Course Syllabus

Fall 2025 | INT-1050-VU05 - Dimensions of Self & Society

Hyflex Class

The Hyflex format provides flexible attendance options in which students choose how they want to attend week-to-week, whether that is in the classroom, over Zoom, or asynchronously online.

Faculty

Matt Messier
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Ashraf Alamatouri

General Education Requirements

First Semester Seminar

Note

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.

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 low cost ($50 or less) textbook or resource class. ***

INT-1050-VU05 Link to Textbooks/Resources Information 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

IV. Readings:

-Required (You can buy this used on Amazon for as little as $7):

21 LESSONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, HARARI, YUVAL NOAH

-I will provide all other readings for free. They will be posted on your Canvas page for this course.

V. Assessment

1. Research Project (30% of course grade)

a. Research Paper (involves 6 stages that add up to 20% of your course grade and results in a 5-page final paper)

b. Two student presentations (10% of course grade)

1. Thesis/Outline/Sources Presentation (4%)

2. Facilitate a discussion/debate (6%)

2. Final Exam – (10% of course grade)

a. Based on what we cover in class each week.

3. Dimensions of Self Project 10%

a. See https://opentextbc.ca/studentsuccess/ for guidance. You can use other materials of your choosing.

1. Cite information in your submission:

b. Through a format of your choice (Presentation/other), complete the following:

1. What are your dimensions of self? (See 1.3)

a. How are these dimensions impacted by your college goals?

2. What is your plan for success in college? (1.3)

3. What are your learning preferences and Styles? (2.1)

a. Take a multiple intelligence test at https://www.literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

and discuss your results

4. What are your learning differences and challenges? (2.2)

5. Identify applicable strategies to help you succeed in college. (2.3)

6. Identify learning skills and habits of success that will support you throughout your college experience. (See chapters 4-11)

d. The format you choose should:

1. Adequately address all the project questions.

2. You won’t be presenting this to the class, just submitting it to the assignment category.

3. Be creative

4. Working, Learning & Living Project: 10% (Description found in Week 3)
a. This project invites you to explore your interests, discover some of your qualities and skills (i.e.

the strengths you offer the world) and engage in some focused thinking about your future.

5. Information Literacy Quizzes: 5%

a. These brief quizzes created by our librarians will help you develop your ability to select appropriate, valid and authoritative information and to read with a discerning mind.

6. Song/poem presentation: 5%

7. All Student activities (20% of course grade)

a. Reading Discussions

b. Assignment Discussions

8. Class Participation – 10% of course grade

9. Overall Participation (Between +5pts and -40 course points)

a. Based on attendance

b. If you have 100% attendance, your final course grade will be increased by 5 pts

c. After one absence, a student's final grade will be reduced.

1. Two absences reduce a student's final course grade by 5 course points

2. Three absences reduce a student's final course grade by 15 course points

3. Four absences result in course failure (-40 pts)

d. Late arrivals, early departures, or other time away from class can add to total number of absences

VI. If you need extra help, use the extra CCV resources offered to you

a. See “Academic Support Services” found in the “Course Resources” Module

d. Call/email anytime with questions.

VIII. Course Schedule: (Research project assignments are in in red. Late assignments will receive no credit. See Canvas Pages for dates)

Weekly Schedule

1. Week 1 (Sept 5-11)

Reading Assignment

-Sherman Alexie's Indian Education

-Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

-10 Strategies to Improve Your Reading Comprehension for College

-21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Introduction and Chapter 1

2. Week 2 (Sept 12-18)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Introduction and Chapter 2-3

Research Project Assignment #1 “Research Topic” Due Sept 18

3. Week 3 (Sept 19-25)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 4

Library quizzes due Sept 25

Research Project Assignment #2 “Library Assignment” Due Sept 25

4. Week 4 (Sept 26-Oct 2)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 5

Research Project Assignment #3 “Thesis” Due Oct 2

5. Week 5 (Oct 3 –9)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapters 6-8

6. Week 6 (Oct 10-16)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapters 9-12

7. Week 7 (Oct 17-23)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 13

Presentation Due

Research Project Assignment #4 “Outline” Due Oct 23

8. Week 8 (Oct 24-30)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 14-15

9. Week 9 (Oct 31-Nov 6)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 16

Dimensions of Self Project Due Nov 6

10. Week 10 (Nov 7-13)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapters 17-18

11. Week 11 (Nov 14-20)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 19

Research Project Assignment #5 “1^st Full Draft of your paper” Due Nov 20

12. Week 12 (Nov 21-27)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 20

Working, Learning & Living Project Due Nov 27

13. Week 13 (Nov 28 – Dec 4)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Chapter 21

Final Exam Due Dec 4

14. Week 14 (Dec 5-12)

Reading Assignment

21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Q/A with Yuval Noah Harari

Facilitation Due Dec 12

Research Project Assignment #6 “Final Paper” Due Dec 12

Song presentation Due Dec 12

Miscellaneous

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:

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.

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

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

Apply Now for this semester.