a 1 credit course.
 Please be sure to record mid-semester grades by 10/21, as well as final grades in eCampus by 12/26.
 E-campus instructions are listed in this packet on page 9.
 Absenteeism and incomplete grades, see below.
One of the many goals of this course is to introduce students to appropriate in-class behaviors and expectations.
Since attendance in class is the number one factor in student academic success we want to reinforce this
behavior from the start. Please talk about this and include attendance in your classroom expectations. Also, we
discourage giving incomplete grades for this class, unless there are extenuating circumstances that make it
appropriate. Students sometimes think that this is a way to avoid a bad grade, and have no intention of
completing the course. These and many more issues may be relevant for your classroom discussion.
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URI 101 CLASS TOPICS
Class Themes
Class Topics
URI 101, your home for
Navigating URI:
Welcome and Introductions
Knowing your 101 instructor and mentor—we really want to help you
Student profile—we want to know you!
URI Language
Navigating the campus
Using Syllabi in planning your semester
Glossary of academic terms
What is a learning community/LLC and how can I make the most of this
through study groups
The Last Lecture
Decision making process:
Set goals for yourself
Picture yourself in internships related to major and study away
opportunities (peer spotlights)
When to participate in an internship, study away or service experienceacademic map
Leadership and involvement opportunities to complement your strengths
Education to Employment – how to translate major to career planning
Building your resume one activity at a time by learning “transferable skills”
(involvement, Rhodynet, classes, service)
Type Focus/Holland Discussion
Identifying innate skills, values, motivations and personality strengths
Connecting skills and strengths to the major
Having a better understanding of yourself helps in working with others,
choosing a career, finding your strengths
Making the most of
your four years: Career
Planning
Knowing Yourself:
Knowing the Major:
Academics 101: the
essentials
Map Works - How are you doing, in and out of class?
Undeclared
Opportunities
What are majors that interest me? Interest inventory of all of the majors
at URI
What is a degree granting college and what are the differences
Professors are people too--who are my professors fall semester
Making the most of an office hour
URI Directory—find the person you need
Major/Minor Fair- develop questions to ask a faculty member
University College website: academic advising, resources, academic
enhancement center,
What to do with a major in: http://www.mynextmove.org/
Introduction to my major
Opportunities
What is my major known for
Professors are people too—who are professors in my major and their
specialties
Making the most of an office hour
My degree granting college
URI Directory—find the person you need
Major/Minor Fair- develop questions to ask a faculty member
Degree granting college and major website: my major, research in my
major, what is important?
University College website: academic advising, resources, academic
enhancement center,
What to do with a major in: http://www.mynextmove.org/
Understanding your major and the Academic Map (activity 1)
Progress to Graduation coming soon
Requirements (grades, courses), milestones
Understand general education and elective courses
Academic rules and policies, glossary of academic terms (add, drop,
withdraw, second grade option)
University College: academic enhancement center, academic advising
Technology to support your academic progress: e-campus, Insight, UC
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Preparing for Advising:
Revisiting Type
Focus/Holland results
in determining a career
path
Finances:
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website
Using the academic calendar
What happens if you change your major
Credit completion—Take 5 to finish in 4
Spring Semester Awaits:
Make the most of advising appointment time
Review Academic Map to choose your spring courses
Finding your registration day and time
Checking on holds
What an advising appointment should include
Where am I excelling, where do I need academic and social support, AEC
Which Fall classes most appealed to me and why
J-term enrollment
Study Strategies
Undeclared:
“I’m not really sure”
Opportunities that match my personality and skills
Maximize time exploring
Favorite classes at this time, reflecting on why they are favorites
When am I most energized learning
Involvement and Inclusion
How are you spending your time?
Who you are shapes your interests and involvement
What’s happening around campus, the event calendar
Involvement fair- what will you add to the campus community?
Diversity week reflection – the power of inclusion
Major Declared:
Career opportunities
Occupational Outlook, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/a-z-index.htm
What are my alumni doing now?
Career niches
Faculty specialties related to student interests
Involvement and Inclusion
How are you spending your time?
Who you are shapes your interests and involvement
What’s happening around campus, the event calendar
Involvement fair- what will you add to the campus community?
Diversity week reflection – the power of inclusion
Show me the money:
Understanding the costs associated with college and my career
What do I need to know about loans, work study and credit
Cost of living calculator resources
Budgets 101
Salaries associated with careers
Value of each class I take at URI
Prescheduled Presentations
All URI 101 classes have pre-scheduled presentations on Health & Safety and Violence/ Substance
Prevention, and the Library.
Your presentation dates and location have been emailed to you. Please update your syllabus
accordingly.
Most presentations last 50 minutes. Therefore, instructors should attend the presentations and plan for
post-presentation discussions or other classroom topics. Facilitating some of these discussions would
be an ideal assignment for your mentor.
