TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SOUTHEAST CAMPUS
COURSE SYLLABUS
Academic Strategies
Diane L. Polcha, Associate Professor English/Developmental Studies
2015
Section 304 _ CRN #20759 Monday/Wednesday 3:30-4:50pm Room SE1204
TO CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
Mailbox : Communications Division, SE #1202 / Office : SE #1103
Phone : (918) 595-7646 / E-mail : diane.polcha@tulsacc.edu
or through MyTCC / Blackboard
Instructor’s Office Hours:
Monday/Wednesday: 8:30-9am, 2:30-3:30, & 4:50-6:30pm
Friday: 10:00am-1:00pm & 3:50-4:30
Or by Appointment
TO CONTACT THE DIVISION OFFICE:
Communications Division, Room SE1202, ( 918 595-7694)
Associate Dean Dr. Cindy Hess
CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Orients students to TCC campuses and college services, emphasizing personal and social strategies to increase student involvement in college and community activities. Requires students to analyze and apply study techniques and behavior patterns essential to college success, apply critical and creative thinking skills to solve academic and social problems, and construct goals and time plans to balance work, school, and family.
TEXTBOOK AND OTHER COURSE MATERIALS :
Students must purchase a LASSI access code ticket at a cost of approximately $8 in the
SE campus bookstore; Academic Strategies Text (online TCC Library site-no purchase necessary); this Syllabus; Tulsa Community College Catalog ; Tulsa Community College
Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook (available on TCC web site); and two bradded folders (no binders) for portfolio.
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COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The objective of Academic Strategies is to prepare students for success in college by teaching them to:

Develop proficiency in use of TCC resources, technology and terminology to promote learning.

Demonstrate attitudinal and behavioral growth to communicate and work in varied learning situations among diverse populations.

Balance school, home, work, and wellbeing to complete personal and academic goals.

Create academic solutions through development of critical thinking strategies and study skills.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students who are successful in the Academic Strategies course will be able to:

Demonstrate use of TCC college resources, support systems, technology, and terminology specific to higher education. (MyTCC, Blackboard, Academic Terms list, student service orientations, Academic Activities)

Evaluate personal and social strategies to communicate and work in varied learning situations among diverse populations in college; self-identify barriers
 affecting motivation and create strategies to overcome barriers.
(academic & campus activities, student interviews, service learning, college fairs, diversity essay, group work)
Create long and short term plans to balance school, work, family, and wellbeing using goals and day planners. (Weekly Study Schedule, Study Center, Day
Planner/Academic Planner, Learning Goals, My Success Plan)

