Freshman Seminar

SFA 101
Dr. N. L. Markworth

 

Writing Assignment Topics
SFA 101 Home

Office Hours
MW     1:30 - 3:30 PM

TR       1:30 - 4:00 PM
Student Instructor: Adlena Benjamin

Fall 2007
Room S-322F

468-3001
Markworth's Home Page

nmarkworth@sfasu.edu

Purpose:

The freshman seminar is designed to increase student success in college. Topics include time management, college note and test taking, critical thinking skills, career planning, the nature of a university, and ways to become part of the college community. While ultimate responsibility for success in college rests with the student, this course can provide fundamental assistance.

 

Materials:

All students will receive a "Keys to College Success" study sheet and a 2007 SFA 101 Handbook at the beginning of the semester. Information in these materials will be used for class discussion, and be the basis of questions on the exam. Make sure you get them, read them, and understand them.

 

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory. The percentage of times you are present when role is taken will determine 30% of your final grade. You will lose 3% of your grade each time you have an undocumented excuse. There will be several evening events scheduled (see the SFA 101 web page). These include the Freshman Convocation (Thursday, August 30, 2007, 4 PM, Johnson Coliseum), one Fine Arts Event, and a tour of the SFA Observatory (our section is scheduled for Nov 14 at 7 PM).  You must attend at least two of the events. At some point in the semester you will also have a time scheduled to meet with the instructor and the TA. With your permission we will have a digital photo of you taken to put up on the class webpage.

A documented excuse is one that is verifiable concerning some medical, family, or personal emergency. You will be required to submit the documentation. Oversleeping, leaving town for weddings, concerts, etc. are not considered acceptable excuses.

 

Electronic Participation:

A large portion of today's information is available over the Internet. The Internet also provides several means to communicate with other individuals who live in different parts of the world. Becoming familiar with some of these resources may put you at an advantage in many of your future endeavors.

A requirement of enrollment at SFASU is that each student must activate the email account assigned to you. If you have not done so, please activate your account by going to this link. We will be using the facilities of myCourses, accessed through mySFA, for discussions, chats, and more. Each week, beginning the week of September 10th, I will post a question to myCourses. You may answer that question, or respond (appropriately) to someone else's response. You may also bring up a new point regarding a previous week's question.

Each month, beginning in September, you must contribute AT LEAST two times, so that by the end of the semester, you have a least five "meaningful" contributions to the online discussion. By "meaningful", I mean a response that reveals your thoughts or ideas, and an explanation for your statement. In other words, if you state an opinion, also include why you hold that opinion. The discussion topics will each reflect something related to class discussion, so this will be a means to think more deeply about them and further share ideas. "Bashing" a classmate's ideas or responses will not be accepted. Your discussion participation will comprise 20% of your course grade. You will only receive half credit for contributions that are not within the monthly deadline.

 

Exam:

There will be one exam during the semester. It will be on October 16th, and it will include multiple choice and short answer questions and one essay question. The exam will be based on material in the readings and classes. The exam will not be particularly difficult, if you have done the readings and attended class. In addition to testing you on the material, this exam will give us a change to see how you do on different types of questions and to make suggestions to you for when you take exams in other classes. Your grade on this exam will determine 20% of your final grade. There will be no final exam.

 

Writing Assignments:

Five times during the semester, you will turn in 1½-2 page papers (~400 words each). Adlena and I will be the only ones to read these papers. There will be a list of paper topics available below on the class webpage. You may choose any five for your papers. The due dates for the papers are indicated on the schedule below, and on those dates the paper is due at the beginning of class.

All papers must be turned in typed (there are several computer labs across campus that you may use at no charge). You may submit these as email attachments, using a word processor, if you choose. Proper sentence structure and spelling are required. Superficial papers will not receive full credit. Otherwise, as long as your paper is a reasonable attempt to follow the directions, it will be considered correct. Your grades on these five papers will determine 30% of your final grade (6% each paper). Late papers will be penalized (-0.5% for later that day, -1% for each subsequent day).

Summary:    Attendance    30%

                     Discussion     20%

                     Exam               20%

                     Papers            30%

 

What will Class be Like:

Classes will use a variety of formats: lectures, small group discussions, guest speakers, visits to campus facilities, exercises, questions and answers, and opportunities to simply express what you are feeling or thinking.

In order for this class to be beneficial to you and others, attend every class on time, turn in all writing assignments on time, read the assigned materials, participate in individual and group activities and discussions, and treat everyone in this class with respect and courtesy.