Cancellations:
Should you want to cancel a prescheduled presentation, please contact:
Library, Mary MacDonald, marymac@uri.edu
Health and Safety/Violence Prevention, Racine Amos, amosr@,mail.uri.edu
6
The Feinstein Experience: Civic Engagement
URI 101 Feinstein Enriching America Program
Feinstein Enriching America Program
Created by Alan Shawn Feinstein in 1995, the Feinstein Enriching America Program (FEAP) is the civic engagement
component of URI 101. The goal of FEAP is to engage URI first-year students in a meaningful community service that
connects them to community.
The Feinstein Experience
FEAP is part of the larger "Feinstein Experience" - a common service experience every fall open to the entire URI
campus community with the goal of engaging participants in meaningful service experiences that meet real needs in the
community. The Feinstein Experience primarily serves URI 101 students through FEAP, but any URI student can
participate, and students can participate multiple times. Due in part to the students individually selecting projects, the
Feinstein Experience creates a more meaningful opportunity for them to connect with their peers and the community at
large. Fall 2012 Feinstein Experience evaluations showed a significant increase in student satisfaction and enjoyment of
projects compared to past FEAP experiences. Over 96% enjoyed participating in the Feinstein Experience, 90% feel they
made a difference, and 96% plan on staying engaged in the community.
Role of a URI 101 Mentor:
1. Attend a Feinstein Experience project – mentors select a project or attend the one recommended by the instructor (if
one is identified). Regardless of selection everyone must sign up online.
2. Mentors should encourage 101 students to select a project that they are interested in and/or has a connection to the
major. They can invite them to attend with them on the project they have selected or recommend other projects.
3. While on the project the mentor should be a positive and engaged role model. Although they are also participants in
the project, they are still seen as leaders and should act as such.
Other Important Information:
1. All projects are posted online and registration will open in early September and run through mid November.
2. Projects will close when full and are first come, first served. If instructors “reserve” slots for their class, the students
will need to identify themselves as part of the URI 101 section in order to be allowed to register.
3. All projects are facilitated by Civic Engagement Leaders.
4. All details will be communicated directly to participants through email confirmations and pre-service memos.
5. Attendance will be taken at projects but not for specific classes. Students will need to complete a reflection in order
to receive credit and confirm attendance.
6. These projects are "all inclusive" meaning that we provide (if necessary) transportation, food, and project materials.
7. Sample reflection questions, assignments and activities will be provided in case instructors wish to further discuss
civic engagement with their class.
8. There will be consequences for students that sign up for a project and do not attend/ miss the project. Those details
and consequences will be communicated directly to the student.
FEAP Leadership
Service Interns and Civic Engagement Leaders work with Sarah Miller to facilitate all project logistics and facilitation.
As mentioned above, all project details will be communicated directly to students through email confirmations and preservice memos, allowing students to have more ownership and responsibility as well as to be more engaged in the pre
and post service project reflection. Each project has at least one Service Intern or Civic Engagement Leader (CEL)
facilitating the project activities, reflection and evaluation.
Contact Information
Sarah Miller, Coordinator, Feinstein Civic Engagement Program Roosevelt Hall Room 002, 874-7422, sgmiller@uri.edu
7
CO-TEACHING WITH A STUDENT MENTOR
The relationship between the URI 101 instructor and the student mentor varies from section to section. We
strongly encourage you to develop an active partnership with your student mentor. They have expertise in areas
of student life and can easily connect with students who may not be as comfortable approaching you.
Mentor Training and CSV Course
Mentors undergo a selection and training process in the spring and enroll in CSV 302 in the fall semester to
receive concurrent training in skill building, presentations, and reflection. Below is the training program for
mentors. The CSV course in the fall semester lasts for 8 weeks.
Spring Training:
Understanding the role of the mentor, mentor expectations,
Introduction to: AEC, Library, Health and Safety, Substance Abuse, and
Service Learning, Common Reading
Fall Training:
Developing facilitation and processing skills through the many hats that
a mentor wears; utilizing the mentor website and uri.edu/uri101, Type
Focus, preparing for 1st day of class
The CSV course during the fall semester is designed to provide students with the knowledge and
resources to effectively mentor in URI101. The course serves as a forum for mentors to learn and discuss
transition issues and best practices as they relate to supporting first year students. Mentors will practice
presenting topics of URI101. Through reflection, mentors will become aware of their own facilitation
and learning style. This CSV course has been designed to complement (not overlap) the 75minute
URI101 course with 2 hours in CSV. Mentors will be encouraged to be creative learners and be offered
the opportunity to develop their own URI101 content and presentations. For more information about
CSV, please contact John Rooney, rooney@uri.edu.
Instructor-Mentor Contract
Mentors should meet with you about their Learning Contract. This contract outlines the mentor’s roles and
responsibilities during the course. We strongly encourage you to help mentors develop ownership of the
program and provide them opportunities to play an active role in the classroom.
8
SERVICES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
When and Why would I contact Early Alert?
http://www.uri.edu/earlyalert
The URI101 program, especially you as an instructor, is a transition support network for new students. You are
a prominent resource to help students establish roots within the University. With this in mind, there may be
times where you need help to best help your students. This is where Early Alert comes in – if you have
concerns about a student, after you have sought to help him/her, you may refer him/her to the Early Alert staff.
