your college sucess

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1. TITLE:CSS101: College Success 101 Course
2. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Instructor:
Joy Robinson
E-mail:
jrobinson158@ccc.edu
Phone:
331-442-4882
Virtual Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 1-2:30pm (or by appt)
Blackboard (Bb) Course Communication:
Your instructor receives text communications only by email and has disabled the communications –
messages feature for this course.You must use City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) email. Any email
communication generated from the Blackboard course sites will be sent to your City Colleges of Chicago
email address.
3. CDL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE HELP DESK
You can obtain technical and computer help desk assistance by contacting CDL.
Center for Distance Learning
Dawson Technical Institute
3901 S. State Street, Room 103
Chicago, IL 60609
Via e-mail at:cdl@ccc.edu
For phone numbers and hours of support see
our website at: http://ccc.edu/cdl
4. CATALOG DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the expectations of the college community and to the academic skills
that promote success during their college career. Through coursework, students will develop strategies
to improve their academic and professional skills. Topics will include: note-taking methods, test-taking
strategies, computer literacy, time management, stress management, problem solving and critical
thinking, career exploration and presentation skills. Students will also learn the importance of taking
personal responsibility for their academic and career choices. Topics will be approached from a variety
of interdisciplinary perspectives that focus on connecting individuals to their local and global
communities. Through assignments that integrate community engagement, service learning, and/or oncampus service projects, students will make connections between their coursework and their lives.
5. DELIVERY FORMAT
Web-Based Courses (WW): This course takes place completely on the Internet through the use of the
Blackboard course management system (http://ccc.blackboard.com). You are required to purchase
textbooks, workbooks, study guides, and/or software. Throughout the semester, you log on to the
course website to gain access to course content, information, homework assignments, and
communicate with me. Discussion forums and chat provide a high level of interaction between the class
and me. You may be required to take exams online, in a proctored setting, at any one of the seven City
Colleges of Chicago. Please note that some WW courses may also include mandatory on-campus
sessions.

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6. SYNCHRONOUS SESSIONS
On at least two separate days, we will meet as a class using either Elluminate Live, Blackboard Chat, a
face-to-face session in a CCC classroom, or something similar. Specific dates and times will be posted
later, in the Announcements section of Blackboard. For those who are unable to participate, special
arrangements will be made.
7. COURSE TERM 16 Weeks
CREDIT 3 credit hours
FALL YEAR: 2013
All CDL courses are offered in a 16-week term in the fall and spring. CDL courses are offered in an 8week term in the summer. Students register for these courses during the same period as regular term
courses.
Class Schedule:
This course is scheduled for 16 weeks. The Spring Term, 2014 class dates are from Monday, January 13,
2014 through Saturday, May 10th, 2014. Please note the following exception:
NOTE:
Monday, January 20, 2014 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), Monday, February 17, 2014 (President’s
Day). Monday April 14, 2014 – Saturday, April 19, 2014 (Spring Break) These are holidays (No
assignments due or required examinations are set for these dates).
8. PREREQUISITES
None
9. SKILLS & TECHNOLOGY RECOMMENDATIONS
See the syllabus addendum. You are strongly encouraged to take the Distance Learning Readiness Quiz
to determine whether you are suited for learning in a distance-learning environment. The quiz can be
found on the CDL website at (http://cdl.ccc.edu/Quiz.asp).
10. COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course aims to develop student success skills in three areas. Areas One and Two will be taught by
applying skills learned to topic area under discussion, and Area Three directly relates to reading
comprehension and knowledge construction in the topic area.
Area One: Academic and Study Skills
By approaching these skills through the topic of the course, students will be introduced to fundamental
academic skills including:
Reading and thinking strategies
Listening, note taking, brainstorming and other academic skills
Time and stress management

