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Course Planning by Program

2025-26

Essential Objectives

Course Syllabus


Revision Date: 02-Dec-25
 

Spring 2026 | INT-1050-VO10 - Dimensions of Self & Society


Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Location: Online
Credits: 3 (45 hours)
Day/Times: Meets online
Semester Dates: 01-27-2026 to 05-11-2026
Last day to drop without a grade: 02-08-2026 - Refund Policy
Last day to withdraw (W grade): 03-29-2026 - Refund Policy
Open Seats: 17 (as of 12-14-25 10:05 AM)
To check live space availability, Search for Courses.

Faculty

Susan Sanders
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Jennifer Gundy

General Education Requirements


This section meets the following CCV General Education Requirement(s) for the current catalog year:
First Semester Seminar
    Note
  1. Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.
  2. Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

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


*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.


Methods

  • online discussion threads
  • journals (informal writing)
  • videos on issues
  • readings, writing, and inquiry-base
  • career assessments
  • academic research and writing
  • creative self & society final power point

Evaluation Criteria

Assignment

Weight

DB Threads

30%

Journals

20%

Works Cited

10%

Final Project

20%
C. Assessment 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

Introductions

  

1. Read Course all Documents in Week # 0 & Week # 1

2. Listen to my audio welcome

3. Read the PDF file by Bill Bryson, "Where Words Come From"

4. Post in the discussion threads: Introductions & "Where Words Come From"
(PDF reading)

5. Post learning journal on the PDF file reading, this is in addition to the discussion thread assignment

  
 
2

Overcoming Obstacles

  

1. Please read pgs. 87-100 in the First Section of the Dimensions Reader housed in Course Resources

2. Post learning journal on one reading only

3. Post in the discussion thread, 1st post due Thursday, the other by Sunday evening

  
 
3

Grit & Writing Tips

  

1. Please read Anne Lamott & Carol Dweck PDF Dimensions Reader in Course Resoucres

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. Post learning journal

4. View the Creativity video

  
 
4

Dystopian World & Shock

  

1. Please read Part One in Fahrenheit 451 & PDF "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. Post learning journal on one of the assigned readings of your choice

4. View Power Point on Kate Chopin

  
 
5

Takeaways

  

1. Please read Part Two in Fahrenheit 451

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. Post learning journal

4. Post in discussion thread remember the 1st post deadline of Thursday & all others by Monday evening

5. Complete Career Assessment Part 1

  
 
6

Exploring Career choices

  

1. Please read Part three in Fahrenheit 451 & PDF "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker which is a PDF file

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. View video

4. Post learning journal on Walker's story

5. Complete the Career Assessment Part 2

  
 
7

Reflection on career

  

1. Please view two of the TED talks and share your response on these in the DB thread

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. Post learning journal on one of the TED talks

4. Complete Career Assessment Part 3

  
 
8

Strange Rituals

  

1. Please read PDF link, S. Jackson's "The Lottery"

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. View "The Lottery" video

4. Video

  
 
9

Stepping into the Light

  
1. Please read PDF of Plato's "the Allegory of the Cave"
2. Post in the discussion thread
3. Post Learning journal on the Allegory of the cave
4. View the 2 videos
5. Choose your topic/issue for your presentation
  
 
10

Disappointment & Single Stories

  

1. Please read the PDF file, "Graduation" by Maya Angelou

2. Listen to the TED talk by C. Adichie

3. Post in the discussion thread

5. Start research on your Presentation Power Point

6. Post outline on Power Point

7. View all the library videos for research tips

8. Reach out to a librarian for help with research (highly encouraged)

  
 
11

Stages of Education

  

1. Please read "Indian Education" by Sherman Alexie

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. Listen to audio of "Indian Education"

4. View video on Alexie

5. Continue research for your final and PowerPoint

  
 
12

Bias Assumptions

  

1. Please view two videos on Bias embedded in week # 12 module

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. View Evaluating sources link, on your own

4. Continue working on your Power Point presentations & reread the directions embedded under the directions

Study the link for Power Point for grade to see how you are scored on this assignment

  
 
13

Poetry & Its Power

  

1. Please read the poems which are embedded in this week by title

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. Continue working on your Power Point presentations

4. View video of poetry

  
 
14

Presentation Time

  

1. Post your PowerPoint in the discussion thread

2. Post to 2 of your peers in the discussion thread

3. Complete the final evaluation on this class

  
 
15

Final Reflection and next steps

  

1. Reflect on the ground you have gained this semester

2. Post in the discussion thread

3. View video and connect this with your next steps in college and post a journal reflection

4. Complete the final evaluations, if you have not completed those yet, look for Course Evaluations

  
 

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

The online discussion threads cannot be "made-up" if you miss a week of class.

There are 3 career assessments total spread out over a 3-week period and these must be

completed during that time period. You may submit your learning journal however if you did

not post in the online discussion thread but must submit within the week not after the

after the due date. If you miss more than two weeks of class, it is doubtful that you will pass.


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 3, 2025 - January 16, 2026