The purpose of Early Alert is to intervene with students who exhibit "at risk" behaviors. Issues and behaviors
that can include:
 Repeated absences (and you have tried unsuccessfully to reach out to him/her)
 Repeated missing assignments (and you have tried unsuccessfully to reach out him/her)
 Death in student’s family
 Sickness
 Indicating problems with any areas of the university (e.g. Housing, Enrollment management,
etc.) and for which you could use some referral assistance.
To make a referral, please visit http://www.uri.edu/uc/earlyalert/referral or email earlyalert@etal.uri.edu
Early Alert Staff:
Lydia Hanhardt: 874-5168 lhanhardt@mail.uri.edu
Academic Enhancement Center
http://www.uri.edu/aec/
We are ready to help your entire class address issues of improving strategies for learning in college. We supply
materials for you to use in class (improving critical thinking, working in your learning style, memorization
techniques, reading and writing skill development, and more) that complement the “Enhancing your Learning”
section of the course materials. We will also come to your class to present these ideas. Please be sure to have
your students attend the specially designed workshops for better learning in college, to supplement these
activities. Contact David Hayes at the AEC 874-2953 or davidhayes@mail.uri.edu
Websites I will need
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URI 101course materials
Diversity Week
Service & Civic Engagement
www.uri.edu/newstudent/uri101/
http://www.uri.edu/mcc
http://www.uri.edu/volunteer
9
LOGISTICS
E-Campus and URI 101
The following information has been taken directly from the ‘Faculty and Instructor Tools in e-Campus’ tutorial
located on the e-Campus homepage.
STEP 1: Log into E-CAMPUS.
STEP 2: You can access BOTH your Class Rosters and Grade Rosters from your Class Schedule chart in
Faculty Center.
• Click on the icon
to access your Class Roster for the class listed. Once inside a roster, you have the
choice to download the roster to an Excel Spreadsheet by clicking on the icon. (Please do this and send to
your mentor.)
• Click on the icon
to access your Grade Roster for the class listed. Select the roster type, if necessary.
Record the grade for each student by selecting it from the dropdown listbox or by typing it in. *Note –.
At the bottom of the page, you should select “Not Reviewed” until you have completely entered and
verified your grades. After you have entered and verified the grades and are ready to submit the grades,
you must change the approval status to “Approved” at the bottom of the page and hit “SAVE” at the
bottom of the page. Finally, “POST” the grades.
*NOTE - If you are entering grades over a period of time, leave the status as “Not Reviewed” AND hit save
each time. Keeping the status as “Not Reviewed” and saving the roster each time will allow you to save the
grades but NOT submit them.
Your grades will NOT be submitted until you select “Approved” and hit “Save”.
Fall 2014 Academic Calendar
9/3
9/3-9/9
9/10-9/16
9/16
9/24
9/25
10/13
10/15
10/23
11/4
11/11
11/12
11/27-11/30
12/8
12/9-12/10
12/11-12/19
12/29
Classes begin
Open add period
Permission number late add period
Last Day to ADD
Last day to DROP without transcript notation
Classes dropped on or after this date, “W” transcript notation
Columbus Day- no classes
Last day to DROP
Mid-semester grades available in eCampus
Election Day – CLASSES MEET
Veteran’s Day- no classes
Veteran’s Day make-up day – Tuesday Classes Meet
Thanksgiving Recess
Last day of classes
Reading (study) days
Final exams
All grades available in eCampus
10
URI 101 Staff Resources
Contact
Jayne Richmond
Dean, University College for
Academic Success
John Rooney
Coordinator, Transfer Services
Sean Thompson
New Student Programs
Email
Richmond@uri.edu
Rooney@uri.edu
Phone
Reason to Contact
874-5505 Questions or concerns about
the course
874-2473
seanthompson@mail.uri.edu 874-4076
Lisa Garvey
UCAS Executive Assistant
Lisa_garvey@mail.uri.edu
874-5505
Lydia Hanhardt
Transition and Retention
Advocate
lhanhardt@mail.uri.edu
874-5168
sgmiller@uri.edu
874-7422
kleeming@uri.edu
874-9529
davidhayes@mail.uri.edu
874-2953
llyons@uri.edu
874-5159
Sarah Miller
Feinstein Civic Engagement
Program
Kristina Leeming
New Student Programs
David Hayes
Academic Enhancement Center
Linda Lyons
UC- Academic Advising
General Program Questions,
Mentors, Class Logistics
General Program Questions,
www.uri.edu/uri101,
Mentors, Class Logistics
Questions about
Pre-Scheduled Library/Safety
Presentations
Early Alert: Student behavior
in or out of class
(absenteeism, poor work
quality, personal issues,
problems with university
services)
Information or concerns
regarding civic
engagement/service projects
Common Reading,
MAPWorks
Help with study strategies
Advising Questions and
Assistance
11