FIRST YEAR ADVISING COHORT PROGRAM (FYAC) - SYLLABUS

School of Economics and Business Administration

Saint Marys College of California
2016-2017 ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE TITLE:
SEBA First Year Advising Cohort (EDUC70-30)
CLASS TIME AND LOCATION:
Thursdays 3:00-4:35pm, Room DLS 113 (for Fall 2016 meetings)
Note: Classroom assignment for Spring 2017 meetings will be sent in January 2017 via email
FIRST YEAR FACULTY ADVISOR:
Professor Andras Margitay Becht
Phone:
1-925-361-2013
Email:
am17@stmarys-ca.edu
Office Location:
Galileo Hall 321
Office Hours:
MW 3:00-4:00pm and by appointment
Mary Coe
Phone:
Email:
Office Location:
Office Hours:

Cell (925) 216-8904 Office (925) 631-8187

mcoe@stmary-ca.edu
Galileo Hall 309
M 9:30-11:30 T 10:00-11:30 TH 11:00-noon F 9:30-11:30 and 1:30-3:30 and by appt
Sessions
1,2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12,13
14

Date
Friday, August 26, 2016
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Two SMC required workshops
Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Time
1:00-3:00pm
3:00-4:35pm
3:00-4:35pm
3:00-4:35pm
3:00-4:35pm
3:00-4:35pm
3:00-4:35pm
3:00-4:35pm
3:00-4:35pm
1:00 -2:30pm
TBD
1:00-2:30pm

COURSE OVERVIEW:
The First Year Advising Cohort (FYAC) is the foundation for academic advising at Saint Mary's. It will provide
structured support to help you transition into the academic and scholarly demands of college life, as well as
provide guidance for your educational experiences and learning opportunities. It is designed to assist you in
the clarification of your life and career goals, as well as in the development of educational plans for the
realization of these goals. The FYAC helps you more fully acclimate yourself to rigors of higher learning and
the college experience.
LEARNING GOALS:
Acquaint students with aspects of the Saint Marys College community, including the Lasallian,
Catholic, and Liberal Arts traditions that define student experiences at the College.
Engage in a variety of community building experiences with their FYAC.
Inform students of the role of faculty and academic advisors and of campus support resources.
Familiarize students with the core curriculum, general education, and basic structure of
major/minor requirements, and how to use the course catalog and GaelXpress to find information
and assess their degree progress.
Give the opportunity to form a mentoring relationship with a faculty advisor.
Explore strategies for academic success.
Set personal academic goals and develop habits as responsible decision makers.
Introduced to SEBA majors, including co-curricular and extra-curricular programs, as well as
engage in a series of workshops for individual professional development.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Regular class attendance is an important obligation and an essential condition for successful academic
progress. Excessive absence may seriously jeopardize the satisfactory completion of a course.
The FYAC program is an important part of your academic careers at Saint Marys and you will benefit most
from the program through active attendance and participation. As such, attendance is mandatory. Only
excused absences (such as those caused by a major illness accompanied by a doctors note or because of some
other conflict of which we are made aware in advance will justify your being excused from an absence).
Furthermore, tardiness disrupts class, both for us as teachers and for your fellow students. Thus, showing up
late to class is strictly prohibited. Showing up late to class will also severely and negatively impact your grade.
ACADEMIC HONOR CODE
Saint Marys College expects every member of its community to abide by the Academic Honor Code.
According to the Code, Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of College policy because, among other
things, it undermines the bonds of trust and honesty between members of the community. Violations of the
Code include but are not limited to acts of plagiarism. For more information, please consult the
Undergraduate Student Handbook at http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/your-safety-resources/student-handbook.
GRADING SCALE:
SEBA FYAC is a pass/fail .25 credit class for the entire academic year. Students are expected to complete all
required assignments with a 70% or better will receive a passing grade; below 70% will receive a failing grade:
Pass (P):
70% - 100% (700 1,000 points)
Fail (F):
69% or Below (less than 700 points)

ONE-ON-ONE MEETING WITH FIRST YEAR FACULTY ADVISOR:

