SLS1101 Syllabus (Virtual Sections)

School: School of Education, Learning Assistance Department

Course Number: SLS1101
Course Name: Student Success
Credit Hours: 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: None

Course Description

This course provides extensive instruction in study skills and strategies, helps students develop
a positive attitude toward learning, and offers an orientation to the College.

Course Rationale

SLS1101 is a student-centered course that teaches students the metacognitive process to

become self—directed; it teaches students to recognize thinking patterns, personality and
learning preferences, and use this self-knowledge to be self-directed in making good decisions.
As a required course for many students, SLS1101 provides students with a common learning
experience as they transition to college, fosters a meaningful foundation for the general college
curriculum, and promotes purposeful involvement in co-curricular programs and support
services.

The learning outcomes and course content can be grouped into the following themes:
orientation to college, learning and personality preferences, college study skills and then the
connections of each area to careers and life skills. Students strengthen critical thinking, inquiry,
problem-solving, decision-making, information literacy, reading, written and oral communication
skills throughout the course. The capstone application of each of these skills is demonstrated
through the final career presentation at the end of the course.

Program Learning Objectives

SLS1101 supports IRSC’s Interpretation and Evaluation General Educational Learning

Outcomes.

Course Learning Objectives

Course Objectives
The learners will be able to:
 Describe culture of college and its role in developing academic, career and life skills.
 Practice effective time management strategies to foster responsibility and accountability
in college and life.
 Apply Self-knowledge in relation to college, career, and life.
 Evaluate academic and career pathways using the process of career exploration and
planning.
 Apply and evaluate effective academic strategies to improve learning.

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Course Resources

Textbook information: The SLS1101 course utilizes open educational resources (OER) in
place of a traditional textbook at no cost to the student. As a result, students are not required to
purchase any supplemental resources for this class. All assigned readings are delivered
directly inside of Blackboard. Students may choose to print these readings out or read them
digitally.

Resources:
Additional resources will be referenced in the modules, where they will be available to students.

Course Requirements

This course consists of a series of activities and assessments to assist you in achieving the
outcomes/objectives for the course and instructional modules/ units. Each week you will work on
various combinations of assignments, activities, discussions, readings, research, etc.

Grades and Grading Scale

Final grade is based on a percentage of points earned. The letter grade will correspond with the
following points achieved.

A 338 - 375 (90% - 100% of points earned)

B 300 - 337 (80% - 89% of points earned)
C 263 - 299 (70% - 79% of points earned)
D 225 - 262 (60% - 69% of points earned)
F 261 - and below (< 60% of points earned)

TOTAL POINTS GRADE

Number of Point Value of Total Points of All
Items
Items Each Item Items
Discussions 2 25 50
Assignments 8 25 200
Module Quizzes 4 25 100
Career Presentation 1 50 50
TOTAL 400

Note: Calculated grades will NOT be rounded to the next whole number.
Note: Calculated grades will NOT be rounded to the next whole number. Lowest assignment
grade will be dropped (does not apply to any Module Quizzes or the Career Presentation.)

Final Grading Scale

400 Points Total (375 points after dropping lowest score)

Discussion Boards (50 points) and Assignments (200 points)

There are assignments and discussion boards in this course. Upon completion of assignments,
you will have had the opportunity to plan, review, implement, reflect and revise your current
strategies. This is highly individualized and its focus is to cultivate new attitudes/behaviors.

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In discussion boards you must follow instructions for posting a thread and responding to other
students’ posts. You will not earn full credit if you do not complete all required parts and respond
to other students. When you post to a Discussion Board everyone in the class, including the
instructor, will be able to read what you have written. Anyone may respond to what you have
written. It is not anonymous; your name will be listed. This is a good way to learn who is in the
class with you and to learn their opinions.

A rubric is attached to each assignment, see the Schedule of Activities for due dates.

Capstone Project – Career Presentation (50 Points)

The purpose of the Career Presentation is to refine students’ ability to develop a professional
presentation on an identified career. Details on this presentation will be given throughout the
semester. Resources and instructions can be found under the Career Presentation item in
Blackboard.

A rubric is attached to each assignment, see the Schedule of Activities for due dates.

Quiz 2
You will be required to take a PROCTORED assessment at an approved testing facility. For the
SLS1101 class, this assessment will be the Module 2 Quiz. See the Schedule of Activities for
due dates.

Schedule of Activities

The course schedule will be located in the Schedule of Activities link on the course menu.

Course Guidelines

Online Course
This is an online course and therefore there will not be any face-to-face class sessions. All
assignments and course interactions will utilize Internet technologies. The content of this course
is fully online except for proctored exam(s).

Communicating with the Instructor

When questions arise during this course, please remember to check these three sources for an
answer:

1. Course Syllabus;
2. Announcements in Blackboard; and
3. The “Ask the Class” discussion board.

If you cannot find an answer to your question post your question to the “Ask the Class”
discussion board. The “Ask the Class” discussion board can be answered to the benefit of all
students by either your fellow students who know the answer to your question or the instructor.
You are encouraged to answer questions from other students in the discussion forum when you
know the answer to a question in order to help provide timely assistance.

