To my future students:
The purpose of this Welcome Packet is to establish a (hopefully good!) first impression of our course, provide you with the plan of action, my expectations, and introduce myself, your humble professor, Kirsten Miller. It will also act as our syllabus for the class once we get started. Let's do this!
Welcome! I'm Kirsten Miller and I get the pleasure of being your instructor for Guide 8: Orientation to College. I'm also a counselor at Columbia College. Please take a couple of minutes to view this video to 'meet' me and then explore the rest of this web packet to get prepared for our class!
We are meeting IN PERSON on the Columbia College Campus on August 17th only, from 9am-12:00pm in Dogwood 1 (link to campus map). The remainder of class will take place online through Canvas (our online classroom portal) until Sept 23rd.
Use Canvas or my email (millerk@yosemite.edu) for any communication!
Kirsten
(You are welcome to call me Kirsten -pronounced Kear-sten- or Professor Miller.)
Class overview
Welcome to Orientation to College! I am excited to introduce you to Columbia College and, as this course is geared toward dual-enrolled high school students, helping you bridge high school and college successfully.
This is a short term, 1-unit course from Aug 17-Sept 23 only. We start this class by meeting together in person to make sure you have everything you need to get started with college before the first day of the term as well as how to navigate the campus, the online Canvas system for classes, and how to finish out this course in our online component.
After our in-person workshop, we have 5 weeks that will be completed fully online. Plan for about 2-3 hours/week in which you will participate in discussions, learn about our student services, watch videos, and complete assignments and quizzes. By the end of the course, you’ll have developed your own educational plan with a Columbia College Counselor, as well as understand more of how college works and how to work it.
Student Learning Outcomes of this class include:To create informed and confident students who can identify and access Columbia College programs and services for academic support and success.
That students can describe college cultural norms, expectations, and processes for a successful transition into the college environment.
To create an educational plan/goal consistent with life and career objectives.
The official course description can be found in the Columbia College Catalog.
Printable document of this syllabus: Guide 8 Syllabus - Fall 2022
REQUIRED MATERIALS & ACCESS
Columbia College Catalog (2022-2023)
This is a free resource that is only available online. We will use this to refer to campus policies, academic calendars and educational planning information. Columbia College Catalog
All course content and information will be in our online learning environment, Canvas. You need your Columbia College student email to log in.
There is a Canvas app, which is great for discussions, watching video lectures, and getting notifications, but not for completing work, as formatting and typing is problematic. I expect college-level work in attention to spelling, formatting, and quality.
class PARTICIPATION
This class is a community! I hope each of you approaches this class with a great attitude and a willingness to help each other. Active and regular participation is required and vital to your success in this class and college in general. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help from your classmates or me when you need it.
By enrolling in this class, you agree:
To contribute to building a group community characterized by mutual encouragement, commitment to truth, fun, creativity, and where every member is valued, respected, and feels safe.
To complete all reading, assignments, quizzes, and exams with academic and personal integrity (as defined by Columbia College Academic Senate- your professors!) by completing your own work to the best of your ability by the due date listed on the course calendar and/or as assigned.
To spend at least 2-3 hours a week engaged with this course. You need to be regularly engaged to pass—plan accordingly.
To keep an open mind, contribute regularly, and have patience and a sense of humor with technology.
To regularly review your Canvas gradebook and contact me if you see an error or have a question.
To contact classmates or me if you have a question or need help.
That it is your responsibility to drop this class, if desired. If you are in high school and using this for credits and/or qualifcations for a dual-enrollment program like Middle College, work with your high school counselor on how it might affect your graduation requirements or program. I reserve the right to drop students who do not show up for the in-person workshop, do not turn in anything the first week of class, and/or have not participated in the class for 8 consecutive days. As this is a short-term class, learning happens quickly and cannot be made up adequately if missed.
NOTE: In Fall 2022, all tuition and fees at Columbia College are FREE for all students! You will still be required to obtain required textbooks or course materials, though, for this class, there is nothing that you need to buy. Please let me know if you need help finding required textbooks for other classes you might be taking or how to access our library to see if they have any available loaners.
GRADING & LATE WORK
Grading Criteria
25% Educational Plan/Prep
50% Class Assignments/Participation
25% Exams (pre & post)
100% :)
Grading Scale
A = 100 - 90%
B = 89 - 80%
C = 79 - 70%
D = 69 - 60%
F = 59% or lower
or if elected, Pass > 70% < No Pass
Late Work Policy:
You have flexibility in completing and submitting assignments and engaging in discussion up until the due date. My goal in this class is to help you with college success skills, and submitting late work is not part of that training! You will receive a -0- on an assignment if it's missing when the due date passes, but I will still accept completed work until the last week of class for a 10% late penalty.
I will assess requests for extensions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account individual circumstances. That said, I am committed to helping you achieve the learning objectives of this class, and will answer any questions and address any concerns you may have regarding your grades on an individual basis.
Netiquette
Our text-based communication is vital in this course since it is the primary way we will connect with each other. Please be careful and considerate in all your communications with each other and me. Consider what you are saying and remember that your intent might not be obvious. Take a moment to re-read everything you write: assume that it will be taken in the worst possible light. And extend courtesy to others: assume the most charitable light possible. Both of these steps will make communication easier.
