Course Syllabus

Spring 2023 | INT-1050-VM02 - Dimensions of Self & Society

In Person Class

Standard courses meet in person at CCV centers, typically once each week for the duration of the semester.

Faculty

Phillips Keller
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Jennifer Gundy

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 (both in class and online) are central to developing an understanding of academic and societal responsibility. Students will start by analyzing personal beliefs and styles of thinking and then begin to look at how others and society view core concepts such as power, dissent, alienation, oppression, and freedom.

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 oral and written communication skills in both online and classroom settings.
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.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

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

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2023 textbook details will be available on 2022-11-14. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

INT-1050-VM02 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

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

• Small-group and whole-class discussion
• Mini-Lecture
• Small group activities, including debates and simulations
• In-class reaction writing and writing assignments
• Reading assignments
• Journal Assignments
• Final project
• In-class movies

Evaluation Criteria

Throughout the semester, we will be using a variety of learning resources: essays and memoirs, in-class writing, journal writing, on-line information literacy tutorials, a two-week online discussion forum, an occasional quiz and a final project.

Your final grade is made up of the following:

Periodic JournalAssignments: 25%
Journals are four-five page at-home writing assignments that ask you to respond to a prompt or a series of prompts that relate to something we're studying in class. I'll discuss what I'm looking for and answer any of your questions before the first journal assignment is handed out. The grading criteria for journal assignments can be found in the "Start Here" module.

In-class writing and quizzes: 20%

There will be occasional in-class writing assignments (generally no more than two pages) and quizzes on topics we'll be studying like information literacy. These will be announced in advance so that you'll have plenty of time to prepare for them.

On-line Discussion Forum: 25%

I'll be out of the country for two weeks in April so class will be on-line rather than in our physical classroom the weeks of April 19th and 26th. Instead, there will be an on-line Discussion Forum where I'll ask you to respond each week to two of my prompts about the novelFlowers for Algernonand to two of your classmates. Many of you will be taking-online classes at some point during your studies at CCV and this unit is designed to familiarize you with on-line learning as well engage in meaningful discussion with me and each other about the novel we will be reading during the second half of the semester. To help you get ready for this unit, there will be a practice Discussion Forum assignment during a week in late March. The grading criteria for the Discussion Forum can also be found in the "Start Here" module.

Beyond the Single Story Project: 30%
In herDanger of a Single Storylecture, Chimamanda Adiche argues that single stories “flatten” our experiences; moreover, they foster “incomplete” truths and “rob people of their dignity” because they present a singular view or perspective of a person, group of people, place, or even a complex topic. This project invites you to think reflectively about “single social/political stories,” deconstruct them (i.e., take them apart), and then build more “complete” narratives/truths. You will be invited to share your findings with your peers during our last class.

Class Participation: 10% extra credit

On-the-ground classes are most fun and rewarding when everyone participates in the learning process. Over the years, I've learned that, in both traditional classrooms and on-line classrooms, students tend to learn as much from each other as they do from the instructor. For that reason, I've always viewed my role as being more of a facilitator of guided discussions than a lecturer. Nevertheless, I realize that there are often legitimate reasons why students can be hesitant to speak up in class. If you're one of those reluctant speakers, I won't penalize you for holding back, and as long as you do a great job on the units outlined above, it will be perfectly possible for you to earn an A+ in the class (although I would urge you to consider taking public speaking at some point during your time at CCV). To encourage participation, however, I will be adding up to 10 extra credit points to the grades of students who regularly participate in the classroom discussion ina meaningful way,i.e., by asking perceptive questions and making thoughtful comments about the course material. Half of the potential extra credit points will be awarded in your mid-term grades and half in your final grades.

Grading Criteria

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

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

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.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

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