First Year
College
USC 102: Introduction to University Education
II
Prerequisite: USC 101 or permission of
instructor
Corequisite:
None
A student cannot receive
credit for both USC 102 and USC 104
This course does not meet
a GEP requirement
In their first year at NC
State University, all FYC students must take two one-hour, letter-graded
courses: Introduction to University Education I (USC 101 in the fall semester)
and Introduction to University Education II (USC 102 in the spring
semester). Your instructor for this
course is your academic adviser, and that arrangement gives you weekly contact
with him or her. You also meet individually with your adviser at least twice
each semester.
FYC advisers and
instructors are committed to being prepared for class, to grading fairly, and to
being available to help students with their questions and concerns about the
course and about advising issues. You should be committed to putting your best
effort into your work for this class, including your out-of-class assignments,
class discussions and activities, and co-curricular
activities.
Upon
completion of this course, students will
(1)
Be
able to analyze various components of the academic major and career decision
process, drawing on both their personal experience and research; apply these
findings to what they currently know about themselves and majors/careers;
compare their options; and outline their next steps of
action
(2)
Know
how to conduct a career informational interview
(3)
Know
how to use the online Degree Planner tool
(4)
Understand
the University Progress Toward Degree policy
(5)
Be
more aware of their own attitudes and experiences with respect to
diversity
Students
are required to comply with the university policy on academic integrity found in
the Code of Student Conduct found at
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/student_services/student_discipline/POL11.35.1.php
Your
name on any assignment you submit means that you neither gave nor received
unauthorized aid when you completed the assignment.
All
academic integrity violations will be sent to Student Conduct. A violation on any Forum Event report
will result in the loss of all 30 Forum Series points. For violations on other assignments and
activities, at a minimum you will earn zero points for the assignment; other
sanctions are possible, including failing the course.
See
the website referenced above, as well as Chapter 10 in your textbook, for a
detailed explanation of academic integrity and academic
misconduct.
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/policy/pol-04-25-5 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.
Reasonable accommodations will
be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of
available accommodations, student must register with the Disability Services
Office (http://www.ncsu.edu/dso) located at 1900 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 at http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/courses_undergrad/REG02.20.1.php.
You
will earn a letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F with plus/minus grading) in USC 102,
a one-hour course. Grading will be
based on a point system (maximum points = 300). Neither USC 101 nor USC 102 may be taken
for credit only (S/U); you must take the course for a letter
grade.
Regular
class attendance in any college course is essential for success, and USC 102 is
no exception. The
basic attendance policy for USC 102 follows University regulations. Attendance
expectations for this course are as follows:
If
a student misses more than two unexcused classes, the final course grade will be
lowered one letter grade for each additional unexcused absence. For example, if you have an “A” in the
course but have three unexcused absences, then your semester letter grade will
be reduced to a “B;” for four, the final grade will become a “C;” for five, a
“D,” etc. If you miss a class
session, it is your responsibility
to obtain information on any class assignments.
Please
note that it is up to you to let your instructor know about these
absences and to arrange to make up any missed work. For more information on excused
absences, including those for religious observances, go
to:
http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-3
The
textbook for both USC 101 and USC 102 is THE (Transition to Higher
Education) Workbook (The 2011-2012 edition is only available at
the University Bookstore). The
price of the book - $52.90 - includes $31.50 to cover the cost of testing and
personalized reports for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® instrument,
the Strong Interest Inventory® assessment, the combined Strong and
MBTI® Career Report, and access to the DISCOVER® career
exploration website. (If you have
financial difficulties and cannot afford a textbook, speak with your adviser
right away.)
You
are encouraged to put your textbook pages, your assignments, and your notes for
this course into a binder. Note:
many of the assignments you complete will be used when you prepare your final
writing assignment in USC 102.
