Instructor: Nora Villarreal Class Location: d-319 Email

After completing the course, the student will be able to . . .

· Describe personal leadership orientation and philosophy and utilize leadership abilities.

· Present a collaborative project based on the three pillars of the Honors Program.

· Further investigate a career or educational goal.

Grading Scale:

A: 90-100 percent

B: 80-89 percent

C: 70-79 percent

D: 60-69 percent

F: 59-0 percent

Leadership Orientation and Philosophy Essay (2-3 pages): 20 percent

Career or Educational Goal Exploration Essay (2-3 pages): 20 percent

Honors Project Proposal (1-2 pages): 10 percent

Honors Project Essay (2-3 pages): 20 percent

Formal Honors Project Presentation: 30 percent

1. Folder; 2. Notebook; 3. Daily planner; 4. Loose-leaf paper

All formal essays must be typewritten, in 12-point Times and double spaced with one-inch

margins on all sides, unless otherwise indicated. Any handwritten work on these papers will be

assigned a zero.If you don’t have a computer at home, make sure that you complete all writing assignments in the computer labs on campus before the start of class.

No essay assignments will be accepted as email attachments. Hard copies must be provided on

each due date.

Email:

In most workplaces, employees are expected to use corporate email addresses for professional

correspondence. Similarly, students will be expected to use their IVCC email addresses for

academic electronic communication. All correspondence will be sent to students’ IVCC accounts, and students will be expected to check these accounts on a regular basis.

Students may contact the Student Help Desk at 815-224-0318 or visit D-201 for assistance with

their email accounts.

All assignments are due at the beginning of class, and no late work will be accepted unless an

extension is granted; whenever possible, requests for extensions must be emailed to your

instructors at least two days before the due date. Rare extensions may be granted at the

instructors’ discretion. A grade of a zero will be assigned for any assignments that are not turned in by the deadline. In the event of an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to arrange to have hard copies of assignments delivered to the instructors or to request an extension.

Attendance:

Because studies show that students who regularly attend classes possess a greater understanding of course material and perform better, it is very important for you to attend each class meeting. You may have one excused absence without penalty as long as you contact your instructors beforehand to explain the reason for your absence; it must be a good reason that demonstrates why the absence was unavoidable in order to be excused. Your instructor may request to see a doctor’s note or other documentation verifying the reason for your absence; if so, the document must be provided at the next class meeting. If you have an unexcused absence, your final grade will be dropped by ten percentage points; for example, a grade of a C at 70 percent would be dropped to a D at 60 percent. If you miss two classes, you will either fail or be withdrawn from the course. Exceptions may be made at the instructor’s discretion.

Just as you must be on time for your job, you must also come to your college classes in a timely

fashion. Three tardies will be marked as an unexcused absence with a final grade deduction of 10

percent; remember that two absences result in failure of or withdrawal from the course.

Be sure to arrange to stay for each class meeting in its entirety. If you leave class early—yes, evenfive minutes early—you may be marked as absent for the whole meeting. If you absolutely must leave early, your instructors may ask to see documentation explaining why. If so, documentation must be provided at the next class meeting.

You must treat your physical and online classroom as a professional environment and your

instructors as your immediate supervisors. Also, you must strive to maintain a positive attitude and a willingness to contribute to physical and online classroom discussions in an appropriate manner.

All readings and assignments must be completed by the due dates.

Do not save readings and writing assignments until an hour or two before the class; rather, work

on them, bit by bit, throughout the term. Otherwise, you will likely experience feelings of

frustration, which will impede your critical thinking and writing.

Respect:

If you show disrespect toward your instructors or another student, you will be asked to leave. If

any act of disrespect is severe, you will be permanently removed from the class, and you will be

referred to the administration at IVCC for possible disciplinary action.

If you are a student with a documented cognitive (learning) disability, physical disability, or

psychiatric disability (anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, AD/HD, post-traumatic stress, and

others), you may be eligible for academic support services such as extended test time, texts on

disc, note-taking services, etc. If you are interested in learning whether you can receive these

academic support services, please contact either Tina Hardy (tina_hardy@ivcc.edu or 815-224-0284) or Judy Mika (Judy_Mika@ivcc.edu or 815-224-0350), or stop by the Disability

Services Office in B-204.

Academic Integrity & Dishonesty:

Plagiarism or cheating of any kind violates the Student Code of Conduct for IVCC. Due to the

severity of academic dishonesty, cases will automatically result in failure of the assignment and

possibly, at the instructors’ discretion, failure of the class and permanent dismissal from the

Honors Program. Students may also be referred to the administration for further disciplinary

action. Students are not able to withdraw to escape a penalty for plagiarism.

Students have the ability to initiate a withdrawal from classes. By completing a form in the

Records Office or within WebAdvisor, the student authorizes IVCC to remove him or her from the course. Entering the student ID number serves as the student’s electronic signature. IVCC has the right to rescind a withdrawal in cases of academic dishonesty or at the instructors’ discretion.

Students should be aware of the impact of a withdrawal on full-time status for insurance purposes and financial aid. It is highly recommended that students meet with their instructors and/or with a counselor before withdrawing from a class to discuss if a withdrawal is the best course of action.

The IVCC Writing Center offers free, unlimited, one-on-one tutoring for students in any class at

any stage of their writing process. The Writing Center staff, which includes faculty and student

tutors, is happy to assist students in understanding assignments, brainstorming topics, organizing

and developing ideas, and revising and editing drafts. Our Quick Query service provides help with basic writing questions via email. The Writing Center also has handouts on grammar and style, writing reference materials, and documentation manuals available in the Center and in the

Stylebook (www.ivcc.edu/stylebook). The schedule, appointment availability, and Quick Query

instructions can be found by visiting the Web site (ivcc.edu/writingcenter), calling the Learning

Commons at 815-224-0318, or stopping by the Writing Center in the Learning Commons (D-201). If you would like to be tutored at the Ottawa Center, call 815-224-0800 or drop by the main desk to schedule an appointment.

*This syllabus is tentative and subject to change.