ALS 303 002 – TRANSFER TRANSITIONS AND DIVERSITY

Fall 2020
Instructor Contact Office Hours
Section Day Time Class Location Instructor
Information
111 Patterson Hall
Tu/ 117 Witherspoon  Thursday
002 4:30 - 5:20pm Glaze bglaze@ncsu.edu
Thu Student Center 11:00am-12:00pm
919.515.2614

Course Description:
To assist transfer students with their transition into CALS by providing an overview of academic policies and
career services. To provide guidance to help students reach their career goals.

Course Web site:

https://wolfware.ncsu.edu​ (Log in using your unity id for username and password)

Learning Outcomes of the Course:

Upon completion of this course, a student will:

Academic success learning outcomes

1. Identify the academic policies of North Carolina State University and the College of Agriculture and
Life Sciences, and explain the procedures that are necessary for meeting set policies (e.g., late drop,
grade changes, etc)
2. Describe university and college programs designed for student support (Tutorial Center, Health
Center, Career Services)
Diversity learning outcomes
3. Convey how cultural influences have shaped individual identity
4. Communicate in a positive regard an understanding of others’ cultural influences
5. Engage in positive conversation with people from different backgrounds
6. Evaluate how stereotypes and misconceptions create communication barriers
Agriculture and life sciences career opportunities learning outcomes
7. Articulate potential career paths in CALS related fields
8. Communicate skills and strengths related to career interests

Student Groups:
As you strive for excellence in your coursework and toward your degree, your academic, personal, and career
success will be enhanced by intellectual, interpersonal, and personal development. The goals of ALS 303 include
helping students transition to NC State and helping students grow professionally. Professionalism includes
developing an understanding and appreciation of diversity. Diversity and inclusion will be themes throughout
the course. Students will be assigned to groups. The purpose of the groups: to foster a sense of community,
belonging, and connection within the larger university; to build among students an awareness of diversity and
inclusion; to facilitate intergroup dialogue; and to develop networking skills.

Grading:
The final grade in this class will be out of 100 total points.
 ● Attendance: ​Class attendance is expected and will be tracked weekly and updated in Moodle. Please
check each week to make sure that the attendance has been logged correctly. ​ All excused absences
must be approved by the instructor and will only be worth 1 point.​ If special circumstances arise,
discuss with instructor ASAP for consideration of these instances. Review the University excused
absences guideline: http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03

● Grades:​ ALS 303 is a requirement for graduation and ​must be taken for a letter grade​. Points will be
calculated as outlined in the chart below. ​Submit all projects as requested on the due date.

GRADES DUE DATE Percent of Grade Specific Dates/Info

August 23:
Topic Assignments (3) Sunday 11:59pm 60% (20% each)
September: 13, 27
August: 16, 23, 30
Weekly Check- Ins (7) Every Sunday 11:59pm 15%
September: 6, 13, 20, 27
August: 16, 23, 30
Weekly Activities Every Sunday 11:59pm 15%
September: 6, 13, 20, 27
Attendance (7) Group A - Mondays
10% See Weekly Schedule
*There will be 3 virtual classes. Group B - Wednesdays

● Grade Distribution: ​Grades will be assigned according to a standard 10 point scale. A “+” will be
awarded for grades ending with an 8 or 9 and a “-” will be awarded for grades ending with a 0 or 1.

Points Range Letter Grade Range Plusses and Minuses Based on Point Total
90-100 A 90 or 91 = A- and 98 or 99 or 100 = A+
80-89 B 80 or 81 = B- and 88 or 89 = B+
70-79 C 70 or 71 = C- and 78 or 79 = C+
60-69 D 60 or 61 = D- and 68 or 69 = D+
59 and under F

Additional Policies:
Technology
This course is lecture format; the use of technological devices is not needed in class (unless noted). Please show
respect for the instructors, guest speakers, and your classmates and turn off all electronic devices prior to the
start of class. Students violating this policy may be asked to leave and marked absent.

Make-up Work and Penalty for Turning Assignments in Late

All projects are expected to be turned in on time (even if you have an excused absence cleared in advance).
Projects not turned in on time will lose points 5 points per day each day after the due date.

Assignment of Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade (IN) will be given for the course if the student can provide documentation that required
work could not be completed at the designated time because of unforeseen situations not caused by the
student's negligence. A request for an incomplete grade should be made in writing, should detail the
circumstances resulting in the work not being completed on time, and should contain sufficient documentation.
An incomplete grade is not a substitute for an F and will not be given if the student's other work or absences in
the course are unsatisfactory. The University policy on incomplete grades is located here:
http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-50-03
Academic Integrity
We expect the work you do in this class to be your own. Academic dishonesty, such as cheating, plagiarism, or
aiding and abetting others to cheat or plagiarize will not be tolerated and the student will be prosecuted
according to the NC State Code of Student Conduct. Review the code here:
http://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-11-35-01

Disability Statement
Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of
available accommodations, students must register with the Disability Services Office (DSO) at Suite 2221 Student
Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 919-515-7653. For more information on NC State's policy on working with
students with disabilities, please review the University guideline here:
http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01

Anti-Discrimination Statement
NC State University provides equality of opportunity in education and employment for all students and
employees. Accordingly, NC State affirms its commitment to maintain a work environment for all employees
and an academic environment for all students that is free from all forms of discrimination. Discrimination based
on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation is a
violation of state and federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Harassment of any
person (either in the form of quid pro quo or creation of a hostile environment) based on race, color, religion,
creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation also is a violation of state and
federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Retaliation against any person who
complains about discrimination is also prohibited. NC State’s policies and regulations covering discrimination,
harassment, and retaliation may be accessed at http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/campus_environ or
http://www.ncsu.edu/equal_op. Any person who feels that he or she has been the subject of prohibited
discrimination, harassment, or retaliation should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) at 515-3148.

