Syllabus Checklist Snapshot
Approved: MC 8/26/24 College Success DORI_0200 _3A1_Spring 2026 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Carolyn Heflin Email: cheflin1@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-257-0059 Office Location: TC Building, Room 218 Office Hours: MWF 8:00-9:30 & 1:00-2:00 Tue. 8:00-9:00 & 12:00-12:30 Thurs.8:00-9:00 & 12:00-2:00 CREDIT 2 Semester Non-Credit Hours MODE OF INSTRUCTION In-Person PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: No prerequisites are required for this course COURSE DESCRIPTION Psychology of learning and success; examines factors that underlie learning, success, and personal development in higher education. Topics covered include information processing, memory, strategic learning, self-regulation, goal setting, motivation, educational and career planning, and learning styles. Techniques of study such as time management, listening and note taking, text marking, library and research skills, preparing for examinations, and utilizing learning resources are covered. This includes courses in college orientation and the development of students’ academic skills that apply to all disciplines. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Navigate the systems of college (including technology, career/major exploration, academic advising, registration, and campus resources). 2. Examine factors that underlie learning, success, and personal development in higher education. 3. Discover techniques of study such as time management, listening and note taking, test taking, library and research skills, reading, and memory. 4. Demonstrate the State of Texas core objectives of critical thinking, communication, teamwork, personal and social responsibility, and qualitative reasoning. 5. Understand the concept of financial literacy for students, including the financial aid process.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • College Success Concise by OpenStax by Amy Baldwin, Free at OpenStax.com • Computer • Internet connection (Broadband highly recommended) • MS PowerPoint (students are provided with free Office 365 access) • MS Word or compatible word processor (students are provided with free Office 365 access) • MS Outlook Email (students are provided with free Office 365 access ATTENDANCE POLICY You are required to attend class on time and log into Blackboard weekly to complete your assignments. Please contact me if you miss class and I’ll be happy to work with you to make sure that you do not fall behind on assignments. I can also mark your absence as excused when provided with an appropriate reason for absence. Unfortunately, the natural consequence of not attending class is failing the course. Students that regularly attend my classes pass this course. DROP POLICY Students are NOT permitted to drop DORI. If you stop completing your coursework, you will FAIL the course and have to retake DORI in order to be eligible to graduate. If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time in this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE CALENDAR Module Course Content and Activities Assignments Due Date Due 1 Transitioning to College Class Introduction Discussion Assignment Written Reflection 1.1-1.3 Written Reflection 1.4 Smiling Faces Assignment January 21 January 26 January 28 January 28 2 Time and Priorities Management Written Reflection 2.1-2.3 Written Reflection 2.4-2.5 Weekly Planner Assignment February 2 February 4 February 4 3 Reading and Note Taking Written Reflection 3.1-3.2 Written Reflection 3.3-3.4 Library Access Assignment February 9 February 11 February 23
4 Active Learning Written Reflection 4.1-4.2 Written Reflection 4.3-4.4 LIT and its Website Discussion Assignment February 23 February 25 February 25 5 Building Relationships Written Reflection 5.1-5.2 Written Reflection 5.3 Title IX Compliance Training Assignment Healthy Lifestyle Self-Assessment Assignment March 2 March 4 March 4 March 4 6 Your Health Written Reflection 6.1-6.2 Written Reflection 6.3-6.4 Written Reflection 6.5-6.6 DegreeWorks, Starfish, and Self-Service Banner Assignment March 16 March 18 March 23 March 25 7 Financial Literacy Written Reflection 7.1-7.2 Written Reflection 7.4-7.4 Scholarship Application Verification Assignment Prepare for Advising Assignment Advisor Meeting Assignment March 30 April 1 April 6 April 8 April 13 April 15 8 Planning Your Future Preparing for Finals Assignment Resume Assignment Advising and Registration Assignment LIT Course Evaluations Assignment April 20 April 22 April 27 April 29 Final Exam Textbook Knowledge Check May 11 COURSE EVALUATION Final grades DO IMPACT your overall GPA and will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Daily Work 45% • Major Projects and Tests 55% GRADE SCALE 90-100 A 80-89 B 70-79 C 60-69 D 0-59 F DORI course requires an average of 70 or above to pass. LIT does not use +/- grading scale ACADEMIC DISHONESTY Students found to be committing academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) may receive disciplinary action. Students need to familiarize themselves with the institution’s
Academic Dishonesty Policy available in the Student Catalog & Handbook at http://catalog.lit.edu/content.php?catoid=3&navoid=80#academic-dishonesty. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and
detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION • Grades o Assignment(s) will be due midnight before the class meets. All assignments due during the week will be graded by Friday at 2:00. o The instructor has set up your Blackboard course to automatically designate a zero on students’ assignments submitted after the due date, however that does not mean that you cannot submit assignments late. Once the instructor grades the late assignment, that grade will replace the zero. May 6 will be the last day of the semester to submit late assignments. o Working on late assignments during class is not permitted by the instructor. Instructor observation of a student working on late assignments during class will result in a verbal warning, written warning then no longer accepting late assignments from that student. o Review any comments that the instructor makes on your graded assignment. If points are deducted, the instructor will give recommendations on how to improve next time. If the grade on the submitted assignment is too low, the instructor may also invite the student to revise his/her assignment to receive a higher grade. • Communication o Please feel free to address me as Ms. Carolyn, Ms. Heflin or Instructor Heflin. I often sign off on my messages informally as Carolyn. o Activities during class will be structured for you to interact with your classmates to improve learning of the course content. o Responsible cell phone use during class is accepted. Please see two examples of responsible use below. Using your cell phone to refer to course information in Blackboard or research a topic of interest discussed during class. Receiving a text and quickly telling the person that you are unavailable or leaving the class to continue texting/make a call if it is important/an emergency. o Instructor answers Blackboard messages or emails within 24 hours. The exception is weekends or holidays, so please contact instructor before Friday 2:00 if you want a timely response before the weekend. o Be sure to read any course announcements carefully. That information is usually an important reminder to everyone in the course. o Please contact me if you need any help whatsoever. You will not be “bothering” me! It is my job to support you!