COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course is designed to begin developing the skills students need for success, both in college life and in the working world. Through reflective writing assignments, class discussion and group activities, the course focuses on helping students:

· accept personal responsibility

· discover self-motivation

· master self-management

· build supportive relationships

· gain self-awareness

· adopt life-long learning

· develop emotional intelligence

· increase self-esteem.

Within this general framework students are also encouraged to explore their values, appreciate cultural and intellectual diversity and learn the fundamentals of ethical reasoning as it applies to their own lives and choices. Student social development is enhanced through a variety of social activities, cultural events and community service outings that foster a connection with classmates, the school, and the community. Upperclassmen are selected for each class as peer mentors to assist students in making the transition to college; peer mentors serve as resource/contact people, role models, facilitators of small-group discussion and general aides to the instructor.

Note to Students: This is a course you are expected to take during your first year at University of the Ozarks. It is a graduation requirement that is designed to benefit new students. Although the course, like any course, may be dropped, there will be only one section offered in the Spring and first consideration for enrollment in these sections will go to first-time enrollees at UofO in the spring semester. Those who drop in the Fall may be forced to take the course the following Fall with the new freshmen. Before you allow yourself to get into the position of having to drop the course, ask yourself how much worse it will be if you have to take it with next year’s class.

Intended Student Outcomes

1) Students will communicate effectively, learning to clearly and effectively express ideas and actively listen to the ideas of others in discussions

2) Students will think critically, learning to

· read with comprehension

· transfer and apply knowledge and skills to new situations

· evaluate and analyze arguments from more than one perspective

4) Students will be aware of their responsibilities to themselves, to humanity, to their planet and to their creator, learning to

· examine personal lifestyle, ethics, integrity, values and priorities

· respect individuals with beliefs, backgrounds or abilities different from their own

· contribute to the welfare of their community and ecosystem

Specific Course Goals

In this course, you will learn how to. . .

· Take charge of your life

· Increase self-motivation

· Improve personal self-management

· Develop interdependence

· Increase self-awareness

· Maximize your learning.

· Develop emotional intelligence

· Raise your self-esteem.

· Improve your moral reasoning and critical thinking skills

· Increase your appreciation of diverse cultures and viewpoints

· Forge connections with your classmates, the University, and the community

Required Course Materials:

Downing, Skip. On Course : Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life. Fourth Edition. Boston; New York: Houghlin Mifflin, 2005.

ADA Statement

If any member of the class has a documented disability and needs special accommodations, the instructor will work with the student and the office of Student Support Services or the Jones Learning Center to provide reasonable accommodation to ensure the student a fair opportunity to perform in this class. In order to plan for optimum success, please advise the instructor of the disability and the desired accommodations as soon as possible. Students are strongly encouraged to notify the instructor during the first week of classes. Without ample planning / preparation time, we cannot assure the availability of needed accommodations in a timely manner.

Academic Honesty

All student work must be done in accordance with the University’s Academic Integrity policy as stated in the Student Handbook. There will be severe grade penalties for acts of plagiarism, cheating, copying of another student’s work, counterfeit work, theft of tests and unauthorized reuse of work. At the very least, a first offense will entail a reprimand, report of the incident to the Academic Dean and a failing grade for the assignment/test; a second offense will result in a failing grade for the course. However, if the incident is sufficiently serious—e.g., an entire assignment borrowed almost word-for-word from an Internet site and turned in as one’s own work—the instructor reserves the right to issue a failing grade for the course, even if it is a first offense.

Course Requirements

Along with specific assignments designed by the individual instructors, students in all CI sections must complete the following:

1. Group Activities Requirement

Students must attend at least five (5) mentor group activities outside of class, including:

· at least one social activity (e.g., movie nights, hiking trips, pizza parties, field trips)

· at least one University-sponsored cultural event: concerts, lectures, theater productions and art exhibits (most of these will also earn convocation credit)

· at least one community service activity.

2. Completion of Discover Career Workshop with Kimberly Spicer.

3. All CI students should expect to engage in graded reflective writing assignments, group discussions, and completion of required inventories.

Grading

Each instructor in the Critical Inquiry program has his/her own grading standards and expectations. This is a fact of college life to which new students should be-come accustomed. Complaining that your section of Critical Inquiry is “harder” than other sections or that “X’s section doesn’t have to do this” will not induce the instructor to alter your requirements. In fact, a student’s estimate of a course’s rigor and difficulty is a very subjective phenomenon. Courses that are difficult to students of a certain learning style or temperament may seem perfectly reasonable to students of a different persuasion.

Failing to complete the activities requirement component of the course will result in a penalty to the final grade.

[Left to the discretion of the individual instructor are: specific assignments and activities, exact schedule of topics, grading and attendance policies].

See Sample Syllabus for a completed syllabus from which you can borrow.

If you are using student journals as assignments, make sure you insert the legal disclaimer/confidentiality statement.