UK 101-066

Monday, 12:00-12:50 pm
211 Whitehall Classroom Building

Students enrolled in UK 101.066 will also take
DSP 110.002, Tuesday and Thursday, 4-5:15 pm

To download a pdf version of the UK 101 syllabus, click here.

Dr. Robert S. Tannenbaum
Director, eUreKa!
Undergraduate Education
114 Bowman Hall
Office Hours: Mondays 12 - 1 pm; and by appointment
257 - 5644 voice
323 - 1932 fax
rst@uky.edu

Peer Instructor: Jenna Brashear
Office: 224 Funkhouser
Office Hours: Thursdays 3-4:00 PM; and by appointment
Phone: (270) 543 - 0356
Jenna.Brashear@uky.edu

Course Description

This course is designed to help first-year students:

1. Form beneficial relationships with students, faculty, and staff

2. Understand the purpose and nature of a university education in order to make the most of opportunities at UK

3. Acquire skills for achieving academic success such as study skills and library skills

4. Increase awareness and use of University resources (e.g., instructors, library, Counseling and Testing Center, Career Center)

5. Reflect on transitional issues that first-year students often face in a college environment

The course will consist of seminar/discussions of the principles, ideas, and issues raised by readings, videos, guest lecturers, and field trips. All students will be expected to complete all reading assignments before class meetings, to be active participants in each class discussion, to keep a journal of their reactions to and concerns regarding the issues before the class, and to complete several assignments related to the subjects under discussion.

Students enrolled in this seminar will automatically be enrolled in DSP 110.002, which meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00 - 5:15. You cannot drop or withdraw from one of these two courses without dropping or withdrawing from both.

Reading Assignments

For some of the meetings of the class, there will be readings provided. It is your responsibility to do all of the assigned reading before the class meeting at which it will be discussed. We will not be lecturing on the readings or repeating the details. We will be discussing the concepts and their implications. In order for you to take an active and meaningful part in the discussion, you must have read and understood the material first. You should note, as explained below, that a large portion of your grade depends upon your active participation in and contribution to these discussions. You will be expected to comment critically on the readings in your journal and these comments will count as part of your participation grade.

You must have a UK e-mail account for e-mail and electronic submission of assignments. You can obtain your account on-line at any student computing laboratory on campus. You are responsible for checking your e-mail on a regular basis. A communication from me or Ms. Brashear via
e-mail will be considered the same as one delivered orally or in writing in class. That is, you are expected to have read what has been transmitted and taken the necessary action.

Assignments

You will be required to keep a journal throughout the semester. The journal will consist of your personal reactions to, questions about, and comments regarding the subject of discussion that week. Your journal will be graded as part of your participation grade each week. It will be graded for its content (does it demonstrate an understanding of the subject under discussion) and with regard to the thoughtfulness, logic, and quality of the writing that you apply to expressing your thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. Because it is a journal, you will be expected to keep it as a cumulative file in a Microsoft Word document. That is, each week that it is due you will add the entry for that week, after the entries for all previous week(s). You will then send Ms. Brashear the entire journal electronically, as an attachment to an e-mail message. In this way, it will be easy for you and her to refer to your previous entries and to build upon them. Journal entries are due to Ms. Brashear electronically by 8 AM on the Thursday of the week for that entry — e.g., the entry for the week of September 10 is due by 8 AM on Thursday, September 13.

All students who take UK 101 are required to attend and report on at least two campus events during the semester. At least one of the events must be a "cultural" event. All students in this section of UK 101 will attend the Volunteer Fair on September 12 and report on it in their second journal entries. That will count as one of your campus events. You will still have to attend and report on a "cultural" event. You may choose the event yourself or ask Ms. Brashear or me for suggested events. Your report on this second event is due no later than November 29.

All written assignments, including journals, must be submitted in electronic form, via e-mail. The written portions of all assignments must be completed in Microsoft Word (available in the student labs) and included as an attachment to the e-mail. If you have to use another application program in the completion of all or part of an assignment, it is your responsibility to ensure that the submitted project is readable by me on my computer. You may also submit a paper copy of an assignment to ensure that it is readable and/or to include any special materials (e.g., a photocopy of a relevant document that is not readily available electronically).

Grading

Unless otherwise explicitly stated by me, all work must be the original product of your efforts, and all materials quoted from others must be properly credited. You should refer to the Selected Rules of the University Senate Governing Academic Relationships (especially section 6.3 and 6.4) for a discussion of the University's policies regarding academic integrity. The code can be found on-line at: <http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/ >.

