Department number (e.g., ABC198)

Course Title

Registration #12345

UB Seminar - 1 credit

Fall 2016

Course Information

Date(s)/Time(s)

Location

1 Credit

Instructor(s) names and contact information (including office hour information when applicable)

Other relevant persons (when applicable) and contact information (including office hour information when applicable)

Course Description

The 1-credit UB Seminar is a discussion-based seminar built around grand challenges and big ideas. It addresses the goal of bringing faculty and new upper division UB transfer students together to establish a successful transition to becoming a student at the University at Buffalo. The course provides opportunities for small group interactions, focused on the learning that takes place in a large, public research university setting, specific to students’ chosen major or among a selection of fields. The course will help students understand the UB Curriculum philosophy so that all can create an electronic portfolio as a capstone to present transfer and UB academic work that demonstrates achievement of the UB Curriculum expectations and requirements. The course will include an introduction to field of study and learning within a large research university.

Student Learning Outcomes

Having completed a UB Seminar, students will be able to:

Course Learning Outcome / Delivered through the Following Instructional Method(s): / Student Achievement Assessed with the Following Method(s)/Assignments:
Articulate the components of the UB Curriculum program and the integration of multiple disciplines. / Degree program assignment, attendance at appropriate programs
Understand their chosen major or other fields of study and the key concepts that will be explored in those disciplines. / Journal or paper, discussion and academic plan, attendance at appropriate programs if offered.
Describe the unique character of higher learning in a university, such as deep domain knowledge, the role of research, and the value of experiential learning. / Journal, paper, readings, and discussion; attendance at appropriate programs if offered.
Understand the necessity for writing/communication in university and professional settings. / Written and oral assignments to reflect learning outcomes.
Initiate use of the ePortfolio and select a thematic framework for the UB Curriculum program using articulated transfer and UB coursework. / Assess the ePortfolio written material and other presentations of outcomes; develop integrative material.

Course Requirements

  • The number of papers, tests, and any other requirements, such as homework, attendance, class participation, laboratory assignments, and clinical performance, that will count toward the final grade.
  • A brief description of each assignment and how it fulfills the learning outcomes. A single assignment may be used to assess more than one learning outcome, and an outcome may be assessed on more than one assignment. These descriptions may be given in chart form (see above), or in another form the proposer chooses. For examples, see the Sample Approved Proposals posted on the UB Curriculum website.
  • Deadlines for assignments should also be specified.
  • All requirements should relate to the course description and the student learning outcomes.
  • It is strongly recommended that students be provided with clear guidelines as to how their work will be evaluated, whether in the form of rubrics, checklists, exemplars, etc. (Any and all courses that fulfill General Education requirements must assess the SUNY-specified student learning outcomes for that particular General Education area.*)

Potential Course Activities

  • Written reflections and journals
  • Directed Readings- focused upon the research university, public education, and the individual students; college life; and oral communication
  • Oral presentations
  • Observation/participation in University events
  • Workshops
  • E-portfolio assignments

Potential readings

The Research University, Public Education, and the Individual Student:

  • Dewey, John. Experience and Education. Dover, 2004.
  • Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory. Godine, 1982.
  • Nussbaum, Martha C. Not for Profit: Why Democracy needs the Humanities. Princeton, 2010.
  • Rose, Mike. Lives on the Boundary: The Struggles and Achievements of America’s Educationally Underprepared. Penguin, 2005.
  • Bartholomae, David. “Inventing the University.” Journal of Basic Writing 5.1 (1986): 4-23.

Potential readings Continued

Oral Communication

  • Berko, Roy M., et al. Communicating: A Social, Career, and Cultural Focus12th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2012.
  • Lucas, Stephen E. The Art of Public Speaking. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2004.
  • Glenn, Ethel C., Philip J. Glenn, and Sandra H. Forman, Your Voice and Articulation. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.
  • Wilder, L. Seven Steps to Fearless Speaking. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1999.
  • Beebe, Steven A., and Susan J. Beebe. Public Speaking: An Audience-Centered Approach. 8th ed. Pearson, 2012.
  • O’Hair, Dan, Rob Stewart, and Hannah Rubenstein. A speaker’s Guidebook. 5th ed. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011.

Grading Policy

Students should be apprised of how various graded activities will be combined to form their single, final grade for the course. How results from various requirements will be combined into a final grade: relative weightings, make-up policy for tests, etc. Grading Policies should also include:

  • Specification of the level of work must be completed in order to obtain specific letter grades (A-F). Consult the Undergraduate Catalog for theExplanation of Grades.

Learning assessments will be graded based on rubric criteria and weighted according to the following break-down.

