Syllabus, Part 1 – Requirements First-Year Experience Seminar

Spring 2011 Home Page

Purpose:
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the university, to provide information and experience that will promote and support academic success, and to offer opportunities for students to engage in self-reflection and to grow in self-knowledge.

Learning Objectives:
(Students may vary in their competency to attain the objectives.)
Upon meeting all course requirements, the student should be able to:
•     access student services and use academic resources
•     identify major transition issues and value options toward wellness
•     compose a personal essay and present a selected portion of it to the class
•     complete a community service project for residents of a local rest home

Required Textbook:
Pausch, Randy and Jeffrey Zaslow.  The Last Lecture.  New York, NY: Hyperion, 2008.

Required E-mail:
Students are expected to use their UMass Lowell e-mail accounts or to have their UMass Lowell accounts forwarded to a personal account.  Class information and reminders will be sent via e-mail using UMass Lowell student e-mail addresses.

Electronic Devices:
While class is in session, students are REQUIRED to have all electronic devices turned OFF.  Devices used in class are subject to confiscation by the instructor until the end of class. The use of electronic devices during class time can result in a grade of Unsatisfactory for that day’s participation and classroom behavior.

Plagiarism:
“Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University.”  This includes plagiarism, which is “representing the words or ideas of another as one's own work in any academic exercise.”   www.uml.edu/catalog/undergraduate/policies/academic_dishonesty.htm  [Accessed 1.24.10]

Grading

This one-credit seminar is graded as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.  Satisfactory completion of this course is required for all first-year students with Humanities and Social Sciences majors and students with Undeclared Liberal Arts status.             

A grade of Satisfactory is based on satisfactorily completing the following requirements:

Attendance:
Attendance in the course is mandatory.  Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class.  Students are expected to be present for each class.  If you will be absent due to religious observances, athletic team commitments, illness, or personal reasons, please notify the instructor in writing as soon as possible and always prior to the day you will be absent.  If you need to be absent due to an emergency, please e-mail the instructor or leave a voice-mail message for the instructor.  Upon returning to class, you will be asked to complete a form stating the reason for your absence.  An absence is not excused unless approved by the instructor.  In order to meet the minimum attendance requirements to earn a grade of Satisfactory, a student may have a maximum number of three excused absences.

Participation:
        Each class day, students are expected to:

• Come to class with their assigned homework completed
• Contribute to all discussions
• Answer and ask questions where necessary
• Respect other classmates’ opinions and ideas, and the issues presented by guests

Homework:
Homework is assigned weekly, and is usually due at the beginning of the next class period.  (Check the "Syllabus, Part 2 -- Course Calendar and Instructional Activities" for each assignment and its respective due date.)  Written assignments will include six journal entries based on the required reading, as well as short papers on specific personal and/or transition-to-college issues.  (In general, for every hour of class time, students can reasonably expect three hours of preparation time.)

QuickWrite Questions
Occasional prompts will be given for brief in-class writing activities.

Community Service Project
Students will be expected to participate in the class community service project (a performance at the Merrimack River Valley House).  Details will be given later.

Presentation:
An individual presentation will be due during the last two weeks of class.  It will be assigned at Midterm.  Please be aware of this and allow planning time for the presentation.

Note:  Any and all changes in the “Syllabus, part 1:  Requirements” and in the “Syllabus, Part 2:  Course Calendar and Instructional Activities” are at the discretion of the instructor.  Should a change occur, the class will be notified via e-mail and/or in class.