Course Description

GUST 1270 College and Career Planning

Credit: 2 (2 lecture)

This course is designed to prepare students for the demands of college courses. Emphasis is placed on time management, effective listening and note-taking skills, textbook marking methods, concentration techniques, retention of information, reading comprehension, test-taking skills, and career exploration.

Prerequisites

None. All students entering HCC for the first time in and after fall 2008 will be required to take GUST 1270. Certain exceptions apply for students enrolled in health-related, education or certain workforce fields as well as for students enrolled in dual credit. Students should consult with an HCC counselor to determine if an exemption applies in their case. The course, however, is highly recommended for any student enrolling in college for the first time.

Course Goals (includes competencies, incorporation of SCANS, etc.)

Key Concepts of the Course:

This course is designed to help students succeed in the college classroom. Students will learn time management and goal-setting techniques, effective listening and note-taking skills, textbook-study methods, strategies for preparing and taking examinations as well as techniques to boost concentration and memory. Other topics include units on stress management, use of the college library and the Internet, research strategies, and career planning. Also covered are units on adapting to academic regulations and improving personal and social adjustment to college.

Instructor Information

Because of the interactive nature of this course, a variety of instructional methodology will be used including, but not limited to: lecture, group discussion, guest lecturers, group activities, web activities, library assignments and exploration activities

Textbook Information

Required text and support materials: Textbooks vary by HCCS campus.
Some currently in use for College and Career Planning include but are not limited to:
Beooming a Master Student by David Ellis;
Cornerstone by Robert M. Sherfield, Rhonda J. Montgomery, and Patricia G. Moody
Other materials needed:
* 3-ring binder and loose leaf paper to take notes
* blue or black pen
* 3.5" computer disk for word processing
* an open mind, a hearty spirit and a sense of humor.

Lab Requirements (if any)

Blackboard

At some HCC locations, College and Career Planning is offered as a hybrid course in which a significant portion of the class, including certain assignments for credit, is provided on-line at a designated HCC College Internet website. At other locations, use of the Internet to conduct library research or an on-line search of career resources, for example, is also conducted in Study Skills classes. For students taking the Blackboard version of this class, self-discipline and self-motivation is a must since a student will be expected to process certain materials on-line and learn some of the class concepts independently outside of the classroom. Knowledge of the Internet and some basic computer skills, while not required to take the Blackboard version of the class, are recommended. Several instructor-guided, in-class orientation sessions are provided at the start of the semester to insure that all students accessing Study Skills materials on-line are familiar with the process. Approximately 30-40% of class sessions for the Blackboard version of Study Skills include on-line lessons. 

Students with Disabilities

HCC is compliant with the ADA and Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Service Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.

Academic Honesty

Cheating is never permitted under any circumstances. The penalties for cheating can be found in the HCC Schedule of Classes and the Student Handbook. Penalties range from failing the course to being removed from the College. Cheating includes plagiarism and/or using the work of someone else.

Attendance and Withdrawal Policies

Realizing that student success in college is largely dependent on attending class, it is imperative that students make an effort to attend every class. There is no such thing as an excused absence. On certain occasions, circumstances may arise, such as sickness, family issues, child care, hospitalization and unavoidable transportation problems. In that light, students are allowed to miss no more than 12.5 % of the total class sessions. All students enrolled in GUST 1270 missing more than 12.5% of class time will be dropped from the class. Students placed in College and Career Planning because of failure on the THEA can be dropped from their other classes if they fail to attend and are dropped from their GUST 1270 class.

Special note: Classes begin at the exact times specified in the schedule of classes. If a student is tardy 3 times, it will be counted as an absence. Thus, if the student is absent 3 classes (4 hours) and you have been late to class 30 minutes, he/she will be dropped from the class.

Course Requirements and Grading Policy

Evaluation and Grading Scale: During the course of the semester, the student will have the opportunity to earn a minimum of 16 grades.
The grading scale for College and Career Planning is as follows:
90-100 A Superior College Level Work
89-80 B Above Average College Level Work
79-70 C Average College Level Work
69-below F Questionable and Unacceptable College Level Work
Special note: No "D's" are given in Study Skills. To pass students' final course grade must be 70 or above. A sample evaluation of how the course grade may be figured in Study Skills:
Career or Internet project(s) -- 20%
Midterm and Final Exams -- 40%
Class assignments (which may include jounalling, on-line research, papers, exploring college resources, note-taking practice, stress level evaluations, library assignments, etc.) -- 30%
Quizzes and tests -- 10%
Percentages above may vary according to college.

Testing

Each student is required to take a mid-term examination during the semester and a final exam at the end of the semester. Both exams cover a variety of materials discussed in class and found in textbook readings and from on-line materials. Students will be given at least one week?s notice before the midterm and final exams. Dates for the exams are found in the course calendar that comes with the instructor's course syllabus. To insure that each student is mastering the materials assigned for reading and discussion in class or for exploration on-line, several quizzes will be administered on a variety of subjects throughout the semester.

Make-up policy

If an occasion occurs where a student must be absent from class, he/she should contact his/her instructor immediately.

Projects, Assignments, Portfolios, Service Learning, Internships, etc.

Class assignments vary by college and may include but are not limited to: career projects, library assignments, core class visitations, college resource exploration, portfolios of student work, journals, essays, internet projects, on-line lessons and e-mail assignments, oral presentations, etc.

Course Content

Orienting students with college faculty expectations and degree planning
Goal setting Time management and organization strategies
Ways to concentrate Building a powerful memory
Improving listening and note-taking skills
Textbook marking and study methods
Test-taking strategies
Orientation to college library materials and use of the internet for academic research
Orientation to HCC resources and services
Introduction to on-line career information and academic resources
Stress management
Specialized study strategies for math, history, science courses
Computer literacy

Course Calendar with Reading Assignments

Students will be provided a class calendar with information concerning class readings, class assignments, projects, and use of the library and the Internet.

Other Student Information (clubs, tutoring, web resources, etc.)

Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA)

The THEA is a state-mandated program designed to ensure that students have the academic skills necessary to perform effectively on college-level work. In order to comply with THEA rules, HCC requires that all students be tested to determine their basic skill level in reading, writing and mathematics. Testing is mandatory and must be completed prior to enrollment in any course unless it is determined the student has been waived or exempted from THEA requirements.

Students who fail any portion of any approved THEA test are required to enroll in and complete a developmental program of study. Sections of an approved THEA test not taken are considered as failed. Students who failed the reading section of the THEA and do not complete their developmental course work will be dropped from all other courses and limited to enrollment in only developmental course work during the following term.

Students with disabilities may apply for special testing accommodations. Deaf students may take the Stanford Achievement Test o meet THEA requirements. A student who fails an approved alternative test (such as the ASSET) must retest on the THEA Test. For a detailed explanation of policies governing THEA, students should see a counselor prior to enrollment or contact the Guided Studies Department at the HCCS campus they plan to attend.

Tutoring and Learning Assistance

Tutoring in writing, math, science and other disciplines is available through the Learning Centers operated by the Guided Studies program on various campuses throughout the HCC System. Several of the Learning Centers have access to Microsoft Office 2007 (MS Word, Excel, etc.). All tutoring services are offered free of charge to HCCSstudents. Students should check for availability of tutoring services at the campus they attend.