Weighting / Assessment / Assignment
xx%
xx%
xx%
100%

Final Grades:

Grade / Quality Points / Percentage (EXAMPLE)
A / 4.0 / 93.0% -100.00%
A- / 3.67 / 90.0% - 92.9%
B+ / 3.33 / 87.0% - 89.9%
B / 3.00 / 83.0% - 86.9%
B- / 2.67 / 80.0% - 82.9%
C+ / 2.33 / 77.0% - 79.9%
C / 2.00 / 73.0% - 76.9%
C- / 1.67 / 70.0% - 72.9%
D+ / 1.33 / 67.0% - 69.9%
D / 1.00 / 60.0% - 66.9%
F / 0 / 59.9 or below
  • Also include Reference to the university Undergraduate Incomplete Grade Policy. Which states that
  • Any additional instructor requirements and comments regarding the use of incomplete grades.

Incompletes (I/IU)*: A grade of incomplete (“I”) indicates that additional course work is required to fulfill the requirements of a given course. Students may only be given an “I” grade if they have a passing average in coursework that has been completed and have well-defined parameters to complete the course requirements that could result in a grade better than the default grade. An “I” grade may not be assigned to a student who did not attend the course.

Prior to the end of the semester, students must initiate the request for an “I” grade and receive the instructor’s approval. Assignment of an “I” grade is at the discretion of the instructor.

The instructor must specify a default letter grade at the time the “I” grade is submitted. A default grade is the letter grade the student will receive if no additional coursework is completed and/or a grade change form is not filed by the instructor. “I” grades must be completed within 12 months – see the Incomplete Grade Policy for the schedule. Individual instructors may set shorter time limits for removing an incomplete than the 12-month time limit. Upon assigning an “I” grade, the instructor shall provide the student specification, in writing or by electronic mail, of the requirements to be fulfilled, and shall file a copy with the appropriate departmental office.

Students must not re-register for courses for which they have received an “I” grade

Course Enrollment Control

The UB Seminar is a CEC course. Students wishing to repeat controlled enrollment courses should plan to do so in the summer, as their registration opportunities in fall or spring semesters will be greatly restricted.

UB Curriculum Capstone

If you are completing this course as part of your UB Curriculum requirements, please select an ‘artifact’ from this course that is representative of your learning and upload it to your UBPortfolio account. Templates have been created for this purpose. Artifacts include homework assignments, exams, research papers, projects, lab reports, presentations, and other course materials. Your final UB Curriculum requirement, UBC 399: UB Curriculum Capstone, will require you to submit these ‘artifacts’ as you process and reflect on your achievement and growth through the UB Curriculum. For more information, see the UB Curriculum Capstone website:

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a fundamental university value. Through the honest completion of academic work, students sustain the integrity of the university while facilitating the university's imperative for the transmission of knowledge and culture based upon the generation of new and innovative ideas.

  • Reference to the university Undergraduate Academic Integrity Policy and any additional instructor requirements and comments regarding academic dishonesty.

Accessibility Resources

If you have any disability which requires reasonable accommodations to enable you to participate in this course, please contact the Office of Accessibility Resources, 25CapenHall, 645-2608, and also the instructor of this course. The Office of Accessibility Resourceswill provide you with information and review appropriate arrangements for reasonable accommodations.

SAMPLECourse Organization/Schedule (As indicated in the Faculty handbook, finals may not be given during the semester, but rather during the scheduled exam period).

Week # and/or
Date / Topic / Required Readings / Assignments(s) / Due Date

Course Materials

  • Required and recommended materials, resources, textbooks, and resources citations.
  • Availability of course materials or resources can be specified (e.g., items on reserve through the library; use of UBlearns Blackboard site)

Course Fees

The dollar amount of any course-specific fees above and beyond UB tuition and fees, as well as the reason such fees are being assessed.

Optional Components

Attendance Policy

May include reference to:

  • Attendance issues related to religious observances
  • University sanctioned events
  • Athletic commitments
  • Family/Work obligations/emergencies
  • Course Cancellation/ Emergency Planning
  • Reference the university website for cancellations/delays due to weather or other unforeseen events at the

UB Alert page.

Instructor and Course Support Staff Information

  • Relevant professional information and/or teaching philosophy.
  • Roles and responsibilities of course support staff (i.e., TAs/GAs).

Classroom Decorum

Discussion of classroom expectations, for example tardiness, and/or use of cell phones and laptops.

University Support Services

Students are often unaware of university support services. For example, the Center for Excellence in Writing provides support for written work, and several tutoring centers on campus provide academic success support and resources.

* Undergraduate Only

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