Marymount College Fall, 2000

ID 117: THE ART OF BEING HUMAN

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Unlike virtually all other courses in the college curriculum, the focus of this course is not on a specific academic subject or field of study; instead, the focus is on the student. This course is intentionally designed and proactively delivered for the purpose of promoting student success—in college and in life after college—by fostering the development of skills or strategies that are both applicable and valuable across subjects (transferable, cross-disciplinary skills) and across time (durable, lifelong learning skills).
A second major goal of the course is to help students make three key connections:
(1) Connections with other students—to facilitate peer-support networks and peer-learning
communities;
(2) Connections with the college—the curriculum (liberal arts & sciences), the co-curriculum
(out-of-class experiential learning), and campus support services (academic-support and
student-development services;
(3) Connections between the students’ present college experience with their future plans and
aspirations.
Special emphasis will be placed on understanding and appreciating the value of general education and the academic disciplines that comprise the liberal arts and sciences, namely:

1. Humanities—which focus on the human condition, asking such questions as: Why are we
   here? How should we live? What is the good life? Is there life after life?
2. Fine Arts—which focus on the art of human expression, posing such questions as: What is
   beautiful? How do humans express themselves aesthetically and creatively?
3. Natural Sciences—which focus on the physical word and natural phenomena, addressing such
   questions as: What are the causes of physical events in the natural world? How can we
   predict or control natural phenomena?
4. Behavioral & Social Sciences—which focus on explaining human behavior, both individual
   and social, pursuing such questions as: Why do people behave they way they do? How can
   we better predict or control human behavior?

These academic disciplines will be examined in conjunction with, and in relation to the following dimensions of holistic (“whole-person”) development:

1. Personal—self-awareness, self-management, and future planning.
2. Cognitive (Intellectual)—learning strategies and styles; critical and creative thinking.
3. Emotional (Affective)—coping skills, stress-management, mental health & emotional growth.
4. Social (Interpersonal)—communicating and interacting with others; promoting the quality and
   depth of human relationships.
5. Physical—maintaining health, promoting wellness and optimal functioning of the human body.
6. Vocational (Career)—exploration and evaluation of career alternatives and their relationship
   to the selection of a college major and future career.

* Note: This course fulfills two units of Marymount's 4-unit general education requirement in the
area of "Lifelong Understanding and Self Development."

COURSE & INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor’s Name: Joe Cuseo

Instructor’s Educational Background: B.A., Psychology; M.A., Experimental Psychology;
Ph.D., Educational Psychology

Course Time: 11-11:50, M-W

Classroom: C-203

Instructor’s Office: Thomas D. Wood Center (Rm. #224)—down the hall from Transfer Center

Office Phone: 310-377-5501 (ext. 235)

Office E-Mail: jcuseo@marymountpv.edu

Home Phone: (562) 431-8051 [Please try to call before 10 PM. Thanks]

Home E-Mail: cuseog@aol.com

Office Hours: Mon. (12-12:45, 2-2:45, 4:15-5:30); Tues. (10:30-3:30); Wed. (12-12:45, 2-2:45,
4:15-5:30); Thurs. (off campus); Fri. (11-12:45, 2-2:45, 4:15-5:30)
Also, individual appointments can be made at other times if these hours are inconvenient for you. Please note: Sometimes I need to photocopy teaching materials or attend college meetings during my scheduled office hours. If I have to leave my office for either of these reasons, I'll leave a note on my door indicating where I’m at and when I hope to be back; also, I'll leave a note pad—for any messages you would like to leave me, and for your phone number—if you would like me to call you. Feel free to use my office hours to discuss the course in particular, college in general, or your future educational and career plans.

Required Book: Strategies for Success—a 3-ring binder of resource materials relating to college success and life success which is available from the Marymount Bookstore—at a cost less than a typical textbook. Other reading assignments will derive from outlines, handouts, and short articles distributed in class or placed on reserve in the Marymount Library. These additional materials will be hole-punched so they can be placed in a specially designated section at the end of Strategies for Success resource binder.

