SYLLABUS UNIV 100
Introduction to Higher Education Fall 2003

UNIV 100  Location: Muse Hall  - RU Connections 
Time: Mon/Wed 2:00-2:50  
Instructors: Dr. Tod W. Burke & Katherine Mallon
307 Adams Street, #6B (upstairs)  Department of Criminal Justice
Office phone: 831-6657 e-mail: tburke@radford.edu 
Katherine Mallon:  e-mail: kmallon@radford.edu  Phone: 831-3400
Office hours: Office Hours: Mon/Wed 3:00-4:00 & Tue/Thur 3:00-4:30 (subject to change)
*Appointments available

Purpose of course:

The purpose of this course is to assist freshmen in their academic, personal and social success at Radford University.  Particular attention will be devoted to health and wellness issues.

Goals of course: (in general)
 

To improve academic skills by focusing upon:

 * Critical thinking * Understanding learning styles/process

* Reading comprehension * Understanding role of professor

* Effective note taking * Improving relations between faculty and student

* Preparing for exams * Computer literacy

* Time management  * Writing skills

* Oral Communications
 

To aid in personal and social development by helping students:

* Make friends and develop support groups

* Develop coping skills

* Gain self-confidence and knowledge

* Develop decision making skills

* Explore career and academic opportunities

* Identify health and wellness issues

* Locate campus resources, including the library, career services, residential life, etc.

* Recognize the importance of diversity

 
To allow for student integration by:

 * Involving students in the "total life" of the university

* Teaching students about Radford University, including its history, purposes, organizations,
rules, regulations, services, resources, and opportunities for student development

* Encouraging students to get involved in student organizations and to seek campus leadership
 roles

 
Goals of the Community
 

• Problem-solving/decision-making – to assess skills that would relate to decision making and problem solving within the context of the academic and residential environment. Some elements of this would include: the ability to make decisions on the basis of mental/physical safety and health; the willingness to take emotional/intellectual risks, and the ability to search out resources and propose solutions.

• Self esteem/selfconfidence – more specifically: do you feel good about yourself in the context of the RU community; are you confident with expressing your opinions/ ideas?

• Team identity/cooperative behaviors/collaboration (good citizenship) – this should measure your willingness to encourage positive interactions within the community. For instance, do you listen to others’ ideas, help each other reach goals, support each other, and feel supported by each other? Also, are you developing a stronger sense of community and appreciation for the relationships in the community – are you invested in promoting and strengthening community.

• Initiative/taking responsibility for education – this should be a self efficacy measure.Do you have confidence in your ability to meet your own needs? Can you first recognize and identify problems, then can you develop a plan of action, strategies, assess, and reach goals?

• Trust – Although this is quite a broad goal, we would primarily like to be able to measure the increasingly level of trust among members of your community and secondarily the level of trust between you and  teaching  staff.

Course outline: The following topics have been selected for review. It is important that the student understand that this list is not all inclusive and is subject to change depending upon the needs of the students. Additionally, dates are not provided to allow flexibility in scheduling. Therefore, it is imperative that the student attend each class so as to know the topic areas for discussion and review.

• Getting to know your professor
• Getting to know each other
• Academic integrity
• Role of professor
• Role of student
• Time management
• Learning styles
• Active v. passive learning
• Preparing for exams
• Library scavenger hunt
• Academic advising
• Counseling and student development
• Campus safety
• Roommates
• Diversity
• How to write a research paper
• HIV and STD's
• Stress management

Success Starts Here: These programs have been designed for new students. They cover a variety of issues important to students, including motivation, HIV education, date rape, study skills, alcohol use and abuse, and diversity. The following should be marked on your calendar for attendance:

 
Sunday, August 24  "Create your own destiny, becuase nobody else will"  - 8 PM 
Michael Poll (Preston Auditorium)

Tuesday, Sept. 2:  "4 stages of drinking"- 7 PM
Mike Green (Preston Auditorium)

Tuesday, September 9:  "Making college count" - 7 PM
Speaker TBA (Preston Auditorium)

Wednesday, September 24: "Taking steps to improve your campus community" 7 PM
Rick Barnes (Preston Auditorium)

Monday Oct. 6:  "Developing the character of a champion" - 7:00 PM
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch (Preston Auditorium)

Thursday, Oct. 23:  " Equalogy - Sexual assault" - 7 PM
Theater Troupe (Pridemore Playhouse)

Monday, Nov. 3:  "10 seconds...Can change your life forever" - 7 PM
Bobby Petrocelli (Preston Auditorium)

Other important dates: Please record these on your calendars

Mon. Aug. 25:  Classes begin

Fri.   Aug.  29:  Last day to add a course

Wed. Sept. 10:  Library - meet in library lobby

Mon. Sept. 15:  Library Scavenger Hunt - meet in library lobby

Mon. Sept. 22:  RU History Game Show - meet in Heth

Mon. Oct. 13:  "Reach for the Stars" - meet in Heth

Wed. Oct. 15:   Midterm grades due

Sat-Tue: Oct 18-21:  Fall Break

Fri. Oct. 31: Last day to withdraw from UNIV 100 with a grade of "W"

Fri. Nov. 14: Last day to withdraw from any course other than UNIV 100 with a grade of "W"

Mon. Nov 17:  Last day of UNIV 100 class

Required Text: UNIV 100: Fostering Student Engagement  2003-2004 by Nancy Taylor & Craig Herndon & UNIV Planner

Grading Policy: UNIV 100 is a one credit, letter graded course. Students will be graded based upon:

 Writing and Discussion:

 Formal Paper (50 points) (2-3 pages) Topics and style will be discussed in class.

Two informal papers (25 points each, 1-2 pages). These papers will be reaction, critique papers
based upon the "Success Starts Here" series. The student can select any two presentations to meet this requirement. Due dates will be announced in class.

Oral Presentation (50 points) - This will be a 5 minute Powerpoint Presentation on research paper topic.

All papers must be typed and be grammatically correct.

 
Classroom Attendance (50 points):

 The student is expected to be in class at the start of class. Persistent tardiness will not be tolerated (student may be
denied entrance).  Any student missing more than two classes will be penalized ten points from each class missed. There are no excused absences (with the exception of a note from the Dean of Students). Attendance is considered part of your classroom participation grade and is vital to the success of the class (2 tardies = 1 absence)

 
Extra credit – There may be a few written and/or group assignments that may be counted for extra credit points. The
assignment and point value will be determined during class.

Total points (not including extra credit) = 200

 
Honor Code
 

I do hereby resolve to uphold the Honor Code of Radford University by refraining from lying from stealing or
unauthorized possession of property and from violating the standards of student academic integrity.