UNI 101-065 First-Year Seminar

Schedule (*all times are ET)

DB = Discussion Board; RIC = Read In Class; RBC = Read Before Class; TQ = Take Quiz; HO = Hands-on

Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

1. Demonstrate the ability to identify, locate and use reference sources and materials necessary for success in a higher education experience.
2. Participate in discussion of real-life issues as informed, critical members of the group.
3. Demonstrate ability to identify and apply academic strategies for analyzing, synthesizing, and critically evaluating information from all courses.
4. Compose purposeful, reflective, written responses related to transitional issues.
5. Demonstrate awareness and understanding of both the University Studies curriculum and UNCW's Honor Code and their importance to academic well-being.

Common Student Learning Outcomes for Information Literacy [IL]

1. Develop questions for research that necessitate information seeking, gathering, and analysis and employ effective and iterative search strategies to address them. [Information Literacy, Inquiry]
2. Critically evaluate and classify sources based on the context in which they were produced and disseminated, their place in the relevant scholarly conversation(s), and their indicators of authority. [Critical Thinking, Information Literacy]
3. Synthesize and effectively use information to create new content (e.g., papers, presentations, data analyses, videos) that addresses the research questions, demonstrates ethical use of information (including the acknowledgement of other's intellectual work), and adheres to any established disciplinary or professional parameters. [Information Literacy, Thoughtful Expression]

Event Assignments

Each first-year seminar student is required to attend four (4) campus events outside of class over the 15-week semester and submit a critical reflection on each experience. Events may be on-campus or take place in the Wilmington community unless otherwise agreed upon. If there are any events for which you have questions about whether they will count towards this requirement, please ask your instructor prior to attending.

Event Categories

• Category 1 - at least one University Learning Center session
• Category 2 - at least one Arts/Academic/Multi-Cultural/Diversity event
• Category 3 - at least one Student Life-related event from one of the following categories
• Athletic event, Community Service, Career Services Workshop, Library Workshop, Health Promotions Presentation, CARE Film Series Presentation, Student Organization meeting, Study Abroad Information Session, Technology Training Session, Other (with prior instructor approval).
• Only one (1) event may be an athletic event.
• Category 4 - students are free to choose another event from any category

Event Response - for each event, you will write a critical reflection of between 150 & 175 words. Provide the event what, where, & when. Why did you pick this event? How might the experience of this event influence your future involvement?

Example: Last Thursday (25 August) at 3 PM, I attended a tutoring session at the university writing lab located in the campus library. I brought a draft of my argumentative essay for English 102, hoping to improve its structure and clarity. I chose this event because I had received a low grade on my previous essay, and I wanted guidance to strengthen my writing. The tutor was very helpful, walking me through my introduction and helping me reframe my thesis to make it more focused. We also worked on organizing my body paragraphs more logically. I appreciated the collaborative nature of the session—it felt more like a conversation than a critique. This experience has encouraged me to use the writing lab more regularly. I now see it as a valuable resource not just for fixing mistakes, but for developing my writing skills over time. I plan to return with a draft of my next major writing assignment.

Journal Assignments

Ten pages of journaling are required for this class.
Journal entries will be handwritten, and then images of the writing will be submitted via Canvas as a PDF.
Writing will be single-spaced (indent paragraphs) on two sheets of standard 10.5 x 8-inch, wide-ruled notebook paper.

Group Projects

The group project will give you the opportunity to collaborate with your peers in developing a project that will be presented to the class at the end of the semester.
Each final project will include the following components:

• Audiovisual Product
• Oral video presentation: 9-11 minutes long involving each member of the group
• Peer evaluation of each group member's contribution

Information Literacy Portfolio

The IL portfolio is composed of 4 lesson plans, each with pre-/post-class work.
Lessons break out as follows:

1. Explore & Inquire
2. Fact Check & Evaluate
3. Identify & Analyze
4. Citations & Plagiarism

Student Assessments

• Pre and Post Assessments (first two weeks of class and final week of class)
• Student Survey (distributed Week 4, Due Week 5)
• IDEA Survey (final week of class)

Course Policy Information

Academic Honor Code

As a student at The University of North Carolina Wilmington, I am committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. I pledge to uphold and promote the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is a community of high academic standards where academic integrity is valued. UNCW students are committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. This commitment begins when new students matriculate at UNCW, continues as they create work of the highest quality while part of the university community, and endures as a core value throughout their lives.

Please read and be familiar with the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code. We have highlighted some parts that are particularly relevant to courses we teach here.

Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in this class.

Time Commitment

It is a matter of UNC system policy that you should expect to be committed for an average of 8.5 hours per week (hpw) to this class (or any 3-credit hour class).

