USC 223: Orientation Leader Development Course Spring 2013 TH 3:00-4:15pm 2229 SAS Hall Instructors: Mr. Michael Coombes Ms. Jessica Criswell Ms. Cameron Hill Ms. Heather Johnson Associate Director Assistant Director Assistant Director Graduate Assistant 919.513.0187 919.513.8224 919.515.8286 919.515.1234 mrcoombe@ncsu.edu jlcriswe@ncsu.edu clhill4@ncsu.edu hnjohnso@ncsu.edu Office Hours: Course Website: By Appointment http://moodle.wolfware.ncsu.edu/files/index.php?id=33377 204 Park Shops http://moodle.wolfware.ncsu.edu Course Description For Orientation Leaders only. Relevant research, student development theory, and shared professional experiences are presented. This course will offer learning opportunities that will provide class members with the knowledge, attitude, and skills necessary to become effective Orientation Leaders. Class discussion, small group activities, simulations, and journal writing are employed. Individual projects and out-of-class team building experiences are required, including multiple Saturday activities. Teaching Objective In order for students to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to function as effective Orientation Leaders, the instructors of this course will utilize presentation of relevant research and information, shared personal experience, class discussion, small group activities, role play, guided practice and journal writing in addition to individual projects to facilitate student achievement of the following student learning outcomes. Course Structure The course will utilize presentation of relevant research and information, shared personal experience, class discussion, small group activities, role play, guided practice and journal writing in addition to individual projects. Student Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students will: Know about the University to instill in incoming students a sense of pride and connection to the University; Have the knowledge to effectively represent the office of and NC State; Have knowledge about campus services within the University; Be familiar with diversity issues and related support services at NC State; Be familiar with transition issues facing incoming students and the related support services available at NC State; Understand and develop effective leadership skills; Understand the importance of orientation programs and their components in higher education and their impact on retention. Honor Pledge The students and faculty of NC State University believe that the willingness of students to affirm and adhere to the essential values of honesty and integrity in all their academic endeavors is exemplified in the Honor Pledge: I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this test or assignment. Students may be asked to sign the above stated Honor Pledge on each test or assignment; it is the understanding and expectation that the student s signature on any test or assignment means that the student neither gave nor received unauthorized aid. More information on Academic Integrity may be found in the Code of Student Conduct Policy (POL11.35.1) at http://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-11-35-01. Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 1
Textbooks The purchase of a textbook is not necessary for this course. All assigned readings will be provided to students. Transportation Transportation will be provided by for off-campus activities. Non-scheduled class time for field trips or out-of-class activities IS required for this class. Course Requirements (Please note all assignments that are submitted for credit will have a rubric with detailed information provided prior to the assignment s due date.) Course Participation (100 points in class) Each student is expected to participate and engage in class, as well as participate in group projects/activities. Active participation in your learning is essential to succeeding in higher education and the job setting. This course will require a high level of participation and engagement in class discussion, activities, presentation, and community activities. Students are expected to read assigned readings before class and have thought critically about the information and its importance to their development and their experience as an Orientation Leader. Any behavior that hinders a student's full participation, or the participation of other students in the course, will result in the loss of points. Behaviors such as reading the newspaper, sleeping during class, and/or using cell phones in any manner will result in a deduction of course participation points. The instructors will evaluate participation levels and will make any recommendations to improve during feedback sessions to students. Journal Reflections (1 @ 40 points each) One approach to leadership is the idea of being a servant leader, one that gives back to the community. To align with this philosophy, all students will participate in a service project together. Each student will reflect on the service project taken on Saturday, January 19 and should respond to items covered in the assignment rubric. Blog Posts (2 @ 40 points each) An important component of being an Orientation Leader is the ability to learn and then share the learned information with incoming students and families. Over the course of the semester, you will be asked to write two blog posts on the Orientation Leader blog. This will be a public blog asking you to reflect on a campus resource, an event on campus or an activity during this course. Post topics will be pre-determined. Creativity and originality are encouraged while appropriately and professionally covering the assignment. Campus Tours (100 points) Each student is required to prepare and present a campus tour to a Student Coordinator and also a New Student Orientation professional. Each tour is worth 50 points and tours will occur at two different times. Evaluation and feedback will be provided for changes and improvements. Personal Reflection Paper (100 points) Following the Staff Retreat, students will reflect on their experience so far in USC 223. Each student will be given prompts asking them to describe lessons they have learned throughout the semester from the various discussions, presentations, and activities. Campus Services Presentation (100 points) Students will work in groups and be assigned a campus services department. The group will then research the department by meeting with the appropriate contact. The group will briefly present the information to the class. Creativity and originality are encouraged, within the parameters provided in class. OL Binder Check (30 points) Each student will maintain an organized three ring binder resource notebook. The notebook will include all course information including handouts and notes from class, presentations, and assignments, and will serve as a student s main reference during the summer. Over the course of the semester, binder checks will be conducted three (3) times to ensure that OLs are prepared for class, which helps prepare for the summer ahead. Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 2
