University 102
Freshmen Year Seminar
SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
Class Schedule and Syllabus
Syllabus
instructor:
Luis B. Vega
ADVISING STUDENT CENTER:
Advising, Career & EOP Services
Salazar Hall 1070
Work: (707) 664-2427
Arranged by appointment
ONLINE WEBSITES:
UNIV 102 MySpace: www.myspace.com/seminar4freshman
Summer Bridge: MySpace: www.myspace.com/bridge2Sonoma
Sonoma State: YouTube: www.youtube.com/come2sonoma
Required Material:
1. Time Management Planner
2. Sonoma State University Catalog
3. A Seawolf Email account
4. A three ring binder for assignments and handouts
University 102 Mission Statement:
Our section is a part of the EOP Academy, and we will be covering topics of particular concern to EOP students. The Freshman Year Experience course is built upon a commitment to student success at this university. It is designed to create a learning community, and a foundation of skills and knowledge that will help students develop the habits of thinking and learning necessary in a complex, technologically sophisticated, and multicultural world.
Course Description and Goals:
We would like to welcome you to the university and to your first semester. This course is built upon a model of a creative learning community designed to support your success as a student, your individual growth and development, and your strength as a member of a diverse community of learners. We hope to:
-Build a mentoring relationship between other students, your instructor, and a student peer mentors;
-Introduce students to programs, services, and facilities available to assist you in your transition
-Identify and create specific techniques to help you develop the skills to achieve your academic goals;
-Expose students with diversity as a part of your university education; and
-Help you develop a support group among their peers and within your university community.
Academic Integrity
We are committed to a code of values that honors academic and personal integrity, honest and ethical standards. We expect students to complete their own work. When a student refers to the ideas of another person, we expect students to acknowledge this work by the appropriate citation. In this class, any incident of academic dishonesty will result in the attachment of a failing grade for that assignment and may involve university disciplinary action.
Class Participation:
Your participation is an important part of your learning in this course. We expect you to contribute when you have something to add to the discussion, and to listen to your classmates when they are talking. The quality of your participation will be much more important than the quantity. You will be evaluated on how you contribute to the class in terms of discussing, sharing, and active listening. Because of the personal nature of this course, the idea that what you put into it determines what you get out of it is key to getting the most out of our class.
CLASS RULES AND CONDUCT:
We will follow these ground rules for promoting positive and safe discussion:
-Confidentiality - all that is said in the class stays in the classroom.
-No put-downs
-Active Listening
-Mutual respect
-Right to pass
Course Requirements, Grading, and Attendance
Freshman Seminar is a 3 unit graded course. These units will count towards your graduation, and your grade will be part of your overall GPA. The format of the class is based on active learning and group discussion. Requirements include:
-Classroom work including group and individual classroom presentations;
-Out of class assignments and papers;
-Outside campus events and community activities;
-Attendance and participation; and
-Meetings with the Instructor and Student Peer Mentor.
If you have 2 unexcused absences, you must meet with Mr. Vega.
If you have 3 unexcused absences, you may fail the course.
Advising Meetings
To receive Credit for the course, you must have 1 advising session with Instructor, and at least 1 meeting with Student Peer Mentor (SPM). You can earn extra credit by meeting with SPM more than once. We are both here to assist you in becoming familiar with the campus and succeeding, academically and personally. These meetings will allow us to check in with you and see how the semester is going, answer any questions you may have and provide other support you may need.
Access for Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability that requires accommodation in this class, you should notify the Instructor before the end of the second week of class. You should register with the campus Disabled Student Services (DSS), located in Salazar Hall 1049, phone 664-2677. DSS will provide written documentation of your verified disability with the recommended accommodation and an authorization, which you will then present the Instructor.
Important Campus Policies
The link: www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/studentinfo.shtml
will take you to 5 important campus policies: the Add/Drop Policy; Cheating and Plagiarism Policy; Grade Appeal Policy; Access to Programs for Students with Disabilities; and the campus Diversity Statement. All of these have important information and we will be discussing them throughout the semester.
OUTSIDE EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES
A minimum of 6 are required - including at least one library workshop. You can get credit for taking part in up to two events in each category. You can earn extra credit points by doing more than 6 events
-Library Workshops (one is required). http://libweb.sonoma.edu/assistance/workshops.html
-Attend a Campus Play
-Attend a Campus Lecture or Concert
-Attend a club/fraternity/sorority meeting
-Join an Intramural Team or go to a game to cheer on a friend
-Take part in an Outdoor Pursuits Activity
-Go for a Saturday hike with Bruce at Fairfield Osborn Preserve
-Do a wall climb at the Recreation Center
-Take part in any R.S.A. activity, or help coordinate one
-Attend a special dinner at the Res. Halls
-Attend any SSU sports event (soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.)
-Take part in a JUMP activity
-Give Blood
-Meet with Student Peer Mentor a 2nd time
-Meet with a tutor at the Tutorial Center or the Writing Center
-Meet with a Specialist in Learning Skills Services (LSS)
GRADING CRITERIA
Your grade will be determined by the following criteria: participation in class discussions, attendance, timely completion of assignments, and ability to work in small project groups. Late assignments will be accepted up to one week late, with a decrease in points. You are responsible for turning work in on time, even if you are not at class that day.
GRADES:
Total Points: 350
A 315 points or more (90%)
B 280 - 314 points (80%)
C 245 - 279 points (70%)
D 210 - 244 points (60%)
Fail < 210 points (59% or less)
Extra Credit Arranged by Instructor
SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Self Portrait
Send a short e-mail message introducing yourself to the entire class, using our class Listserve (univ 102-012-FA@sonoma.edu). You should include what you are most excited about as you start your first year of college, where you are from, your major and some concerns that you may have as you start your college years at SSU. Please keep this introduction short, approximately 1 to 2 paragraphs in length.
Outside Events and Experiences
You will be expected to attend at least 6 campus events and experiences, and write a brief response to them. Please include documentation to show you were there (e.g. a ticket to a campus play or sports event). At least one of these events must be a library workshop.
Advising Meetings
You will meet 1 time during the semester with Instructor and at least once with Student Peer Mentor (SPM). Each meeting is worth 10 points, and you can earn extra credit by meeting with SPM more than once.
Autobiography
This is an opportunity to look at your life, what you have accomplished, and the path you have taken to get to SSU. We want you to write a 2-3 page paper describing your life and discussing specific events and people that motivated you to attend college.
Campus Resource Presentation
For this assignment, you and a classmate will go to one of the resources on campus, interview a staff member, and do a short (5 mins. maximum) presentation to our class on what you learned. This will be a way for you to learn about a number of services and resources on campus and share the information with the rest of the class.
Time Management
One of the most difficult skills for freshmen to develop is managing their time. In this exercise you will plan out your time for a week and use a classmate to help you stay on track. You will then write a short response paper describing your experience.
Interview a Professor
You will have the opportunity to interview a faculty member from your chosen major or possible area of interest. You will be expected to create at least 5 questions for the faculty member to respond to. The questions should include what you want to know about your major or area of interest. You will then turn in a short write-up (1-2 pages) summarizing the faculty’s response.