TITLE:  IS 1100, Section 618 – Tech Transition, Freshman Seminar (http://www.is1100.ttu.edu/)

TIME/LOCATION:  Wed., 2:00-3:50 pm, 225 Holden Hall, Texas Tech University, Fall Semester 2003

INSTRUCTOR:  Dr. David L. Snead

                             Visit my web site at www3.tltc.ttu.edu/snead

OFFICE/OFFICE HOURS:  MW, 8-9:00 am and noon-1 p.m., and by appointment.  Generally, I am in my office by 7:15 am and stay to 3:30 pm.  If I am in my office, feel free to stop by if you need to see me.  If it is not a good time, I will let you know.  You can email me at david.snead@ttu.edu.  You can also call me at 742-1004 (ext. 240).

Office:  49 Holden Hall

COURSE OBJECTIVES:  To examine some of the issues and problems that freshman must deal with in college and to explore ways of becoming a successful student and person.

COURSE MATERIALS:

1) Text – Chaffee, John, and Dave Ellis.  Texas Tech Transition:  Freshman Seminar, IS-1100.  Boston, MA:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 

1) Six short papers or other written assignments – these assignments will be generally two pages or less.  You can find a list of the assignments attached to the syllabus.  Each of the assignments will count one-seventh of your grade.

2) Class participation – you are expected to participate in classroom discussions.  At the end of the course, students will be assigned a grade for participation.  It will count one-seventh of your final grade.

Grade Schedule:  A (92-100), A- (90-91), B+ (88-89), B (82-87), B- (80-81), C+ (78-79), C (72-77),

                             C- (70-71), D+ (68-69), D (62-67), D- (60-61), F (0-59).

****All work done in this class must adhere to Texas Tech University’s honor code.****

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  Regular attendance is expected.  Every absence, whether excused or unexcused, will be recorded.  Any student missing two classes will have his/her final average automatically lowered one full letter grade.  If a student misses more than two classes, he/she will automatically fail.  A student arriving late or leaving early is subject to being counted absent.   Texas House Bill 256 requires institutions of higher education to excuse a student from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day. The student shall also be excused for time necessary to travel. An institution may not penalize the student for the absence and allows for the student to take an exam or complete an assignment from which the student is excused. No prior notification of the instructor is required.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (Americans with Disabilities Act):  I will make every reasonable accommodation to assist students with disabilities.  It is the responsibility of the student to let me know of the disability and to help develop the best program for accommodating his/her needs.  Students should provide appropriate verification of need for assistance from the Office of Disabled Student Services in West Hall.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

9/3     – Introduction; Your Choices Do Matter                                                              Read Ch. 1, 2, 8, and p. 339-54

            Presentation – Mrs. Julie Benson, Student Health Services

9/10   – Critical Thinking – Decisions and their Consequences                                   Read Ch. 5

           Due – Letter Describing Your Hypothetical Situation

9/17   – ****Meet in Library in “New Books” area at 1:55 pm****                            Read Ch. 6 and 7

           Due – Case Study Analysis

9/24   – Reading, Writing, and Studying                                                                          Read Ch. 4, 10, and p. 330-38

           Due – Annotated Bibliography Due

10/1   – Managing Your Finances and Taking Tests                                                     Read Ch. 3 and 9

           Due – Study Exercise

10/8   – Learning Styles and Time Management                                                            

           Due – Daily Log of Activities

10/15 – Diversity and You

           Due – Description of Cultural Event

Assignments

General Directions:  You must do the following assignments and turn them in by the due date.  Unless otherwise noted, the assignments need to be typed, double-spaced, and have margins of approximately one inch.  If you have any questions, please consult Dr. Snead.

1) Due 9/10 – Letter

You have to write a two-page letter (that will NOT be sent) to your prospective employer, parents, or fiancé depending on the circumstances of your assigned topic.  In the letter, you must identify the choice or choices you made that led to the problem and explain its implications.  Please include any relevant information from Texas Tech Transitions and Mrs. Benson’s presentation in your letter.

Topics/Issues

A)     During your first weeks as a freshman at Texas Tech, you met someone who you found very interesting and attractive.  The attraction was mutual and evolved quickly into a relationship.  One night early in the semester after a very romantic date you had unprotected sex.  What you did not know is that your partner had a sexually transmitted disease (STD).  Within a few weeks, you were diagnosed with the disease (pick one of the STDs from the list at http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/disease_info.htm#GenInfo.  A few years later you are engaged to the love of your life.  However, that person does not know about your STD.  In your letter, you must explain the choices you made in those first few weeks of your freshman year and the implications for both you and your fiancé.

B)      During your first weeks as a freshman at Texas Tech, you met someone who you found very interesting and attractive.  The attraction was mutual and evolved quickly into a relationship.  One night early in the semester after a very romantic date you had unprotected sex. 

Option A for girls – A few weeks later you realized that you were pregnant.  You must write a letter to your parents explaining the circumstances, what you are going to do, and the implications for your life.

Option B for boys – A few weeks later you realized that your girlfriend of a few weeks was pregnant.  You must write a letter to your parents explaining the circumstances, what you are going to do, and the implications for your life.

