College Success Seminar

Classes

CSS 101 : College Success Seminar

This course facilitates the new student’s transition to college. Students become familiar with the college’s resources and make meaningful connections with faculty, staff, and support services. Students build a solid foundation of skills, tools, and competencies needed to be successful college students. As part of this course, students explore and utilize both technology and learning resources, identify and apply personalized study and critical thinking skills, develop academic career goals, and build financial literacy. One lecture hour per week. Instructional Support Fee applies.

Credits

1
1. Students will identify, locate, and utilize college resources. 2. Students will identify and apply personalized learning and study skills that will enhance their college success. 3. Students will formulate academic and career goals. 4. Students will develop basic financial literacy.

CSS 103 : Career Exploration and Development Seminar

This course encourages the student to learn career decision-making skills through a process of self awareness, individual, and group exercises. The student will explore various career options with the intent on narrowing down specific academic and career goals. Emphasis is placed on gaining knowledge of information resources used in career planning and gaining knowledge of the major themes of career development and choice. One or two class hours a week.

Credits

1

CSS 104 : Job Preparation: Your Credentials

A course in resume and cover letter design. Also includes instruction in job search strategies and interviewing techniques. Students are involved in mock interviewing, learning to dress for success, and appropriate work-world communication skills - everything you need to land the right job.

Credits

1

CSS 105 : Technology Tools for College Success

This course is designed to foster success in college by increasing students' information technology skills. Topics include basic computer operation, using Microsoft Office, using email, navigating Blackboard, utilizing group sharing applications, finding and assessing Internet resources, handling basic hardware issues, and assessing and using social media tools. The course also focuses on gaining facility with technology to allow students to work collaboratively to complete projects in higher level academic courses. This course is not intended for CIS, OFC, or Business Administration majors. Three lecture hours per week. Instructional Support Fee applies. Gen. Ed. Competencies Met: Information Literacy.

Credits

3
1. Create, edit, save, share and retrieve papers, simple spreadsheets and presentations using Microsoft Office. 2. Compose appropriate academic emails and attach documents. 3. Navigate e-learning to use discussion forums, Dropboxes, submit assessments, etc. 4. Utilize group sharing applications such as Google Docs and Dropbox. 5. Use reference and academic databases and search engines to find resources and assess their credibility. 6. Use online etiquette guidelines to analyze their social media presence and subsequently use social media for academic and professional growth. 7. Create, access and update an e-portfolio.

CSS 110 : Research Across the Academic Disciplines

This course facilitates the new student’s transition to college while also focusing on research skills as it relates to the other class in this Learning Community. Students will become familiar with the college’s resources, specifically research technologies, and make meaningful connections with faculty, staff, and support services. Students build familiarity with information literacy concepts and gain the skills, tools, and competencies needed to be successful college students. As a part of this course, students learn to apply research methods and critical thinking skills to develop academically and personally. Students explore and utilize technology and learning resources, develop personalized study habits, develop academic career goals, and build financial literacy. Prerequisite(s): A passing score on the college's reading and writing placement tests, and/or CC or better in ENG091 or ENG092. Three lecture hours per week. Instructional Support Fee applies.

Credits

3
1. Identify the appropriate source for the information needed (ie., college resources, academic research, and support services). 2. Analyze the authoritative claims of sources with informed skepticism and recognize the quality of evidence in different source types. 3. Differentiate competing influences, interests, agendas, or bias in sources 4. Create proper source citations and identify intellectual property; Use information ethically and legally. 5. Determine the appropriate scope of investigation, and construct a proper research question. 6. Locates and evaluates information through a variety of sources. 7. Identify and apply personalized learning and study skills; formulate academic and career goals. 8. Students will develop basic financial literacy.