Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand. ‐Confucius. All GB 150/250 students are invited to embark on a journey of self­discovery, fun, and self­determination. Meeting Place and Time: Keiser 103. Tuesday 4.40 p.m. – 5.55 p.m. Learning facilitator: John C. McIntosh Office: B313 in COBE. Hours: Mon, Wed: 1.00 p.m. to 2.00 p.m. Office phone: 426 ‐ 1673 Text device: (208) 284‐4022 E‐mail: [email protected] PA: Kyrie Whitlock Cell phone: (208) 316‐3711 Reading Material: There are no assigned textbooks. The GB 150­250 Promise As freshmen in the COBE LLC you stand on the threshold of adulthood. College is a transition between the life you left behind and the person you are becoming. Some of you came to BSU to fulfil parental expectations, others are here because it is part of the blueprint for success that is heralded by society. Regardless of your reason for being here, I welcome you to this delicious opportunity to explore your interests, learn more about yourself, and most of all, prepare yourselves for adulthood. There is significant uncertainty and anxiety about the state of the global economy and your prospects for achieving and even surpassing your parents’ lifestyle. The social contract between business and individuals has been broken and the prospect of a good life through long‐term employment in a corporation is receding. This course promises the opportunity to develop skills to succeed at Boise State and also to develop a more entrepreneurial mindset. Corporate employment is akin to giving a someone a fish‐he or she is beholden to the corporation and subject to its whims. He eats at the pleasure of the corporation. Entrepreneurship is akin to teaching someone how to fish‐with those skills you can feed yourself (and much more) for a lifetime. Purposes of this course 1. Introduce skills necessary to survive and thrive at Boise State. 2. Give you hands on experience, through Dawson’s 4.0, on how a small business operates. 3. Give you an opportunity to learn, through the Entrepreneurship Club, how a business is planned and hopefully engage in the launch of a real business. 4. Give you insight into the nature of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process. 5. Instil business professionalism. Anticipated Learning Outcomes for students in the LLC Program: • Develop a sense of belonging in the residence hall and the larger University community. • Experience higher academic achievement. • Increase curricular and co‐curricular interactions with other students, faculty and staff. • More readily achieve the articulated learning outcomes specific to each sponsoring College and University Housing, as compared to students not in the Residential College. • Demonstrate increased awareness and utilization of College and University resources. • Demonstrate improved knowledge and skills related to a student’s major and career opportunities. • Experience a higher level of satisfaction with the University experience • Show a greater rate of persistence at the University. • Be exposed to learning opportunities that support a student in becoming a responsible member of the broader global community. Grading: You will be evaluated on a series of reflective writing assignments. Please see the syllabus for each assignment. You are greatly encouraged to see me during office hours or at other times to discuss your progress, seek help with assignments, or any other relevant matters. Ways to Fulfil the GB 150­250 Promise Read To take charge of your journey here at Boise State, you must be willing to read. You will receive material that you will read, and think about between each class. Typically this means spending on average two hours working on material for each hour that you are in class. I suggest breaking this time up into manageable chunks of about 45 minutes instead of waiting until the night before an assignment is due. The 45 minute chunk is just a suggestion. You know who you are far better than I, so plan accordingly. Attend class Attending class is key to your success at Boise State. We are a learning community and without your participation, and sharing, we do not learn as much. So do show up and express your great ideas! In addition, asks questions. I know it can be scary to raise your hand and ask a question. BUT, as an undergrad, I noticed that a lot of questions that were asked were often the ones I was afraid to ask. The really nice thing is we are a community and that means we trust each other and take risks in class without fear of being judged or ridiculed. Turn in assignments on time Turning things on time is a good habit to develop. It says that you are reliable and trustworthy. Also, it’s a great habit to have if you work for a business or best yet, create a business of your own. Think about it‐would you buy from a company that delivered its products late? Okay, okay, I am showing my obsession with entrepreneurship‐can’t help it. I’m a startup junkie. I love the excitement and energy that goes into starting up a business. I also like the bonding and good times that come out of the experience. It’ almost like going to work every day with your best buds. Make this experience our own This means co‐creating this syllabus. It means identifying things we can do that will make the following outcomes relevant to YOU and to all of us as a community. Below are some objectives that I think are important. Let’s all work to make those objectives meaningful and fun! It means taking control of the experience in this class by actually shaping this syllabus. Okay, so here are the objectives in no specific order of importance: • Gain insights and experience concerning how an established small business operates. Dawson’s 4.0 is a tool for doing this. • Learn more about how a new business is planned and (hopefully) launched. The Entrepreneurship club is a tool for doing this. • Engage in service