Ub101 Fall 2008 Syllabus

Mondays UB 101 Fall 2008 12:00-12:50Instructor Information Peer Mentor Jillian Reading Alexandra Hasson 152 AcademicPark Advisor-Student Advising Services [email protected] 107B Norton Hall Hall 645-6484 [email protected] Registration Office Hours: Call 645-6013 and schedule appointment #179491 Course Description UB101 is a one-credit hour seminar course designed to assist first year students in making the transition to the University at Buffalo, providing them a framework for their success as students. Through a small, interactive classroom environment intended to engage students in learning, this course focuses on providing resources, fostering important relationships, and helping students to understand their responsibilities and privileges within the University community. Course Policies Academic Integrity: The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic endeavors. By placing their name on academic work, students certify originality of all work not otherwise identified by appropriate acknowledgements. For a complete description of UB’s Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures, refer to the undergraduate catalog (http://undergrad-catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/course/integrity.shtml) Students with Disabilities:

If you have a documented disability, are registered with the Office of Disability Services, and are entitled to accommodations, please inform us within the first three weeks of class. Attendance Policy: Class attendance and participation is critical to your academic success in this course and UB in general. Active involvement and participation in class are evaluated throughout the semester. The informal environment should allow for active discussion and feedback from you. You are allowed one (1) unexcused absence during the semester. For each subsequent unexcused absence you will lose ten (10) points. Missing three (3) classes (unexcused) will result in failing the course. The instructor must approve an excused absence at least 24 hours in advance of the missed class. You may inform the instructor in person, via e-mail, or by phone message. Attendance and class

participation is worth five (5) points each class for a total of 70 points. One (1) point is for your attendance and you can earn up to four (4) more each class for participation.

Course Requirements

• Required resources: ◦ Delicious: http://del.icio.us/ (just typing in delicious.com works too!) ◦ Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/ (If you have a Yahoo! Account you shouldn’t need to sign up for a new ID). Course Assignments

• Setup and utilize a social bookmarking account (10 points) ◦ The September 8th class will teach you how to create a delicious (social bookmarking)

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account; explain what social bookmarking is and advise you of its implications for your academic career. ◦ During the semester, students will research prospective majors, careers, and other academically relevant material and add their findings to their delicious account. We will aggregate these bookmarks as a class so that others can have access to our research. A minimum of 10 resources and the addition of “academicadvisor” to your network are required for full credit. Attend a Campus Event (30 points) ◦ You have multiple options for this requirement. Whatever event you attend, you absolutely MUST CHECK IN with either Jillian or Alex. ▪ If you read The Kite Runner over the summer, you might be interested in checking out Khaled Hosseini (the author) on October 16th, 2008 at 8:00pm in Alumni Arena. If you are interested in attending this event, please let Jillian know so that she can secure tickets for you. ▪ Interested in Division 1 football? Or maybe you’re just in it for that Homecoming Spirit? Jillian & Alex will be attending the 2008 Homecoming game at UB Stadium vs. Army on Saturday, October 18th, 2008. More details about when and where to meet when the date gets closer.

▪ Attend a Late Night at UB event. ▪ Have another event in mind? Get it approved by Jillian before you go and be prepared to provide some type of proof that you attended. This might be a program, ticket, etc. • UB101: The University at Buffalo Through Pictures & Video (100 points) ◦ The September 8th class will teach you how to setup & utilize a Flickr account (social ◦

photo sharing); explain what Flickr is and advise you of how it will be used for this course. To receive full credit for this assignment, students must post a minimum of 25 photos from their experience at UB to the UB101 Flickr group. These photos can be of anything from the new student picnic to just hanging out with your friends in your residence hall room. Be creative with this process; you only get to be a freshmen

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once in your lifetime (in college anyway!) so make sure you take a few moments to appreciate & document it. ◦ If you do not have access to a camera, please see Jillian about an alternative assignment. Library Skills Workbook (10 points) ◦ The Library Skills workbook is a requirement for graduation from UB as well as a requirement for this class. Please refer to the blue handout for more information on this requirement. The instructor will check to be sure that each student has completed this assignment.

Due Date

Points

NA

70

Setup & utilization of social bookmarking account

11/24

10

Attend a Campus Event

11/24

30

UB101: The University at Buffalo Through Pictures

11/24

100

Library Skills Workbook

11/24

10

Assignment Attendance and Participation (14 weeks; each 5 pts.)

Total Points

My Points

220

Passing= 180-220 Failing= 0-179 Extra Credit? If you are interested in some extra course credit (up to 30 points), you can join AND participate in READY @ UB. READY @ UB (Researching, Exploring, and Developing Yourself) is an informal discussion group for students with questions relating to choosing a major or career, information related to becoming a professional, and contemporary student issues in higher education (e.g., parental pressures, media portrayal of jobs). See Jillian & Alex for more information and a handout on this group!

Breakdown of the Semester Date

Topic

What’s Covered? • • • • •

Introductions Syllabus Emergency Text Messaging On-Campus study resources Mentoring Program

Aug. 25

Welcome to UB!

Sept. 1

NO CLASS—Labor Day

Sept. 8

Using Technology to your Advantage

Sept. 15

Personal Wellness

• Wellness Center Visit • Transitional Wellness

Sept. 22

Pressures!

• Peer (Alcohol & Drugs) • Parental (Career, Academic) • Societal

Sept. 29

Learning in the Classroom

• Personal Experiences • Strategies you probably never thought of!

Oct. 6

Learning Beyond the Classroom

• Networking • Professionalism

Oct. 13

Mid-Semester Check-in!

• Progress & Pitfalls • Lunch Provided! (Menu TBD)

Oct. 20

Undergraduate Research

• Delicious & Flickr

• Tim Tryjankowski, Director of CURCA

Oct. 27

Get Involved!

• Student Association Clubs • CLDCE (Leadership Development) • Off-Campus Opportunities

Nov. 3

Registration

• BIRD & Web Registration • Tips & Tricks

Nov. 10

Campus Resources

• Health Services (Michael Hall)

• Career Services • UB Card Office • Others you’ve used? Nov. 17

Planning for Your Future

• Resume & CV creation • Staying engaged & involved

Nov. 24

Delicious Major/Career Exploration Wrap up

• Review of class findings • Feedback

Farewell? Hope not!

• Pizza (& Healthy Food too!) Party • Flickr Slideshow

Dec. 1