UNIV 1101: First-Year Seminar I
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Fall 2020

Instructor Name: Mary Hood Luttrell
Email Address: mary.hood@tamucc.edu
Scheduling WebEx Office Hours: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/MaryHoodLuttrellOfficeHours@tamucc.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/
Virtual Office Hours Link: https://tamucc.webex.com/meet/mhood
Office Location: N/A
Google Voice Phone Number: (512) 981 – 5449
Website: https://maryhoodluttrell.com/

Course Information:       UNIV 1101.361           TIME Thursday: 1 – 1:50        

LOCATION  BH 206*

NOTE: Provided technological success, I will stream and record face-to-face classes online in the event that a student must attend class from home.

*There may be days during the semester that I will hold a synchronous class meeting online. You will always be notified of this in advance. Online class meetings will take place in my WebEx room: https://tamucc.webex.com/meet/mhood

Course Description
Learn what it means to be a student and member of the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi community in the two-semester sequence of First-Year Seminar (FYS). FYS explores different facets of college knowledge for academic and social success. As the integrative engine of a learning community, FYS engages students in a collaborative learning experience. By attending learning community courses with students, FYS faculty facilitate meaningful connections between linked courses. FYS students gain confidence in their individual skills and develop abilities for use in the academic community and beyond. UNIV 1102 emphasizes student success after the first year.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Synthesize connections between learning community courses by engaging in integrative experiences and assignments.
• Evaluate learning processes in learning community courses through self-reflection.
• Demonstrate academic development from learning community participation by completing integrative assignments and presenting in a public forum.
• Locate and utilize campus resources connected to learning community courses and university life.

Course Goals and Objectives

• Integrative Learning
• Lifelong Learning
• Academic Development
• Higher Education Navigation

SEMINAR COURSE EVALUATION

PARTICIPATION – 50%
It is vital that you attend synchronous class activities and keep up with asynchronous activities throughout the semester. There is nothing that we will do First-Year Seminar that is not important to your success as a student and in our learning community. To encourage participation, I will assign a variety of activities (weekly writings, quizzes, group tasks) in our synchronous virtual or face-to-face meetings and asynchronous modules throughout the semester.  However, you are allowed two missing daily assignments. All other missing weekly assignments will have a negative impact on your Participation grade.

REFLECTIONS – 30%
Two reflections, each worth 15% of your course grade, will be due during the semester.  The midterm reflection will be due on October 9 while the final reflection will be due on December 4. Assignment descriptions are forthcoming.

INTEGRATED ASSIGNMENTS – 20%

Most of the work we will do in this course will relate Music 1306.  To reward and encourage success on learning community assignments and projects, some will also count for credit in this course. Meanwhile, certain assignments in Seminar will also count toward your grade in Music (Song Comparison Group Work and Seminar Reflections).

• Concert Reviews in Dr. Pool’s course (10%)
  • Please see Dr. Pool’s syllabus for information on Concert Reviews.
• Song Comparison Group Work (10%)
  • In Seminar, students will be arranged in small groups. Each group will be tasked with completing a series of small assignments over the course of the semester (such as participating in a Blackboard discussion board or blog). These assignments will be centered around exploring shared themes between contemporary and art songs to foster your ability to apply themes from Dr. Pool’s course. Grades for these assignments will be rewarded on an individual basis (there will be no group grades).

Important Dates

Wednesday, August 26	Last day to register/add a class
Thursday, November 5	Last day to drop a class
Thursday, November 26 – Friday, November 27	Thanksgiving Holidays
Wednesday, November 24	Last day of classes
December 1-7	Final Exams

Course and University Policies

Course Technologies
The management system for this course is Blackboard. You can expect to find access to activities and assignments through the Blackboard course shell. You can also access course materials on my personal website: https://maryhoodluttrell.com Many of the assignments we complete throughout the semester will require Microsoft Office, which you can access for free with your student login information. We will frequently use Microsoft Teams to stay connected to one another outside of the classroom. Our virtual meeting space will be in WebEx. See Blackboard for virtual meeting links.

Preferred Method of Communication
Email is the best way to keep in touch with me about course information. I will reply to your email within 24 hours on Monday – Friday. Expect delays on the weekend. To discuss an issue related to the course that requires a meeting, please make a virtual office hours appointment using my MS Bookings Page: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/MaryHoodLuttrellOfficeHours@tamucc.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/

Feedback Policy  
You should expect feedback in the form of a numeric score or written feedback on Blackboard assignments within a week for small projects and within two weeks for larger projects.

What if I’m Failing?
If you find that you are failing the course, set up a meeting with me immediately. The purpose of the course is to prepare students for the next step in their education journey and it is important that we discuss the best steps to follow in your unique situation.

