Co-op, Career and Experiential Education

Co-op Education

Course Number: 5N90/0N90 SCIE

Term/Year/Duration: Fall 2021/12 weeks
Course Title: Co-op Education Professional Preparation Course

Instructor Name: Christine Eaton

Email: co-op@brocku.ca
Office Location: MCA336

Times and Locations:

Virtual Office Hours (Optional): Tuesdays 5:00pm – 6:30pm

Class Location: Online/Virtual (Asynchronous)

Note: Classes at Brock University end ten minutes ahead of the hour or half hour to facilitate
transfer time.

Course Objectives/Benefits to Students:

 Improved understanding of individual skills/interests and how this translates from co-op
opportunities to career options while cultivating a flexible mindset.
 Increased awareness of various industries, sectors, and employers related to
discipline/program area resulting in an improved ability to make more informed career and
co-op decisions.
 Learn how the Canadian Labour Market is changing to adapt to the current climate.
 A professional resume and cover letter, a practiced interview strategy, understanding of
business etiquette and networking strategies to improve success in securing a work term.
 Understanding of work term requirements, responsibilities and expectations for student,
employer, and co-op staff; strategies to maximize and capitalize work term experience.

Specific Learning Objectives:

Students in the Co-op Education Professional Preparation Course (Graduate) will:

 Review, research and analyze career related information including discipline specific career
options.
 Initiate critical evaluation of individual skills/interests and assess how this translates to
their own suitability within discipline specific career options.
 Communicate transferable skills and learning experiences (developed through work,
volunteer, extra-curricular, experiential learning, academics, etc.).
 Critically analyze individual competencies and how this translates from academic to
employment and from employment to employment.
 Develop a resume and cover letter applying CCEE standards and establish professional
written (and electronic) communication skills.
  Create a professional self-marketing pitch and demonstrate oral communication skills to a
wide range of audiences including peers, employers, CCEE staff, faculty, and community
partners.
 Demonstrate appropriate interview strategies (virtual, in-person, telephone) and self-reflect
on performance.
 Identify individual learning needs (i.e. work term learning objectives and job search support
needs) and begin to develop an action plan to reach professional goals (both short and long
term).
 Collaborate with peers through optional open office hour discussions to demonstrate an
ability to work effectively with others
 Interact with community members, business professionals, staff, and faculty to gain insight
into recruitment and employment needs including managing employer and Faculty
expectations.

Course Communications:

The preferred way to communicate with the Instructor regarding this course is via their Brock
email. We also invite you to use the assigned Microsoft Teams channel as an avenue to gain clarity
around the course content.

In the event of class cancellation due to an emergency or another issue, students will be notified
via their Brock email account as promptly as possible. A message will also be posted in the
“Announcements” section in Sakai.

Evaluation Components and Due Dates

Summary of Evaluation: Participation – 100%

A “Satisfactory (SA)” or “Unsatisfactory (UN)” grade will be assigned. Given the pass/fail nature of
the course students will be assessed on participation. The 5N90 course is a compulsory pre-
requisite requirement that co-op students must pass to continue with the Co-op option of the
degree program.

The following will be considered:

 Completion and submission of all weekly reflective activities and/or quizzes as outlined in
the weekly lesson plans on Sakai
 Submission of professional projects as per the instructions provided (see chart below)

Project Due Date Submission Method

Transferable Skills Tuesday Oct. 5, 2021 1. Complete the ‘Identifying Transferable Skills Through Experiences
Narrative by 11:55pm Worksheet’ Identifying Transferable Skills Through Experiences
Worksheet
2. Use the above worksheet to help you craft your Transferable Skills
Narrative about an experience that most relates to a work
situation.
3. Type your one-page single spaced narrative in paragraph form and
be sure to include your name and student number.
4. Upload your Transferable Skills Narrative as a Microsoft Word
document to the Assignments tab in Sakai.

