Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
INTD 101-10
RAMAPO COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
First Year Seminar – Success as a Business Major – from College to Career
Instructor - Kathy Stathis
Office Phone: 201-684-7763 Email: kstathis@ramapo.edu
Office: Mansion, M209 – hours by appointment
College phone number for special announcements and college closings: 201-236-2902
Class Meeting Time: Mondays & Thursdays, 3:45 – 5:15 p.m.
Room Location: TBD
Course Description – Success as a Business Major – from College to Career
Everyone wants and deserves a successful college career and you have the potential to make it happen. Most first
year students are not quite sure what to expect when they come to college and can be overwhelmed by the freedom
they are afforded. We will discuss how college differs from high school in terms of work load, grading policies and
overall expectations. The Secrets of College Success, by Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman, will be used to highlight
the differences and help to overcome the challenges faced by first year students.
Students will be introduced to the business disciplines offered at Ramapo in anticipation of the career opportunities
that await them after graduation. Guest speakers from various businesses will be featured to provide insight into the
day-to-day work performed and skills expected of college graduates. The course will also focus on the ten skills
employers expect you to learn while in college and how to master them. The final project requires in-depth research of
a specific business career and a class presentation on the subject.
This course is project intensive and requires a strong work ethic and a high degree of motivation to succeed. Prior
students say the work load, approximately 3 hours for each class meeting, is time consuming and demanding yet
provides a foundation that helps them succeed in their college career.
Common Course Description –All First-Year Seminar Courses
Designed for first-time, full-time, first-year students, First-Year Seminar (FYS) provides a comprehensive introduction
to college-level learning. Seminar courses are developed around an academic theme or topic that is based on one of
Ramapo College’s academic pillars. First-Year students will have the opportunity to select a seminar that best suits
their interests while learning about Ramapo’s academic foundation. The First-Year Seminar course helps students in
their transition from high school to college life both in and out of the classroom. The common learning outcomes of
FYS are: critical and creative thinking, college-level writing, oral communication, information literacy, and
technological competency. FYS classes are small to emphasize open discussion and experiential learning within the
context of the theme of the seminar course. Peer facilitators play an essential role in each FYS class ensuring that
first-year students have guidance from a more experienced student. FYS is also the home of the Ramapo Summer
Reading Program; all first-year students read the same book and discuss and write about it in their seminars. FYS
encourages new students to participate in a community of learners, to strengthen their critical thinking skills, and to
communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
General Education Program Course This course fulfills the First-Year Seminar category of the general education
curriculum at Ramapo College. Common to all First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses, you will develop critical thinking
skills that are basic to college level study, regardless of your area of interest. You will be reading, writing, and
participating in thoughtful group discussions with the aim of developing the skills of a scholar. You will learn to support
your arguments using a foundation of knowledge and facts rather than simply using personal opinions and
experiences.
This specific FYS course falls within the experiential learning and interdisciplinary studies categories. Not only will
students be learning about business careers but will engage in activities that cross into other disciplines such as
communication arts, history, and politics. Experiential learning will take place through a variety of interactive
assignments and participation in on-campus events.
Writing Intensive (WI) Course
Writing will be integrated into the life of this course. You will receive comments, direction, and support as you work on
strengthening your writing skills. Your writing will be evaluated and returned in a timely fashion, allowing you to
incorporate my comments into your future work. For help outside the classroom, please see me during my office
hours or work with a writing tutor in the Center for Reading and Writing (CRW),Room:E-230,xt7557,cas@ramapo.edu.
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Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
INTD 101-10
Course Goals
1) Improve oral communication skills: through various projects students will be given several opportunities to speak
in front of the class and improve their public speaking skills as the course progresses
2) Improve written communication skills: several different types of writing assignments will allow the student to learn
the writing process of drafting, reviewing, editing and finalizing their written work.
3) Sharpen research skills: The student will learn what constitutes valid sources of information, how to find it, how to
use it, and how to cite it.
4) Become aware of different business disciplines and current events: Guest speakers will enhance the student's
knowledge of business careers and interactive assignments will broaden the student's awareness of current
business events and themes.
5) Improve computer/technological skills: All projects will require use of Word, Excel or PowerPoint. Along the way
students will learn how to use
Measurable Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate
the ability to think critically and creatively
proficiency in written communication
proficiency in oral communication
information literacy
technological competency
Research
Paper
X
X
Class
discussions
and essays
X
X
X
X
Final
Project
Excel &
PowerPoint
assignments
X
X
X
X
CEC
assignments
X
X
X
X
X
Required Texts and Reading Material
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1. Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers.7 ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. Print. ISBN13: 978-0-312-64795-7.
