Collegiate Communication 101
Fall 2011, CRN #42009
Tuesdays, 1:00-2:20 pm
Instructor:
Carmen Etienne
Academic Adviser
School of Engineering & Computer Science
159 DHE
(248) 370-2543
Etienne@oakland.edu
Instructors’ Office Hours:
By Appointment
Course Purpose:
This course is designed to help you become successful in college and in life.
Course Objectives: In this course, you will …




Learn about campus resources and how to use them
Build positive relationships with peers, faculty, and staff
Explore personal strengths, abilities and interests and how they contribute to your college experience
Learn skills for successfully navigating the college environment
Student Responsibilities:
To create the best environment for supporting your success and the success of your classmates, this course has a
few important rules. The more challenging these rules are for you, the more value you will experience by
adopting them. By choosing to follow these rules, you are choosing to be successful not only in this course but in
your life. These rules will support your success in every goal you pursue.
1)
Show up! Choose to attend every scheduled class period in its entirety. You will receive points for
attending this class. Missing more than 2 classes will result in a 0.0 for the course. I do not differentiate
between an excused or unexcused absence. If you are not here, you will be counted as absent.
2)
Do the work! Choose to do your best work in preparing all of your assignments and hand them in on time.
Late assignments will not be accepted. However, everyone will be given one “No Questions Asked”
Coupon. If you find you need to turn in an assignment late, you can use your coupon; no questions asked.
Use it wisely!! If you do not use your coupon, 10 extra points will be given at the end of the semester.
3)
Technology failures are not an excuse for late assignments; they are part of your college experience and
eventually, your work life. Protect yourself by practicing good time management, having a plan for printer
problems, and always backing up your work.
4)
Participate actively! Choose to stay mentally alert in every class, offering your best comments, questions,
and answers when appropriate.
5)
Students are responsible for their own learning.
6)
Students are expected to do their best thinking and professional work for each class.
7)
If an emergency arises or you are ill and cannot make it to class, please contact the instructor as soon as
you are able.
8)
Please turn cell phones off for the duration of our class. If it is absolutely necessary that you must have it
on vibrate, please speak to me before class.
9)
Be respectful to your classmates. Many ideas will be discussed in this class and many will involve personal
opinions. Everyone’s participation is important and valued.
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Academic Integrity:
The highest level of academic integrity is expected. Students are expected to submit their own work. Cheating
and plagiarism will not be tolerated. A complete listing of Academic Conduct Regulations is available in the OU
Student Handbook (http://www2.oakland.edu/deanofstudents/handbook/). The course is graded and a passing
grade is required to earn credit for the course.
Special Accommodations:
If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact the instructor to arrange
an appointment as soon as possible, preferably within the first 10 class days. At the appointment we can discuss
the course format, anticipate your needs, and explore potential accommodations. Students with a disability must
also register documentation with Disability Support Services (121 North Foundation Hall, 248-370-3266). All
discussions and documentations will remain confidential.
Required Text:
Downing, Skip. On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life – Study Skills Plus Edition, 1st
Edition.
The textbook can be purchased at Barnes & Noble at OU or rented from the publisher, Cengage Learning. Visit
www.cengagebrain.com/isbn/1439085226 for more information on renting the textbook.
Supplies:
Moodle – The syllabus and some handouts and instructions will be on Moodle each week. Check Moodle for
anything you might need every week.
Bear Essentials E-publications from Orientation & New Student Programs
Oakland University Catalog
Oakland University Student Handbook (http://www2.oakland.edu/deanofstudents/handbook/)
Paper & Pen/Pencil for any in-class writing that we may do
Grading:
180 points
50 points
50 points
50 points
50 points
20 points
Attendance & In-Class Participation, Homework
Group Project
Writing Assignment
Personal Interaction
Campus Involvement
On Course Self-Assessments (2)
400 Total Points Available
COM 101 Grading Scale:
4.0
380-400 points
3.0-3.9
320-379 points
2.0-2.9
280-319 points
1.0-1.9
250-279 points
0.0
Below 250 points
2
Attendance & In-Class Participation (180 pts):
Ten points are given for each class session in which the student attended and actively participated. Active
participation means that you come to class prepared (read the assigned materials, completed homework and/or
project assignments) and contribute to the discussion and activities during the class session. A student who
misses more than two class sessions will automatically fail this course.
Rubric for Class Participation points
You will receive participation points each class session based on the following:
0-3 Points
Unprepared
Disruptive
Inattentive
Did not
participate in
class activities
 Arrive late or
leave class
early
 Did not attend
class




5 Points
 Prepared
 Occasionally
attentive
 Participated in
some class
activities
10 Points
 Prepared
 Mostly attentive
 Participated in
most class
activities
15 Points
 Well Prepared
 Complete
homework
assignments or in
class assignments
 Fully attentive
 Participated in all
class activities
Note: Attendance will affect participation points; Absences will result in 0 participation points
On Course Self-Assessment (20 pts):
At the beginning and end of the course, you will complete the Self-Assessment in the required textbook.
