Developmental Studies

COL 102 – INTRODUCTION TO COLLEGE

 Fall Semester

Instructor:                 

Office:                                   

Telephone:                

Departmental Assistant: Sandra Smith 822 - 3539

Interim Department Chair:  Darlene Anderson 822 - 3539

Program Coordinator:

E-mail:                       

Campus Mailbox:     

Class Schedule:                     

Office Hours:            

Personal Website:     

Course Attendance: The quality of your learning experience in this class is determined in large part by your active participation in the learning process.  Therefore, it is important that you make an effort to attend every class.  There is no such thing as an excused absence.  Students may miss no more than twice the number of class meetings a week.  If students meet the class one time a week, they are allowed two absences.  Attendance and participation do factor into the final grade.

Students should not be late to class.  Students who come in late interfere with the class presentation and disturb other students in the class.  Likewise, students should not leave in the middle of class or before class is dismissed.  If you arrive after the roll is called, you will be marked tardy.  Three tardies equal one absence.  If you are tardy, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor at the end of the class that you are present.  Beepers, cell phones, etc. should be turned off in class.  If a student behaves disruptively in class, the instructor may dismiss the student from the class and count the student absent for that day.  The student whose behavior disrupted class must make an appointment with the instructor outside of class and meet with the instructor to resolve the problem before the student can return to class.

Students who are absent must make up activities, tests, or lectures at the instructor’s convenience.  Only one make-up activity is allowed.  In addition, penalty points may be deducted from the final score.  Students absent from a class are responsible for the work of the missed class and should contact someone to get the notes and assignments that were given during the class.

Withdrawal:  Should the maximum allowable absences be exceeded prior to midterm, a "W" will be submitted to the registrar to be recorded on the student's transcript.  Should the maximum allowable absences be exceeded after midterm, a "W" will be submitted to the registrar if the student was passing the course at the time of withdrawal OR a "WF" will be submitted if the student was failing the course at the time of withdrawal.

Course Requirements:          Email Tasks: In order to develop the habit of regularly checking email, homework assignments will be sent to the students’ MTC Campus Cruiser email accounts.  These assignments should be completed and returned to the instructor in the form of email attachments unless otherwise instructed.

One-on-One Advisement Meeting:

Each student is responsible for scheduling and attending a one-on-one meeting with the instructor.  The advisement meeting must occur between the dates of March 17 and March 28.  Students should contact the instructor ahead of time to ensure that appointment times are available. 

KeyTrain Lessons: Each student will be assigned a minimum number of lessons to complete based on their performance on the KeyTrain Pre-Tests.  These lessons must be completed before the administration of the WorkKeys assessment at the end of the semester. 

WorkKeys Assessment: The WorkKeys Assessment will be administered at the end of the semester and will count as the final exam for this course.

Career Paper: Instructions for this assignment will be given as a part of a class lesson.

Group Presentation: Instructions for this assignment are attached.

Course Grading: The course requirements will be graded as follows:

            Percentage

Attendance/Participation                                5

Classwork Assignments                                10

Homework/Email Tasks                                10

Advisement Meeting                                     3

Group Presentation                                      15

Career Paper                                               12

KeyTrain Lessons (Completed and Passed)  25

Completion of WorkKeys                            20

Total                                                    100 percent

Course Topic Outline/Course Calendar with Assignments:

PLEASE NOTE: Should change become necessary, the instructor reserves the right to adjust the requirements, pace, or scheduling of this course.  Any change will be announced in class before it becomes effective.

                                                 COL 102  INTRODUCTION TO COLLEGE

CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION: course may include selected topics such as career planning, study skills, stress management, tutoring, group guidance, and other subjects to facilitate student success.

CREDIT HOURS:      2

DEPARTMENTAL WEBSITE:  www.midlandstech.edu/dvs

TEXTBOOK(S):  Campus ToolKit, Corvus LLC - Publishers

EQUIPMENT:   A three-ring notebook or folder with pockets

                        A calendar or planning book showing all months of the semester

GRADING SCALE:              

A         94-100

B          85-93

C          75-84

D         70-74

F          69 and below 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.                  Articulate the various aspects of good study skills

2.                  Demonstrate an understanding of what constitutes an “emotionally healthy mind”

3.                  Demonstrate good interpersonal skills

4.                  Build career skills and set appropriate career goals

5.                  Demonstrate leadership skills

6.                  Define the term “personal excellence” and describe how they are working toward that goal

7.                  Use the Internet for academic purposes

8.                  List the college support services available to them

COURSE OUTCOMES AND COMPETENCIES: 

Intended Course Outcome:  Students will begin the process of building career skills and setting appropriate career goals.