2. Nugent, Benjamin. American Nerd: The Story of My People. New York: Scribner, 2008. Print. ISBN-13: 978-07432-8802-6.
st
3. Jacobs, Lynn F., and Jeremy Hyman. The Secrets of College Success. 1 ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
2010. Print. ISBN-978-0-470-87466-0.
4.
5. A non-electronic planner/calendar.
Course Requirements & Policies
1. Attendance
• Regular class attendance is expected and will be taken at the beginning of each class.
• College policy states that students must notify faculty within the first three weeks of the semester if they
anticipate missing any classes due to religious observance.
• If you will be absent from class the day an assignment is due, the assignment MUST be emailed to the
instructor PRIOR to the start of class. Late assignments will not be accepted.
• More than 3 unexcused absences will result in a failing grade and removal from the class.
• Points will be deducted from your final grade for chronic lateness and leaving class early.
• Missed tests, quizzes or exams can be made only for an excused absence.
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Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
INTD 101-10
2. Class Participation & Conduct
• This is a seminar course therefore reading preparation and class participation are essential requirements.
Participation and contribution to the general discussion in class is expected. If, for whatever reason, you fall
asleep in class or sit with your eyes closed, this too will be counted as an absence.
• The atmosphere in the classroom will remain neutral; courteous and professional behavior is expected.
• Cell phones are strictly prohibited in the classroom. All cell phones should be turned off, including silent
mode, while in class. If a cell phone is answered or you are texting during class, you will be asked to leave
the class and will be marked with an unexcused absence.
3. Assignments and Projects
• Periodic assignments will be used to assess your progress. These will include tests, quizzes, writing
assignments, Excel and/ or PowerPoint assignments, research, presentations and group projects.
•
Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date required.
•
Late assignments will NOT be accepted without prior approval from the instructor. (Note: prior approval
means you contact me with enough time to discuss the potential extension.) In other words, unless you
have arranged with me ahead of time for another due date, any assignment turned in after the due
date will not be accepted. There will be no extra credit opportunities for you to “make up” an
assignment.
•
More than 3 missed assignments will result in a failing grade and removal from the class.
•
•
Regular assignments and participation is worth 60% of your grade
Final research project and presentation is 40% of your grade
All writing assignments
 The writing requirement for all FYS courses includes 2 essays on the summer reading and a research
paper of approximately 10 pages. Requirements and details will follow.

Must be typed, double spaced, with 1” margins and stapled.

MUST be converted to Microsoft Word (PC version). IT IS UP TO YOU to ensure your document can
be opened in Microsoft Word before it is submitted. If it cannot be opened, it will not be graded.

All references and citations must be done in MLA format. Consult Rules for Writers, starting on page 411
for information regarding proper in text citations (p427) and how to create a list of works cited (p435).
Correct formatting will be part of your grade for all written assignments.
Excel assignments MUST be submitted in Microsoft Excel (PC version). If your document cannot be
opened in Microsoft Excel (PC version) it will not be graded.
4. Course Enrichment Component (CEC)
• Each course will include a minimum of five (5) hours of unmonitored appropriate experience outside of the classroom.
Student learning will be enhanced by engaging in oral and written communication, exposure to alternative
viewpoints and current business trends, as well as practice with library research.
•
Assessment will be through written assignments and oral presentations which will be graded. Assignments
are as follows (specific requirements and details to follow):
A. Attend Opening Convocation on September 12th at 1:00 p.m.
B. Visit a campus department (ex- Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, etc) and interview an employee.
Report back to the class with a PowerPoint presentation on the location, office hours and
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how/why the department is important to students and/or staff. Due September 17
C. Conduct two informational interviews (in person, via email, or phone) to learn more about the
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interviewee’s career and career path. A written summary will be required. Due November 5
D. Attend any on-campus lecture, play, symposium, or presentation (instructor approval should be
obtained beforehand, movie screenings do not count) and write a two page description of the
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event and what you learned from it. Due November 26
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Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
INTD 101-10
5. Grading
The final course grade is determined as follows: regular assignments and participation is 60% and the final
research project and presentation is 40%.
Your participation grade will represent more than just your ability to make it to class, you will be expected to
engage in thoughtful classroom discussions with your classmates, professors and peer facilitator(s). Your
participation in class discussions, attitude, level of preparation and attendance will be used to assign your
participation grade.
