______________________________________________

Instruction that moves, leadership that inspires,

scholarship that makes a difference for the 21st century.

INSTRUCTOR: DEvelyn Wymore

Email: dwymore@fsu.edu
Office Phone: 644-3430
Office Location: University Center A, room 3200
Office Hours: Fridays, 9:00am-12:00pm & by appointment

A. Fall 2017, SLS 2311-01, Undergraduate Student Success (1 credit)

This course is web-based or fully online and will be completed on Blackboard. There will be no inperson or synchronous online meetings required.
B. Prerequisites or Co-requisites : None
C. Objectives/Description
This course is primarily designed for Freshmen or Sophomore students seeking insight to how to
succeed in college. Undergraduate Student Success is designed to provide students with the opportunity
and support to critically assess and reflect on their previous experiences and the effects of those
experiences on their interests, skills, values, personality, and socialization. This course will also provide
students with academic resources and skills to make informed decisions about their program of study
and to be successful in their collegiate careers. Finally, this course will provide students with actionbased assignments focused on career exploration and preparation.
Upon the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
Determine and reflect on their personality, interests, skills, and values.
Identify and critically evaluate the factors influencing their socialization and personal values.
Locate and disseminate appropriate resources and methods for making academic decisions.
Self-regulate academic learning behaviors based on an articulated learning style.
Identify skills and experiences needed for a particular career field.
Create short and long term goals and plans for educational and career aspirations.
D. My Teaching Philosophy
To be most successful in this course (and in college) students must develop the ability to think
critically and creatively. They must also be able to reflect and be self-aware. To foster these skills
and fulfill the learning outcomes outlined above, I utilize interactive discussion boards, provide
support through a variety of resources, offer multiple methods for completing assignments, and
encourage the use of different kinds of technology.

E. Required Texts, Readings, and/or other Resources

There is no required textbook for this course. However, students will need the following
technologies
Computer; using a tablet or mobile device is not recommended because it is much more
difficult for completing the required assignments.
Reliable access to the internet. This is important as "my internet went down" is not an excuse
for not turning in your work on time.
A backup plan if your usual internet access goes down. (I.e. Can you go to a neighbors
house, a library, or another public space for access to the internet?)
Internet Browser - Google Chrome is recommended.
Access to Blackboard course site and FSU email on a regular basis.

F. Teaching Strategies
Due to the online nature of this class, the majority of assignments will be writing-based including
class discussion boards for participation and reflective writing assignments. In an effort to
accommodate multiple learning styles, video lectures and videos will occasionally be posted. There
will also be alternative assignment options including but not limited to: creating info-graphics,
videos, presentations, etc.
G. Field/Clinical Activities: Not Applicable
H. Expectations/Attendance
Class attendance is recognized through class discussion board participation or assignment
submission for the week. If the student does not participate or submit an assignment by the weekly
due date (by the end of each Wednesday), the student will be docked 5 points from participation for
the week or from the assignment.
Netiquette Statement
Participating in an online course creates new expectations for etiquette. Below is a list of Florida
State University and course expectations students should abide when participating in an online
community. These are taken from Virginia Sheas Book and Website and may be read more in
depth at the following link: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
Rule 1: Remember the Human.
Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.
Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace.
Rule 4: Respect other peoples time and bandwidth.
Rule 5: Make yourself look good online.
Rule 6: Share expert knowledge.
Rule 7: Help keep flame wars under control.
Rule 8: Respect other peoples privacy.
Rule 9: Dont abuse your power.
Rule 10: Be forgiving of other peoples mistakes.

University Attendance Policy

In accordance with our excused absence policy, if the student has one of the following reasons for
not participating in the discussion board or for submitting an assignment late, accommodations will
be made through alternative assignments or flexible due dates.
Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the immediate family and other
documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official
University activities. Accommodations for these excused absences will be made and will do so in a
way that does not penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to
students whose dependent children experience serious illness.
Sexual Harassment Policy
Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination based on a person's gender. Sexual harassment is
contrary to the University's values and moral standards, which recognize the dignity and worth of
each person, as well as a violation of federal and state laws and University rules and policies. Sexual
harassment cannot and will not be tolerated by the Florida State University, whether by faculty,
students, or staff; or by others while on property owned by or under the control of the University.
I. Grading/Evaluation
Students will be graded on a traditional scale:
Percentage
93 or above
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
Below 60

Letter grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF

The assignments are distributed in the following manner:

Discussion Boards
30 points/30%
Autobiography
15 points/15%
Curricular/Engagement Plan
20 points/20%
Personal Academic Plan
20 points/20%
Professional Critique
15 points/15%

