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Note: some aspects of this syllabus (schedule etc.) are tenative at this time.
Instructor: Dr. Scharff
Office: EDU 215f
Lab: EDU 117c
TEC Office: Steen Library 202H
Office Hours: M 10-11, 1-2 T 11-12:30, W 1-2, TH 11-12:30,
or by appointment
Phone: 468-1415
Email: lscharff@sfasu.edu
Student Assistant: Andres Ostria
Phone: 713-870-7415
Email: ostriaa@titan.sfasu.edu
The freshman seminar is designed to increase student success in college. Topics include time management, college note and test taking, critical thinking skills, career planning, the nature of a university, and ways to become part of the college community. While ultimate responsibility for success in college rests with the student, this course can provide fundamental assistance.
All students will receive a 2007 SFA 101 Handbook and calendar in class at the beginning of the semester. Information in this handbook will be used for class discussion, and be the basis of questions on the exam. You will also receive The Keys to College Success. Make sure you get them, read them, and understand them. Please bring them to class each day.
Attendance and participation is mandatory and will determine 25% of your final grade. You will lose 2.5% of your grade each time you have an undocumented absence. You may also lose partial points if you attend, but you do not fully participate in the activities (unless there is a documented reason why you are unable to participate for some reason).
There will be four evening / out-of-class events. The first evening event will the SFA 101 convocation (Thursday Aug 30th, at 4:00 p.m.); the second, (a fine arts event), will be chosen by the class; the third will be a 'pizza' social on September 11th (5-6pm); and the fourth will be a trip to the observatory (Wednesday, November 14th, 7:00 pm). You must attend all four of the evening events. There will be no class on four scheduled days (see calendar below) to compensate for the required attendance outside of the normal class time. Early in the semester you will also have a time scheduled to meet with Dr. Scharff; at this time you will have a digital photo taken to put up on the class web page. Finally, at least once, you will meet informally with Andres.
A documented excuse is one that is verifiable concerning some medical, family, or personal emergency. You will be required to submit the documentation. Oversleeping, leaving town for weddings, concerts, etc. are not considered acceptable excuses.
There will be one exam during the semester. It will be on October 17th, and it will include multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and one essay question. The exam will be based on material in the readings and classes. The exam will not be particularly difficult if you have done the readings and attended class. In addition to testing you on the material, this exam will give us a change to see how you do on different types of questions and to make suggestions to you for when you take exams in other classes. Your grade on this exam will determine 15% of your final grade. There will be no final exam.
There will be four short, reflection writing assignments for this class(see schedule below). Two times during the semester (papers #1 and #4) you will write the paper outside of class and turn in 1.5-2 page typed papers (~400 words each). The other two papers (#2 and #3) will also be required, but they will be hand-written and discussed in class.
A list of paper topics for the ones you write outside of class is available on the class web page (Writing Assignment Topics). Note that the list is divided into two sections: choices for paper #1 and choices for paper #4. When writing Paper #1, you should write based on your personal experiences / knowledge and reflections; no outside resources are required. Paper #4 in our SFA 101 class will link with your 4th paper in your English class. For your English class, you will choose one of the topics in the second list below and answer the topic questions based on your personal experiences / knowledge and reflections. You will receive feedback on that paper from Ms. Fox. Then, for the SFA 101 paper, you will make corrections based on feedback from Ms. Fox, and you will additionally work in another ~half page (~100 words) of text based on information you learned in our SFA 101 class (you will receive handouts in some cases or you can refer to your class notes).
Papers #1 and #4 must be turned in typed (there are several computer labs across campus that you may use at no charge). Proper sentence structure and spelling are required. Superficial papers (any of them) will not receive full credit. Otherwise, as long as your paper is a reasonable attempt to follow the directions, it will be considered correct. The SFA 101 writing assignments will be read only by the instructor and student assistant, but we may discuss some of the general topics later in class. Your grades on these papers will determine 40% of your final grade (10% each paper). Late papers will be penalized (-0.5% for later that day, -1% for each subsequent day).
Ten times this semester, you will be asked to jot down your thoughts in response to a question linked with the class discussion (you should write approximately half a page). This may be done at the beginning or end of class to promote discussion, or they may be asked and responded to via email to the class email list. There will be no right or wrong answers, but you must answer the questions in a complete, thoughtful manner. By this, I mean a response that reveals your thoughts or ideas, and an explanation for your statement. In other words, if you state an opinion, also include why you hold that opinion.
Each response will be worth 2% of your grade, for a total of 20% after you complete all ten. Superficial answers may not receive full credit. If you have a documented excuse, you will be allowed to make up the missed response.
This is a graded course. Based on your assignment, exam, and attendance points, you will receive a letter grade.
Classes will use a variety of formats: lectures, small group discussions, guest speakers, visits to campus facilities, exercises, questions and answers and opportunities to simply express what you are feeling or thinking.Whenever possible, we will make direct connections to the other linked courses.
In order for this class to be beneficial to you and others, attend every class on time, turn in all writing assignments on time, read the assigned materials, participate in individual and group activities and discussions, and treat everyone in this class with respect and courtesy.
For any college course, complaints or problems should first be discussed with the course instructor. Difficulties can usually be resolved there. If the complaint cannot be resolved, the next person to see is the department chair. For SFA 101 courses, the chairperson is Dr. Tim Clipson (468-2188).