Group Project (50 pts): Due 11/8/2011
Students will be divided into groups to complete a group project. Students will select a concept, definition,
cartoon, or chapter from the book or a topic we discussed in class, and create a 7-10 minute presentation about
the choice and present on how it relates to college life. The presentation topic must also tie in a campus office
that would be a resource for that particular topic. Students will be evaluated by the instructor, members of their
assigned group, and their classmates. This assignment meets the following course objective(s): Learn about
campus resources and how to use them; Build positive relationships with peers, faculty, and staff; Learn skills for
successfully navigating the college environment.
Writing Assignment (50 pts): Due 11/22/2011
For this activity, you will be asked to reflect on your first semester in college, the good, the bad, and the ugly of
college life. Your final paper must be typed, 12 pt font, and a minimum of 3 pages. Feel free to write more!
You will be asked to choose from 10 rules from Cherie Carter-Scott’s “If Life is A Game, These Are the Rules”.
Choose the rules that you feel the most passionate about after this semester and connect them to the chapters in
our book. You may choose 1 rule or more, but you must relate a chapter to each rule you select. Tell why you
chose the rule, what it means to you, what you have learned, how it relates to the chapter, and what advice you
would give to other freshmen. This assignment meets the following course objective(s): Learn skills for
successfully navigating the college environment; Explore personal strengths, abilities, and interests and how they
contribute to your college experience.
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Personal Interaction (50 pts): Due 10/25/2011
For this assignment, you will meet with your academic adviser and/or a faculty member related to the career you
are considering. You will be incorporating the results of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (You will take this
assessment in class) and the OU Career Cycle from Step 1 for sure, and 2 (if you are ready). Feel free to use any
of the other assessments we have done in class, too. This assignment will be summarized in a 2 page minimum
paper describing your results and how you feel about your career choice. This assignment meets the following
course objective(s): Build positive relationships with peers, faculty, and staff; Explore personal strengths,
abilities, and interests and how they contribute to your college experience.
Campus Involvement (50 pts): Due 11/15/2011
Being involved on campus is important to your success as a student and as a college graduate. For this activity,
you will be required to “DO SOMETHING” and report on your experiences to the class. You are required to do at
least 5 activities on the Do Something sheet. Be honest!! Don’t be afraid to do more! See who does the most
on campus in our class! Tell us your rank! Being involved on campus makes your college experience more fun!
Summarize your experiences in at least a 1 page paper, typed, and be prepared to share with the class. This
assignment meets the following course objective(s): Learn about campus resources and how to use them;
Build positive relationships with peers, faculty, & staff, Explore personal strengths, abilities and interests and how
they contribute to your college experience; and Learn skills for successfully navigating the college environment.
Course Calendar & Assignments:
Week One: September 6
Lesson: Introductions and course overview
“I’m in college. Now what?”
Week Two: September 13
Lesson: Getting On Course to Your Success
Due:
 Read chapter 1 (pgs. 2-4, 9-11, and One Student’s Story pg. 12, 20-27)
 Complete self-assessment online at:
http://college.cengage.com/collegesurvival/downing/on_course/4e/students/assess/index.html
Bring a copy of your results to class to turn in! Look at your scores. What was your highest
score? What was your lowest score? Briefly describe your thoughts on your scores. Were you
surprised? Where do you need to improve? Attach this to your set of scores. (If you have
difficulty accessing the web page, you can complete the self-assessment manually on page 6-8
in your text.)
Week Three: September 20
Lesson: Mastering Self-Management
Due:
 Read chapter 4 (pg. 131-147)
Week Four: September 27
Lesson: Accepting Personal Responsibility
Due:
 Read chapter 2 (pgs. 31-40 and 43-47)
Week Five: October 4
Lesson: Employing Interdependence
Due:
 Read chapter 5 (pgs. 181-190 and One Student’s Story pg. 191)
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Week Six: October 11
Lesson: Gaining Self-Awareness
Due:
 Read chapter 6 (pgs. 221-233)
Week Seven: October 18
Lesson: Developing Emotional Intelligence
Due:
 Read chapter 8 (pgs. 315-332)
Week Eight: October 25
Lesson: Discovering Self-Motivation
Due:
 Read Chapter 3 (pgs. 78-90, One Student’s Story pg. 85 & 96, and Popson’s Dilemma)
 Personal Interaction paper due Today!
Week Nine: November 1
Lesson: Adopting Life-Long Learning
Due:
 Read chapter 7 (pgs. 269-274. Complete activity on pgs. 270-271 and bring to class. Read One Student’s
Story on pg. 276)
Week Ten: November 8
Due:
 Group Presentations Today
Week Eleven: November 15
Lesson: Lesson: Staying On Course to Your Success
Due:
 Read chapter 9
 Campus Involvement assignment due Today! Be prepared to discuss in class.
 Complete self-assessment (pgs. 351-353) or online at and bring a copy of your results to class.
http://college.cengage.com/collegesurvival/downing/on_course/4e/students/assess/index.ht
ml
 Compare your results from last time. Briefly describe the differences or similarities that you
see. Why do you think there were or were not changes in your report? Please turn this in with
your assessment.
 Evaluations
Week Twelve: November 22
 Writing Assignment Due Today!
Wrap-Up
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