FYE 100 – College Engagement Seminar

Fall 2021
Section: Z
M and TH
Time: 2:15-3:30 pm
Classroom: Defiance Hall 102

Instructor: Dr. Agnes Caldwell

Office: Defiance Hall 106 D (President’s Suite)
Email: acaldwell@defiance.edu
Telephone: 419-783-2586
Office Hours: By appointment only

Course Description:
Designed for first year students to successfully engage in college life, including both the
academic and social arenas. This course focuses on exercising academic skills, fostering social
competencies, and understanding and accepting diversity as a foundation for developing the
student’s engagement in the community and the world.

Course Structure:
This course is a seminar and as such, it is organized around participatory discussion. Therefore, it
is imperative that you complete the assigned readings and assignments before the class meeting
for which they are assigned, and it is expected that you will actively participate in the discussion
of the readings and course topics.

This course is organized around the following Framing Questions and the course objectives,
schedule and assignments will reflect this focus:
 Why Defiance College and how to be successful?
 Who am I?
 What is good research?
 What does research reveal about my experience?

Learning Objectives
1. Explore motivations for being in college and at Defiance College.
2. Explore tips for success in college.
3. Explore how-to do-good research at the college level.
4. Explore personal identity and how your story is informed by research.
5. Write an inquiry paper.

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Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students will be able to:

1. Articulate the value of a Defiance College education and strategies to be successful as a college
student. (Why Defiance College and how to be successful?)
2. Express a critical exploration of their identity and their goals. (Who am I?)
3. Identify effective academic research skills and apply their research skills to their own experiences.
(What is good research? And what does research say about my experience?)

This course qualifies for the following College Learning Outcome:

CLO CEE: College Engagement and Empowerment: The student will have the ability to
communicate critical self-awareness in relation to academic and social skills.

Required texts:
Hanna-Attisha, Mona. (2019). What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in An
American City. New York: One World.

Other readings and videos as assigned on Moodle.

Course Requirements:
1. Attendance & Participation - Attendance is mandatory. In order to receive credit for participation, you
must engage in conversation on class topics, be prepared by having completed the required reading, and
bring class material to every session. If an individual is repeatedly absent (two or more times), fails to be
adequately prepared for class, does not bring required material, or does not participate in class, he/she can
expect to fall behind and fail the class. Three or more absences result on one lower grade at the end of the
term. Think of this as a simulation of the working world, when you use up your vacation days, deductions
in your salary occur. Participation points include the following Moodle activities:

2. Advisor Assignments – Meet with Advisor twice: Initial meeting & Interview and then Scheduling and
Midterm Grade meeting. A short assignment is required after each meeting. More details about each will
be shared in class and on Moodle.

3. Writing Assignments – During weeks 5-8, students will complete a weekly Reading and Reflection
Memo. As this is the Honors Section, this portion of the class is different than other sections. The format
is in Moodle, and I will cover prior to week 5 the expectations. All memos are due by 8 pm on Sunday.
All memos are pass/fail.

4. Writing Assignment #2- Autoethnography Essay – Autoethnography is a method of writing designed

to explore identity by describing and analyzing your own memories and observations. Essentially, you are
to write a narrative essay that explores one particularly significant experience or a series of closely related
experiences in your life. More information is posted on Moodle.

5. Research Skills Assignment: Article Analysis – Students will choose one of the five sources from
their bibliography and complete an in-depth analysis. The goal here is to gain a better understanding of

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how an academic article is written, how to best read it, how to integrate it into what you have to say on
the topic, and then to articulate this in an essay that interprets and analyzes the source for a general
scholarly audience. More details about this assignment are provided on Moodle.
6. Draft Inquiry Research Paper – After completing their research, students then plan out their
paper by draft of their paper. This is due on November 24 th by Noon. Feedback will be provided
for November 29th.
7. Writing Assignment #3 - Inquiry Research Paper – This assignment synthesizes what you have
learned from your autoethnography assignment and the academic research you have been
conducting. You are to write a paper demonstrating critical self-awareness – an ability to tell and
frame your narrative. More details about this project will be shared in class and on Moodle. The
final paper is due during finals week.