LEARNING DISABILITY ASSISTANCE
If you feel that you may need special help for a learning disability, please make an appointment with Ms. Ruth Proctor in the Learning Center.
continued à
COURSE CONTENT: TOPICS & SUBTOPICS
 
UNIT 1.
INTRODUCING THE CLASS & THE COURSE
(Week 1)

1.1 Getting to Know You: Instructor-Student Connections
1.2 Getting to Know Each Other: Classmate (Peer) Connections
1.3 Getting to Know the Course: What is the “Art of Being Human?”
In-Class Exercises: The “Student Information Card”
The “Classmate Scavenger Hunt” (Icebreaker)

UNIT 2.
INTRODUCTION TO HIGHER EDUCATION
AND TO MARYMOUNT COLLEGE
(Week 2)

2.1 Higher Education vs. High School

• Purpose & Value of a College Education
• Unique Mission & Distinctive Features of Marymount College
  Readings: “How College is Different from High School” (handout)
  “Unique Mission & Distinctive Features of Marymount College” (handout)

2.2 The Curriculum: Academic Experiences

• Liberal Arts & General Education
• Academic Support Services
  Readings: “Strategies for Success,” section 1, pp. 12-16.
  Assignment: LASSI Follow-Up Appointment (Learning Center)

2.3 The Co-Curriculum: Out-of-Class Experiences

• Holistic Development
• Student Support Services & Activities
• Readings: “Strategies for Success,” section 1, pp. 4-5, 27-30.
  Assignment: Co-Curricular Reflection Papers

UNIT 3.
NAVIGATING THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE: HOW TO “DO COLLEGE”
(Week 3)

3.1 How to Succeed in College—A Long-Range Plan for the “Total Trip”
3.2 What to Do Now—“First Steps” for Success in the First Weeks of the First Term

• Active Listening & Note-Taking
• Reading Comprehension & Retention
• Managing Time & Organizing Materials
  In-Class Exercise: Self-Assessment—“Are you a Procrastinator?”
  Readings: “Strategies for Success,” section 3, pp. 21-30
  “Strategies for Success,” section 3, pp. 44-46, 49-53.

UNIT 4.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: SETTING GOALS,
MAKING CHOICES, & PLANNING YOUR FUTURE
(Weeks 4-7)

4.1 Taking a Long-Range View of Your Future: The “Big Picture”
4.2 Planning for General Education: Selecting an Associate Degree Tract (A.A./A.S.)
4.3 Planning for Academic Specialization: Identifying a College Major In-class exercise: COPS Interest Inventory
4.4 Planning for Transfer: Selecting a 4-Year College
4.5 Planning for a Career: Exploring Vocational Options Assignments: Marymount Educational Plan (“Strategies for Success,” sec. 2, pp. 21-24)
4-Year College Educational Plan (“Strategies for Success,” sec. 2, pp. 25-27)
Career Exploration & Choice (“Strategies for Success,” sec. 2, pp. 9-10).
Readings: - Advantages of Completing an Associate (A.A./A.S.) Degree at Marymount
(“Strategies for Success,” sec. 2, pp. 16-20)
- Myths, Realities, & Key Factors Involved in College Choice (“Strategies for
Success,” sec. 2, pp. 28-30)
- “Job Search: Chance or Plan” (handout)

UNIT 5.
INTELLECTUAL (COGNITIVE) DEVELOPMENT:
LEARNING HOW TO LEARN
(Week 8-9)

5.1 Lifelong-Lifelong Learning Skills
5.2 Learning Styles
5.3 Enhancing Learning & Memory
5.4 Thinking Critically & Creatively
5.5 Improving Academic Performance on Tests & Assignments
In-Class Exercise: Midterm Self-Evaluation
Readings: “Strategies for Success,” sec., 1, pp. 19-21
“Memory Improvement: Mnemonic Devices” (handout)
“Strategies for Success,” sec., 3, p. 47, 53-56, 60-66.

