SYLLABUS – NSM 21

First Year Seminar: “Becoming an Educated Person” GE Area E

Course Information:

Instructor / Brett Holland, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Office Hours / Tue/Thurs 12-1:30, SQU 120C
E-mail / ubject line: Include "NSM"21. Do notwrite to me throughMySacState.
Meeting / TuTh 3 - 4:15PM, 2300Lassen Hall; Section 50 (87253)
Web / SacCT 9.1. Materials may be downloaded here.
Texts & Materials /
  1. One Book: Sherman Alexie (2012) Blasphemy. Grove Press.
  2. Supplemental reading specific to this section of NSM 21
  3. Weekly calendar (electronic or papyrus)

NSM 21 Peer Mentor: Maddy Lehman
Learning Community Partner: Dr. Ron Coleman (BIO 1)

COURSE DESCRIPTION
NSM 21 is a freshman seminar intended to provide students with an introduction to the nature and possible meanings of higher education, and the functions and resources of the University. This course is designed to help students develop and exercise fundamental academic success strategies and to improve their basic learning skills. The seminar will also provide students with the opportunity to interact with fellow students and the seminar leader and to build a community of academic and personal support.

Learning Goals

  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of academic content knowledge regarding self-development as a physiological, social and/or psychological being.
  • Students will critically examine prior or current experiences or behaviors from their own lives in response to real world physiological, social and/or psychological contexts (may be evident in self-assessment, reflection or creative work).
  • Students will apply skills and knowledge regarding development of the self to differing situations, such as real world challenges, and/or to make connections across perspectives.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to identify their own perspective and make connections/comparisons across perspectives.
  • Students will be able to plan, monitor, and assess their own learning.
  • Students will be able to set personal and/or professional goals.

EVALUATION: (Point totals may vary from the estimates below)

Written Assignments 200 pts

  • Written reflections on assigned readings and class activities (100 pts)
  • Reports onExtracurricular Events (4 x 25 = 100 pts)

Each student must attend and write a one page reporton FOUR extracurricular activities/events. At least one of the events must be science/health related and at least one must be non-science/health related. Reports on at least TWO of the events must be submitted on or before the date of the Midterm, and the remaining reports must be submitted on or before the last class day for this course (Dec. 6). Examples of the types of activities/events will be provided on a weekly basis.

  • All work submitted for a grade is to be printed.

Participation 100 pts

  • Attending class, contributing to discussions and online forums, and engaging in class activities, being respectful of speakers (80 pts)
  • Meetings with Peer Mentors (2 x 10 = 20 pts)

Each student must meet with the assigned peer mentor at least TWO times during the semester. At least one of these meeting should be held before the midterm and at least one meeting should be held after the midterm.

Group Project/Oral Presentation50 pts

Each Student will work on a group project, which will require preparation of PowerPoint slides and an oral presentation on a particular career.

Midterm exam(objective and essay questions)75 pts

Finalexam (objective and essay questions)75 pts

TOTAL 500 pts

Normalizing: SacCT points may not add up to the totals shown above. I will normalize the scores to course points at the end of the semester. For example if you have 32 participation points and there were 48 possible points awarded to date, then your current course points in Participation are: 32/48 x 50 = 33.3. In general, to estimate your grade use the fraction of the total points possible that you have earned.

GRADING

Final grades will be awarded for the following levels of performance:

A =93%-100%, A- = 90%-92%B+=87%-89%, B = 83%-86%,

B- = 80%-82%C+=77%-79%, C = 73%-76%, C- = 70%-72%

D = 60%-69%, F =59% and below

MAKE-UP POLICY

Late assignments will be accepted only if they are submitted within 1 week of the due date (2 pts will be deducted from the maximum points available). MAKE-UP EXAMS will only be given if the instructor is contactedON OR BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EXAM ANDDOCUMENTATION OF A SERIOUS AND COMPELLING REASON FOR MISSING THE EXAM IS PROVIDED(e.g. serious illness in yourself or a close family member)

Except as provided below, students who miss the final exam will be assigned a "WU" grade (if they were passing the course prior to the final) or an "F" grade (if they were not passing the course). A student who misses the final may be assigned an "I" gradeonlyif: (a) the student is passing the course; b. the student notifies the instructor prior tothe exam and presents a physician's verification of illness to the instructor by Friday of final week; and (c) the student files an "Incomplete Petition" by Friday of finals week.

CLASS CONDUCT/AND OTHER COURSE POLICIES

Class attendance and participation: Class attendance and participation are MANDATORY. Attendance will be monitored either by roll call, completion of in-class assignments, and/or submission of assignments that are due during a particular class period. A student who misses FOUR (4) scheduled classes will be awarded a WU grade in the class, even if their total points in the course would have earned a passing letter grade if they had not missed four or more classes. Students are expected to arrive in lecture on time and to remain in class for the full period (otherwise you may be counted as absent)

Students are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner during class (i.e., to listen,take notes, and refrain from engaging in conversations unless so directed); to ask questions at appropriate times; to participate in activities and discussions; and to respect the opinions of everyone.

No electronicdevices are permitted to make sounds during the lecture period, nor are they to be used for non course related activity. If you think you might receive an urgent call during class time, please (1) inform the instructor, (2) set yourphone on vibrate, and (3) leave the classroom to take the call. Failure to comport one’s self in accordance with the rules stated above constitutes disruptive conduct. See link for consequences.

DROP POLICY

Note: the procedures provided below pertain to dropping NSM 21. However, because this course is tied to other courses in a learning community, you may be required to drop all courses in the learning community at the same time.

  • Dropping: Until the end of the second week of instruction of the semester, students are expected to drop courses by using "My Sac State" ( Students will be charged registration fees for all courses not dropped prior to the first day of instruction. The drop in units refund deadline is the end of the second week of instruction.
  • Drops during the third and fourth weeks of instruction are processed in the academic department offering the course and (1) require approval of the instructor and the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, and (2) will be permitted only for reasons deemed by the instructor and department chair to be "serious and compelling". Serious and compelling reasons may include illness, change in work schedule, carrying an excessive course load, or inadequate prior academic preparation for the course. Ordinarily, drops will NOT be permitted after the 6th week of class. Forms are available at academic department offices, or at the Office of the Registrar's website (

POLICY ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

No communication between students or with the outside world is permitted during exams. No sources of information or materials other than the student's writing implements and exam materials provided or specified by the instructor may be in the student's possession during exams. Whether or not the student was "cheating" during a communication or planning to "use" the material or information in his/her possession, the communication or the possession of the material is considered inappropriate academic conduct and the student will receive a "0" grade on the exam during which such conduct is observed by the instructor of facilitator. The incident will be reported to the Dean of Students, and the instructor may seek formal disciplinary action.

In the case of take-home writing assignments, students are free (and encouraged) to discuss the assignment with other students, but the writing must be done independently. Copying another individual's words, using another individual's ideas and answers as if they were your own, or letting someone else write your answers constitutes PLAGIARISM. If, in the opinion of the instructor, all or part of the paper is plagiarized, a “0" grade will be assigned to the paper. In some cases, the instructor may allow the student to rewrite and resubmit the paper, and only a late penalty will be applied. If the instructor determines that plagiarism has occurred a second time, the student will be assigned an "F" grade in the course, the incident will be reported to the Dean of Students, and the instructor will seek formal disciplinary action.

Schedule: All events and due dates are listed on the Calendar at the course web site.

This syllabus is subject to change when the instructor views it to be in the best interest of the student goals and learning outcomes.

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