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Utilization of campus resources
Test strategies
Utilization of campus technology resources
Area Two: Self-Motivational Skills
Through the lens of the topic area, students will be lead to consider:
The nature of the college experience
Motivations for their academic and career choices
The importance of using resources to make informed career decisions
Utilization of campus resources to address personal challenges
Understanding of the nature of diversity and the self in community
Area Three: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Through group discussions in the topic area, and through service or other experiential learning
opportunities directly related to the topic area, students will be introduced to:
The importance working in groups and actively participating in discussions
The idea of inquiry and information gathering through technology
The concept of interdisciplinary connections and academic inquiry
The techniques of judging the value of a particular resource within the questions and arguments
related to the topic area
The concept of understanding critical questions and issues in the content area through
collaborative exploration and dialogue
11. EXPECTED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Successful completion of the three areas of the objectives will result in students being able to:
Area One: Academic Success and Study Skills
Utilize effective reading, test taking, and study skills strategies
Develop listening and note taking skills
Incorporate time and stress management techniques to balance academic and personal
demands
Demonstrate oral communication skills by making classroom presentations
Use technology and library resources to gather information
Identify student support resources available on campus
Area Two: Self-Motivational Skills
Define him or herself as a college student within a community of learners
Set realistic short-term and long-term goals
Apply the strategies of the career planning process and utilize the career planning tools available
at CCC to assist them in career decision making; this includes knowledge of career and transfer
programs offered by CCC and contact with college advisors to assist with completing an
educational and career plan

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Reflect on learning challenges and develop realistic short-term and long-term goals
Utilize transfer, career, and guidance resources on campus
Assess their own beliefs, attitudes, and values as they relate to diversity and understanding
Area Three: Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Articulate multiple viewpoints and make connections between different approaches to
problems
Develop skills that aid in productive dialogue and collaboration
Connect the experience they have through service or experiential learning to the key concepts
and questions introduced in their class
Apply strategies to critically evaluate source materials
12. REQUIRED TEXTS & MATERIALS
For each required textbook, please list the name, edition, publisher, year of publication, and ISBN (or the
ISBN of the package if there are enclosures. This information can be found at the E-Follett website
(http://www.ccc-distancelearning.bkstr.com). If there is no text required, replace the above paragraph
with the word “none”.
CDL highly recommends purchasing all course material from Folletts bookstore or E-Folletts online.
Some course material can only be purchased at the CDL Folletts bookstores.
Follett bookstore:Wright College (Science Building) 4300 N. Narragansett Av., Chicago Telephone:
(773) 545-7924
13. STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS/DISABILITIES
Any student with a special need or disability should contact the Disability Access Center Office
(http://www.ccc.edu/departments/Pages/Disability-Access-Center.aspx)
at one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago. The link will provide you with contact information.
14. METHODS OF EVALUATION:
There are several assignments for this course. This course requires a number of reading, writing, and
discussion forum assignments, as well as MS projects and assignments. Students are required to
complete all viewing, reading, and writing assignments as instructed by the course syllabus and as
posted in the weekly assignments folder. It is the responsibility of the student, to complete this work
and to make arrangements to make up missed work. I recommend accessing the class site a minimum of
three times per week, although most students will find themselves accessing the site much more.
Interacting with other students is the key to the Internet environment. You are required to respond to
other students’ in the discussion and the FAQs. Below each component is described as well as the
weight in the final grade.

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Items
Description
Rubric
Class Participation
41.5%
Class Assignments
Includes all Think and Reflect exercises; Discussions. This component requires
regular/weekly participation in the classroom community.
Students seek to bring in new items into the course and evaluate them.
This includes all Do assignments. There is typically a single assignment every
few weeks. These assignments are a significant portion of the grade.
Quizzes/Exam
Midterm project and Final exam
10.9%
Capstone Paper
The final exam is comprehensive and will cover the material from the course.
5.3%
Seek
14.4%
27.9%
Citation and References:
You must cite your sources on any material that you choose to quote or reference. You must also cite
your source on the articles that you present in your course papers. You can choose to use either MLA or
APA style for citation and references, or you may use some other style. I have provided the following
examples.
The Owl at Purdue University: APA Formatting and Style Guide
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/18/
The Owl at Purdue University: MLA Formatting and Style Guide
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
15. GRADING CRITERIA
Our class is constructed using a Read, Think, Do, and Reflect theme. All work in the class falls under one
of these specific categories. Each category has specific due dates and types of assignments. Each week
(unit) will have activities in each of these areas. Review the class schedule (below) and Blackboard for
more details about this schema.
The table below lists the related learning activities the number of activities and their respective point
values. Extra credit is available in the course and will be noted in the online schedule.
Letter Grade and Point Value:
Learning Activities
Participation
%
Number of
Activities
Points for each activity
Total Points
4
12
10
50
40
600
10
30
150
210
41.5
Intro activities
Think: Discussion Board
Reflect: Questions
Seek:
14.4
15
7
Do:
27.9
5
75
375
Midterm and Final exam
10.9
3
205
225