Cover Letter Tuesday Nov. 2, 2021 1. Find a job posting relevant to your field or area of interest
by 11:55pm (something you might consider applying to as a co-op student).
2. Complete the ‘Cover Letter Activity: Requirement vs. Qualifications

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 Project Due Date Submission Method
Worksheet”
3. Use the content from the above worksheet to create a cover letter.
4. Upload your Cover Letter as a Microsoft Word document to the
Assignments tab on Sakai.
Resume Tuesday Nov. 9, 2021 1. Create CAR statements using “Resume Statement Activity: CAR
by 11:55pm Framework Chart”
2. Create a Resume incorporating CAR statements into your document.
3. Upload your Resume as a Microsoft Word document to the
Assignments tab on Sakai.
Video Elevator Pitch Tuesday Nov. 16, 2021 1. Use the ‘Developing Your Personal Sales Pitch’ worksheet as a guide
by 11:55pm to create your own unique Video Elevator Pitch.
https://lms.brocku.ca/access/content/attachment/076dfb9d-1e20-
409d-bf18-97d9789f5e9c/Assignments/3699b2ff-cd58-4bfc-8308-
771bc9b1d447/Developing%20Your%20Personal%20Sales%20Pitch.pdf
2. Record a 30 second – 1-minute video of you delivering your pitch
using the technology of your choice.
3. Upload your video following the “How to Upload Video” tab on
Sakai.
Occupational Tuesday Nov. 23, 2021 1. Research three professionals who work in an industry or company
Research Report by 11:55pm of interest. (Note the names, titles, and contact information of
these three individuals at the top of your report).

2. Contact only 1 of these professionals and conduct an

informational interview, using the ‘Occupational Research
Report’ worksheet as a guide for your interview.
https://lms.brocku.ca/access/content/attachment/076dfb9d-
1e20-409d-bf18-97d9789f5e9c/Assignments/3af8408b-b9ac-
410e-9e41-4be01c03266f/Occupational%20Research%20Report
%20Worksheet-1.pdf

3. Be sure to prepare at least 1 additional question for your

contact outside of the questions included in this worksheet.

4. Share the findings of your informational interview in a one-page,

single spaced Microsoft Word document. Upload your Report
to the Assignments tab in Sakai.

** NOTE: Please see the “To Do” section in weekly lesson plan modules on Sakai for instructions on
activities and/or quizzes to be completed in addition to the above professional projects.

Late Submission Policy:

Assignments must be uploaded to SAKAI by the posted due date. Late submissions will not be
accepted, unless accompanied by medical documentation. See Medical Exemption Policy and the
medical health certificate at https://brocku.ca/registrar/toolkit/forms/

Relationship between participation and grades:

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Students that have a self-disclosed disability and are receiving accommodations through Student
Wellness and Accessibility Centre which may impact their attendance should notify the instructor
ahead of these sessions.

Failing to submit professional projects as per the instructions provided will result in an
“Unsatisfactory (UN)” grade for the 5N90/0N90 course and discontinuation of the Co-op option of
the degree program.

Important dates: (check the section on sessional or important dates in the relevant online
University calendar at http://brocku.ca/webcal/)

September 14, 2021 is the first day of this course.

October 11-15, 2021 is the scheduled Winter Reading Break.
December 7, 2021 is the last day of class for this course.

Academic Policies

Academic Integrity:

Statement for undergraduate courses

Academic misconduct is a serious offence. The principle of academic integrity, particularly of doing
one’s own work, documenting properly (including use of quotation marks, appropriate paraphrasing
and referencing/citation), collaborating appropriately, and avoiding misrepresentation, is a core
principle in university study. Students should consult Section VII, “Academic Misconduct”, in the
“Academic Regulations and University Policies” entry in the Undergraduate Calendar, available at
http://brocku.ca/webcal to view a fuller description of prohibited actions, and the procedures and
penalties. Information on what constitutes academic integrity is available at
https://brocku.ca/academic-integrity/

Statement for graduate courses

Academic misconduct is a serious offence. The principle of academic integrity, particularly of doing
one’s own work, documenting properly (including use of quotation marks, appropriate paraphrasing
and referencing/citation), collaborating appropriately, and avoiding misrepresentation, is a core
principle in university study. Students should consult Section XVII, “Academic Misconduct”, in the
“Academic Regulations and University Policies” entry in the Graduate Calendar, available at
http://www.brocku.ca/webcal to view a fuller description of prohibited actions, and the
procedures and penalties.