UNIT 6.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND HUMAN RELATIONS
(WEEKS 10-11)

6.1 Enhancing Social Skills & Social Intelligence (verbal communication and
conversational skills; nonverbal communication)
6.2 Working Harmoniously with Others (cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork;
resolving interpersonal conflicts)
6.3 Male-Female Relationships (dating, romance, love; gender differences in communication style; sex roles, sexism, sexual harassment; sexual assault, date rape)
In-class exercise: What Men & Women Really Love and Hate about Each Other
Readings: “Strategies for Success,” sec. 4, pp. 3-5, 8-9,11-13.

UNIT 7.
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
MENTAL HEALTH & COPING SKILLS
(WEEK 12)

7.1 Anticipating and Coping with Common College Stressors
7.2 Distinguishing between Good Stress (Eustress) and Bad Stress (Distresss)
7.3 Stress-Management Strategies (deep breathing, muscle relaxation, visual imagery,
thought control)
Readings: “Strategies for Success,” sec. 5. pp. 6-10.

UNIT 8.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT: WELLNESS & HEALTH
(WEEK 13)

8.1 Exercise & Fitness (aerobic & anaerobic exercise; developing regular exercise habits
and routines)
8.2 Rest & Sleep (sleep cycles & needs, sleep-interfering habits, sleep deprivation)
8.3 Diet & Nutrition (elements of a balanced diet, nutritious vs. junk food, dietary
deficiencies, eating disorders)
8.4 Substance Use & Abuse (motives for & patterns of drug use; alcohol & binge drinking;
nicotine; illegal drugs)
Assignment: Wellness & Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire (“Strategies for Success,” sec. 6,
pp. 3-5)
Readings: “Strategies for Success,” sec. 6, pp. 7-8, 13-14.

UNIT 9.
TEAM PRESENTATIONS & COURSE “WRAP UP”
(WEEKS 14-15)

9.1 Cognitive Development Team Presentation
9.2 Social Development Team Presentation
9.3 Emotional Development Team Presentation
9.4 Physical Development Team Presentation

IN-CLASS LEARNING ACTIVITIES & ASSIGNMENTS

SELF-ASSESSMENTS
Throughout the course, you will be given multiple opportunities to assess yourself with respect to your personal strengths, interests, values, habits, and plans. These assessments are designed to give you insight into who you are, where you’re going, and how you get there.

MINUTE PAPERS
At the end of most class sessions, you will be assigned a "minute paper" which involves a short (one-paragraph, one-minute) written response to a question relating to the day's topic. These short writing exercises at the end of class are intended to help you “pull together” and “lock in” the major point of the day, as well as enable you to make a personal “connection” with the material covered.

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY
Although no formal "roll call" will be taken and there will be no set penalty for missing a certain number of classes, keep in mind that approximately 30% of your final grade will be based on self-assessments and minute papers which are assigned and collected at the end of class. No make-ups can be given for these in-class assignments because they are tied to a particular class session and completed during class time. So, if you miss classes, you will be missing these in-class assignments and losing points that count toward your final course grade.
More importantly, however, your attendance and participation in class is essential for a complete learning experience. The type of learning that takes place as a result of social interaction between you and your instructor, and between you and your classmates, represents a unique learning experience that cannot be attained on an individual basis. I feel that you have a personal responsibility to your instructor, to your classmates, to those who are supporting you in college, and, most importantly, to yourself—to attend class and be part of this important social learning experience. So, attend class consistently! (Thanks.)

