Bergen Community College
School of Arts and Humanities
IST-123: Success 101
Course Syllabus
Welcome!
The goal in this course is to offer you one of most valuable learning experiences of your entire lifetime.
As your instructor, I commit to being on time and prepared for class every day; consistently planning
and presenting ideas and activities to enhance your learning; and grading and returning assignments in a
timely manner.
I also commit to being a role model and mentor to you individually and collectively. I am here not only
to teach but also to listen to you and empower you during this semester of personal growth.
Instructor:
Class Meeting Times and Days:
Office Hours:
Email/Phone
Course Purpose: The subject of our class is SUCCESS…what success is for you personally and how
you can achieve it. In the coming weeks, you will learn many proven strategies for creating greater
academic, professional, and personal success. Emphasis will be placed on self-assessment and goal
setting, written and oral communication skills, critical thinking, time management and study skills.
Student Learning Objectives: Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:
. Apply learning and study strategies that lead to academic success
. Recognize and develop personal characteristics and habits that lead to success
. Apply critical thinking skills to decision making in academic and personal issues
. Express themselves in writing and speaking
. Articulate their academic goals.
Required Materials: On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life-Study Skills
Plus, 2nd ed. by Skip Downing ©2014. Please have your book in every class. Please bring your syllabus
to every class and be prepared to take notes and have loose paper to hand in.
Other Requirements:
1) Access to a computer with a recent computer system (i.e. Access to BCC computer lab), Internet
broadband subscription, Microsoft Office (mostly Word, PowerPoint), E-mail.
2) If you have never taken a web-enhanced course before, visit the BCC website on Distance Learning
for students: http://www.bergen.edu/faculty-staff/center-for-innovation-in-teaching-and-learning/distance-learning-forstudents/attend-orientation-session
AND follow the instructions on accessing the Resource Area –Getting Started with Moodle
3) Check your Bergen e-mail as well as your Moodle website several times during the week.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Classroom & WebAdvisor Behavior: I encourage respectful dialogue and welcome an open
exchange of ideas. Our classroom is a place where all kinds of learning can take place, but the most
valued learning is that which we gain from sharing with each other as people from differing
backgrounds and different life experiences.
How to Earn an “A in This Class
To create the very best environment for supporting your success and the success of your classmates, this
course has three major rules that will support your success in every goal you pursue! By following them,
you are choosing to be successful not only in this course but in your life. They are:
. Show up! Choose to attend every class period in its entirety.
. Do the work! Complete all reading assignments prior to class and hand in homework when it is due.
. Participate actively! Choose to stay focused and involved in every class, offering your best
comments, questions, and answers when appropriate.
Course Policies
* Lateness to class: Please be on time for class. When someone arrives late, that distracts the class and
you miss out on what has happened so far. Being more than 5 minutes late will reduce your
participation points for that day.
* Late Assignment: You will get the most out of this course, and it will be easiest for you, if you keep
up with assignments and do not get behind. Time management and planning are big parts of the subjects
of this course. Late homework will be penalized.
*No Questions Asked: You can use 1 “no questions asked” penalty-free excuse for any one journal
assignment or study skills plan, once during the semester. You can hand it in up to 1 week late without
explanation and without penalty. Save it for when you’re really in a pinch.
* Class attendance: Three absences are allowed without penalty. After that your grade will be lowered.
Six absences or more may result in an “F” for the course. If you cannot be present, please let me know
by email before class. Your homework will be accepted the day you return to class if approved in
advance by me. Do not email me any assignments in advance without my permission.
Please stay in class for the whole time. Our class sessions are for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Please take
care of all your personal needs before or after class. This includes: bathroom breaks, snacks, chats with
friends, texting, etc.
*Required Appointments: You are required to meet with me in my office once before week 7 and once before
week 14.
Grading Scale
Please refer to the following grading scale. Note that in order to receive the higher grade, a .5 and above
is necessary. For example, an 89.4 is still a B+; only an 89.5 and above is equal to an A grade.
A
B+
B =
C+
C
D
F
90-100%
85-89%
80-84%
75-79%
70-74%
60-69%
Below 60%
How to figure your grade for the course:
. Participation/Attendance
15%
. Journals on Moodle
10%
. Study skills plans
30%
. Professional Interview
30%
. The Success Essay
15% (failure to hand it in results in an automatic failure
and late papers will NOT be accepted)
Total:
100%
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Required Assignments
*Success Journals---10%
Your Success Journals provide an opportunity to explore your thoughts and feelings as you experiment
with the success strategies presented in On Course. By carefully examining each strategy in your
journal, you will discover which ones will assist you to create a rich, personally fulfilling life. Your
journal entries will be read by me and shall not be shared with the class without permission.
Journal Evaluations: Journals must be downloaded from Moodle and typed right into before being
printed and stapled to hand in. Complete all the steps in the directions and demonstrate an obvious
attempt to dive deep. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation will NOT be factors in awarding points in this
journal. You are free to express yourself without concern for Standard English conventions. Hold on to
your graded journals in a folder, as you will need them to do the final paper. Late homework will be
worth 5 points less for each day it is late.
*Study Skills Plans---30%
You will complete 3 personal Study Skills Plans during the semester as a way for you to apply an
effective problem-solving model that will help deepen your ability to learn in college and beyond. To
complete each Plan, you will follow the 6 basic steps of the Wise Choice Process as found in the text.