Aug 30 -- last day to add a course
Sept 3 -- Labor Day Holiday
Sept. 22 -- Parents Day
Oct 24 -- last day to drop a course / last day to withdraw without WP
or WF
October 26-27 -- Homecoming Activities
November -- registration for spring classes
Nov 21-25 --Thanksgiving Holiday (begins at 8:00 am on Wednesday)
Nov 26 -- last day to withdraw from enrollment
Dec 10-14 -- final exam week
Dec 15 -- Commencement
Jan 14 -- Spring Classes begin
If you have a non-passing grade on the THEA for one of the areas, you may schedule a time to take the computerized version of the Accuplacer Test on campus. The scores of this test can be used to replace the THEA scores. Until you pass the THEA you will need to enroll in developmental courses. For more information contact the Advising Center (468-1754, Ferguson 291).
The following reflects planned topics for each class date. Because open-ended discussion will be encouraged, actual topics may vary some from below. Paper due dates, the exam date, and the evening activity dates can be considered fixed (unless some emergency comes up).
|
Dates |
Monday |
Wednesday |
|
Aug 27 / Aug 29 |
Intro to course & each other |
Info Lab I in Library (email / Pipeline / Internet etc.) AARC information |
|
Sept 3 / 5 |
Labor Day Holiday |
Goals / Calendar use / Time Management (bring copies of all syllabi to class) |
|
Sept 10 / 12 |
Note Taking: In class and while studying (Paper #1 due) |
Study Strategies Exam Strategies |
|
Sept 17 / 19 |
Campus Tour and Survey activity (English Link) |
Health Issues / Drugs Class Activity (English Link) |
|
Sept 24 / 26 |
"Tell me something I don't know" (movie) |
Time, Money, and Stress Management |
|
Oct 1 / 3 |
Panel Discussion |
In-class Writing Assignment and Discussion (Paper #2) |
|
Oct 8 / 10 |
Guest Speaker |
Information Literacy / Psych Computer Lab (ED 127) (History Link) |
|
Oct 15 / 17 |
SFA fun facts Review Activity |
Exam in Class |
|
Oct 22 / 24 |
Guest Speaker: Relationships and STDs
|
No class due to evening event |
|
Oct 29 / 31 |
Knowing yourself: personality inventories |
In-class Writing Assignment and Discussion (Paper #3) |
|
Nov 5 / 7 |
Guest speaker: Registration Sherry Wells |
Panel Discussion |
|
Nov 12 / 14 |
Diversity Guest Speaker: Multicultural Center |
No class due to evening event |
|
Nov 19 / 21 |
Advising questions / Calculating Grades (Bring your proposed schedule) (Paper #4 due: English Link) |
Thanksgiving Holiday |
|
Nov 26 / 28 |
Managing the end of the semester Course Evaluations (ED 127) |
No class due to evening event |
|
Dec 3 / 5 |
Bowling Party |
No class due to evening event |
SFA 101 Convocation: Thursday Aug 30, at 4:00 p.m
Linked course Pizza: Tuesday, September 11, (5:00 - 6:00)
Observatory Trip: Wednesday, November 14th, 7:00 pm
Fine Arts Event: to be voted on by class
Papers #1 and #4 are due at the beginning of class on the indicated due dates.
* Sometimes being in a new situation (i.e. away from home at college) can open your mind to new people and experiences. Write about a friend that you have made here at SFA that, prior to coming here, you would not have thought would end up being your friend. Explain why you previously believed that and what changed your mind.
* Go to a football game. Describe some of the different people and actions you observe. Explain what makes some of the people seem interesting / attractive to you (as people to get to know, not necessarily as dating possibilities) and makes others not attractive to you.
* Interview an RA for your dorm. What are his/her thoughts about the job? What are two dorm situations that he/she hopes not to have to deal with during the year? What is his/her favorite thing that has happened on the job?
* Interview your roommate. Find out about his/her background and things you have in common. Discover some differences also. What do you think your relationship will be like in the semester/ in the future?
* Volunteer to help at one of the agencies around town or at an event on campus. Write about your experience. Don't just summarize what you did; include your impressions and feelings about the experience.
* Volunteer at a local nursing home. Sit and talk with an elderly person and find out about his/her past. For example, what experiences did he/she have? What does he/she like to do now?
* Give the gift of life and donate your blood to the Blood Center. What were your feelings before, during and after your donation? Was this your first time? Turn in proof of donation along with your paper.
* Involvement is a large part of college life. If you decide to join an organization, describe your thoughts on the organization, the people who are involved, the pros and cons of joining, and what you hope to get out of the experience.
List 2 (Choose one of the following for Paper #4)
* Take a 30-45 minute day-time walk through the arboretum and along LaNana Creek with a friend (stay in area around campus). Describe in detail two things along the way that caught your attention. Assess your thoughts and feelings before, during, and at the end of the walk. Did you sense a change in focus, concentration, relaxation, or general energy level?
* Sometimes the responsible thing to do may feel strange or awkward (or it may not!). Go out and buy a condom. Turn in the receipt with a date on it, and a summary of your thoughts before, during, and after you bought the condom.
* Eliminate your favorite food item for one week. What was it like going without it for those 7 days? Was it hard to resist the urge? Did you go through withdrawal? This is only fair if it is a food that you eat regularly.
* Reflect on yourself. What do you currently believe are your strengths and weaknesses? How have they influenced your academic endeavors this semester? Do they match well with what you believe are your professional and personal goals? Explain for each type of goal.