Your
instructor will provide you a detailed list of assignments with their due dates
and point values. Some of your
assignments are in the Workbook, but your instructor will give
most of them to you. However, due
to the cost of photocopying, your instructor may not give you paper copies of
your assignments. Your instructor
will explain how you can locate your assignments and will provide them in enough
time to complete them. As with any
class, students in USC 102 have the responsibility to know how to find their
assignments and to ask their instructor about any concerns or questions
regarding an assignment.
Always keep a
copy of the work you turn in for this or for any class, and always save returned
work.
Late
assignments:
Your instructor will inform you of his or her policy regarding late work.
Your instructor will give you
the URL of his or her course website.
This assignment will
familiarize you with a particular career and help you see how this career is
connected to the majors you are considering. It will also give you a good model for
informational interviews and allow you to practice networking and interviewing
skills. The assignment is in
chapter 11 of the Workbook.
Note that your instructor may give you additional guidelines. (40 points)
A plan of
work is a semester-by-semester schedule of courses that a student plans to take
to meet his or her degree program(s) requirements. Registration and Records
created the online Degree Planner tool to support the NC State regulation on
Progress Toward
Undergraduate Degree that, as of the
2006 Fall Semester, applies to all NC State undergraduate degree-seeking
students. Both students and advisers use this online tool to organize the
individual student's Plan of Work. To modify your plan of work, you
must login to MyPack
Portal. The Degree
Planner-Undergrad and Degree Audit-Undergrad are located under Student Self
Service -> Degree Progress/Graduation. A video tutorial appears at:
http://www.ncsu.edu/registrar/help/studentplanner.html
Your
instructor will provide the details of the assignment, including the point
value.
Personal
Statement
The personal statement is
the final project of the semester.
Writing this statement gives you an
opportunity to reflect on your first year at NC State, highlighting and bringing
together what you have done this year to make an informed decision about your
future. In it, you will think about
your first year experience and the assignments and activities in USC 101 and USC
102, explain where you are in the process of deciding about your major and some
possible careers, how you got to this point in your decision making, and what
you expect to do next. Your instructor will give
you more details.
(75 points)
Learning
within the University is not limited to attending class and completing
assignments. Endless opportunities
for learning and discovery occur outside of class. This extended learning is called
"co-curricular" learning. You are required to attend the following
co-curricular events:
Your
instructor will give you further details about the event and the report you will
be expected to submit. (15 points)
This event
takes you from the “big picture” of the Majors Fair to a more in-depth look at
the particular college(s) you are considering for a major. You will also have
the opportunity to learn about key University resources designed to help you
gain work experience. You will
attend college session(s) that address key questions about majors and
opportunities in the college via a panel of current students, recent grads, and
faculty/administrators from the college. (40 points)
You must select one of two
options for the FYC Forum Requirement as described below.
1. Individualized
Proposal (30
points)
In order to provide a more in-depth
experience, students are encouraged to submit their own individualized plan of
involvement for the spring semester.
Examples include:
·
Joining
and becoming an active member in a student organization such as the Pre-Health
Club
·
Volunteering
weekly for the Molly Hays Glander Rape & Sexual
Assault Response Line
·
Becoming
a voting member of the FYC Student Council or other campus governing body
(Note: You can only get FYC Student
Council credit for one semester, either Fall, 2011, or Spring, 2012.)
·
Contributing
Saturdays throughout the semester to Habitat for Humanity
These are only examples,
so feel free to design your own experience. Your proposal should incorporate the
spirit of the Forum Series – you should be able to explain clearly how your plan
connects to the FYC Wolfpact (Explore, Engage, or
Excel). Your proposal should also
explain clearly how your plan covers at least two of the Forum Series categories
(Diversity/Global Knowledge, Educational Enrichment, Wellness, The Arts).
The contract form is
available from your instructor. You must then submit the completed form to your
instructor for approval. Your instructor must approve your proposal; just
turning in the contract form is not enough. The deadline for submitting a forum
contract to your instructor is Friday, February 3.
2. Event attendance (30
points)
Your other option is to
attend three forum events (10 points for each
event; 30 points total):
·
one Diversity/Global
Knowledge
·
one Educational
Enrichment,
·
one event from any
category (the "student choice" event).