*Career Research and Faculty Interview---30%
After conducting an interview with a faculty member (provide their name, department affiliation, email) or a professional working in the area of your major (provide their company name, title, and place
of employment and phone number to be reached, you will write up a transcript of the interview, a
reaction paper, and present your findings to the class using PowerPoint and/or prezi.
*The Success Essay---15%
In this 2-3 page personal essay, you will present your own Personal Philosophy of Success, and specify
with examples what On Course success strategies you will use over the years to achieve that success.
This essay is your opportunity to write the script that will keep you on course to a rich, personally
fulfilling life!
An “A” paper will . . .
1.
2.
Offer the writer’s personal definition of success.
Demonstrate the writer’s careful consideration of three or more On Course success strategies that
he or she will use to achieve success.
3. Contain extensive support (examples, experiences, evidence, and/or explanation) for each strategy,
and
4. Show a commitment to excellence in preparation, including professional appearance and a
command of Standard English. (Please use the writing center for assistance.)
BCC Policies
Academic Dishonesty (From BCC Handbook):
Bergen Community College is committed to academic integrity—the honest, fair, and continuing pursuit
of knowledge, free from fraud and deception. Students are responsible for their own work. Faculty and
academic support services staff will take appropriate measures to discourage academic dishonesty. The
college recognizes the following general categories of violations of academic integrity whenever a
student does one of more of the following: uses unauthorized assistance in any academic work, copies
from another student’s exam, gives unauthorized assistance to other students, fabricates data in support
of an academic assignment, inappropriately or unethically uses technical means to gain academic
advantage, and commits plagiarism.
Student and Faculty Support
Services The Henry and Edith
Cerullo Learning Assistance
Center
Room L-125 of Pitkin Building
The Distance Learning Office
– for any problems you may have accessing your
online courses
Includes the Tutoring Center,
English Language Resource
Center, and Writing Center. 201447-7489
201-612-5581
psimms@bergen.edu
The Tutorial Center
Room S-118 of Pitkin Building
201-447-7908
The English Language
Resource Center
Room 126 in Ender
Hall
For students whose native
language is not English.
The Writing Center
Room L-125 of Pitkin Building
201-447-7136
The Online Writing Lab (OWL)
The Office of Specialized
Services (for Students with
Disabilities)
The Sidney Silverman Library
www.bergen.edu/owl This website will help
students with all aspects of the writing process in
every discipline.
L-115 of Pitkin Building
Students with documented
disabilities who require
accommodations by the
Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) can request support
services from the Office of
Specialized Services.
www.bergen.edu/pages/5175
2nd Level of Pitkin Building
____________________________________________________________________________________
Sample Format for Success 101 Course Outline and Calendar
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Week One
In-class
Introductions
Syllabus review
Focus Question: What does “success” mean to you?
Travel with Me (p xxviii)
How to do Journal Assignments. Journal rubrics (handout)
Chapter 1. Understanding College Culture
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In-class
SDS Career Assessment in class
Active Learning. The CORE Learning System.
Self Esteem and Core Beliefs
Introducing the Professional Interview Project
In-class
• Chapter 2. Adopting a Creator Mindset
• Developing a Growth Mindset in Chapter 7
• Mastering Creator Language
In-class
• The Wise Choice Process
• Stinkin Thinkin
• Designing the Professional Interview
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Homework
Homework
Homework
Homework
Week Five
In-class
• Chapter 4. Mastering Self-Management: Time Quadrants and
Creating a Leak-Proof Self-Management System
• Workshop: Time Management Continued
•
Week Six
In-class
Career Day: results of SDS Career Test
Beginning research on your career
Career Research Worksheet. What are acceptable Sources?
What if you are undecided?
Chapter 3: Creating Inner Motivation
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In-class
Chapter 5. Being a Good Listener
The Robot Game
Practicing the professional interview
Chapter 3: DAPPS
Designing a Compelling Life Plan. How to set a Goal
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Week Seven
Week Eight
In-class
• Chapter 2 – Applying the CORE Learning System to Improve
Reading
• Let’s talk about your final Success essay
• Workshop: Study Skill Plan Reading (step 2 and 3)
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Week Nine
In-class
Review of how to do the transcription of the interview and
the reaction paper
Wrap-Up on Career worksheet & professor interview
Wrap-Up on Note-Taking Plan
Workshop: Improving your Note-taking skills
In-class
• Workshop: your Note-Taking Plan
• Any questions about your final Success Essay?
Week Ten
Homework
Homework
Homework
Homework
Homework
Homework
• Planning for registration (Priority registration for currently
enrolled students)
• How to read your student evaluation
• Working out the bugs before registration
• Reviewing access to Webadvisor
In-class
• Planning for Registration:
o How to choose courses for next semester
Week Eleven
Homework
o How to pick a General Education course
o Choosing a major
• Success Essay Reminder
• Chapter 6: Gaining self-awareness. Recognizing when you are
off-course and Identifying your scripts
Week Twelve
In-class
• New Scripts: Taking charge of your life!
In-class
• Final call—any questions about your Success essay?
• Stress, Anger, Anxiety and more. Reducing stress.
• Stress, Anger, Anxiety and more. Reducing stress.
Week Thirteen
Week Fourteen
In-class
• Wrap-up, in-class writing, and teacher evaluation – No late
assignments accepted after today.
• Students presentations/ppt of professional interview
In-class
• Students presentations/ppt of professional interview
• Student conferences – Success essay returned
Week Fifteen
Homework
Homework
Homework
Homework