Online Exchanges
Students may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to other students in the course, via
electronic tools like email or web-postings, where relevant to the course. Examples include online discussions of
class topics, and posting of student coursework. All students are expected to respect the privacy of each other
by not sharing or using such information outside the course.

Class Evaluation
Online class evaluations will be available for students to complete during the last two weeks of class. Students
will receive an email message directing them to a website where they can login using their Unity ID and
complete evaluations. All evaluations are confidential; instructors will never know how any one student
responded to any question, and students will never know the ratings for any particular instructors.

Required Text
No required text for ALS 303; course pages pertaining to weekly topics will be posted in Moodle for review; log
into the Moodle course site weekly, and check email daily.

Additional COVID-19 Information

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, public health measures have been implemented across campus. Students
should stay current with these practices and expectations through the ​Protect the Pack​ website
(https://www.ncsu.edu/coronavirus/). The sections below provide expectations and conduct related to
COVID-19 issues.
Health and Participation in Class
We are most concerned about your health and the health of your classmates and instructors/TAs.

If you test positive for COVID-19, or are told by a healthcare provider that you are presumed positive for the
virus, please work with your instructor on health accommodations and follow other university guidelines,
including self-reporting: ​https://healthypack.dasa.ncsu.edu/coronavirus/​. Self-reporting is not only to help
provide support to you, but also to assist in contact tracing for containing the spread of the virus.

If you feel unwell, even if you have not been knowingly exposed to COVID-19, please do not come to class.

If you are in quarantine, have been notified that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, or have a personal or
family situation related to COVID-19 that prevents you from attending this course in person (or synchronously),
please connect with your instructor to discuss the situation and make alternative plans, as necessary.

If you need to make a request for an academic consideration related to COVID-19, such as a discussion about
possible options for remote learning, please talk with your advisor for the appropriate process to make a
COVID-19 request.

Health and Well-Being Resources

These are difficult times, and academic and personal stress is a natural result. Everyone is encouraged to take
care of themselves and their peers. If you need additional support, there are many campus resources to help:
Counseling Center (​https://counseling.dasa.ncsu.edu/​)
Health Center (​https://healthypack.dasa.ncsu.edu/​)

If the personal behavior of a classmate concerns or worries you, either for the classmate’s well-being or yours,
we encourage you to report this behavior to the NC State CARES team: go.ncsu.edu/NCSUcares.

If you or someone you know are experiencing food, housing or financial insecurity, please see the Pack Essentials
Program (​https://dasa.ncsu.edu/pack-essentials/​).

Community Standards Related to COVID-19

We are all responsible for protecting ourselves and our community. Please see the community expectations
(​NCSU Community Standards​) and Rule 04.21.01 regarding Personal Safety Requirements Related to
COVID-19 ​https://policies.ncsu.edu/rule/rul-04-21-01

Course Expectations Related to COVID-19​:

Personal Protective Equipment: ​As a member of the NC State academic community you are required to follow
all university guidelines for personal safety with face coverings, physical distancing, and sanitation. Face
coverings are required in this class and in all NC State buildings. Note that face coverings must meet safety
specifications, be worn correctly, and be socially appropriate as per the ​Code of Student Conduct
(https://studentconduct.dasa.ncsu.edu/code/) and ​Free Speech Guidelines
(https://www.ncsu.edu/free-speech/). In addition, students are responsible for keeping their course/work area
clean. Please follow the cleaning guidelines described by your instructor.

Course Attendance​: NC State attendance policies can be found at:

https://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03-attendance-regulations/​ . Please refer to this course’s
attendance, absence, and deadline policies for additional details. If you are quarantined or otherwise need to
miss class because you have been advised that you may have been exposed to COVID-19, you should not be
penalized regarding attendance or class participation. However, you will be expected to develop a plan to keep
up with your coursework during any such absences. If you become ill with COVID-19, you should follow the
steps outlined in the health and participating section above. COVID 19-related absences will be considered
excused; documentation need only involve communication with your instructor.

Course Meeting Schedule​: Your course might not have a traditional meeting schedule in Fall 2020. Be sure to
pay attention to any updates to the course schedule as the information in this syllabus may have changed.
Please discuss any questions you have with the instructor.

Classroom Seating: ​ To support efficient, effective contact tracing, please sit in the same seat when possible and
take note of who is sitting around you; instructors may also assign seats for this purpose.

Technology Requirements: ​This course may require particular technologies to complete coursework. Be sure to
review the syllabus for these expectations, and see ​go.ncsu.edu/syllabus-tech-requirements​ to find out more
about technical requirements for your course. If you need access to additional technological support, please
contact the Libraries’ Technology Lending Service: ​https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/devices​.

Course Delivery Changes Related to COVID-19

Please be aware that the situation regarding COVID-19 is frequently changing, and the delivery mode of this
course may need to change accordingly, including from in-person to online. Regardless of the delivery method,
we will strive to provide a high-quality learning experience.

Grading/Scheduling Changing Options Related to COVID-19

If the delivery mode has a negative impact on your academic performance in this course, the university has
provided tools to potentially reduce the impact:

Enhanced S/U Grading Option​:

https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/your-resources/covid-19/spring2020-sat-grading/

Late Drop​:
​https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/your-resources/covid-19/spring2020-latedrop/

In some cases, another option may be to request an incomplete in the course. Before using any of these tools,
discuss the options with your instructor and your academic advisor. Be aware that if you use the enhanced S/U,
you will still need to complete the course and receive at least a C- to pass the course.

Other Important Resources

Keep Learning: ​https://dasa.ncsu.edu/students/keep-learning/

Protect the Pack FAQs:​ ​https://www.ncsu.edu/coronavirus/frequently-asked-questions/