OUT-OF-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

1. Participation in Orientation-Week Activities
   During orientation week, prior to the start of classes, you were required to attend 15 events or activities that were designed to get you off to a fast start at Marymount and facilitate your transition to college. For each event you attended, you received a sticker on your student “passport.” Please turn in your passport to me during the first week of class so I can award you with course credit for each event attended.
   If you missed some or all of these orientation-week activities, you will be allowed to make-up certain activities by completing them during the first few weeks of the semester. More information about what particular activities can be made up will be provided during the first week of class.
   • DUE DATE (for Passports): SEPTEMBER 6
   • DUE DATE (for Make-Ups): SEPTEMBER 20
2. “Prompted” Journal Entries
   At critical time periods during the first semester (e.g., beginning, middle, and end) you will be asked to complete a short (two-paragraph) personal response to a question or incomplete sentence which is designed to tap your feelings and perceptions about the college experience at that particular point in time.
   The intent of this assignment is to detect time-sensitive patterns or “rhythms” of development during your first semester of college life.
   • DUE DATE: Next Class Period Following Journal Assignment
3. Co-Curricular Experience “Reflection Papers”
   This assignment requires you to attend two out-of-class activities or campus events during the fall semester. After attending each event, you will turn in a short “reflection” paper that asks you to respond to a series of short questions designed to assess your personal reaction to the event. The reason for this assignment stems from college research which strongly suggests that student involvement in out-of-class (campus) activities increases their satisfaction and success in college, and enhances their prospects for success after college.
   You will receive a “menu” of scheduled co-curricular experiences for the fall semester during the first week of class. You can choose two events from this menu to fulfill the course requirement. Extra-credit will be awarded for attending more than two co-curricular events, and special (bonus) credit will be awarded for involvement in leadership and service- learning (volunteer) experiences.
   • DUE DATE: Within One Week After the Attended Event or Activity
4. Learning Assessment & Study Skills Inventory (LASSI) Follow-Up Appointment
   During orientation week, you completed a computerized self-assessment administered in the Marymount Learning Center. This follow-up assignment asks you to meet individually with a professional in the Learning Center to discuss your personal profile of learning styles/habits and identify strategies for capitalizing on your strengths and improving on your weaker areas.
   Note: Since Marymount freshmen in all ID 117 classes are completing this assignment,
   please be sure to schedule a personal appointment well in advance of the due date below.
   • DUE DATE: SEPTEMBER 27
5. Marymount Educational Plan: Freshman and Sophomore Years
   This assignment asks you to make an appointment to meet with your academic advisor and “map out” a long-term course plan for your first two years of college. This “map” will be recorded on a triplicate carbon-copy form—one copy is for your advisor to keep, one copy is for you to keep, and one copy is for me—so I can award you with course credit for completing the assignment. Along with a copy of your course plan, please turn in your written responses to the short questionnaire titled, “Personal Reflections on Your Two-Year Plan” (in Strategies for Success, section 2, p. 25).
   Note: You will make an appointment with your advisor during “PREP WEEK” (first two weeks in October) to work together on this educational plan. Prior to PREP WEEK, the Director of the Advisement & Transfer Center—Francie Miller—will visit our class to help prepare you for this assignment.
   • DUE DATE (for turning in your plan & personal reflections): OCTOBER 18
6. Four-Year College Educational Plan: Junior and Senior Years
   For this assignment, you will identify an educational field that you intend to major in, or that you are considering as a possible major. Then you will go to a 4-year college catalogue (available in the Transfer Center) to discover what courses are required for that major so you can construct a tentative “map” of your last two years of college course work. The form for this map appears in Strategies for Success, section 2, pp. 26-28.
   The purpose of this assignment is to help you decide whether the course requirements for the major you selected are compatible with your personal interests, abilities, and values. The assignment will also help you become familiar with the course catalogue of a 4-year college so you will know be better prepared to use it once you get there.
   • DUE DATE: NOVEMBER 1
7. Career Exploration
   This assignment is designed to help you obtain specific information about a career that you are considering (e.g., its salary, responsibilities, & opportunities for advancement). You will use a computer program called “Choices”—which contains regularly updated information on a wide variety of careers. The form for this assignment is in Strategies for Success, section 9, pp. 7-8.
   • DUE DATE: NOVEMBER 15
8. Team Project
   This assignment will enable you to research a topic on self-development that interests you, and will also provide you with the opportunity to work collaboratively with a team of peers who have an interest in the same topic. Your team will deliver a 20-25 minute group presentation to other members of the class, and you will develop your own one-page outline (including references) of your particular section of the presentation.
   More specific details about the nature of this assignment and its grading criteria will be presented during the semester.
   • DUE DATE (for 1-page outline & team presentation): During final two weeks of class—
     NOVEMBER 27th – DECEMBER 6th. (The specific date will depend on the specific topic you choose.
9. Self-Assessment Portfolio
   This assignment will ask you to submit a three page (double-spaced) paper in which you review the different types of self-assessments you completed during the course (e.g., interest inventories, self-reflection exercises, journal entries, etc.) and identify any recurrent themes/patterns or variations/inconsistencies in your personal interests, abilities, values, and development during the first semester of college. (More specific details about this final assignment will be given in class.)
   Note: Remember to save all the self-assessments you’ve completed during the semester so that you will be able to complete this assignment.
   • DUE DATE: DECEMBER 11