learning experiences. This is a good introduction to social enterprise. • Develop an evaluation criteria for this course. Yes, you actually get to determine how you are graded‐what could be better than that! Mission: The Living‐Learning Communities Program enriches student learning through direct connection with faculty who bridge academic and personal life and foster interdisciplinary inquiry. Our shared values ­ Self Assurance ‐ Love of Learning ‐ Intellectual Curiosity ‐ Community Engagement ‐ Openness and Inclusion Our community code of conduct Attendance Must come to class unless it’s a University Social Graces Eye contact, punctual, no texting, nicely Communication Be respectful to others (respectful chaos) Misc sponsored event /emergency (as determined by peers. Must sing song/do dance or bring treats if late/absent (offender decides) dressed (business casual), don’t attack others, no facebooking Late Assignments Late assignments will be discounted 10% for each calendar day late. At the end of the semester I will drop the lowest grade and substitute the average of your other assignments. Grading The following are course components and associated points: 1) You will be assigned approximately ten experiential exercises that are designed to make you more aware of things that face entrepreneurs and business people. Research shows that compelling experiences that simulate situations confronting business professionals lead to deeper learning and greater retention. Each assignment is worth 100 points. 2) Your team will plan and host one activity. This is worth 200 points. 3) Entrepreneurs and business professionals who can succinctly and clearly present their ideas are more likely to achieve success. Participating in class is a good way of developing and honing these skills. As a result class participation is worth 500 points. Grade Scale A range: 90% to 100% B range: 80% to 89% C range: 70% to 79% D range: 69% and under Attendance Policy You are expected to be on time and attend every class in its entirety. • An attendance sheet is distributed at the start of each session. It is your responsibility to sign the attendance sheet. No one will be allowed to retroactively sign the sheet. • If you sign the attendance sheet for someone else you will be subject to academic discipline sanctions and your final alphabetic score for the course will be adjusted significantly downward. Nota Bene: The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus. Changes such as but not limited to assignments, due dates thereof, course requirements, or guest speaker appearances will be announced in class and/or by email. All students are responsible for checking their BSU email regularly. Students who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act If you qualify under ADA please see me early in the semester and bring the appropriate documentation so that necessary accommodations are made. Academic Dishonesty & Falsification of Documents As you are probably aware, academic dishonesty and falsification of documents are serious issues on the BSU campus. It is my policy to actively monitor the attendance sheets, and all course related material for instances of academic dishonesty and falsification of documents. Sanctions may range from a substantial reduction in your final grade to awarding a grade of F. I may also refer the matter to the appropriate university authorities. Be aware that two reported instances of academic dishonesty will result in expulsion from the university. If you are unsure about what constitutes academic dishonesty, please see the Student Conduct Code on the BSU website. Of particular importance is plagiarism in assignments. I will send you a copy of the COBE Writing Style Guide. Please refer to page 27 for definitions of plagiarism. NB: this is a serious problem on college campuses and instances of plagiarism in this class will be dealt with as follows. The first incident will trigger a zero for that assignment. The second incident will trigger a grade of F in the course and referral of the matter to the student disciplinary board. Statement of Shared Values Boise State University upholds the following values as the foundation for a civil and nurturing environment. Campus community members and all who are part of COBE are expected to adhere to the following values. Academic Excellence – engage in our own learning and participate fully in the academic community’s pursuit of knowledge. Caring – show concern for the welfare of others. Citizenship – uphold civic virtues and duties that prescribe how we ought to behave in a self‐governing community by obeying laws and policies, volunteering in the community, and staying informed on issues. Fairness – expect equality, impartiality, openness and due process by demonstrating a balanced standard of justice without reference to individual bias. Respect – treat people with dignity regardless of who they are and what they believe. A respectful person is attentive, listens well, treats others with consideration and doesn’t resort to intimidation, coercion or violence to persuade. Responsibility – take charge of our choices and actions by showing accountability and not shifting blame or taking improper credit. We will pursue excellence with diligence, perseverance, and continued improvement. Trustworthiness – demonstrate honesty in our communication and conduct while managing ourselves with integrity and reliability. Kin­Act 163 The faculty for the Living Learning Communities Program believe strongly in the positive worth of physical activity in the support of academic success. To that cause, all LLC students will enroll in the appropriate course credit for their community and Kin‐Act 163. The two classes will have separate syllabi, but expectations for participation and success are shared. Therefore, participation in Kin‐Act 163 will also have an impact on the grade for the specific learning community. Learning Outcomes for Kin‐Act 163 • Students will become knowledgeable on the multiple resources available to them through University Health and Recreation Services to maintain an active lifestyle. •