OL Pairings (10 @15 points each) Learning about your fellow staff members is important to building a strong team for the summer. Therefore, you will be paired with a different fellow Orientation Leader each week and you will have until 12:00am (midnight) on the date listed to hang out with that staff member. During the week of Monday, March 18 th, students will meet with NSO professional staff member in place of their OL Pairing and receive 15 points for the meeting. One week you will be matched to meet with the Student Coordinator that leads your mentor group to fulfill one meeting requirement. Quizzes (5 @ 30 points each) Each student will have five quizzes during the semester. Quizzes will cover material presented by instructors, guests, and fellow classmates, during individual presentations, and through assigned readings. Dates for quizzes are listed in the calendar. Oral Final Exam (150 points) Each student will make a thirty (30) minute appointment with an NSO staff member to complete an oral final exam at the end of the semester. The oral final exam is cumulative and will cover materials presented by instructors, guests, and fellow classmates, during individual presentations, and through assigned readings. Student Evaluation Assignment Points Format Course Participation 100 In/out-of-class Journal Reflections (1) 40 Written Blog Posts (2) 80 Written Campus Tour 100 Oral/out-of-class Personal Reflection 100 Written Paper Campus Services 100 Oral/group Presentation OL Binder Check 30 Organizational OL Pairings (10) 150 Online/ in person Quizzes (5) 150 Written Final Exam 150 Oral/ in person Total: 1000 A Ranges (> 90%) B Ranges (> 80%) C Ranges (> 70%) D Ranges (> 60%) F (<60%) A+ = 970-1000 B+ = 870-899 C+ = 770-799 D+ = 670-699 F = < 600 A = 930-969 B = 830-869 C = 730-769 D = 630-669 A- = 900-929 B- = 800-829 C- = 700-729 D- = 600-629 Extra Credit Opportunities Opportunities to earn extra credit will be available sporadically over the course of the semester as they arise. Below is one pre-arranged opportunity students may take advantage of. Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 3
Meet with an NSO Professional Staff Member (30 points) Schedule a 30-minute appointment with a professional staff member in to continue to build relationships with the professional staff. The availability of professionals is often limited due to the nature of the Spring semester; to schedule an appointment, email Jessica directly. Come prepared with five questions you would like to talk about. This opportunity is good through March 27, 2013 (just before Spring Holiday). General Education Program (GEP) Information GEP Category This course does not fulfill a General Education Program category. GEP Co-requisites This course does not fulfill a General Education Program co-requisite. Course Prerequisites or Restrictions This course is designed specifically for students who will serve as Orientation Leaders, and so we must limit the course to these selected students. Orientation Leader Grade Requirements Students must successfully complete USC 223 Orientation Leader Training Course and obtain at least an 80% average in the course for continued employment. Students must also maintain at least a 2.5 GPA during their employment with (January 2013 August 2013). Requirements for Credit-Only (S/U) Grading Mastery of all course material and involvement in all course activities is essential in the development process; therefore, students cannot take this course for credit-only. Please speak with one of the instructors if you have questions. Requirements for Auditors (AU) Information about and requirements for auditing a course can be found at http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-04. Incomplete Grade (IN) If an extended deadline is not authorized by the instructor or department, an unfinished incomplete grade will automatically change to an F after either (a) the end of the next regular semester in which the student is enrolled (not including summer sessions), or (b) the end of 12 months if the student is not enrolled, whichever is shorter. Incompletes that change to F will count as an attempted course on transcripts. The burden of fulfilling an incomplete grade is the responsibility of the student. The university policy on incomplete grades is located at http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-50-03. An incomplete grade may affect summer employment. See the Orientation Leader contract for details. Late Assignments Late work will not be accepted. Students who miss a deadline will be given a zero for the assignment. An assignment is considered late if it is not turned in at the beginning of class on the assigned date. If a student has a problem with submitting an assignment, they should immediately contact Jessica. Do not wait until class on the due date to inform your instructor. Course Attendance Most of the knowledge and understanding as described in the course s learning goals can only be gained through participation; therefore, attendance in this class is mandatory. We are also building a team, and in order for that team to become cohesive and productive, we must rely on every team member to contribute fully. Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 4
Tardiness NSO runs by the motto If you re early then you re on time and if you re on time then you re late. This is especially vital for the summer program, but is important for everything we do. Therefore, students are expected to be present and ready to begin by the start time for all class related events. The first time a student is late will be excused. After the first excused tardy, every two tardies will count as one unexcused absence. (See absence policy below) This policy also applies to all Saturday commitments during the spring semester. If a student is habitually late, the instructors will meet with the student to discuss this behavior. Absences Each unexcused absence will result in a deduction of 5 percentage points from your final grade (i.e. 97% becomes 92%). It will not be considered an absence if the student has a University sanctioned excuse, which can be found at the following web address: http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03. Excuses for anticipated absences must be cleared with the primary instructor (Jessica) before the absence and any assignments due must be turned in before the absence (when applicable). Excuses for emergency absences must be reported