Create study strategies and behavior patterns to successfully complete college writing, reading, and mathematics assignments and exams, demonstrating transference of learned skills to other courses. (Study Skills Strategies assignments, Exam Review, Portfolios)
TEACHING METHODS:
This class will be conducted as an academic support group for students and as a workshop consisting of brief lectures, discussions, group activities, learning experiences, guest speakers, and portfolio assessment.
WRITING CENTER / MATH LAB:
Assistance in reading, writing, and study skills is available in the Writing Center in
Library, 2 nd
floor building #7.
Workshops and individual tutoring by appointment are also provided by the Writing
Center. Workshops and tutoring sessions may be used for Strategies Academic Activity credit.
Assistance in mathematics and individualized tutoring for math and science courses is available in the Math Lab located on 1 st
floor in building #8. Math or science tutoring and science seminars may be used for Academic Activity credit.
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Course grades will be determined by the following: o Study Skills Strategies o Diversity Essay & Proposal
10% o Critical Review & Quote Log
10%
10% o Academic & Community Activities o Mid-Term Exam
10%
10% o Mid-Term PORTFOLIO o Final PORTFOLIO
25%
25%
GRADING SCALE:
90-100%= A
80- 89%= B
70- 79%= C
60- 69%= D
0- 59%= F
(excellent; full mastery of assignment)
(good; strong fulfillment of assignment)
(average; satisfactory fulfillment of assignment)
(poor; less than satisfactory or incomplete)
(failing; missing, late, incorrect, or plagiarized)
Students are expected to attend class regularly and to be on time. More than three class hours of absence will be considered excessive and may be reported to the Dean of
Students. Excessive absence makes successful completion of the class difficult or impossible. After each absence, the student is responsible for obtaining the assignments and completing any work missed. Most in-class assignments cannot be made up;
Participation and class activity points cannot be made-up. Weekly assignments will not be accepted after the due date. No major assignments (mid-term exam, portfolios) will be accepted after the due date without instructor approval on or before the due date. Approved make-up work must be submitted in a timely manner—within a week from the time the student is able to return to class.
EMAIL:
Students should communicate with instructor in person during class or office hours, by phone, through Outlook email, and through Blackboard email portal. Personal email addresses should not be used for communicating about the course. All TCC students receive a designated Outlook email address (ex: jane.doe@tulsacc.edu
). Students are expected to check their Outlook email regularly and to check announcements, grade status, and assignments on Blackboard. Students will be held responsible for assignment and schedule information provided on Blackboard which can be checked from home or on campus. Students must use Blackboard or Outlook to send and receive email from their instructor and from other students regarding this course. Outlook & Blackboard can be accessed through the TCC web site ( www.tulsacc.edu
) by using student id# and password in MyTCC.
Do NOT email assignments to your instructor. Work must be submitted during class or to instructor’s mailbox in Communications Division Office (SE 1202).
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COURSE WITHDRAWAL:
The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed 3/4 the duration of any class.
Contact the Advisement Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course
('W' grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Check the TCC Academic Calendar for deadlines .
Students should consult instructor before withdrawing from a course.
You cannot withdraw using MyTCC; instead you must go to the Advisement office as directed in above paragraph. ( Last day to withdraw for this course: Friday April
10 th )
You can only add or drop using MyTCC. Drop deadline is Januay 18 th . If you do not attend class or make contact with the instructor prior to January 17 th , you will receive a “WN” for the course and you are financially responsible (see Registration for policy).
Non attendance does NOT constitute an official withdrawal. Do not simply stop attending ANY class!
Students who stop participating in the course and fail to withdraw will receive a course grade of “F,” which may have financial aid consequences for the student.
Withdrawal and/or change to an Audit from a course after the drop/add period may alter the financial aid award for the current semester and future semesters. Students may receive an outstanding bill from TCC if the recalculation leaves a balance due to TCC.
English Professors may assign "AW" or "I" grades only when genuine emergencies prevent a student from completing the class and/or from withdrawing before the deadline and only when the student is earning a satisfactory ("C" or better) grade.
Inclement Weather:
TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency situations arise, TCC always gives cancellation notices to radio and television stations. This information is also posted on the TCC website ( www.tulsacc.edu
) and can be accessed through the switchboard message at the TCC phone number (918 595-7000 ).
Consult Blackboard course site or Outlook email for specific course directions for this course in extreme conditions .
The General Education Goals are designed to ensure that graduates of Tulsa Community College have the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to carry them successfully through their work and personal lives. General Education Goals relevant to this course include Critical Thinking and
Effective Communication, Civic Responsibility, and Global Awareness.
Standards of Conduct & Classroom Etiquette:
Open and mutually respectful communication of varied opinions, beliefs, and perspectives during classroom or online discussion encourages the free exchange of ideas that is essential to higher learning and to the ability to learn from each other. A student who exhibits behavior in the classroom which interferes with the learning environment or conduct which is disrespectful to the instructor or other students will be asked to leave the classroom and may be referred to the Dean of Students.