Assignments
For all assignment due dates, please reference the course outline below.
Discussion Boards (3 points each week, 30 points total)
Students will participate in discussion boards for 10 weeks on the following topics based on
the weekly reading. Students are expected to post thoughtful initial posts (1 point) by
Wednesday nights at 11:59pm as well as respond to two other students in a constructive way
(2 points) by Saturday nights at 11:59pm.
o Syllabus and Introductions:
Students will thoroughly read the syllabus. Then, they will introduce themselves and answer a set of
course-related questions posted to the weekly discussion board.
o Myer-Briggs Personality Test:
Students will take the Myer-Briggs online personality test and discuss their results. They will
consider how they think it was accurate or inaccurate, how their personality has influenced their
actions, and how their personality may factor into their major and career choices.
o Values, Interests, Skills Identification:
Students will explore their values, interests, and skills using a concept map. They will then discuss
themes among the values, interests, and skills, and how these themes might influence their future
decisions.
o Cycle of Socialization Exploration:
Students will explore the ways in which their Cycle of Socialization shaped, guided, influenced,
reinforced, and/or formed their own identities. Students will create their own personal Cycle of
Socialization map for their initial post.
o Understanding Academic Resources:
Students will explore various academic resources provided in the course library and discuss how
they may be beneficial and how they may use the resources to create their Curriculum Plan.
o Decision Making:
After reading a set of articles about decision making, students will use their creative thinking skills
to critique the use of 2-3 modes of decision making.
o Academic Learning Style:
Students will take the Learning Style Inventory to assess how best they learn. They will then
discuss their results, considering how they think it was accurate or inaccurate, how their learning
style influences their performance in courses, and how they may utilize this information for their
Personal Academic Plan.
o Time Management/Goal Setting:
Students will read multiple articles and explore provided resources to personally define time
management and draft 3 academic goals for their Personal Academic Plan.
o Career Exploration:
Students will identify two potential careers of interest utilizing online resources from the Career
Center. Students will be expected to research a list of criteria about the three career paths and create
an info-graphic to discuss this criteria. Then, students will discuss what they found surprising/not
surprising and what they like/dont like about the career.
o Career Exploration:
Students will re-examine their potential careers of interest and discuss how the careers align with
the students values, interests, and skills. The students will also discuss what skill the careers need
and how their major may develop those skills.
o Whats Next?
Students will discuss their key take-aways from the course and how they will use the knowledge
and skills gained in the course in the future.
4

Autobiography (15 points):

o Paper: Students will write a 2-3 page paper synthesizing their values, interests,
personality, skills, and cycle of socialization (VIPSS). Students may organize this
paper in the way they deem best, but MUST address how their VIPSS overlap to
influence their current life experiences/situation. For example, students might discuss
why did they chose to come to FSU, majors they are considering (or are thinking
about) and why, their self-perception, or others perceptions of them, the activities
they are involved in, etc.
o PowerPoint Voice-Over: Students may opt to create a short (5-7 minute) PowerPoint
presentation with a voice-over to discuss these same criteria.
Curricular and Engagement Plan (20 points):
Students will construct two curricular plans for the next two semesters. In this endeavor
students will need utilize curricular resources, such as the bulletin, academic program guide,
course search, advising services, and faculty guidance. Students will have to justify the
appropriateness of the major and courses selected based on their values, interests,
personality, and skills. The first academic map should be for their ideal major while the
second is a parallel academic map for an alternative major. In addition, students must include
in each plan two forms of engagement outside of classes and must justify how the
engagement aligns, supports, or enhances their curricular plan. These engagement
opportunities can include student organizations, volunteering opportunities,
shadowing/interning, part-time jobs, study abroad opportunities, etc.
Personal Academic Plan (20 points):
Students will construct a Personal Academic Plan based on their identified learning style and
associated study habits, understanding of time management skills, and their academic goals.
This Personal Academic Plan must include four short-term S.M.A.R.T. goals and two longterm S.M.A.R.T. goals, a timeline for reaching the goals, what resources they need to reach
the goals, and a plan for how to assess if they have met the goals.
Professional Critique (15 points): Choose from the following options:
o Role Model Critique- Students will identify and critically examine a substantial
published piece in a book, academic journal, or periodical by or about an expert
whose work inspires them. In writing, students will analyze and synthesize the
qualities of this individual and will describe how this individuals work will foster
and inspire a vision for their own future.
o Resume Critique- Students will review the resume of a professional in their field of
interest and identify the skills and experiences needed to become successful in the
chosen field.
o Professional Interview: Students will interview at least one professional working in a
field related to the major they are pursuing or thinking about pursuing. Speaking with
a professional in the career field will give students with more information about
careers and ways to gain entry into the field. Students will be required to write a twopage reflection on this interview using direct quotes from the interview.

Course Outline (Subject to change)

Week
August 28th

Topics

September 4th

Myer-Briggs Personality Test

September 11th

Values, Interests, Skills Identification

September 18th

Cycle of Socialization Exploration

September 25th

Autobiography

October 2nd

Understanding Academic Resources

October 9th

Decision Making

October 16th

Curriculum Plan

October 23rd

Academic Learning Style

October 30th

Time Management/Goal Setting

November 6th

Personal Academic Plan

November 13th

Career Exploration

November 20th

Enjoy Thanksgiving Break!

November 27th

Career Exploration

December 4th

Professional Critique

December 11th

Finals week: Whats Next?

Introductions and Syllabus Overview

Free Tutoring from FSU

On-campus tutoring and writing assistance is available for many courses at Florida State University. For
more information, visit the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) Tutoring Services comprehensive
list of on-campus tutoring options - see http://ace.fsu.edu/tutoring or contact tutor@fsu.edu. Highquality tutoring is available by appointment and on a walk-in basis. These services are offered by tutors
trained to encourage the highest level of individual academic success while upholding personal
academic integrity.

J. Academic Honor Policy

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the Universitys expectations for the
integrity of students academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those
expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the
process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their
pledge to . . . be honest and truthful and . . . [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at
Florida State University. (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at
http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm.
K. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA Requirements)
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:
(1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and
(2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be
done during the first week of class.
This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.
For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:
Student Disability Resource Center
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu/

F. Syllabus Change Policy

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this
syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.