to the primary instructor (Jessica) as soon as possible, but no later than the next scheduled class period. For emergencies, please contact the instructor (Jessica) at the email or phone number provided in this syllabus. Students must speak with the instructor (Jessica) following any absence; all absences will be considered unexcused until the instructor have been notified by the student, at which time a determination will be made regarding the status of the absence (excused or unexcused). Makeup Work For excused absences, students will have one week in which to make up work or submit assignments that were due while the absence occurred. For information about makeup work for unexcused absences, see the "Late Assignments" section in this syllabus. Course Assignments All homework must be typed and turned in online via the course Moodle website unless otherwise noted. A 12pt., black, Arial font must be used. Papers must be double spaced with the name in the top right side of the paper. For hard copy assignments, if there is more than one sheet, it must be stapled in the upper left corner. Do not copy and paste answers directly from another source (i.e. Internet). Any copied and pasted answers will be treated as plagiarism. All presentations must be organized, use appropriate language, use clear and concise speech, provide an introduction, divide the information among the group members, and adequately cover the information. Academic Integrity Students are required to comply with the university policy on academic integrity found in the Code of Student Conduct found at http://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-11-35-01. Academic Honesty See http://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-11-35-01 for a detailed explanation of academic honesty. Electronically-Hosted Course Components Students may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to other students in the course, via electronic tools like email or web-postings, where relevant to the course. Examples include online discussions of class topics, and posting of student coursework. All students are expected to respect the privacy of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the course. Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 5
Non-Discrimination Policy NC State University provides equality of opportunity in education and employment for all students and employees. Accordingly, NC State affirms its commitment to maintain a work environment for all employees and an academic environment for all students that is free from all forms of discrimination. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation is a violation of state and federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Harassment of any person (either in the form of quid pro quo or creation of a hostile environment) based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation also is a violation of state and federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Retaliation against any person who complains about discrimination is also prohibited. NC State's policies and regulations covering discrimination, harassment, and retaliation may be accessed at http://policies.ncsu.edu/category/campus-environment/non-discrimination or http://www.ncsu.edu/equal_op. Any person who feels that he or she has been the subject of prohibited discrimination, harassment, or retaliation should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) at 919.515.3148. Accommodations for Disabilities Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with the Disability Services Office at 2221 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 919.515.7653. For more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.1) at http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01. Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 6
USC 223 Course Schedule - Spring 2013 (Subject to change See course Moodle website for updates) Week One January 8 Introductions Course Overview o Review of Syllabus & Class o Class Expectations January 10 Who We are: NC State University and Why Orientation is Important Week Two January 15 NC State History, Traditions and Myths January 17 Prep for Service Project Introduction of Leadership o Servant Leadership Group and Individual Pictures Quiz #1 January 19 (Saturday) Service Project (8am 5pm) Attendance Required Meet in the Reynolds Coliseum Circle Drive Week Three January 22 Staff Service Project Follow up First-Year and Transfer Students: Who They Are and Transitional Issues They Face o First Generation o Commuter January 24 Campus Tours Journal Reflection Due Week Four January 29 Under-represented populations on campus o GLBT January 31 Under-represented populations on campus o MSA Week Five February 5 Social Media and you Ethical Leadership Strengths Assessment due Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 7
February 7 Diversity training- NCBI Week Six February 12 Diversity training- NCBI February 14 Parents & family members Prep for staff retreat February 16-17 (Saturday and Sunday) Staff Training Retreat (8am Saturday- 5pm Sunday) Attendance Required Meet in the Reynolds Coliseum Circle Drive Week Seven February 19 Retreat processing/follow up Strengths Quest and leadership in orientation February 21 Community expectations Week Eight February 26 Open class- Topics TBD February 28 Group communication Public speaking Reflection Paper Due Spring Break March 4-8 Be Safe and Have fun! Week Nine March 12 Student Services presentations: o SORC o UAB o CSLEPS o UREC March 14 Student Services presentations: o ARTS NC State o Study abroad o UTC o Women s Center Quiz #2 (on material from 3/12) Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 8
Week Ten March 19 Student Services presentations: o Career Services o Housing o Libraries o Parents & Families Services Quiz #3 (on material from 3/14) March 21 Student Services presentations: o Academic Advising services o Health Center o Research Quiz #4 (on material from 3/19) Week Eleven March 26 Sexual & racial harassment training Quiz #5 (on material from 3/21) March 28 Spring Holiday No Classes Week Twelve April 2 Professionalism Orientation Walk Through o Schedules o Program April 4 Small group facilitation Week Thirteen April 9 Small group facilitation practice April 11 Customer Service Mentor groups check-in Week Fourteen April 16 Customer Service role plays April 18 Blast from the past Week Fifteen April 23 Belltower Tour Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 9
April 25 Review of: o Contract o Summer training o Final Final Exam The Final Examination will be scheduled on an individual basis during the week of final exams (May 1 through May 9) and will take place in 204 Park Shops. Division of Enrollment Management and Services Page 10