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Students are expected to be in class on time and to remain until the class is dismissed. A student who is late for class or has missed a class should not interrupt the class to determine what he/she has missed; if a student must leave the classroom before the end of class, he or she should not interrupt the class to get assignments yet to be completed or assigned. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain this information outside of class time. Students should schedule travel and medical or other appointments at times other than class time. Cell phones should be set so no disruption of class will occur. Students are responsible to clean up after themselves in the clasroom. Participation in class activities is an important part of the learning process, and an atmosphere conducive to gleaning the most from the session should be a priority for the each class member.
FORMAT:
Diversity Essay and Quote Log should be typed and double spaced. All in-class writings and strategies exercises must be double spaced and legibly written in blue or black ink on worksheets provided on Blackboard/Content. Worksheets should be printed out from course site. Students should write or type on one side of each page and provide one inch margins for professor’s comments. Assignments should be submitted in class to professor or in Portfolio as assigned.
Essay and Quote Log should be submitted in Portfolio with the following heading in the upper left hand corner of the page:
 student’s name,
 course title & time,
 professor’s name,
 assignment title, and
 date submitted.
Late assignments or assignments not following the prescribed format will be rejected , but may be used in portfolio for partial credit. Instructor’s mailbox is located in the Communications
Division Office (1202). Essay assignment (Diversity Essay) must meet criteria of assignment and topic selected. Sources consulted or quoted must be documented.
Worksheets for study strategies and academic activities should be printed from Blackboard, filled-out using complete sentences, answering all questions, and writing in black or blue ink; and should be completed by the due date or submitted in Portfolio as assigned.
Plagiarism is claiming, indicating, or implying that the words, ideas, or sentences of another writer are your own; copying the work of another and presenting it as your own; or following the work of another as a guide to ideas and expression that are then presented as your own. Students who turn in the same work will both be considered to have plagiarized. Students should review the relevant sections of the TCC Student
Code of Conduct Policy Handbook. A student who is determined to have plagiarized will receive an "F" on the assignment and may fail the course .
Academic Dishonesty or Misconduct:
Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not condoned nor tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa
Community College system. Academic dishonesty is behavior in which a deliberately fraudulent misrepresentation is employed in an attempt to gain undeserved intellectual credit, either for oneself or for another. Academic misconduct is behavior that results in intellectual advantage obtained by violating specific standards, but without deliberate intent or use of fraudulent means.
The student should review the relevant sections of the TCC Student Code of Conduct Policy
Handbook , which can be found at http://www.tulsacc.edu/page.asp?durki=2984&site=16&return=126
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Guests:
Any person not officially enrolled in class will not be admitted without instructor’s prior approval. Children will not be permitted in class.
ADA Policy:
It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community College to create inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying students in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are available. To request accommodations, contact the Education Access Center (EAC) at eac@tulsacc.edu or call (918) 595-7115 (Voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text (918) 809-1864 .
Institutional Statement:
Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC Catalog,
TCC Student Handbook, TCC Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook, and semester information listed in the Class Schedule.
PORTFOLIO GRADING:
An Academic Portfolio of student’s coursework worth 50% of the grade will be submitted once at mid-term (25%) and once late in the semester (25%). Portfolio assessment enables students to document mastery of the objectives by presenting evidence of the course outcomes of the semester. The Portfolio will provide students with an individualized academic reference to be used throughout their college experience—the result of their research and assessment of academic strategies and support services. Students will participate in many learning activities and writing exercises—individual and group, graded and ungraded. Students are advised to keep all written exercises, revisions, worksheets, and handouts from the course. Since the loss or damage of the course materials could jeopardize the Portfolio grade, course materials should be maintained with care. The structure of the Portfolio will be explained in detail. Portfolio must be submitted by due date unless extension is approved by instructor.
Students must turn-in a Mid-term and
Final Portfolio to pass the course.
Syllabus Changes:
Occasionally, changes to the syllabus may be necessary. Students will be notified of any changes to the syllabus in writing.
Tobacco Free College:
Tulsa Community College is a Tobacco Free college in accordance with the Governor’s
Executive Order 2012-01 and Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Section 1-1523 which prohibits smoking or the use of any tobacco products in all public places, in any indoor workplace, and all vehicles owned by the State of Oklahoma and all of its agencies and instrumentalities. This
Order includes property leased, rented, or owned by TCC including, but not limited to, all grounds, buildings, facilities, and parking lots. Tulsa Community College’s policy includes a tobacco free environment on all campus and off-campus locations conducting TCC credit or noncredit classes. The TCC Campus Police is responsible for ensuring compliance with the
Tobacco-Free Environment Policy. Violations of the policy may be addressed through issuance of campus or state citations.
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Classmates/Team members for group work:
Name ____________________________ Phone _______________________
Email _______________________
Name ____________________________ Phone _______________________
Email _______________________
Name ____________________________ Phone _______________________
Email _______________________
Syllabus Notes:
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