GST 101: Strategies for Academic Success
Emerging Scholars Program
Time:Tuesdays, 3:00pm-3:50pm
Location: Emery 100
Instructor: Laney Miller, M.A., Academic Counselor
Office: Edwards Building, Room 106
Phone: 859-985-3311; E-mail:
Office Hours: M - F 9:00-12:00, 1:00-4:30, appointments preferred
Peer Assistants: John Willis: ; Haleigh George: ; Kim Arvin: ; Kyle Phillips:
Course Purpose
The overall purpose of this course is to assiststudentswho are struggling academically develop the skills and abilities that are necessary for academic and personal success. Through creating an individual plan to improve grades and return to good academic standing, students will take responsibility for individual choices and understand how these choices relate to and affect overall values and goals.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Analyze your academic standing and identify the barriers to your success by using personal reflection, assessments, and peer feedback.
- Identify what you must accomplish to return to good academic standing.
- Articulate S.M.A.R.T. goals that you hope to achieve and complete specific action steps to meet your goals.
- Create effective solutions for your problems.
- Recognize strengths and skills you already possess that will assist you in your academic success.
- Find and utilize appropriate campus resources to assist you in meeting your goals.
Required Texts: Materials as assigned by the instructor.
Course Methodology
The course will include but is not limited to: class discussions, peer mentoring assignments, videos, interactions with Berea College faculty/staff, writing assignments and on-line learning and assessments.
Grading
30%Participation (300 points):You will receive 25 participation pointsfor each of our 12class sessions. You must be in class to participate. Consistent class attendance is a necessary ingredient to being a successful student and is therefore, expected. More than two absences will result in the loss of one letter grade from your final grade.ALWAYS contact me BEFORE you expect to be absent. Attendance is taken at the start of each class period. If you arrive more than five minutes late to class, this will result in a 50% reduction in your participation points for that day. Active participation means volunteering to share your thoughts and observations with the instructor and your classmates.
20%Peer AssistantSessions (200 points)— During the course of the semester, you will meetwith apeer assistant on a regular basis as assigned by your instructor. The frequency of this requirement will be different depending on your individual situation and may change over the course of the term. The requirement may include daily or weekly check-ins online, by text or in person. At these sessions,you will discuss your progress in all of your classes and what challenges you might be facing. You will develop a success plan, which will include timelines, resources, and steps you will take to achieve your academic, personal, social, career, financial goals. You are expected to come to the meetings on time and prepared to follow the plan you develop. Failure to keep a scheduled appointmentwith no notice will result in receiving half credit for the missed meeting. You are expected to reschedule. Failure to keep a rescheduled appointment will result in a zero for that meeting.
15%Assignments (150 points):You will be asked to complete and submit assignments during the semester that support your academic success. Unless otherwise noted, assignments are always due in class the following week after they have been assigned. Late work is not accepted. Electronic submissions are not accepted.
15%Success Plan (150 points)–Your Success Plan will be your primary document for tracking your goals. You must complete the plan in detail as well as revise and update the plan at specific times during the semester in order to receive full credit.
10%Final(100 points) –The final will be the choice of the instructor. I will provide a detailed assignment in ample time for you to complete the final.
10%ESP Requirements for 5 Participations (100 points)–You will be expected to meet with your ESP Academic Counselors 3 times during the semester. These meetings might occur during class time. Outside of regular class time, you must attend 2 workshops/seminars, hosted by the Emerging Scholars Program, outside of the regular class time.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN CLASS THE FOLLOWING WEEK UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
ALWAYS CHECK IN-CLASS HANDOUTS FOR MORE ASSIGNMENT DETAILS.
GRADING SCALE:
A, A- 100-90%Signifies consistently outstanding achievement in all aspects of the course.
B+,B, B- 89.9-80%Reflects work of good to very good quality. Work at this level often has outstanding characteristics but is not consistently outstanding throughout the academic term or in all aspects of the course.
C+, C, C- 79.9-70%Denotes that the student has attained an acceptable level of competence. The student has demonstrated a basic understanding of the course material and abilities to proceed to more advance courses in this area.
D+, D, D- 69.9-60%Is minimally adequate. A "D" raises serious concern about the readiness of a student to continue in related course work.
F 59.9-00%Is unsatisfactory and not acceptable for college credit.
Disability StatementBerea College will provide reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities so that learning experiences are accessible. If you experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, please see Lisa Ladanyi (Disability & Accessibility Services, 110 Lincoln Hall, 985-3327, ) to discuss options. Students must provide their instructor(s) with an accommodation letter before any accommodations will be provided. Accommodations are not provided retroactively. Please meet with your instructor(s) in a confidential environment to discuss arrangements for these accommodations.
In the Student Handbook, the College has published comprehensive guidelines for classroom behavior and student-faculty interaction, which are reproduced below with some modifications:
Expectations of students in Berea College classrooms are as follows:
- Do not address the instructor in a casual manner. Please ask the faculty and/or staff member how s/he wishes to be addressed.
- Be respectful of other students at all times. This includes showing patience and courtesy. There will be times when you must agree to disagree with other’s perceptions and statements.
- Turn off your cell phone and other electronic equipment not necessary for the class before entering the room. You will be informed in advance when your laptop is required for class.
- Remove your hat and sunglasses and earbuds/headphones when entering the classroom.
- Please do not leave the classroom during an examination. It can put you under suspicion of academic dishonesty and should be avoided.
- Come to the classroom on time and prepared, having completed the assignments for that day. If you must arrive late, inform the instructor in advance. If you have to leave early, inform the instructor in advance and sit near the door so that you can leave quietly.
- Sometimes additional information is communicated via e-mail, CPO mailbox, Moodle, and other means of communication announced in your syllabus or during class. It is your responsibility to activate your campus phone, e-mail, and CPO mailbox. Check each one daily to make sure you don’t miss important communications from the College or your Instructor.
- Do not ask the instructor to repeat information you missed because of an absence. You must make arrangements for missed work before or after class. Please seek instruction from the TA before speaking with the instructor.
Course Content
Self-assessment, motivation, time management, prioritizing, personal organization, problem solving, personal responsibility, goal setting, making wise choices, campus resources, study skills, academic success.
The content of the course can and will be changed to suit the needs of the students and the flow of the class. All students enrolled in the class will have ample notice of changes.
1 | ESP, Spring 2014