UNIV 1301 SPRING, 2014 SYLLABUS
q Course Information
q Course name & section CRN: University Seminar, CRN 21114
q Class meeting time: 8:30 am – 9:20 am MWF
q Class meeting place: EDUC 309
q Percentage online (if applicable) 49% or less
q Contact Information
q Name & title: Owen Williamson, MA, Lecturer
q Office number/building: 211E Education Bldg.
q Office hours: Tuesdays, 11:00 am -2:45 pm or by appointment.
q Office phone number: 915-747-7625
q Email/text message address:
q Contact information for your Peer Leader: Raul Calderon747-6144UGLC 212
q Contact information for your Librarian: Juan Sandoval, UTEP Library
q Contact information for the Advisor assigned to your class: Sergio Contreras, , Program Advisor, Academic Advising Center
q Class website: http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/univ1301
q Space to include contact information for fellow classmate(s)
Name, phone and e-mail of two classmates:
1. ______
2. ______
q Course Description: Seminar in Critical Inquiry
q Learning objectives (what students will know or be able to do at the end of the semester):
Goal 1. Students will begin to understand their roles, opportunities and responsibilities that impact their success within the context of the University.
Goal 2. Students will learn about and practice essential academic skills in order to strengthen performance in the University setting.
Goal 3. To help students build a network of faculty, staff and peers in order to create a supportive and positive learning experience / environment.
Goal 4. Students will begin to assess and better understand their own interests, abilities, and values in order to more efficiently pursue their academic, career and life goals.
Goal 5. Students will become involved in UTEP activities and utilize campus resources.
q Teaching Philosophy: University 1301 is a 3-credit hour course created to help you make a successful start at UTEP. This course will strengthen your academic skills and will help with your transition to university life by exploring different aspects of the “hidden curriculum” of college life.You will receive considerable support in the course. Your section will be taught by an instructional team consisting of an instructor, student peer leader, and university librarian. In addition, you will wok closely with others, forming friendships with classmates. The goals, instructional team and class size all combine to make University 1301 a course designed for your college success.
q METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: Seminar (web enhanced). A variety of instructional techniques may be used. These may include but are not limited to: lecture, multimedia, cooperative/collaborative learning, labs and demonstrations, projects and presentations, speeches, declamations, conferencing, performances, and out of classroom learning experiences. Methodology will be selected to best fit class needs. You are responsible for taking notes during each class (including lectures and discussions, films and other activities). You will normally be expected to dedicate about 3 hours outside of class for every hour in class (that is, about nine hours a week outside class). This includes no more than 75 pages of reading a week, plus a weekly written Progymnasma assignment, KTEP listener report, and other writing and research tasks, online assignments and activities. If you ever find that you regularly need to spend more than nine hours a week outside of class on this course please advise your Instructor immediately.
q Materials
q Required readings/texts
1. Borders (Current edition)
2. Progymnasmata, by George Alexander Kennedy. SBL (2003). ISBN-10: 158983061X ISBN-13: 978-1589830615. This book is available online free of charge to UTEP students through the UTEP library.
q Suggested readings: None
q You must maintain a working cell phone number capable of receiving text messages, or some other working telephone number or e-mail address. You must advise instructor immediately of any changes in your e-mail address, phone number and/or cell phone provider.
q Email account & other instructional technologies: This course will use e-mail and text messaging as preferred communication methods. For normal communication or questions, please write or text to .
q If you do not wish to receive class-related text messages, please advise me.
q Grading Method & Scale: Ongoing student progress in this course is evaluated based on class participation, out-of-class assignments, in-class quizzes, and in- and out-of-class written responses. Letter or number grades may not be provided for all assigned daily work. Each student must participate in a major collective research project and persuasive report on a selected theme. There will also be a comprehensive final exam covering the goals, vocabulary and subject competencies of the class.
o Grades on major graded assignments will be A, (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%) and F (59 or less).
o In order to pass, students must complete all required major elements of the course as listed below. Any student failing to submit a completed Wiki with the assigned Progymnasmata, two Campus Event Reports, a Student Organization Report, ten KTEP reports, and a collective Research Project (including presentation) or failing to sit for the Final Exam will automatically receive a grade of "F" for the course. Any student who will not be able to attend the Final Exam at the scheduled date and time may request to take the exam early. Unless arranged in advance, no exams will be offered after the scheduled final examination time.
Grades will be based on the following components:
· Wiki (Progymnasmata): 20%
· Public Speaking Activities (2): 5% each
· Campus Event Reports (2) 5% each
· Report on a Student Organization 5%
· Weekly KTEP Listener Reports 10%
· Final Collective Research Report: 15% (Written report 10%; Presentation 5%)
· UNIV 1301 Survey. 5%
· Daily work and participation: 15%
· Final Exam: 10%
Total: 100%
To earn a passing grade (“A,” “B,” or “C”) students must have completed all major assignments, paragraphs, and essays and achieved an average of 70% (70 points) or better for the course.
o Not all daily in-class assignments will be graded for points.
q Course Rules, Policies and Requirements
o Participation: Students are expected to actively participate in class. Sleeping or appearing to sleep in class, refusing to respond to the Instructor, unauthorized texting or other use of personal electronic devices in class, or other acts that show a clear attitude of contempt toward the class, the Instructor, classmates or visitors will be penalized by points off the student’s participation grade. This should be extremely rare.
o Dropping out of contact: If I attempt to contact you by e-mail or text for more than a week and you do not respond or I find your phone of record or e-mail is deactivated, and if you have not attended class, contacted me or posted any new assignments for more than one calendar week (other than Spring Break), I will automatically assume that you no longer wish to be part of the class. In this case, at my option you may be dropped from the class without further notice, or else you may fail the course.