A credit hour is defined as one 50-minute meeting of face-to-face instruction per week for 15 weeks, plus a minimum of 2 hours per week for 15 weeks of out-of-class student work.

• 1 credit = 50 min * 15 = 750 min instruction + 120 min * 15 = 1800 min student work; so, 12.5 hours of instruction + 30 hours of work = 42.5 hours
• 3 credits = 37.5 hours of instruction + 90 hours of work = 127.5 hours
• For distance education, an equivalent amount of work is required (though it may be blended differently, e.g. much less face-to-face instruction).
• **127.5 hours/15 weeks = 8.5 hours/week (hpw)

You should be mentally prepared to spend ~8.5 hpw on this class.

Late Policy

All assignments are due at the published due date/time and will not be re-opened.
Exception: Unexpected life event that derails a reasonable plan by the due date/time; e.g. car accident, illness, family death, etc. Email us both as soon as possible (prior to due date/time, preferred) if/when this occurs and we will be reasonable.

Extra Credit

There is no specified extra credit in this class. We may, on occasion, subjectively award extra credit for assignment solutions that demonstrate meaningful, functional effort beyond the norm.

Attendance

This section of UNI 101 is synchronous. On time attendance is required at each meeting.
Unexcused tardiness, early departure, or absence will reduce your final grade (-.5 for tardy/early departure; /-2 for absence).
Excused tardiness/early departure/absence will not reduce your grade (e.g., illness, family death, etc. - we will be reasonable).
Tardy means 3 minutes or more late; early departure means before end of class.

Communication

The best way to contact us is via email. When writing email, please, indicate our class first in the Subject line. Also, be clear/concise: start with your question and then provide supporting details. You do not need to tell us how hard you have been working or how confused you are. Example
If you post questions in the assignment comment section in Canvas, we will likely not see it - do not do that.

UNCW Policy Information

Student Illness

Students are to do a health check each day before coming to campus. Students who experience COVID-19 symptoms should immediately contact the Abrons Student Health Center at (910) 962-3280. If a student becomes ill, s/he should let the professor know and must not attend the course in-person. If a student is too ill to attend virtually, they will be given the opportunity to complete the material asynchronously.

Disaster Contingency Plan

In the event that UNCW closes, students will be given an assignment to make up for 1 week of missed class time. This will be emailed to students within two days of the UNCW closing announcement. In the event that the rest of the semester is online, students need to be prepared by having reliable internet access, a webcam, and a microphone.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability and need accommodations, you must be registered with Disability Services (DePaolo Hall, 910.962.7555). Please provide your Accommodations Letter within the first week of class or as soon as possible. You should then meet with your instructor to make mutually agreed upon arrangements based upon the recommendations in the Accommodations Letter. For additional information, please see UNCW Disability.

Title IX

UNCW takes all forms of interpersonal violence very seriously. When students disclose, first- or third-hand, to faculty or staff about sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking, this information must be reported to the administration in order to ensure that students' rights are protected, appropriate resources are offered, and the need for further investigation is explored to maintain campus safety. There are three confidential resources who do not need to report interpersonal violence: UNCW CARE, the Student Health Center, and the Counseling Center. If you want to speak to someone in confidence, these resources are available, including CARE's 24-hour crisis line (910-512-4821). For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu/care

Code of Student Conduct

This course is subject to the Code of Student Life of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (the Code). The full Code is found here Code of Student Life. UNCW practices zero tolerance for violence and harassment of any kind. For emergencies, contact UNCW CARE at 910.962.2273 or Campus Police at 910.962.3184. For University or community resources visit Safe Relate Campus Resources.

Religious Observance Policy

In accordance with NC SL 2010-211, students are entitled to two excused absences for religious observances per academic year. These absences must be requested using the form provided on SeaNet, under "Student Services." These requests must be submitted by the student prior to the absence. Once the request is submitted, an email will be sent to all impacted instructors automatically. There is no need to send additional notification to instructors or the Registrar's Office. Any absence for religious purposes will be considered unexcused unless the appropriate form is submitted.

Seahawk Respect Compact

In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students, faculty, staff and the broader community.

• We affirm the dignity of all persons.
• We promote the right of every person to participate in the free exchange of thoughts and opinions within a climate of civility and mutual respect.
• We strive for openness and mutual understanding to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions.
• We foster an environment of respect for each individual, even where differences exist, by eliminating prejudice and discrimination through education and interaction with others.

Therefore, we expect members of the campus community to honor these principles as fundamental to our ongoing efforts to increase access to and inclusion in a community that nurtures learning and growth for all.