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 and the Columbia College Counselor for dual enrolled students, thus my connection to Middle College. Please take a couple of minutes to view this video to 'meet' me and then explore the rest of this page to get prepared!
We are meeting IN PERSON on the Columbia College Campus on August 17th only, from 9am-11:30am in Dogwood 101 (link to campus map). The remainder of class will take place online through Canvas (our online classroom portal) until Sept 24th.
Use Canvas or my email (millerk@yosemite.edu) for any questions!
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.
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.
Yes, we have the one in-person meeting, but then we have 4 weeks that will be completed online, ending on Sept 24th. Plan for about 2-3 hours/week--you’ll participate in discussions, learn about our student services, watch some videos and complete some 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.
Official course description can be found in the Columbia College Catalog.
Printable document of this syllabus: Guide 8 Syllabus - Fall 2021
REQUIRED MATERIALS & ACCESS
Columbia College Catalog (2021-2022)
This is a free resource that is now 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, notifications, and class alerts, but not for completing work, as formatting and typing is problematic. I expect college level work in attention to spelling, formatting and quality.
Middle College/Dual enrollment & 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. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help when you need it, I am here to help however I can.
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 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, and work with your high school counselor on how it might affect your graduation requirements or enrollment in Middle College. I reserve the right to drop students who miss the first workshop day and/or have not participated in the class for 8 consecutive days. As this is a short-term class, a lot of learning happens in one week and cannot be made up adequately if missed.
NOTE: As a dual-enrolled high school student, your tuition at Columbia is free. You are still responsible to pay any student fees and 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 or how to access our library to see if they have any available loaners for other classes you are taking.
GRADING & LATE WORK
Grading Criteria
25% Educational Plan/Prep
25% Class Assignments/quizzes
25% Class Participation/Discussions
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
I, as the instructor, reserve the right not to accept late work. I will assess requests for extensions on a case-by-case basis, taking into account individual circumstances and whether the extension is requested in advance (to the extent possible). 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.