Grade Distribution
A
100-93
A92-90
B+
89-85
B
84-82
B81-80
C+
79-75
C
74-72
C71-70
D+
69-65
D
64-60
F
<60
Important Dates
First Day of Classes: September 5th
Last day for Schedule Adjustments (on the Web): September 12th
Last day to withdraw from courses with “W” grade: October 31st
Thanksgiving Recess: Nov 21st – 23rd
Reading Day (no classes): December 15th
Final Exam Week: December 17th – 22nd
Common Finals: December 22nd
Last day to request “I” grades: December 21st
Residence Halls close (6pm): December 21 st
Final Exam Snow Make-Up Day: December 22nd
Peer Facilitators
As an added resource for first-year students, each section of First-Year Seminar (FYS) will have a peer facilitator.
These upper-level students will attend FYS classes and assist the instructor with the academic topics covered in this
seminar. They will serve as discussion leaders on issues that pertain to your personal and social development and
they will facilitate weekly discussions on the class readings. Your peer facilitator will be your mentor and will be
available to you to provide guidance on navigating the different personal and social hurdles that you may encounter in
your first year at Ramapo.
First-Year Academic Advising
Each First-Year Seminar course is assigned a professional Academic Advisor from the Center for Academic Advising
and First-Year Experience (CAAFYE) who serves as your Academic Advisor during your first year. This advisor will
attend your First-Year Seminar class for a group advisement session to review general academic advising policies
and procedures. They will also be available to answer any general questions regarding college policies/practices.
Students are encouraged to schedule individual appointments with their CAAFYE Advisor for assistance with course
selection and the development of a personal academic plan. If you have any questions regarding Academic
Advisement please call CAAFYE at (201) 684-7441 or via email at: caafye@ramapo.edu
Electronic Forms of Communication
In accordance with College policy, I will use your Ramapo College email address (@ramapo.edu) to communicate
with you about all course-related matters.
Students with Disabilities
Please note: Students must be registered with the Office of Specialized Services (OSS) to receive accommodations.
As you develop or revise your course syllabus, consider ways to make your course material accessible to students
with disabilities. For additional information, contact the Office of Specialized Services (OSS) at x7514 or email at
oss@ramapo.edu. Please do not place a time limit on when students may request accommodation, as they may not
be aware of their need until later in the semester. If you need course adaptation or accommodations because of a
disability that has been documented with the Office of Specialized Services, please make an appointment with me.
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Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
INTD 101-10
Policy on Academic Integrity
Students are expected to read and understand Ramapo College’s academic integrity policy, which can be found in the
Ramapo College Catalog. Members of the Ramapo College community are expected to be honest and forthright in
their academic endeavors. Students who violate this policy will be required to meet with the faculty member and/or will
be referred to the Office of the Provost. An abbreviated version of this policy is described below.
Policy
All members of the Ramapo community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. Since
violations of academic integrity erode community confidence and undermine the pursuit of truth and knowledge at the
College, academic dishonesty must be avoided.
Procedures
The Office of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs has the responsibility for the oversight and enforcement
of the academic integrity policy and for making the policy an institutional priority. The Office of the Provost/Vice
President for Academic Affairs is also responsible for publishing the policy and for educating both faculty and students
about the policy.
Faculty members play a crucial role in the academic integrity policy. They are responsible for educating their students
about the importance of academic integrity and for communicating to students their expectations with respect to
academic integrity in course work.
Students have the responsibility to understand the College academic integrity policy and to comply with the policy in
all their academic work.
Criteria
There are four broad forms of academic dishonesty:
1.
Cheating
Cheating is an act of deception by which a student misrepresents his or her mastery of material on a test or
other academic exercise. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:
copying from another student's work;
allowing another student to copy his/her work;
using unauthorized materials such as a textbook, notebook or electronic devices during an
examination;
•
using specifically prepared materials such as notes written on clothing or other unauthorized notes,
formula lists, etc., during an examination;
•
collaborating with another person during an examination by giving or receiving information without
authority;
•
taking a test for another person or asking or allowing another to take the student’s own test.
•
•
•
2. Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when a person represents someone else's words, ideas, phrases, sentences, or data as
one's own work. When a student submits work that includes such material, the source of that information
must be acknowledged through complete, accurate, and specific footnote references; additionally, verbatim
statements must be acknowledged through quotation marks.