o Homework: All homework is due by 8:30 am on the due date. Any work posted or turned in after 8:30 am will be counted as late and subject to late penalties of one letter-grade reduction per day.
o Other daily responsibilities: All students are required to check their text message inbox (if participating in the class text-message service) and their UTEP e-mail account daily for messages from the instructor.
o Projects: Each student will participate in a final collective research project, including a group class presentation. No class member will be allowed to “go it alone” on this project unless all other members of the assigned work group have dropped the course or refused to participate, or if there is an agreed accommodation for a diagnosed disability. Students who refuse to participate in group work or to respond to others in their assigned work group may, at the Instructor’s option, be dropped from the course for refusal to participate, or may fail the course.
o Tests/exams: The only formal test in this course is the Final Exam.
o Papers and other writing assignments: Major written assignments in this class include those listed above under “grading.” All written assignments done outside of the classroom must be completed and submitted by computer. Handwritten assignments done outside the classroom will not be accepted.
o Oral reports: Oral reports in this class will include: 1. Two in-class public speaking activities related to your Wiki; and 2. The final collective presentation. All oral reports may be done either live before the class or may be presented in prepared, pre-recorded form, at the student’s option.
o Group assignments: See “Projects” above.
o Other: Each student will be required to turn in a total of ten weekly two-paragraph listener reports on his or her choice of certain spoken-word programming brodcast on the University’s FM radio station, KTEP. If the student does not have access to an FM radio receiver, KTEP programming is available on line at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/ktep/ppr/index.shtml.
q Required Policy Information
· Attendance / Lateness Policy: In this course you are required to attend all classes, except:
o In the case of approved absences for university-sponsored activities; or
o As an agreed accommodation for a diagnosed disability; or
o In the case of emergencies, here defined as immediate threats to life, property or health (which includes contagious illness); or
o In the case of unexpected events that interrupt public access to the university.
· If you miss a class for any reason, excused or unexcused, including for an emergency, illness, or other situation beyond your control, you are still responsible for turning in all work done in the class that you missed. You will be held accountable for all the material covered in every class, either through attendance or through make up work, not just on tests. If you do not make up missed work you may lose all credit for that work plus you may incur extra grade penalties for refusal to participate.
· Attendance will be taken at every class, by means of a sign-in sheet. It is your responsibility to sign in. If you do not sign in you are counted as absent. Every student needs to have some other backup arrangement ready to get to campus on time for class in case regular transportation plans fail or are not available. If the sign-in sheet is not passed around to you or if you arrive late it is still your responsibility to sign in before leaving the classroom.
· You are expected to keep a record of the dates and number of all your absences and tardy days in this class in your class notebook.
· Non-emergency medical and dental care, legal matters, court appearances, work hours or interviews are not excused absences, and should be scheduled outside of class time.
· Withdrawal: If you simply quit attending classes that does not constitute official withdrawal. Please see your advisor or the proper University office if you wish to withdraw from the class. If you just stop attending this course, as long as you are still listed as enrolled you will be counted as absent and will receive grades based on work completed up to your last attendance as well as on class requirements missed during your absence.
· Limit on absences: In cases of extreme absenteeism, here defined as the total equivalent of two weeks worth of absences during the semester (six absences) for any reason including emergencies,at my option you may be dropped from the course without advance notice or you may fail the course.
· My default assumption will always be that you have freely chosen to attend this particular section of this class, and that you wish to pass with the best grade possible. If this is not the case (e.g., if you have been forced or sentenced to attend UTEP or this particular class against your will, or if for some personal reason you actually wish to fail the course), please have the courtesy to advise me.
Tardiness and the "Ten Minute Rule"
If the instructor is more than ten minutes late for class without notice or arrangement, you may leave the class without being counted absent. If you arrive more than ten minutes late for class (or leave class early before being dismissed), you may be counted absent.
q Policy for late work: Assignments submitted after class begins on the due date will be penalized one letter grade for every day late. To earn a passing grade (“A,” “B,” or “C”) students must have completed all major assignments, paragraphs, and essays, even if they are too late to pass or get points. If a major assignment is over three calendar days late the student faces failure for this assignment. However, in order to pass the course students muststill complete all major assignments in good faith under the principle, "Better late than never."
q Policy for missed tests: The only formal “test” in this course is the Final Exam. Students who miss the Final Exam will receive a grade of "F" for the course. Any student who will not be able to attend the Final Exam at the scheduled date and time may arrange to take the exam early. Unless specially arranged in advance, no examination will be offered after the scheduled date and time.
q Policy for extra credit: Extra credit is available for participation in certain special events. Ask the instructor for details if interested. Extra credit may also be awarded at the Instructor’s option for extraordinary work clearly beyond the level of the course. This latter type of extra credit is rare, and may not be requested.
q Copyright Statement: Some of the materials in this course are copyrighted. Violation of US copyright law can result in civil damages up to $100.000 for each work copied. Copying of textbooks is not “fair use” under the Copyright Act. The “fair use doctrine” only permits non-commercial copying of part (in general, not more than 10%) of a copyrighted work. Do not bring a copied textbook to this class. Your cooperation is expected.
q 1.3 Student Conduct: [From the Handbook of Operating Procedures: Student Affairs]
Each student is responsible for notice of and compliance with the provisions of the Regents Rules and Regulations, which are available for inspection electronically at http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/rules/homepage.htm.