Grading
Your final grade will be based on Defiance College’s plus/minus system:
100-94= A 93-90= A- 89-87 = B+ 86-84 = B 83-80 =B- 79-77 = C+
76-74 =C 73-70 =C- 69-67 =D+ 66-64=D 63-60=D- 59-0=F

Course Evaluation
The following is the breakdown of the points available for the semester:
Participation and first 4-week activities 100 points total
Advisor Assignments (two – 50 points each) 100 points total
Writing Assign. #1 – Summaries & Summative Reflection Paper 120 points total
Writing Assign. #2 – Autoethnography 100 points
Research Article Analysis Assignment 100 points
Writing Assign. #3 – Inquiry Research Paper 100 points
Outline of Inquiry Paper 50 points
Rough Draft of Inquiry Paper 75 points
Total points possible = 745 points

Course Policies
1. Late Assignment Policy
All assignments are due on the day they have been assigned! Students who do not turn in an
assignment on the day and time an assignment is due will be penalized. Late assignments will be
accepted without late penalties only if arrangements are made before the due date.
2. Academic Integrity Policy
All members of the DC community are expected to engage in their academic tasks with integrity
and respect for others. A major part of the learning accomplished in college is the development
of critical thinking skills, and these skills are only developed when each person’s work reflects
his or her own original thought. Defiance College is committed to helping each student to
understand and practice the highest degree of integrity in his or her academic work, and to take
from that work the greatest intellectual and ethical benefit.
The basic rule for academic honesty is that a student’s work should always be his or her own.
Any misrepresentation in academic work, including plagiarism, is a form of academic
dishonesty. Examples of dishonest academic practices include, but are not limited to, using
unauthorized notes or material during an exam, exchanging information with another student
during an exam (regardless of whether or not both students are aware of the exchange), falsifying
data on which the student’s conclusions are based, having another student take an exam in place

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of the student registered in the course, and submitting the same work in two different classes
without the permission of both instructors.
Examples of plagiarism (a non-exclusive list):
• Using the exact words from a source, including cutting and pasting from a Web site, without BOTH
quotation marks to indicate the extent of the material borrowed and a citation of the original source.
• Paraphrasing or summarizing ideas from a source without proper citation. Changing the words while
maintaining the ideas from a source is a paraphrase that must be cited.
• Submitting for credit a work written or created by another, whether such work is written by a friend, a
recognized scholar or is downloaded from the internet.
• Quoting from an unacknowledged source during an oral presentation.
• Using data other than that produced by the student’s own original research without proper citation of the
source.
• Patching together a work using phrases and ideas borrowed from a number of different sources.
• Accepting assistance or collaborating with other students beyond what is explicitly permitted by the
instructor.
If you are found in violation of the Defiance College Academic Integrity Policy, you will receive
an F on the assignment(s) and other sanctions as determined by faculty. All violations for
academic dishonesty, even those involving only remedial actions, are required to be reported to
the Vice President of Academic Affairs for possible further consequences. Please refer to the
Defiance College catalog for the complete Defiance College Academic Integrity Policy.

3. Accommodation Policy for Students with Disabilities

Defiance College is committed to providing educational opportunities for qualified students with
documented disabilities through the provision of reasonable accommodations, in compliance
with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). The purpose of accommodations is to provide equal
access to educational opportunities without altering essential elements of programs or courses.
All requests for accommodations are evaluated on an individual basis after review and evaluation
of documentation. It is the responsibility of the student to request necessary accommodations
and the student should do so as early as possible, as some accommodations may require time to
implement.
A student requesting accommodations for a physical, psychological, or learning disability must
meet with Defiance College’s Accessibility Services Coordinator, Kris Knight at extension 2445
or kknight@defiance.edu . Please refer to pages 21-22 of the Course Catalog for Defiance
College’s Accommodations Policy for Students with Disabilities which includes the
documentation required for accommodations.

Additional Information for Students:

1. Student Academic Support Services
For extra help in this class or any other course, please be sure to visit Student Academic Support
Services in the Pilgrim Library for tutoring and writing assistance. The SASS writing
consultants can help with any writing assignment at any stage of the writing process. SASS also
offers tutoring in most all subjects, supplemental instruction for some courses, the structured
study program, as well as study skill workshops, handouts, and LibGuides to help students

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succeed in their classes. Further information is available at: library.defiance.edu/SASS,
419.783.2332, or sass@defiance.edu.