Students will increase motivation for active and healthy living through accessing multiple mediums. •
Students will decrease stress by maintaining an active lifestyle. Learning Objectives for linking Kin‐Act and LLC program · Students will build connections across communities and increase their resource and friendship base · Students will decrease stress by maintaining an active lifestyle • Students report on the impact of incorporating activity in the overall success of their first semester (success will be measured through self‐report and a pre and post test). Activity Themes and Assignments Each month, students will complete the activity punch cards as outlined in their Kin‐
Act 163 course syllabus. At the end of each month (the last Tuesday LLC class meeting of each month), students will turn in the punch card to the LLC faculty member. Faculty will review the punch card to see that students have fulfilled the community expectations as outlined below. Faculty will then give the punch cards to the Kin‐Act 163 instructor for tracking and grading. September October November Kin‐Act 163 Create your routine: students will be encourage to engage in activities from the prescribed list on the syllabus that supports their interests and routine Try something new: students will be required to try some new things at the Rec or in their activities. Self‐Assessment and Evaluation: students will reflect on the knowledge gained (What have you put into your routine? What Living Learning Community During the month, students must complete at least 3 activities in the month with another member of their own community. Meet someone new from another community: students will be required to meet and engage in at least 2 activities in the month with someone from another community in the LLC Self‐Assessment and Evaluation: students will reflect on how these activities have impacted their sense of community December have you discovered about yourself in the process of being active regularly? Is there something for which you have gained a passion? What might you do to pursue this activity long‐term? Students will write a final reflection on how the course has impacted their knowledge or resources, motivation and stress reduction and friendships Students will write a final reflection on the impact of the course on community building, stress relief, and overall feelings of success. ** students will take a post‐
test of the survey Self Determination Theory and Self Regulations Questionnaire In efforts to measure impact of the linked courses, Dr. Tyler Johnson will administer a survey (pre and post test) and assist with data interpretation. Pre­test, Saturday, Aug. 20, 10:30am During our orientation, Tyler has volunteered to join the group and request that students take the Self‐Regulation Questionnaire. He will explain purpose and procedures and collect surveys. Karen Baker will score the surveys for him and keep in a locked and safe location. Post‐test, December 13 (or thereabouts) During our last inter‐community meeting, Tyler will come back to the group and administer the post‐test survey and collect data. Tyler will then come to the group in January to review the results and provide interpretation. Session 1. Schedule of Sessions 08/23/2011. Introductions and administrative matters. Distribute first experiential exercise‐ Business is Everywhere. For this exercise, break into teams of three. Over the next few days I want you to walk around and take note of your surroundings. Notice what products, services, items etc are the result of someone making the conscious decision to build a business (we can include non‐profit organizations in this category) and deliver those things. Make a list of ten items. Next, make a list of Session 2. Session 3. Session 4. Session 5. Session 6. Session 7. Session 8. Session 9. Session 10. ten items that you encounter that are NOT the result of a deliberate action by someone to deliver via a business. Note that this is a team exercise so you create only one list of business and non‐business items. Also make some notes about what you learned from this experience and be prepared to discuss your findings. 08/30/2011. Discuss findings of “Business is Everywhere” exercise. Discuss second experiential exercise‐ The Bug Report. 09/06/2011. All LLC scavenger hunt. 09/13/2011. Present outcomes of “Bug Report exercise”. Discuss third experiential exercise‐ Finding the Entrepreneur Within. 09/20/2011. Work on the Finding the Entrepreneur Within exercise. 09/27/2011. Present Finding the Entrepreneur Within exercise. Discuss fourth experiential exercise‐ Know Thy Customer. 10/04/2011. All LLC activity. 10/11/2011. Present findings of Know Thy Customer exercise. Discuss fifth experiential exercise‐Product Concept Statement. 10/18/2011. Work on Product Concept Statement exercise. 10/25/2011. Present findings of Product Concept Statement exercise. Discuss sixth experiential exercise‐ Existing Product, New Applications. Session 11. 11/01/2011. Work on Existing Product, New Applications exercise. Session 12. 11/08/2011. All LLC activity. Session 13. 11/15/2011. Present findings of Existing Product, New Applications exercise. Discuss seventh experiential exercise‐ Getting out of Your Comfort Zone. Session 14. 11/29/2011. Present findings of Getting out of Your Comfort Zone exercise. Session 15. 12/06/2011. Planning next semester’s syllabus and activities. Note: This syllabus is an organic document and is subject to change. Guest speakers may cancel their engagement or reschedule to a different day. As a result there may be changes. You will be notified of changes either by email or in class.