To avoid a charge of plagiarism, a student should be sure to include an acknowledgment of indebtedness:
• whenever he or she quotes another person's words directly;
• whenever he or she uses another person's ideas, opinions, or theories, even if they have been completely
paraphrased in one's own words;
• whenever he or she allows another individual to contribute to the work in some significant fashion (for
instance, through editing, or sharing of ideas);
• whenever he or she uses facts, statistics, or other illustrative material taken from a source, unless the
information is common knowledge.
Examples of standard citation formats can be found on the Library Website: Citation Manuals and Style
Guides.
3. Academic Misconduct
Academic Misconduct includes the alteration of grades, involvement in the acquisition or distribution of
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Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
INTD 101-10
unadministered tests, and the unauthorized submission of student work in more than one class. Examples of
academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
changing, altering, falsifying, or being the accessory to the changing, altering, or falsifying of a grade
report or form or other academic record, or entering any computer system, College office or building for that
purpose;
stealing, buying, selling, giving way, or otherwise obtaining all or part of any unadministered test or
entering any computer system, College office or building, for the purpose of obtaining an unadministered
test;
submitting written work (in whole or in significant part) to fulfill the requirements of more than one
course without the explicit permission of both instructors;
disregarding policies governing the use of human subjects or animals in research;
sabotaging another student’s work through actions designed to prevent the student from successfully
completing an assignment;
knowingly facilitating a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy by another person.
4. Fabrication
Fabrication refers to the deliberate use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings
with the intent to deceive. Examples of fabrication include, but are not limited to:
citation of information not taken from the source indicated;
listing of sources in a “works cited” that were not used in that project;
altering, stealing and/or falsifying research data used in research reports, theses, or dissertations;
submission as one's own of any academic work prepared in whole or in part by others, including the
use of another’s identity;
•
falsifying information or signatures on registration, withdrawal, or other academic forms and records.
•
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More on academic integrity can be found here:
http://www.ramapo.edu/catalog_11_12/academic-policies.html?col10=open#CollapsiblePanel10
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Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
INTD 101-10
Week Date Topic Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Week 15 Introductions, ice breakers & 9/6/2012 expectations, s yllabus review American Nerd review & assignment 9/10/2012 Syllabus Quiz CEC Assignments -­‐ review Discuss S ecrets Ch 1 9/12/2012 Opening Convocation 1:00-­‐2:30 p.m. 9/13/2012 Discuss Convocation & S ecrets Ch 2 The Writing Process Business disciplines & final project 9/14/2012 b y 3:00 p.m. 9/17/2012 Campus Department Presentations 9/20/2012 Discuss S ecrets, Ch3 Writing: Clarity & Grammar Guest S peaker: TBA 9/24/2012 Library Information S ession Business Leader Research 9/27/2012 Recap library session & Quiz Evaluating s ources & worksheet 10/1/2012 Discuss S ecrets, Ch 5 Discuss library research 10/4/2012 Guest S peaker: TBA Career assessments 10/8/2012 Excel Pizza assignment 10/11/2012 Discuss S ecrets, 6-­‐7 10/15/2012 Excel & Percent Change 10/18/2012 Cahill Center presentation 10/22/2012 Advisement Session 10/25/2012 Excel GPA Assignment 10/29/2012 Guest S peaker: TBA 11/1/2012 10 Mistakes article review 11/5/2012 Business Memo 11/8/2012 Guest S peaker: TBA 11/12/2012 Guest S peaker: TBA Dos & Don'ts of cover letters 11/15/2012 Final Project Q&A 11/19/2012 Guest S peaker: TBA Discuss S ecrets 8&9 11/22/2012 Thanksgiving Recess 11/26/2012 Guest S peaker: TBA 11/29/2012 Group Case Studies 12/3/2012 Case Study 12/6/2012 Final Presentations 12/10/2012 Final Presentations Homework Due Common Read Draft The Secrets of College Success, Ch 1 Secrets, Ch2 Rules for Writers S ection 1 PowerPoint for CEC-­‐B Common Read Final Secrets, Ch 3 Rules for Writers S ections 2&3 Final project -­‐list of 3 options Convocation Draft Info. Interview contact info Bus Leader Research Secrets, Ch5 Career Values and Holland Code Bus Leader Report Secrets, 6-­‐7 Excel Pizza The Archway Percent Change FOCUS Excel GPA Summaries for CEC-­‐C 10 Mistakes Business Memo Cover Letter Secrets Ch 8 & 9 Event summary CEC-­‐D Final Paper Due 7
Fall 2012 FYS Course Syllabus
12/13/2012 Final Presentations INTD 101-10
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