2. End-of-Term Student Course Evaluations

Course evaluation by students is valuable to instructors as they reflect on ways to help students
learn effectively. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to take the time and complete the
online course evaluation. Information is provided toward the end of the term to students through
email explaining how to complete the evaluation online.

Course Schedule: Please note I have the right to amend the syllabus to meet our
needs and we will do so together as a course.

Fall 2021 Course Schedule: Please note I have the right to amend the syllabus to
meet our needs and we will do so together as a course. All decisions will include
student input as needed.

Theme #1: WHY Defiance College and How to be successful in

college

Wee Date Topic or theme Assignments

k due
1 8/23 Introduction to the course; Covid-19 By class on
policies; Welcome Monday 8/30
Signing into
Moodle, read and
agree to all course
compliance
statements
(participation
points).
8/26 Class cancelled- sorry! I am moving my
daughter into College!

2 8/30 Writing a bio poem- submit to Moodle by 8 Brings notes to

pm on Sunday 8/29/21 class to be collected

Watch Douglas Baker’s “What do top

students due differently?” What are the 3
“take a way’s” from this Ted Talk?

Read on Moodle: You can grow your

intelligence.

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 9/2 High School vs College and the Importance Mindset notes will
of Mindset be collected in
Evan shares his top 10 tips for first year class.
success

Read: Mindset, Chapter 3 and bring to class

5 key points from the reading.

3 9/6 LABOR DAY

9/9 Finishing up your transition into DC Bring planner to

class for
participation points
for completing your
weekly assignments
through the term!

4 9/13 DC’s Jacket Journey and why career Write a 1-page

readiness matters essay answering the
following:
1. What is
your major
and what do
you plan do
with it?
2. What are
your
strengths?
3. What are
your
weaknesses?
4. What 3
questions do
you have
about your
career
plans?
Due uploaded to
Moodle for 9/12/21
by 8 pm
9/16 Career readiness- continued

Preparation for Advisor # 1 assignment

Evan to provide details on academic
advising, use of myDC and 4 year plans

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 Constitution Day, Sept 17th 11 am- 1pm.
Must check in with peer leader for
attendance.

Theme #2: Who Am I?

Week Date Topic or Theme Assignments
due
5 9/20 Read: Epilogue- Chapter 6 Memo # 1 Due
uploaded into
Moodle 9/19/21 by 8
pm
8/23

6 9/27 Read: Chapter 7-13 Memo #2 Due

uploaded into
Moodle 9/19/21 by 8
pm
9/30
7 10/4 Read: Chapter 14-19 Memo # 3 Due
uploaded into
Moodle 9/19/21 by 8
pm
10/7
8 10/11 Read: Chapter 20- Memo # 4 Due
Epilogue uploaded into
Moodle 9/19/21 by 8
pm
10/14
10/15 DC Closed for break

Theme #3 and #4: What is good research? What does research say
about my experience?
Week Date Topic or Theme Assignments
due
9 10/18 Preparation Autoethnography Complete 2 Pilgrim
and Introduction to Library tutorials of
Information Literacy your choice and
submit summary of
each tutorial by 8

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 pm on Sunday
October 24th
10/21
10 10/25 Continuation: Information Write
Literacy autoethnography
and submit by 8
pm to Moodle by
10/31 at 8 pm
10/28 Evan presentation #2- how
to select classes, meet with
faculty.
11 11/1 Creating a research
question and develop a
research plan.
11/4 How to read an academic
article
12 11/8 Bring 8 articles on your Submission of
topic to class. Print them article analysis by
out. 8pm on Sunday
11/14

Advisor
Assignment #2 due
to Moodle 11/14
11/11

Week Date Topic or theme Assignments

due
13 11/15 Outlining paper and
workshop writing
11/18
14 11/22 Plan to finish the semester DRAFT on
and the inquiry paper Inquiry paper
due Wednesday,
November 24th
by 2 pm
11/24-26th DC CLOSED FOR
THANKSGIVING-
ENJOY YOUR TIME
WITH FAMILY!

15 11/29 Return of inquiry paper

drafts and feedback

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 12/2 Course wrap up
16 12/8 No class during finals Inquiry paper due 4
week pm to Moodle