Plagiarism software:
This course uses Turnitin.com, phrase-matching software. If you object to uploading your
assignments to Turnitin.com for any reason, please notify the instructor to discuss alternative
submissions.

Intellectual Property Notice:

All slides, presentations, handouts, tests, exams, and other course materials created by the
instructor in this course are the intellectual property of the instructor. A student who publicly posts
or sells an instructor’s work, without the instructor’s express consent, may be charged with
misconduct under Brock’s Academic Integrity Policy and/or Code of Conduct, and may also face
adverse legal consequences for infringement of intellectual property rights.

Special Accommodation:

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 The University is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students
and will adhere to the Human Rights principles that ensure respect for dignity, individualized
accommodation, inclusion and full participation. The University provides a wide range of resources
to assist students, as follows:

a) If you require academic accommodation because of a disability or an ongoing health or

mental health condition, please contact Student Accessibility Services at askSAS@brocku.ca or 905
688 5550 ext. 3240.

b) If you require academic accommodation because of an incapacitating medical condition,

you must, as soon as practicable, inform your instructor(s) of your inability to complete your
academic work. You must also submit a Brock University Student Medical Certificate (found at
https://brocku.ca/registrar/toolkit/forms). The University may, at its discretion, request more
detailed documentation in certain cases. If you are unable to write a scheduled examination due to
an incapacitating medical condition, you must follow the process set out in the Faculty Handbook
III:9.4.1.

c) If you are experiencing mental health concerns, contact the Student Wellness and
Accessibility Centre. Good2Talk is a service specifically for post-secondary students, available 24/7,
365 days a year, and provides anonymous assistance: http://www.good2talk.ca/ or call 1-866-925-
5454. For information on wellness, coping and resiliency, visit:
http://brockmentalhealth.ca/mental-well-being/.

d) If you require academic accommodation on religious grounds, you should make a formal,
written request to your instructor(s) for alternative dates and/or means of satisfying requirements.
Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of any given academic term, or as soon as
possible after a need for accommodation is known to exist.

e) If you have been affected by sexual violence, the Human Rights & Equity Office offers
support, information, reasonable accommodations, and resources through the Sexual Violence
Support & Education Coordinator. For information on sexual violence, visit Brock's Sexual Assault
and Harassment Policy or contact the Sexual Violence Support & Response Coordinator at
humanrights@brocku.ca or 905 688 5550 ext. 4387.

f) If you feel you have experienced discrimination or harassment on any of the above
grounds, including racial, gender or other forms of discrimination, contact the Human Rights and
Equity Office at humanrights@brocku.ca.

Sequence and Dates

** NOTE: The course calendar is subject to change. Your instructor will notify you of any changes
during class or via SAKAI.

Week/ Class Dates Focus/Topic Professional Projects

Week 1 – Tues Sept 14 Course Introduction, Program Overview &

Career Development Model

Week 2 – Tues Sept 21 Career Planning & Self-Assessment

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Week 3 – Tues Sept 28 Transferable & Essential Skills Identification

Transferable Skills Narrative due to

Week 4 – Tues Oct 5 Career Exploration & Occupational Research Sakai by
Tues. Oct. 5, 2021 @ 11:55pm
FALL READING WEEK – Oct 11-15 - NO CLASSES

Week 5 – Tues Oct 19 Cover Letter Strategies

Week 6 – Tues Oct 26 Resume Strategies

Cover Letter due to Sakai by

Week 7 -Tues Nov 2 Professionalism, Business Etiquette & Tues. Nov. 2, 2021 @11:55pm
Communication
Resume due to Sakai by
Week 8 - Tues Nov 9 Introduction to Networking & Relationship Tues. Nov. 9, 2021 @ 11:55pm
Building
Video Elevator Pitch due to Sakai by
Week 9 – Tues Nov 16 Introduction to Interviews/ Mock Interview Peer- Tues. Nov. 16, 2021 @ 11:55pm
to-Peer Practice
Occupational Research Report due
Week 10 – Tues Nov 23 Reflection & Action Planning to Sakai by
Tues. Nov. 23, 2021 @ 11:55pm

Week 11 –Tues Nov 30 Reflective Practice/Brock

Competencies/Learning Objectives

Week 12 – Tues Dec 7 Workplace Expectations & Work Term Success