POLICY ON MISSING OR LATE ASSIGNMENTS

In this course, one-quarter (25%) of the total points for each assignment is based on timeliness—i.e., whether or not you complete it on time. For example, if an assignment is worth 20 points, you receive 5 of those 20 points just for turning it in on time; if you do not turn in the assignment on its due date, then you lose 25% of the total points for that assignment. You may still turn in a late assignment but it will not receive full credit, and the amount of credit you do receive will depend on how close to the due date the assignment is turned in.
The reason for this policy is to reward good time-management and self-discipline skills. Also, since many of the assignments in this course are specifically developed to promote college success at particular times or stages during the first semester of college, they need to be completed at those times in order for them to be most effective.

COURSE EXAMINATIONS

There will be two major examinations in the course—both equal in weight—one at midterm and one final. The final (second) exam will not be cumulative or comprehensive—it will cover only material discussed following the midterm exam.
After we complete each major topic in the course, specific learning objectives will be provided to serve as study guides for exams. Exam questions will be derived exclusively from these lists of specific learning objectives. Thus, you will be sure that you are spending time studying what is most relevant to the exam, and I will be sure that you're spending your study time on the most important course concepts—rather than wasting it on the memorization of irrelevant details.
Each exam will consist of a variety of essay, multiple-choice, and true-false test questions. This variety of questions should give all students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in a form that best suits their particular test-taking style. Some students prefer and perform better on essays, while other students prefer andperform better on test questions that do not involve writing. Including a variety of questions also makes for a more balanced and valid (accurate) assessment of your knowledge of the course material.
Every effort will be made to provide untimed exams, so you shouldn't feel rushed or anxious because of time pressure—I will stay around as long as it takes for you to finish. Students who feel that they may qualify for special test accommodations because of any type of disability should make an appointment to see me, or contact Ruth Proctor in the Learning Center.
The scoring method for the exams will be based on absolute standards (e.g., 95% = A, 85% = B, etc.). There will be no grading "on a curve", I strongly encourage you to cooperate with other students in this course—compare notes, study together, and come together to see me for out-of-class assistance.

• EXAM DATES:
  MIDTERM EXAM: October 14-22
  The specific test dates will be determined in class. (This range will allow us some
  flexibility in selecting dates so that we don't feel "rushed" to cover material in order to meet a
  "locked in" test date, and will enable me to allow the class to choose a particular date that
  does not conflict with major assignments or exams in other courses.)
   
  FINAL EXAM: DECEMBER 11, 10:30 AM
  * Note: Please check the dates of the final exams in all your courses, and be sure not to make
  Christmas vacation plans before your last scheduled final.

POLICY ON MISSING OR LATE EXAMS
Make-up exams will be given only if you provide me—in advance—with a legitimate and documented reason for missing the test. No make-ups will be given if you simply do not “show up” on the day of the exam.

CALCULATING YOUR COURSE GRADE
GRAND TOTAL (MAXIMUM) COURSE POINTS = 500

Points Achieved = Course Grade
475 – 500 = A (95%)
450 – 474 = A- (90%)
425 – 449 = B+ (85%)
400 – 424 = B (80%)
375 – 399 = B- (75%
350 – 374 = C+ (70%)
325 – 349 = C (65%)
300 – 324 = C- (60%)
275 – 299 = D+ (55%)
250 – 274 = D (50%)
225 – 249 = D- (45%)
224 & ¯ = F