You must attend at least
one event in each time block (see chart below for time blocks).
Choose the events from the
calendar at:
http://www.ncsu.edu/fyc/forum/
If you wish to attend an
event that is not on the calendar, you must get approval from your instructor in
advance. To receive full credit for attending a Forum
Event, submit a Forum Series Report via the forum web page within one week of
attending the event. A Forum
Report must be a thoughtful reflection on the event and answer all the questions
asked about the event, explaining in detail
how the event fits one or more of the categories of the FYC Wolfpact
(Explore, Engage, or Excel).
If you
attend events for University Scholars, you may count them for your Forum Series
requirement; be sure to submit reports on the events you attend. Please ask your instructor if you have
any questions.
Diversity/Global
Knowledge Events
Events in this category
will introduce you to areas of diversity and global knowledge, helping
you understand the world and your place in it. You will also consider
differences in culture, identity, and community at NC
State.
Educational
Enrichment Events
These
events give you the opportunity to expand your academic skills and educational
horizons. Typical events are academic skills workshops, selected campus club or
organizational meetings (check with your instructor to see which ones qualify),
faculty lectures, talks given by outside speakers, etc.
The
Arts
Events
in this category will help you explore campus and community arts events such as
concerts, plays, museum exhibitions, arts shows, and so on. Keep in mind that some of these events
require you to purchase a ticket in advance. (These events are considered “student
choice.”)
This
category includes experiences designed to educate you and enable your wellness
in the physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational dimensions. These events
include hands-on service to the community (e.g., Service NC State day, Habitat
for Humanity, etc.). (These events
are considered “student choice.”)
Important: If you wish to attend an event that is
not on the Forum Series calendar, you must get approval from your instructor
in advance.
Superforum
Events (15 points)
During
the semester FYC may designate a "Superforum Event"
that focuses on an issue that is significant to the NC State community or to the
larger community outside the University.
In the past, Superforum Events included a panel
and discussion on the causes and consequences of the 9/11 attacks and an
interactive workshop on diversity.
A Superforum Event can fulfill one of your
three required Forum events.
Because the topics are so significant, you can earn additional credit (15
points instead of 10 points) for attending the event and submitting a thoughtful
report. However, even if you attend
a Superforum, you are still required to attend 3
events during the semester.
If you are not
fulfilling the Student Council option for your Forum requirement, you must
follow the Forum time block schedule below and complete at least one Forum event
in each time block. (You may
complete all of your Forum requirements earlier than listed
below.)
Time
Block 1 is:
Jan. 9 – Feb. 12
Time
Block 2 is:
Feb. 13 – March 25
Time
Block 3 is:
March 26 – April 29
|
COURSE
GRADE FOR USC 102 | ||
|
Assignments
and Activities |
Maximum
Points Each |
Total
Points Possible |
|
Plan
of Work/Online Degree Planner Other
assignments and activities |
Your
instructor will give you details on these assignments and their point
values |
100 |
|
Convocation Academic
Networking Career
Informational Interview Personal
Statement Either
Forum contract for total points (30) or 3 individual forum
events
Diversity/Global Knowledge Forum Event
Educational Enrichment Forum Event Student’s
Choice Forum Event |
15 40 40 75 10 10 10 |
200 |
|
TOTAL
POINTS:
300 | ||
|
A
Ranges |
B
Ranges |
C
Ranges |
D
Ranges |
F |
|
A+ = 291 -
300 |
B+ = 269 -
261 |
C+
= 239 - 231 |
D+
= 209 - 200 |
F
= 179 or below |
|
A = 290 -
279 |
B = 260 -
249 |
C = 230 -
219 |
D = 199 -
189 |
|
|
A- = 278 -
270 |
B- = 248 -
240 |
C- = 218 -
210 |
D-
= 188 -
180 |
|
The University’s
regulations about incomplete grades may be found at:
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/grades_undergrad/REG02.50.3.php
Your instructor will
talk with you about a grade of incomplete if your situation warrants
it.