If you have questions of a personal nature such as relating a personal emergency, questioning
a grade on an assignment, or something else that needs to be communicated privately, please

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contact the instructor via Course Messages. Please allow 24/48 hours for the instructor to
respond.

All instructor correspondence should be conducted within your Blackboard Course

Messages system.

Attendance/Participation
Preparation for class means completing all study activities required for that week. Attendance in
an online course means logging into the Learning Management System (Blackboard) on a
regular basis and participating in all of the activities that are posted in the course.

Studying and Preparation Time

The course requires you to spend time preparing and completing assignments. For every credit
hour you should expect to spend at minimum of three (3) hours working on the course.
Therefore, a 3-credit course would require approximately 9 hours of time per week.

Examination Guidelines
IRSC requires that at least one examination be held at an Assessment Center. Assessment
centers are available at all campuses. Students who cannot access any of the IRSC testing
facilities must contact Assessment Services Manager Steven Daniello at (772) 462-7583 or
sdaniell@irsc.edu to make other arrangements.

For SLS1101, Quiz 2 will serve as this proctored exam.

A quick link to the Assessment Center (Testing) is located in Blackboard in the Institutional
Resources section under IRSC Policies & Resources.

Late or Missed Assignments

All assignments must be finished and turned in to complete the course. Unless the instructor is
notified BEFORE the assignment is due and provides an opportunity for the student to submit
his/her assignment late, points may be taken off for a late assignment.

Students should communicate with their instructor for more details regarding their specific late
policies.

Submitting Assignments
All assignments, unless otherwise announced by the instructor, MUST be submitted via
Blackboard. Each assignment will have a designated location for submission.

Instructor Feedback
Your instructor will provide feedback within 7 to 14 days.

Subject to change notice

All material, assignments, and deadlines are subject to change with prior notice. It is your
responsibility to stay in touch with your instructor, review the course site regularly, and
communicate with other students to adjust as needed if there is any change in the course.

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IRSC Resources

Quick links to the Indian River State College’s resources and policies are listed in the
Institutional Resources section of the course, including:

 MyIRSC – Register for classes, view  Incomplete Grade

grades and financial aid awards  IRSC Mission Statement
 Student Handbook & Student  Student Accessibility Services
Handbook Reference Guide  Student Activities
 Advising  Student Success Services
 Catalog  Testing Services
 Drop/Add  Transcripts
 Equity Statement  Update Personal Information
 Financial Aid  Withdrawal Policy

Academic Resources

Quick links to the Indian River State College’s Academic Resources can be found in the
Institutional Resources section in Blackboard. Quick links include:

 Academic Calendar  How to Succeed in this Course

 Academic Support Center  Incomplete Grade
 Academic Notice/  Netiquette Rules
Deficiency/Suspension  Student Responsibility
 Assessment/Examination Policy  Studying and Time Management
 Graduation

Library & Research Paper Resources

Quick links to the Indian River State College’s Library and Research Paper Resources can be
found in the Institutional Resources section in Blackboard. Quick links include:

 Library Link  APA Guidelines

 Course Specific Custom Library  MLA Guidelines
Guides  CSE Guidelines
 Ask the Librarian (24/7)  Legal Citation
 American Psychological Association  Plagiarism Policy
Tutorial  Writing a Research Paper

Technical Requirements
.

IRSC Computer Requirements

Students must have a reliable computer and Internet connection throughout the course. Quick
links to the Indian River State College’s Blackboard Technical Information can be found in the
Institutional Resources section in Blackboard. Quick links include:
 Essential Technical Skills Checklist

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  Digital Information Literacy Checklist
 Browser Support
 Blackboard Learn Mobile

Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS)

If you need assistance with Blackboard, please review the Blackboard Help Videos by clicking
on the link provided on the course menu.

Note: The preferred browsers are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

Blackboard LOG IN:

USERNAME: Student ID number (no dashes)
PASSWORD: IRSC web registration/pay pin

Technical Support
If you can’t find your answer within the Blackboard Help Videos section, visit the Blackboard
Help Center at https://help.edusupportcenter.com/shplite/IRSC/home

Student Accessibility Statement

Indian River State College provides reasonable accommodations to students with documented
disabilities through the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) Office. The rights of students with
disabilities which pertain to post-secondary education are provided under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Students who
wish to request an accommodation for a documented disability may contact Student
Accessibility Services at 772-462-7808, 772-462-7782, or e-mail accessibilityservices@irsc.edu

Syllabus Disclaimer

The instructor views the course syllabus as an educational contract between the instructor and
students. Every effort will be made to avoid changing the course schedule but the possibility
exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes necessary. The instructor reserves
the right to make changes to the syllabus as deemed necessary. Students will be notified in a
timely manner of any syllabus changes in the course Announcements or course e-mail.

If you are experiencing difficulty in your course and have already worked with your instructor
to resolve the challenge but feel your issue needs additional attention, please visit
http://tinyurl.com/IRSCadmininfo to access the appropriate contact information.

IRSC is an equal employment/equal opportunity educational institution.