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Capstone paper
5.3
Total points
1
100
100
100
47
1880
1700
Extra credit for attending Collaborate sessions.
Percentage Scale:
Grade
Percentage
A
100%
90%
B
90.00%
80%
C
80.00%
70%
D
70.00%
60%
F
60.00%
0%
Points Range
1880
1692
1691
1504
1503
1316
1316
1128
1127
0

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16. COURSE READINGS/ASSIGNMENTS OUTLINE:
Note: The instructor reserves the right to modify this schedule as necessary.
All assignments are due by midnight on the day listed or on Saturday by noon.
Learning Units
Unit 1: Orientation
Students must login at
least once on two different
days on the first week
Unit 2: The Basics of
College Education
Dates
1/13-1/19
1/20-1/26
READ
Necessary for other activities
Suggestion: Due by Wednesday
Review syllabus
Register for Final Exam
Watch course video
THINK
Due Wed;
Replies due Saturday
Self Introduction on
Discussion Board
SEEK
DO
Due Saturday
REFLECT
Due Saturday
Send a Email to
the instructor:
lab
Course expectations
YCE: Chapter 1
What is college success
Find a relevant
article or video
Future Bio
What did you learn?
Activity 1
What was new in this
section?
Collaborate session 1- TBD
Academic Success and Study Skills
Unit 3: Being Engaged in
Learning: Listening,
Learning and participating
in class
Unit 4: Learning from
College textbooks
Unit 5: Learning to Study,
Comprehend, and
Remember; Taking exams
1/27-2/2
YCE: Chapter 2, 6
Assigned a question to
answer.
-
2/3-2/9
YCE: Chapter 7
2/10-2/16
YCE: Chapter 8, 9
Assigned a question to
answer.
Assigned a question to
answer.
Find a relevant
article or video
-
Unit 6: Writing and
Speaking Effectively
Unit 7: Developing Library
and Information Skills;
Navigating Technology
2/17-2/23
YCE: Chapter 10
Choose a question to
answer
-
Find a relevant
article or video
Find a relevant
article or video
YCE: Chapter 11
2/24-3/2
Activity 2
Best topic in the
section?
Most critical
information?
Make a video.
Summarize
Midterm project
Collaborate session 2 - TBD
Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
Unit 8: Critical Thinking
Skills
3/3-3/9
YCE: Chapter 5
Respond to various
articles
Find a relevant
article or video
Most critical
information
Unit 9:
3/10-3/16
Select readings
Respond to various
articles
Find a relevant
article or video
Most critical
information?
CDL_Spring_2014_Syllabus V1

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Unit 10:
Careers and Choices
Unit 11: Access Academic
Plans and Majors/Career
Plans and Pathways
Unit 12: Making the right
choice for majors and
careers
Unit 13: Appreciating
Diversity, Establishing and
Maintaining Relationships
Spring Break
Unit 14: Managing your
Money
Unit 15: Maintaining
wellness
Unit 16: Finals week
3/17-3/23
Select readings
Respond to various
articles
Collaborate session 3 - TBD
3/24-3/30
YCE: Chapter 12
Assigned a question to
answer.
3/31-4/6
YCE: Chapter 12
Assigned a question to
answer.
4/7-4/13
YCE: Chapter 14 and 15
Activity 3
Find a relevant
article or video
Choose a question to
answer.
Summarize
Most critical
information?
Activity 4
Muddiest point
Summarize
4/14-4/20
4/21-4/27
4/28-5/4
5/5-5/11
Collaborate session 4 - TBD
YCE: Chapter 13
Choose a question to
answer.
YCE: Chapter 16
Assigned a question to
Find a relevant
answer.
article or video
Comprehensive Final Exam (Open Book) Proctored – LIVE Oncampus
Available by appointment ONLY between May 2- May8
Semester ends May 11
Intro exercises: Quizzes : Assignments : Elluminate sessions : Midterm : Final :
Important dates
NOTE:
Monday, January 20, 2014 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), Monday, February 17, 2014 (President’s Day).
Monday April 14, 2014 – Saturday, April 19, 2014 (Spring Break)
Last day to ADW: TBD
Midterm: Sunday October 27th
Last day to withdraw: TBD
Finals week: May 2 – May 8
CDL_Spring_2014_Syllabus V1
Activity 5
Capstone paper
Final exam
Best topic in the
section?
Most critical
information?