Late Work
Any major assignment (such as a reflection) will be accepted late, at a penalty of a letter grade per calendar day late.  Please contact me in advance if there are extenuating circumstances that will cause you to miss a major due date.  There will be no make-ups for missed weekly grades unless you’ve made a prior arrangement with me. Please use your two allowed missed weekly grades wisely.

Academic Honesty
University students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty.  Academic misconduct for which a student is subject to penalty includes all forms of cheating, such as illicit possessions of examinations or examination materials, forgery, or plagiarism.

Dropping a Class
I hope that you never find it necessary to drop this or any other class. However, events can sometimes occur that make dropping a course necessary or wise. Please consult with your academic advisor, the Financial Aid Office, and me before you decide to drop this course. Should dropping the course be the best course of action, you must initiate the process to drop the course by going to the Student Services Center and filling out a course drop form. Just stopping attendance and participation WILL NOT automatically result in your being dropped from the class. See the table above for information about the drop date for the current semester.

Grade Appeal Process
As stated in University Rule 13.02.99.C2.01, Student Grade Appeal Procedures, a student who believes that his or her final grade reflects academic evaluation which is arbitrary, prejudiced, or inappropriate in view of the standards and procedures outlined in this class syllabus may appeal the grade given for the course. A student with a complaint about a grade is encouraged to first discuss the matter with the instructor. If the student believes the matter is not satisfactorily resolved at the student-faculty level, an appeal of the final grade in the class may be submitted, in writing, to the First-Year Learning Communities Coordinator. For complete details, please visit: http://academicaffairs.tamucc.edu/rules_procedures/index.html.

Notice to Students with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.  Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities.  If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please call or visit Disability Services at (361) 825-5816 in CCH 116. 

Notice to Student Veterans
If you are a returning veteran and are experiencing cognitive and/or physical access issues in the classroom or on campus, please contact the Disability Services office for assistance at (361) 825-5816.

I-CARE
TAMU-CC is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our campus community. If you need support or have a concern about the behavior or safety of a fellow student, you may share your concerns with I-CARE by submitting an online referral to icare.tamucc.edu. Your report will help us to provide outreach, support, and early intervention.

Student Mental Health & Well-Being Statement
As a student, there may be times when personal stressors interfere with your academic performance and/or negatively impact your daily life.  If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or mental health issues, please visit the Counseling Center located in the Driftwood Building or call (361)825-2703. Counselors are available by phone 24/7. Services are free and confidential. For more information and to access on-line and mobile friendly self-help resources including TAO and At Risk for College Students, visit the Counseling Center website at https://counseling.tamucc.edu.

Campus Safety Measures

To promote public safety and protect students, faculty, and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has adopted policies and practices for the Fall 2020 academic term to limit virus transmission. Students must observe the following practices while participating in face-to-face courses and course-related activities (office hours, help sessions, transitioning to and between classes, study spaces, academic services, etc.):

• Self-monitoring—Students should follow CDC recommendations for self-monitoring. Students who have a fever or exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 should participate in class remotely and should not participate in face-to-face instruction.
• Face Coverings—Face coverings (cloth face covering, surgical mask, etc.) must be properly worn in all non-private spaces including classrooms, teaching laboratories, common spaces such as lobbies and hallways, public study spaces, libraries, academic resource, and support offices, and outdoor spaces where 6 feet of physical distancing is difficult to reliably maintain. Description of face coverings and additional guidance are provided in the Face Covering policy and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) available on the Fall 2020: Plans for Campus website.
• Physical Distancing—Physical distancing must be maintained between students, instructors, and others in the course and course-related activities.
• To attend a face-to-face class, students must wear a face covering (or a face shield if they have an exemption letter). If a student refuses to wear a face covering, the instructor should ask the student to leave and join the class remotely.

Absences – COVID-19 Impact on Attendance

While attendance is expected as outlined above, it is important for all of us to be mindful of the health and safety of everyone in our community, especially given the concerns about COVID-19. Please contact me if you are unable to attend class because you are ill or unable to attend class due to a related issue. It is important that you communicate with me prior to being absent so that I may make a decision about accommodating your request to be excused from class.

If you are experiencing cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, or any of the other possible symptoms of COVID-19, please seek medical attention from the Student Health Center (361) 825-2601 or your health care provider. If you have questions about what actions to take due to symptoms or potential exposure, contact…If you have received positive test results, please report it to TAMU-CC COVID-19 Report Form. While attendance is an important part of succeeding in this class, your own health (and those of others in the community) is more important.

Class Recordings

Synchronous (live) sessions in this course will be recorded for students to refer to throughout the semester. Class recordings are reserved for use only by students in this class for educational purposes. The recordings should not be shared outside of class or outside of Blackboard. Failing to follow this restriction is a violation of the TAMU-CC Student Code of Conduct and could lead to disciplinary action.