C)      About one-third of the way into your first semester at Texas Tech, you realized that you had tests in two classes and papers due in two others in the same week.  You felt overwhelmed and were discouraged.  Another student told you about this great Internet site where you could download papers for free.  He explained that all the students use it and that professors have no clue.  Although you had misgivings, you downloaded a paper and turned it in as your own work.  A few days later the professor called you into his office and explained that he would have to turn you in for cheating since your paper was exactly like a paper that could be found on the Internet.  He further informed you that he planned to pursue the case against you as far as he could take it, as he was tired of students who cheated.  You must consult Texas Tech’s Student Affairs Handbook (can be found at http://www.studentaffairs.ttu.edu/) to determine the potential consequences of your actions.  In your letter, you must inform your parents that you got caught cheating, describe your punishment, and explain the implications for your academic career.

D)      It is your second Friday night at Texas Tech, and you decide to have a few beers in your room even though you are only eighteen.   As the evening progresses, a few friends join you and one pulls out some marijuana.  You decide not to use it, but you do not stop your friend from smoking the joint.  Unknown to you, another student has called the police.  The campus police arrive at your room and place you and your friends under arrest for underage drinking and the possession of marijuana. 

Option A – Your punishment is that you are immediately kicked out of your dorm room and prohibited from living on campus.  Because of the timing of your arrest, off-campus housing will be very expensive.  You must write a letter to your parents explaining the circumstances, what you are going to do, and the implications for your life.

Option B – You reach a plea agreement where you admit to underage drinking while the charge of marijuana possession is dismissed.  Unfortunately, your permanent record will contain your guilty plea.  You must write a letter to a potential employer explaining the charge, its impact on your life, and why this mistake should not be held against you.

E)       On a Saturday night in early September of your freshman year at Texas Tech you went to a fraternity party and had a few drinks.  Since you only had a few and did not feel impaired, you decided to drive home.  On the way back to your dorm, you failed to stop at a stop sign, swerved to miss an on-coming car, and crashed into the front of a house.  Although upset about the accident, you were happy that you were unhurt.  However, you then realized that you had crashed into a bedroom of a five-year old little girl.  It turned out that she would be all right, but she did have to stay in the hospital for five days.  The police arrested you for drunk driving when the test for your blood alcohol level registered 0.2.  You must write a letter to your parents explaining the circumstances, what you are going to do, and the implications for your life.

2) Due 9/17 – Critical Thinking

At the end of chapters 1-8, there is a section entitled, “Thinking Critically About Life Issues.”  Select one of these case studies and write a two-page paper where you summarize the “critical” issue and evaluate what lessons you should draw from it.

3) Due 9/24 – Proposal for Research Study with annotated bibliography

You must attend the TLTC’s Technology Tools session in the library before doing this assignment.  You are scheduled to meet in Room 151 in the library at 3:00 pm on September 17.  Failure to attend the session will result in a failing grade on this assignment.

Go to http://library.ttu.edu/ul/instruction/assignment.php, do the assignment listed on this web page, and turn it in at the beginning of class.

4) Due 10/1 – Study exercise

In a one-page statement, identify and describe the best possible reading and study environment you can find on-campus.  This environment should fit your needs and should reflect an environment that is achievable (i.e. claiming you need your own apartment is not realistic.)

5) Due 10/8 – Weekly log

You must complete the Weekly log given to you by Dr. Snead.  On your log, briefly note what you were doing each hour of the day.   In addition, you need to write a one-page statement evaluating areas of your schedule where you are not using your time wisely.

6) Due 10/15 – Description of Cultural Event with Sources to Obtain More Information

(You will find below a list of events that meet the definition of a cultural event.)

In a two-page paper, describe why you chose to attend the event you did, whether you liked it or not, and how it influenced your own cultural views.  In addition, to find more information related to the event you viewed you need to do the exercise at http://library.ttu.edu/ul/instruction/assignment.php.  Please attach this exercise to your paper.

Sample of Possible Cultural Events

Directions:  The objective of this exercise is to introduce students to different cultures by having them go to a cultural event with which they are unfamiliar.  Students should select an event that they know little about.  The following list provides a sampling of some events that students might attend.  Most are free, but some do charge admission.  I encourage you to look around and find other events that you might want to attend.   If you discover such an event, clear it with me first.

1) Ranching Heritage Center – http://www.ttu.edu/ranchingheritagecenter/home.htm

2) Texas Tech University Museum – http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/event.html

3) Texas Tech University Center

                Movie – “Real Women Have Curves” – Sept. 17, 7:00 pm, Allen Theatre

                Movie – “Y Tu Mama Tambian” – Sept. 18, 7:00 pm, Allen Theatre

                Movie – “Frida” – Sept. 19, 7:00 pm, Allen Theatre

6) Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, http://lmcc.ci.lubbock.tx.us/

                National Cowboy Symposium, Sept. 3-7, all day activities, http://www.cowboy.org/

                Fiestas Del Llano, September 11-14, all day activities

                Lubbock Symphony Orchestra Master Works #1, Sept. 26-27, 775-2242

7) Buddy Holly Center – www.buddyhollycenter.org

8) A Religious Service that is different from one with which you are accustomed.  For instance, if you are familiar with Protestant services, go to a Catholic or another religion’s service.  If you need assistance finding a service, see Dr. Snead.