LSEM 100 - 28
Longwood Seminar
Fall 2011
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Instructor: Dr.
Harbour
Peer Mentor: Corey Morris
Office: East Ruffner
228
Phone: cell
Office phone:
395-2219
E-mail address: corey.morris@live.longwood.edu
Office hours: MWF
11:00-12:00
Class Time: M and W 10:00-10:50
TR:
9:30-10:30
Classroom: East Ruffner 252
E-mail address: harbourwr@longwood.edu
Course Description: The goal of the Longwood Seminar is to help develop citizen leaders for the common good by promoting critical thinking and analysis in all aspects of the students’ lives and by developing the knowledge and skills that lead to college success.
Texts: Students are also responsible for the summer
reading: This I Believe II
Useful
Websites for student success: http://www.longwood.edu/seminar/resources.htm
Students are expected to follow news items of national and international
importance found in The National Journal
(a good nonpartisan source of news found at: http://www.nationaljournal.com/ )
and other news sources found below.
Being aware of current political developments is important to good
citizenship. There will be a quiz on current events given on the last day
of class.
Other Reading:
Students may also keep up with current political events and may follow the news
through the following online sites:
http://www.nyt.com/
http://www.cnn.com/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
http://www.foxnews.com/index.html
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5
Course Objectives:
1. Develop academic knowledge and skills to promote
a broad range of success at Longwood.
2. Establish goals for personal academic success.
3. Explore academic majors and discipline-related career options.
4. Develop strategies to promote personal social awareness and skills needed by citizen leaders.
Outcomes: Students will
* Understand the mission of
* Understand the application of critical thinking skills to multiple situations
* Develop the knowledge and skills that lead to college success
Course Requirements:
1.
Developing an academic plan for success. Students will set goals
and plans for the year (for 10 points). For an additional 10 points they will
write an evaluation at the end of the course on how well they are advancing
towards their goals and offer any appropriate revisions to those goals and
plans.
2. The activity designed to demonstrate the use of the library resources will
involve participation in class meeting on that subject (10 points).
3. The activity designed to involve students in critically thinking and writing
about their most important beliefs will be writing a three page essay on the
summer reading This I Believe II (10 points).
4. The activity designed to demonstrate an understanding of the Longwood Code
of Honor and learning about Longwood traditions involves attendance at the
Honor Program (10 points).
5. Complete participation in New Lancer Days and completion of an essay on that
experience. (10 points).
6. The activities designed to demonstrate an exploration of relevant career
fields is our program with the director of the career center
and development of a professional resume and web based portfolio.
(10 points)
7. The exercise designed to demonstrate awareness of time management issues
will be completion of time management study in class (10 points).
8. Development and use of an academic calendar/planner. (10 points)
9. The assignment designed to develop civic awareness involves daily
reading newspapers. Informed citizenship requires solid knowledge of
current events. Student participation in class discussion of current
political developments will count for part of their grade for Longwood Seminar.
(10 points for test on knowledge of current events given on
the last day of class.)
10. The assignment designed to demonstrate the application of critical thinking
is completion of an essay in which the student critiques an editorial found in
any national newspaper. 10 points
11. The activity designed to demonstrate civic engagement is
participation in at least 2 meetings or activities of the Political Science
Club (20 points).
12. Mylongwood registration certification with
Peer Mentor. (10 points).
13. Development of a tentative two year academic schedule. (10 points).
14. Participation in a political campaign or community project. (10 points).
15. Oral presentation on topic of interest to the student. (10 points).
16. Completing the College Persistence
Questionnaire (CQP) Survey. (10 points).
17. Individual advising meeting with
Instructor. (10
points).
18. Participation in class discussion on
citizen leadership (10 points).
As one can see, part of the grade for the semester is based daily reading newspapers. For the fall of
2011 students will be asked to pay special attention to the ongoing political
campaigns setting the stage for the 2012 presidential election, the war in
Afghanistan, other conflicts in the Middle East, issues involving terrorism,
rival assessments of the performance of the Obama administration, the national
debate over the national debt and federal deficits, issues involving the
intersection between science and politics, debates over environmental issues,
issues involving the diversity of the American population, analyses of public
opinion, and coverage of breaking crises. Part of each class will be
devoted to discussion these matters.
TOTAL POINTS 200
Grading: This course uses the + and
– grading scale.
The total possible number of points
to earn for the course is 200. Grades
will be assigned according to the following percentages:
A+ = 98-100%
A = 92-97%
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 = 59% and below
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability
and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please let me
know at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an
accommodation is required. The Director
of Disability Support Services can be reached at x2391.
Course Outline:
LSEM
class begins August 19 - Orientation and Introduction to Longwood Seminar;
expectations, and discussion of personal responsibility in and out of the
classroom
Aug. 22 Developing Study Skills; Effective Listening, Note Taking,
Preparing for Tests
Aug. 24 establish long-term goals for attending University; establish
short term goals for personal and academic achievements during the first
semester; discussion on Honor Board and Judicial Board issues; discussion on
professional behavior; effective studying, (turn in essay on goals on Aug.
26)
Aug. 29 Discussion of Summer reading (hand in essay on This I Believe
II)
Aug. 31 Information literacy -
Library resources in political science (in regular classroom) – turn in essay
on New Lancer Days
Sept. 5 Labor Day and no classes
September 7 Class will meet at the Career Center in the basement of
Lancaster (room G09)
September 12 Test taking strategies; turn in resume
Sept. 14 Stress management - and program from Counseling
Center - in our regular classroom
Sept. 19 special program on internships, globalization, and study abroad
Sept. 26 University academic regulations and requirements, advising
issues (turn in two year academic plan), introduction to Mylongwood
registration certification
Oct. 3 Writing and critical thinking
skills (turn in critique of a newspaper editorial); Discussion of Citizen
Leadership
Oct. 10-11 Fall Break
Oct. 17 Oral presentations
Oct. 24 Oral presentations (complete Mylongwood
registration certification)
Oct. 31 Oral presentations
Nov. 7 Test current events; turn in
essay review of original goals; Last day of LSEM;
Finishing the semester well
(Individual meetings with instructor to take place after early-term grade
estimates come out)