This course is graded on a pass-fail basis. In order to receive a grade of pass, you are required to:

1. Attend all class meetings and field trips. Excused absences will be granted only for the reasons listed in the Student Rights and Responsibilities code (section 5.2.4.2). For excused absences, you will be given an opportunity to earn participation credit for the missed class(es). For an unexcused absence, you will lose all participation credit for that class.

2. Participate actively in all class discussions and activities.

3. Complete all assignments on time. From time to time there will be short assignments given that are based on the topic of the week. For example, when we visit the library, there will be a library assignment.

4. Submit journal entries on time.

5. Use a calendar/planner (or palm pilot, etc.) to track assignments and exams for all of your classes. You may be required to show your planner to me to demonstrate that you are, indeed, using it.

6. Attend and report on two campus events, at least one of which must be a "cultural" event.

Grading will be based on active participation in the course and on the quality of the assignments you complete. Each class meeting, journal entry, and assignment will be graded on a scale of 0--4:

0 = unacceptable;

1 = poor;

2 = fair;

3 = good;

4 = excellent.

All written assignments (other than journals) are due electronically at the beginning of class on the day indicated; assignments may be turned in early. Late assignments and journals will lose one point per day or part thereof.

You must achieve an average of at least 2.75 for all grades in the class in order to receive a passing grade for the course.

Topics

This course will introduce students to a number of subjects that are important to becoming and remaining a successful undergraduate student at a research university such as UK. The planned topics include, but may not be limited to:

• Using the Library                                                • Professors

• Note taking, test taking, time management         • Planning your academic career

• Ending violence at UK                                       • Special academic opportunities

• Career planning                                                  • Money Management

• Alcohol and college adjustment                          • Stress management, test preparation

• Academic integrity and student rights                 • Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Schedule

Please Note: This is a special section of UK 101 that meets for the entire semester, not just 8 weeks.

Changes to this schedule will be announced as far in advance as possible in class, on the class Web site, and by e-mail. It is your responsibility to keep up-to-date on any changes to the schedule and related assignments. Even if the schedule changes, you will still be required to participate in the seminar and to keep and submit your weekly journal entries.

8/27 Introduction; class expectations; planners/calendars; get picture, professor, library, and VIP assignments (Last day to inform me in writing of an intended absence for a major religious holiday.)

8/30 First journal entry due

9/3 No class — Academic Holiday for Labor Day

9/10 Green Dots in Action ... Your role in Ending Violence at UK; Guest: Dr. Dorothy Edwards, UK Violence Intervention and Prevention Center (VIP); VIP assignment due (for the on-line assignment, go to: http://dlmedia.uky.edu/classes/vip/uk101/); Class meets in room 230 Student Center

9/12 Volunteer Fair, 11 am - 2 pm, Student Center Patio, students must attend and complete second journal assignment; This event will count as one of your two required campus events

9/13 Second journal entry due — this journal is to be your report of the Vounteer Fair

9/17 Using the Library -- Class meets in the south entrance hall, near the guard's desk, main floor, W.T. Young Library

9/20 Library assignment due; Third journal entry due

9/24 Strategies for Making Life Decisions in College; Class meets in room 230 Student Center

9/27 Fourth journal entry due

10/1 Career Exploration and Resources; Class meets in room 103 of the Stuckert Career Center, 408 Rose Street

10/4 Fifth journal entry due

10/8 Planning your academic career — choosing a major, choosing courses, scheduling, etc. — Guest: Prof. Joanna Badagliacco, Department of Sociology; Picture assignment due

10/11 Sixth journal entry due

10/15 Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs); Guest Presenter

10/18 Seventh journal entry due

10/22 Note-taking and studying — how to be the most effective and efficient

10/25 Eighth journal entry due

10/29 Alcohol and college adjustment; special reading from Kaleidoscope, V. 1, pp. 6-20

11/1 Alcohol assignment due

11/5 Professors (what to expect, how to interact appropriately and effectively), Academic Integrity and Student Rights, and the structure of the University; Faculty interview report due

11/12 Money Management; Managing Your money and Managing your Credit; on-line quizes due (http://dlmedia.uky.edu/classes/uk101/)

11/19 Diversity

11/22 Thanksgiving

11/26 Special academic opportunities — internships, shadowing, education abroad, external scholarships, research, grants, awards, etc.; Reading: Kaleidoscope, Volume 5; Guest: Dr. David Bettez, Director of International Affairs

11/29 Ninth journal entry due; Report of second ("cultural") campus event due (this report may be turned in at any time prior to this date)

12/3 Stress management and final examination preparation and taking

Last updated 8/23/07