Location: 204 Baird Hall

Instructor: Dr. Sally Emmons-Featherston

Office: 204 Baird Hall (office is inside classroom 204)

I will post my office hours on my door during the first week of classes. You may see me before or after class, during my office hours, make an appointment, or call. If I am unavailable, please leave a message on my door or on my voice mail, and I will get back in touch with you as soon as I am able. I attend many meetings on campus and may have to alter from my schedule without notice. If this occurs I will leave a note on the door to inform you of any changes.

Phone: (918) 343-7976

Fax: (918) 343-7899

E-Mail: sallyemmons@rsu.edu

Preparation for success as a student, including study skills, interpersonal communications, information about opportunities available at Rogers State University, and initial steps in career planning.

This course is designed to introduce you to collegiate life, as well as to identify specific strategies which will help you to make your college experience more meaningful and successful. Since I envision this course to be a seminar in which there is much give-and-take, we will have some flexibility in our schedules and discussion topics. Expected topics will be addressed—i.e., taking notes, preparing for exams, choosing careers, etc.—but I will also ask you to suggest subjects that you would like to discuss. This is not a lecture course. Rather, it is a participation driven course which recognizes that we all have life and academic experiences which can benefit each other as we pursue our academic studies. You should expect to share your experiences and knowledge with the class in different mediums, whether it be through occasional group work, class discussions, mini presentations, etc.

Your College Experience: Strategies for Success, John N. Gardner, Wadsworth Thompson Learning, 4^th edition.

This class is required to meet 12 times during the course of the semester. IF class is cancelled due to a holiday, we are STILL REQUIRED to meet these 12 times. The administration requires that any classes that are missed due to a holiday cancellation will have to be made up in the week(s) following the 12^th week of classes.

The last day to withdraw from this class and receive a "W" is October 18^th.

The last day to withdraw from 16 week courses and receive a "W" is November 13^th.

Within the context of RSU’s mission, goals, and educational objectives, this course is intended to provide the space and moment for students to build and display effective communication and critical thinking skills, as well as develop an appreciation for diverse points of views. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate progress in or mastery of the following course objectives:

• The ability to communicate effectively
• The ability to work effectively with others
• The ability to write at an advanced collegiate level
• The ability to exercise time management
• The ability to use campus resources effectively
• The ability to set academic related goals

All student work will be held against the following Academic Criteria

• Accuracy of information
• Organization and clarity of thoughts
• Depth of critical thinking and observation
• Satisfaction of defined requirements for assignments (deadlines, etc.)
• Basic writing skills and mechanics
• Fidelity of work (no plagiarism, cheating, etc.)
• Evidence of creative or innovative thinking
• Effective cooperative learning techniques (when applicable)

Students will earn their final course grade via the following:

Weekly Journal Assignments 11 @ 40 points each=440 points

Attendance 12 @ 25 points each=300 points

Group Project =100 points

Course Participation =100 points

Pre Test =71 points

Post Test =55 points

Total =1066 points

The Department of Communications and Fine Arts Division has adopted a standard objective grading scale

A = 90-100%

B = 80-89%

C = 70-79%

D = 60-69%

F = 0-59%

In this class, you are required to complete an assessment test at the beginning, and at the end, of the course. You will receive full credit for both tests. If you miss one of the scheduled tests, you will need to make an appointment with me to make the test up.

Each week you will write a short, one page journal assignment. Topics will be varied, but will usually ask you to reflect upon your college experiences, both good and bad, as well as issues raised in the assigned reading. Each memo must contain an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Journals must be typed and double-spaced. I will assign full credit to journals which address the assigned topic thoroughly, follow the specified parameters, and demonstrate care with mechanics and written quality. Late journals will not be accepted.

Understanding that there may be a time that you will need to miss class due to an emergency or illness, I urge you to remember that regular attendance is an essential ingredient to doing well in any course. In this class, I will check attendance every week. Those of you who are in class will receive 25 points for being in class. If you are absent, you will not receive these points, and none of the work completed in class during your absence can be made up for credit. If you miss class, it will be your responsibility to find out what the journal assignment is for the next class. These journal assignments must be turned in on the date they are due in order to receive credit. Always remember that excessive absences jeopardize your potential success in any course.

This is a participation driven course. Each week you will be given a short reading assignment that will then be the basis for our class discussion. Please come to class prepared and ready to share your thoughts and experiences. Students who participate in class/ group discussions on a regular basis will receive full credit for participation. Please feel free to suggest subjects related to the text material/college in general that you would like to discuss.

At the end of the course your group will complete a section of a larger project entitled "Surviving College." Your group will be assigned a specific topic to consider, and will then give advice to future college students on this topic…in other words, you will share what you wish you had known about this subject before you started college. Your group project will be posted to my faculty web page so future college students can benefit from your experiences. You will be given class time to work on this project.

It is very distracting to have disruptions in class. To this end, I ask you to please turn off all cell phones, pagers, etc. before entering the class. In emergencies, I will make exceptions to this but only if you clear it with me prior to the class.

Since this course only meets once a week, it is imperative that we have a means of communicating with each other. To this end, I require all students to establish an e-mail account where I (and others in the class) can reach you if the need should arise. Occasionally, I will send course e-mails to the entire class reminding you of reading and journal assignments, important dates, and events occurring on campus. Please check your e-mail several times a week so that you remain informed of all updates.

Rogers State University strongly prohibits plagiarism of any kind and severely punishes students who commit it. RSU’s official plagiarism statement is: "Plagiarism is representing someone else’s ideas or work as your own ideas or work. To avoid plagiarism when using someone else’s data, arguments, designs, words, ideas, projects, etc., you must make it clear that the work originated with someone else by citing the source." Absolutely no academic dishonesty will be tolerated in this class. Please review the Student Code of Responsibilities and Conduct published by Rogers State University for a full discussion of "Code and Academic Conduct" and academic dishonesty penalties.

If you have special physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities, please let me know immediately so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation to the office of Student Relations, Pre Hall 110.

Computers are available in the UPA, Thunderbird Library, and Student Support Services. Computers are also available for class use in BH 205.

The schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.