Honors 1003-01: Honors Project, Spring 2015
Instructor: Nora Villarreal
Class Location: D-319
Email: Nora_Villarreal@ivcc.edu
Meeting Time: M 12:00-12:50 P.M.
Office Hours & Location: A-312, TBA
Web Site: www.ivcc.edu/villarreal
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Course Description: Honors 1003: Honors Project is the second course in the Honors Program sequence following the successful completion of Honors 1001: Honors Orientation. This course focuses on a study of leadership styles, further investigation of a career or educational goal, and a group project based on the three pillars of the Honors Program: community involvement, campus leadership, and experiential learning.
Expected Student Outcomes:
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
Course Grade:
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
Required Materials:
1. Folder; 2. Notebook; 3. Daily planner; 4. Loose-leaf paper
Writing Assignments:
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.
Emailing Assignments:
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.
Late Assignments:
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.
Being on Time:
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.
Leaving Class Early:
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.
Classroom Etiquette:
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.
Academic Accommodations:
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.
Classroom Withdrawal:
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.
Peer Tutoring and Writing Center:
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.
Course Calendar
Monday, January 12
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Introduction of Instructors
Introduction of Syllabus
Introduction of Students
Introduction to Course
Assignment (due next class): Select a leadership book with one of your peers,
which you will both read and then write about for your Leadership Philosophy and Orientation Essay. How did the book help your understanding of your personal leadership orientation and overall leadership philosophy?
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Monday, January 19
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NO CLASS: COLLEGE CLOSED FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
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Monday, January 26
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Discussion: Personal Leadership Orientation and Philosophy
Presentation of Leadership Philosophy and Orientation Essay Rubric
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Monday, February 2
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Discussion: Personal Leadership Orientation and Philosophy (Continued)
Brainstorming: The Three Pillars of the Honors Program and Possible Issues to
Research: The Honors Project
Assignment (due next class): Finish your leadership book to discuss with
your partner next class.
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Monday, February 9
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Discussion: Personal Leadership Orientation and Philosophy (Continued)
Lit Circles: Leadership Books
Presentation of Honors Project Proposal Rubric
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Monday, February 16
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NO CLASS: COLLEGE CLOSED FOR ALL PRESIDENTS’ DAY
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Monday, February 23
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Informal Student Student Presentations on Leadership Books
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Monday, March 2
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Informal Student Presentations for Peer/Instructor Feedback: Honors Project
Proposal
Due: Honors Project Proposal (1-2 pages)
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Monday, March 9
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NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK
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Monday, March 16
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Discussion: Honors Project Proposals and Instructors’ Recommendations for
Next Steps
Due: Leadership Philosophy and Orientation Essay (2-3 pages)
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Monday, March 23
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Discussion: Further Career or Educational Goal Planning
Brainstorming: Activities That Would Be Helpful for Reaching Your Career or
Educational Goal
Presentation of Career or Educational Goal Exploration Essay Rubric
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Monday, March 30
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Discussion: Norms of Collaboration
Discussion: Breaking Up Tasks for the Honors Project
Check-in: Honors Project Progress
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Monday, April 6
Thursday last day to withdraw
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Discussion: Turning Research into Action: The Honors Project
Check-in: Honors Project Progress
Check-in: Career or Educational Goal Exploration Essay Progress
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Monday, April 13
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Time to Collaborate on Honors Project
Check-in: Honors Project Progress
Check-in (If Needed): Career or Educational Goal Exploration Essay Progress
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Monday, April 20
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Informal Student Presentations: Career or Educational Goal Essay
Check-in: Honors Project Progress
Due: Career or Educational Goal Exploration Essay (2-3 pages)
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Monday, April 27
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Time to Collaborate on Honors Project
Monday, May 5 Informal Student Presentations for Peer/Instructor Feedback: Honors Project
Due: Your rough materials for your Honors Project Presentation
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Wednesday, May 4
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Formal Presentation of Honors Project at Honorspalooza
SPECIAL NOTE: The location and time are to be announced. Everyone must
attend Honorspalooza for its duration. Anyone who leaves early will have
ample points deducted from his or her Formal Honors Project Presentation
grade. An exception will be made only for a scheduling conflict with another
class.
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Final exam week
Date and time TBA
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Final Assessment and Farewells
SPECIAL NOTE: Attendance at this session is mandatory; this is the date scheduled by the college for your final examination. It may be held at an alternate location besides the main campus, so do not take on other obligations that would not allow you to drive, for example, to Ottawa in order to attend. Details are to come.
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*This syllabus is tentative and subject to change.
You will be informed, either verbally or in writing, of any changes.
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