LA 10001: Gateway to Success Fall 2015 Mon. 1:00-1:50 Bob Evans Farms Hall 216 Professor: Phone: E-mail: Office: Office Hours: Office Fax: Website: Dr. Wesley Thoene (740)245-7347 wthoene@rio.edu Bob Evans Farms Hall 239 Mon. & Wed. 9:45-10:00; 11:15-11:30; Mon. 1:50-2:00 Tues. 11: 50-1:00, 1:50-2:00; Thurs. 11:15-1:10 740.245.7432 http://www.rio.edu/wthoene COURSE DESCRIPTION: Gateway to Success for School of Business majors is a one (1) credit hour General Education course which is required of all entering students at the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College. This course is designed to: develop an understanding of the learning process and campus resources, acquire basic academic “survival skills,” and utilize information technology skills; examine the college experience and what it means to be a college student, including recognition of culture diversity and the arts; recognize the value of time and stress management to achieve academic success provide an understanding of the various majors and student programs available within the School of Business; recognize the career opportunities available for students who successfully complete a degree in the field of business; TEXTBOOK AND OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS: University of Rio Grande Course Catalog. University of Rio Grande Student Handbook GRADING POLICIES/TESTING/ASSIGNMENTS/ATTENDANCE/EXPECTATIONS Grade calculation Participation Classroom Visit Activity LA 101 Campus Activities Library Scavenger Hunt “Who Am I?” Paper Journal Major Declaration Form % of Grade 15% 10% 15% 15% 15% 15% 15% Grading Scale A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 70-79% D = 60-69% F = Less than 60% Participation/Attendance: Participation will be measured through both attendance, the quality of comments students make in the classroom, and completion of homework. In addition, please note that all LA101 courses have a strict attendance policy: Two absences are permitted with no effect on your grade. Your third and fourth absences will result in a grade reduction, and the fifth absence will result in a failure of the course. Please note this includes the New Student Convocation which is required of students in all LA101 courses and is scheduled for Thursday, September 17. Classroom Visitation Activity Students will be required to attend an upper-level business course (300- or 400-level) sometime during the semester. Preferably, this course will be within a major you are considering (ACC, BM, ECO, IT, or MKT). After attending the course, you will be required to write a one-page paper regarding the course you attended, your thoughts on the class, how the class compared to your expectations, and whether attending the class has influenced your thoughts on prospective majors. Please note that you may need to ask the professor before attending his or her class. If you need assistance, please feel free to ask me for help. LA 101 Campus Activities Students will be required to attend at least three LA 101 campus events. These events may include sporting events, speakers, club meetings, or group-sponsored events. After attending the event, please submit the LA 101 form found in your folder. Journal Students will be given a topic to write about in their journal, and they must be one page, double-spaced. These topics may relate to campus experiences, course material, etc. The due dates for journal entries will be discussed when topics are assigned. In total, 12 journal submissions will be assigned during the semester. “Who Am I?” Paper: The “Who Am I?” paper will explain what you have learned about yourself and whether or not the major you have chosen is an appropriate one for you and why. This will be a formal paper and should be approximately three pages. In addition, an accompanying PowerPoint should also be included. The following is a tentative schedule for the course. Please note that the following dates are subject to change, and that such changes will be announced in class. DATE TOPIC MATERIAL Aug 24 Course Overview & Introductions ∙ Introductions & Icebreakers ∙ Course syllabus ∙ Speaker: David Ding Aug 31 Technology: Your Best Friend ∙ Speaker: Mary Bender ∙ Class in BEF 216 Sept 7 No Class- Labor Day Sept. 14 Your Student Handbook & Catalog: The Rio Grande Playbooks Academics & You ∙ General Education Requirements ∙ GPA Calculations ∙ StudentSpace Sept. 17 New Student Convocation (All 10:00AM classes are cancelled) Fine Arts Auditorium 10:15 A.M. Sept 21 Rio Grande Library: What It Can Do for You ACTIVITY: LIBRARY SCAVENGER HUNT ∙ Speaker: Deborah Thompson ∙ Class at Library Main Floor Sept 28 Financial Aid: Dollars and Sense DUE: SCAVENGER HUNT ACTIVITY Speaker: Sabrina Hurt Oct 5 Real World Simulation Davis Conference Room C∙ Speaker: Carol Smith Oct 12 Studying & Time Management: Balancing Class, Family, Work, & Video Games ACTIVITY: HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME Oct 19 Student Life: Connecting to the Campus