Course Competency:  (1) Students will develop a personal career profile using the KeyTrain pre-test and remediation system for Reading for Information, Locating Information, and Applied Math; and (2) students will take the WorkKeys assessment to demonstrate competence in Reading for Information, Locating Information, and Applied Math.

Performance Measurement Instrument and Success criteria:   (1)  Students will complete the online KeyTrain remediation required based on their personal profile. (2) Students will take the WorkKeys assessment, and 70 percent of those will achieve at least 1 level higher than their KeyTrain pre-test level.

Academic Integrity – The students of MTC have adopted the following Honor Code:

As a member of the Midlands Technical College community, I will adhere to the college’s Student Code. I will act honorably, responsibly, and with academic integrity and honesty. I will be responsible for my own academic work and will neither give nor receive unauthorized or unacknowledged aid. I will behave courteously to all members of the MTC community and its guests and will respect college property and the property of others.

The Student Code addresses what constitutes academic dishonesty. All forms of dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating on tests, plagiarism, collusion and falsification, will result in discipline.

CHEATING ON TESTS includes:

.   Copying from another student’s paper.

.   Using materials during a test not authorized by the person giving the test.

.   Collaborating with any other person during a test without permission.

.   Knowingly obtaining, using, buying, selling, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of any un-administered test.

.   Bribing any other person to obtain information about tests.

.   Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for oneself.

PLAGIARISM is taking another person’s work and using that work without giving the source credit in any assignment turned in for credit.  For more information, see Appendix I at the end of MTC Student Handbook. 

Campus Emergency Protocol:

.   Safety concerns or suspicious activities:   Call Campus Security at 7199 (on campus) or 738-7199 (cell phone or off campus).

.   Emergency:  Call Campus Security or local 911 immediately.

.   If a college-wide emergency occurs, the college will use a variety of methods to communicate additional information and instructions including the MTC Information Centers, campus loud speakers, MTC Alerts!, voice mail, email, college Intranet, and the MTC website homepage.  (Sign up for MTC Alerts! at http://www.midlandstech.edu/Phone_Alert.htm)

Inclement Weather Policy: In the event that weather conditions or other emergencies cause the closing or a delayed start of Midlands Technical College, announcements will be made over local radio and TV stations, on the MTC Web site, and on the college’s information line (803-738-8324).

.   Notices will be sent to students via Campus Cruiser Mail when applicable. Separate announcements may be made for day and evening classes as weather conditions change during the day.

.   If the college closing or reopening means that there is at least 30 minutes of a class remaining, plan to attend that class. For example, if the college opens at 10:00 a.m., in TTH, classes that normally meet at 8:00 a.m. will not meet, but classes beginning at 9:30 a.m. will meet. If the college closes at 8:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. classes will meet for their regular time, but 7:35 p.m. classes will not meet since there are fewer than 30 minutes remaining in class.

Student E-Mail Accounts:  All MTC students are assigned a college e-mail account upon admission to the college. This account is called “Campus Cruiser Mail.”  Follow the link on the Enrolled Students page or go to http://prod.campuscruiser.com.

.   Campus Cruiser Mail is the primary mode by which the college communicates with students. Students are responsible for checking their college e-mail on a regular basis for important information and announcements about registration, financial aid, cancelled classes, emergency announcements and other notices.

.   Students can use their college e-mail accounts to communicate with faculty, staff, fellow students, and others, on college-related activities.  In addition to e-mail, students can maintain  personal calendars and “tasks lists” through their Campus Cruiser e-mail account.

MTC Online:  The college conducts business with students and has many services and resources for students through MTC Online.  Follow the link on the Enrolled Students page or go to midlandstech.edu/mtconline.   

Student Evaluation of Instruction:  Toward the end of the semester, students will have the opportunity to evaluate this course. The confidential evaluation process is conducted through MTC Online using the individual student’s username and password. Announcements will be made during the term concerning how and when to complete the online evaluation. Students are encouraged to participate in this process.

Students Requiring Special Accommodations:

.   If special accommodations are needed for a student with a disability, the student should go to Counseling Services in the Student Center on Beltline or Airport Campus for assistance. Documentation regarding a specific disability is required in order for special arrangements to be made. Confidentiality of information received will be maintained. 

.   For more information, go to the Counseling and Career Services link on the Enrolled Students page. 

(Revised 07/10)