Untitled

APPLY NOW

Web Schedules

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

One Credit Courses

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

No Cost Textbook/Resources Courses

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

Low Cost Textbook/Resources Courses

Fall 2025
Spring 2025
Summer 2025

Course Planning by Program

2025-26

Essential Objectives

Course Syllabus


Revision Date: 25-Nov-24
 

Dimensions of Self & Society




Credits:
Semester Dates: Last day to drop without a grade: 02-03-2025 - Refund Policy
Last day to withdraw (W grade): 03-24-2025 - Refund Policy
This course has started, please contact the offering academic center about registration

Faculty

Not Yet Assigned
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement

Course Description

In this interdisciplinary first-semester seminar, students make the transition to college-level academic culture. This seminar is designed to help students develop the learning skills and habits of success that will support them throughout their college experience and as they consider career pathways. Reading, writing, and discussion are central to developing an understanding of academic and societal responsibility. Students critically examine the relationship between societal values, individual beliefs, ways of knowing, and cultural worldviews.


Essential Objectives

1. Interpret, analyze, and evaluate a text and its sources.
2. Demonstrate foundational information literacy, research skills, and academic honesty necessary for academic writing.
3. Demonstrate effective written communication skills, including active engagement in asynchronous online discussion.
4. Apply effective strategies for building new knowledge and skills through reflection on learning preferences, challenges, and goals.
5. Identify possible career goals and educational pathways.
6. Examine social issues through the lens of the individual and society.
7. Examine personal assumptions and biases, and ethical impacts of decision making and participation in society.
8. Consider issues from multiple perspectives and discuss, debate, and defend ideas with clarity and reason as part of a respectful learning community.


Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.


Required Textbooks and Resources

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.


Methods

This class will be a combination of brief lectures, group discussions of readings, and a required research paper which will be presented to the class. Students will write response papers on selected readings. This class is very student-oriented, and student led. Topics will be identified by the instructor, current events and student interest.


Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria:

Students will be evaluated on the following:

Action

Percentage of grade

Self Evaluation

5

Attendance (1 point for each class)

15

Reflective Responses

20

Research Paper

25

Participation

15

Presentation of Research

20


Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

 HighLow
A+10098
A Less than 9893
A-Less than 9390
B+Less than 9088
B Less than 8883
B-Less than 8380
C+Less than 8078
C Less than 7873
C-Less than 7370
D+Less than 7068
D Less than 6863
D-Less than 6360
FLess than 60 
P10060
NPLess than 600


Weekly Schedule


Week/ModuleTopic  Readings  Assignments
 

1
  1. January 21st

Before Class: Nothing required

During Class – Introduction to course and expectations. Review Canvas.

In class writing on Why You are Taking this Class.

In Class we’ll read “I Hear America Singing” and write a response paper on it.

Walt Whitman poem:I Hear America Singing:https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46480/i-hear-america-singing

After Class but before next class…..

Review Canvas and Library resources.

Prepare Ya Ya box

    
 

2
  1. January 28th

Before class:

Prepare and bring in your Ya Ya Box to share with the class!!

After Class but before next class…..

Please write a paper about the day you were born. Weather? Economy? Family? Where did your name come from? What was happening in the news?

Write a paper about your perception of being a college student. Identify your strengths as a college student and identify your weaknesses as a college student. What specific areas might you need help with? What barriers can you identify that might interfere with your success as a student?

    
 

3

Before class read:

  • “Let America be America Again”
  • Naomi Shihab Nye poem:Kindness

After Class but before next class…..

Reflective response writings on

“Kindness”

“Let America Be America Again.”

Submit your topic for your research paper.

    
 

4

Before class read:

  • Malalas Speech to the U.N.
  • Learning to Read and Write
  • Library Orientation

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on the reading Malalas Speech to the U.N.

Write a reflective response on the reading “Learning to Read and Write”

    
 

5

Before class read:

  • Prospective Immigrants Please Note
  • My Name Is Not Those People

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on the readings

“My Name Is Not Those People”

“Prospective Immigrants, Please Note”

Review outline for research paper and draft your beginning paragraphs for your paper.

    
 

6

Before class read:

  • Read “Shooting an Elephant”
  • Read “The Story of an Hour”

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on

“Shooting an Elephant” and

“The Story of an Hour”

    
 

7

Before class read:

  • Read “The Lottery”
  • Cuss Time
  • I Used to Live here Once

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on the readings:

“The Lottery”

“Cuss Time”

“I Used To Live Here Once”

    
 

8

Before class read:

  • “The Journey”
  • The Coddling of the American Mind
  • Part 2 of Education

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on the readings:

“The Journey”
The Coddling of the American Mind

Part 2 of Educated

    
 

9

Before class read:

  • ” Allegory of the Cave “

After Class but before next class…..

Write an in depth reflective response paper on “Allegory of the Cave”

Write a reflective response paper on Allegory of the Cave and Rita

    
 

10

Before class read:

  • Jorge the Church Janitor Finally Quits
  • Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on:

“Jorge the church Janitor Finally Quits”

Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address

The movie “Who Moved My Cheese?”

    
 

11

Before class read:

Read “White Privilege”

“I Have a Dream”

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on the reading “White Privilege”

    
 

12

Before Class: SET UP YOR FOCUS TWO ACCOUNTS

Complete by April 15th

Career Services module(s)

Complete all the career services modules in Canvas.

    
 

13

Before class read:

  • The Hacker Work Ethic
  • “What Work Is”

After Class but before next class…..

Write a reflective response on the readings

“What Work is”

    
 

14

Before class read:

Prepare (and practice) your Research Presentations !!

Research paper may be turned in. Must be turned in by April 29th

After Class but before next class…..

Pass in research paper

Complete your self-evaluation

    
 

15

Before Class:

Pass in your self evaluation on our learning adventure this semester. Tell me what you learned and what you feel you’ve earned.

    
 

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

  • In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
  • Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
  • Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.


Missing & Late Work Policy

LATE WORK – Occasionally, life interferes with getting an assignment done on time. For only! the reflective response writings, you are allowed two class weeks when late work will still be accepted and graded. If you continue to turn in late work for more than two weeks, the late work will receive a zero grade. If there are extenuating circumstances that affect your ability to be on time with your papers, please speak with the instructor.


Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:


CCV strives to mitigate barriers to course access for students with documented disabilities. To request accommodations, please
  1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
  2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
  3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.


Academic Integrity


CCV has a commitment to honesty and excellence in academic work and expects the same from all students. Academic dishonesty, or cheating, can occur whenever you present -as your own work- something that you did not do. You can also be guilty of cheating if you help someone else cheat. Being unaware of what constitutes academic dishonesty (such as knowing what plagiarism is) does not absolve a student of the responsibility to be honest in his/her academic work. Academic dishonesty is taken very seriously and may lead to dismissal from the College.

Apply Now for this semester.

Register for this semester: November 4, 2024 - January 17, 2025