Collegiate Communication 101 Syllabus
Fall 2013
Instructor:
Carrie Gilchrist
Senior Financial Aid Outreach Advisor
Student Financial Services
120 North Foundation Hall
248.370.3385
gilchris@oakland.edu
Instructor Office Hours:
After class and by appointment
Course Information:
Section # 40102
Thursdays, 3:00-4:20pm
374 South Foundation Hall
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://www.oakland.edu/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, 2nd Edition. The textbook can be purchased or rented at Barnes & Noble at OU.
Student Responsibilities:
1)
Show up! Choose to attend every scheduled class period in its entirety.
2)
Do the work! Choose to do your best work in preparing all of your assignments and hand them in
on time.
3)
Participate actively! Choose to stay mentally alert in every class, offering your best comments,
questions, and answers when appropriate.
4)
Cell phone should be muted and put away before class. Those using cell phones (including
texting) will lose participation points.
5)
Students who miss class will lose participation points for the day. Missing class does not excuse
you from submitting homework by the due date. Students who miss more than two class sessions
will automatically fail the course.
COM 101 Syllabus con’t: Gilchrist
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
Grading: (Each of these requirements are described below.)
120 points
10 points
10 points
70 points
60 points
70 points
60 points
Attendance & In-Class Participation, Homework
On Course Self-Assessment (Pre-Test)
On Course Self-Assessment (Post-Test)
Writing Assignment: Writing Journals – Due weekly (10 pts. each)
Campus Involvement: Case Study – Due 9.19.13
Personal Interaction: Faculty Meeting – Due 10.17.13
Group Project: Video Project - Due 11.21.13
400 Total Points Available
2 Extra credit opportunities will be available throughout the semester.
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
Course Purpose:
This course is designed to help you become successful in college and in life.
Attendance & In-Class Participation:
You are responsible for attending each class session, completing homework before class begins, and
participating in class activities. If you miss class, you are still responsible for submitting the homework
on time. A student who misses more than two class sessions will automatically fail this course.
Late Policy:
Homework is due by 3:00 PM (start of class) on the due date. In most cases, homework is to be
uploaded to the correct file folder in Moodle. Any late work will be graded, then reduced by 50%.
Group Project:
A video project will be completed and presented to the class.
 This assignment meets the following course objective(s): Learn skills for successfully navigating the
college environment
Writing Assignment:
Journal entries and self-assessments: Each week you will be asked to write a journal entry. These
entries will be worth 10 points each. Weekly journal entries are to be uploaded to the appropriate
Moodle folder.
COM 101 Syllabus con’t: Gilchrist
 This assignment meets the following course objective(s): Explore personal strengths, abilities and
interests and how they contribute to your college experience
Personal Interaction:
Faculty meeting: Schedule a meeting with one of your faculty members (except Writing & Rhetoric)
during their office hours to discuss your performance in their course. Gather information on your
strengths and weaknesses and recommendations for improvements you can make to achieve greater
success. Answer the questions below in a 200-300 word reflection. Note: This assignment is most
impactful if you choose a course you may be struggling with.
 Which professor did you decide to meet with and why? (include which class)
 Describe what was discussed during the meeting (strengths, weaknesses, recommendations for
improvement).
 Did the meeting go as you had anticipated? Why or why not?
 What, if anything, would you do differently the next time you meet with a faculty member?
 This assignment meets the following course objective(s): Build positive relationships with peers,
faculty, and staff
Campus Involvement:
Case Study: A case study will be provided to you describing a scenario experienced by a student at
Oakland University. Individually or in a group you will work to provide a resolution to the scenario.
Students are encouraged to present their resolution in a creative way.
 This assignment meets the following course objective(s): Learn about campus resources and how to
use them
On Course Self-Assessment:
Two self assessments will be completed during the semester. The On-Course Pre-Test is due September
12th and the On-Course Post-Test is due November 21st.
Course Calendar & Assignments:
Week One: 9.5.13
In class:
Introductions
Explanation of course
Review the syllabus and homework for next week
Case study
Homework due 9.12.13:
Read chapter 1: pgs. 1-33
Take the Self-Assessment online and submit the results by email to the instructor.
Complete the journal entry on page 33
Week Two: 9.12.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Photo Scavenger Hunt
(see next page for homework)
COM 101 Syllabus con’t: Gilchrist
Homework due 9.19.13:
Read chapter 2: pgs. 40-55
Complete the journal entry on page 40
Campus Involvement: Case Study
Week Three: 9.19.13
In class:
Case study presentations
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Homework due 9.26.13:
Read chapter 2: pgs. 55-68
Complete the activity on pgs. 69-89
Week Four: 9.26.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Personal Interaction: Faculty Meeting
Homework due 10.3.13:
Read chapter 3: pgs. 92-113
Complete the journal on page 110
Week Five: 10.3.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Homework due 10.10.13:
Read chapter 4: pgs. 141-164
Complete the journal on page 151
Week Six: 10.10.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Homework due 10.17.13:
Personal Interaction: Faculty Meeting
Week Seven: 10.17.13
In class:
Group Project: Video Project
Homework due 10.24.13:
Read chapter 5: pgs. 195-216
Complete the journal entry on page 216
COM 101 Syllabus con’t: Gilchrist
Week Eight: 10.24.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Homework due 10.31.13:
Read chapter 6: pgs. 237-245
Complete the journal entry on page 245
Week Nine: 10.31.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Homework due 11.7.13:
Read chapter 7: pgs. 282-309
Complete the journal entry on page 296
Week Ten: 11.7.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Homework due 11.14.13:
Read chapter 8: pgs. 332-357
Week Eleven: 11.14.13
In class:
Reading Quiz
Class discussion and activity
Homework due 11.21.13:
Take the On-Course Post-Test (link in Moodle) and email the results to gilchris@oakland.edu
Group Project: Video Presentations
Week Twelve: 11.21.13
In class:
Group Project : Video Presentations
Semester Celebration!