Student Organizations: Rio Grande AMA ∙ Speaker: Dena Warren Oct 26 School of Business Programs: Accounting ∙ School of Business Faculty School of Business Programs: Information Tech Nov 2 School of Business Programs: Management School of Business Programs: Marketing ∙ School of Business Faculty Nov 9 Advising: Help Us Help You ACTIVITY: SPRING SCHEDULE PLAN ∙ Speaker: Susan Haft Nov 16 TypeFocus Activity ∙ Class in Jenkins Center Nov 23 DUE: SPRING SCHEDULE PLAN Business 101: How to Communicate in the Business World Resumes: Marketing Yourself to Employers Nov 30 DUE: CLASSROOM VISITATION ACTIVITY Wrapping Up ∙ Social Networking ∙ Email ∙ Business Dress ADA POLICY: If a student wishes to be identified as having a physical, mental, or learning disability, that may or may not require reasonable accommodation(s), he/she must register with the Office of Accessibility. These registered students should identify themselves to their instructors and provide a written statement from the Accessibility Office that indicates the appropriate accommodations. The process of a student self-proclaiming the need for accommodation should occur as early in the semester as possible. The Office of Accessibility phone is 245-7339 and is located in Rhodes Hall, Room 116, University of Rio Grande. FERPA: The University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College are committed to fully respecting and protecting the rights of students under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These rights generally include the right to inspect, review and seek amendment to the student's education records and the right to provide written consent before personally identifiable information from education records is disclosed. Under FERPA, students have the right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures to comply with FERPA. Please see the Student Records Confidentiality/Rights Under FERPA section of the Student Handbook for details and more information. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Standard university policies, as described in the Student Handbook, apply. WITHDRAWAL: Refer to Student Handbook The University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College welcomes two AmeriCorps College Completion Coaches! Students in this section of LA100 will be working directly with one of these coaches throughout the term. ** This syllabus is not to be construed as a contract with the student and may be subject to change** 6 Journal Topics Journal Entry #1: Due Monday, August 31 Reflect on your first week of college What did you like? What did you dislike? What problems (if any) did you have? What classes seem most interesting? Journal Entry #2: Due Friday, September 4 Why did you choose to attend Rio Grande? So far, has the college met your expectations? o Why or why not? Journal Entry #3: Due Monday, September 14 Read Bill Gates’ Rules for Life Choose one point and defend it or argue against it Journal Entry #4: Due Monday, September 21 What are your thoughts on the New Student Convocation? What did you like about it? What would you change about it? Journal Entry #5: Due Monday, September 28 What did you learn during the library presentation? Did anything surprise you about the library and its resources? Which resources seemed most relevant to you? Journal Entry #6: Due Monday, October 5 Who is your academic advisor? o Where did you find this information? Why is it important to be aware of your GPA? Which General Education course seems most interesting to you? Which General Education course seems least interesting to you? 7 Journal Entry #7: Due Monday, October 12 Have you taken any midterms yet? If so, how did you prepare? Was this strategy successful? If not, how have you begun preparing for your upcoming midterms? Journal Entry #8: Due Monday, October 19 How effective are you at time management? When completing the in-class activity, did anything surprise you about how you use your time? What strategies could you use to more effectively manage your time? Journal Entry #9: Due Monday, October 26 What campus events or activities have you participated in? What did you think of these events? What events or activities would you like to see Rio offer? Journal Entry #10: Due Monday, November 2 Have you begun planning your spring schedule? Which classes are you thinking about taking? Why? What factors affect your scheduling (e.g., work schedules, athletics, family commitments, etc.) Journal Entry #11: Due Monday, November 9 What are your thoughts regarding a major? If you have chosen one, why did you choose that particular field? If you have not chosen one, which are you considering? Has your opinion about a major changed since the beginning of school? Journal Entry #12: Due Monday, November 16 What was your favorite part of your first semester on campus? What was your least favorite part of your first semester? If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing before starting college, what would you say? 8