Fall 2016 Semester: Two 15 minutes 1:1 meetings (including Jan Term and Spring 2017 Advising)
Spring 2017 Semester:
Two 25 minutes 1:1 meetings (including Summer and Fall 2017 Advising)
GRADING:
Points will be awarded based on the quality of work you produce. The total points you accumulate will
determine your grade.
1. Attendance and participation 12 class meetings
720 points
(60 pts/class)
2. Attendance 2 Saint Marys workshops
70 points
(35
pts/workshop)
3. Create Resume
60 points
4. A. Attend 5 SEBA Career Gateway workshops/events
100 points
(10 pts/each
event)
B. Submit a reflection paper on 5 SEBA Gateway workshops/events 50 points
Special Note: The SEBA Career Gateway calendar of events and workshops will be emailed to you
throughout the year. Please be sure to sign attendance sheet at each workshop/event. You should stay for
the entire duration of the event in order to get points and Career Gateway key.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Total:
1,000 points
Note: All assignments listed above are required and should be completed.
STUDENT DISABILITY SERVICES
Reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with qualifying disabilities are extended through
the office of Student Disability Services. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student
Disability Services at (925) 631-4358 to set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation
guidelines and available services.
WRITING SUPPORT SERVICES
CWAC: Center for Writing Across the Curriculum, De La Salle Hall (next to Hagerty Lounge), offers two options
for students of all disciplines and levels:
Writing Circles: During weekly, small-group workshops, students discuss their own writing projects, at all
stages of the process. To join a Circle, students visit www.stmarys-ca.edu/WritingCircles before or during the
first week of the semester, as Circles begin meeting week two. Once scheduled into a Circle time, students
register for that section of COMM 190: Writing Circles.
One-on-one sessions: Students make appointments or drop in 4-8 p.m. Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday; 10
a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; and 12-4 p.m. Friday. 925.631.4684,
www.stmarys-ca.edu/cwac. Writing Advisers guide their peers toward expressing ideas clearly, always
weighing audience and purpose. Writers bring their assignment sheets and readings in order to brainstorm
ideas, revise drafts, or work on specific aspects of writing, such as grammar, citation, thesis development,
organization, critical reading, or research methods. They may discuss any genre, including poetry, science lab
reports, argument-driven research, or scholarship application letters.

2016-2017 COURSE SCHEDULE

FALL 2016
Meeting #1 and #2: Friday, August 26, 2016 1:00-3:00pm
Introductions
Syllabus
Student Class Schedules
Classroom Etiquette
Assignment:
Attend 5 SEBA Career Gateway Workshops/Events between September 2016 and May 2017
Meeting #3: Thursday, September 1, 2016 3:00-4:35pm
Overview of Saint Marys Three Traditions
What can you expect in your first semester at SMC?
Introduction to SEBA Majors, Minors and Concentrations
SEBA Career Gateway Program
Study Skills and Strategies
Recommended Apps for College Students
www.mashable.com/2013/08/08/apps-for-college/
www.collegechoice.net/posts/top-15-study-apps-for-college-students/
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/08/best-apps-college-students/index.htm
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/25-apps-college-students-shouldnt-live-without.html
Syllabi Reviews (bring syllabi for all your courses and your calendar paper or electronic)
Time Management and Calendaring
Healthy Balanced Lifestyle
Meeting #4: Thursday, September 15, 2016 3:00-4:35pm
Communicating with your faculty: Etiquette and Manners
How to get the most out of your meetings with Professors?
Saint Marys Resources (Academic Advising, Writing Center, Health Center, Womens Center,
Intercultural Center, CILSA, Mission and Ministry, etc.)
Tutoring Services
http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/academics/academic-resources-support/student-academic-supportservices/tutorial-academic-skills-11
How to use GaelxpressHands on demonstration (bring your laptops to class)
JanTerm 2017 advising and registration tips
Registration for Jan Term October 3-6, 2016
SMC Student Clubs and Organizations
SEBA Clubs and Organizations:
Assignment : Complete Student Questionnaire
Meeting # 5: Thursday, September 22, 2016 3:00-4:35pm
Declaration of Major
Saint Marys Core Curriculum Requirements
SEBA Major Requirements
Developing Your Graduation Plan
Recap of Jan Term registration tips (including Gaelxpress skills and strategies)

Meeting #6: Thursday, September 29, 2016 3:00-4:35pm

Stress Management Strategies
Test Taking Strategies
Managing Procrastination
Advising for Jan Term 2017
Build Your Resume (Bring your resume! If you dont have it, please dont worry and we will create it together)
Assignment:
Create resume using the template provided and email it to your SEBA FYAC advisor by February 26, 2017.
Meeting #7: Thursday, October 6, 2016 3:00-4:35pm
Preparing for Midterms
Study Group Strategies
Advising for Spring 2017 and Summer 2017
Gaelxpress Review - Spring 2017 Schedule
Gaelxpress Registration Review
Meeting #8: Thursday, October 13, 2016 3:00-4:35pm
Saint Marys Library (resources, databases, researching companies and preparing for internship/job
interviews, etc).
Study Abroad: Destinations and Process
Internship opportunities

Meeting #9: Thursday, October 27, 2016 3:00-4:35pm

Follow up on graduation plans
Follow up on declaration of major
Elevator Pitch
Meeting #10: Thursday, November 17, 2016 3:00-4:35pm
Preparing for Final Exams
Follow up on January 2017 and Spring 2017 registrations
Leveraging LinkedIn
LinkedIn - Getting Started: Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWp6AN00D_c
LinkedIn - How To Set Up Your Profile: Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BMPoYosybY
Personal Branding/Social Media

SPRING 2017
Meeting # 11: Wednesday February 22, 2016 (Community Time 1:00-2:30 pm)
Review of the Academic Evaluation
Summer 2017 and Fall 2017 Advising
Graduation Plan: Review and Update
Summer 2017 Internships and GaelLink Demo
Overview of SEBA Graduate Programs
Strategies For Understanding the Housing Assignment Process (for the upcoming year)
Remind students to attend Workshops #12 and #13

Meetings #12 and #13: Two required Saint Marys workshops (Spring 2017)
Meeting #12: Major Exploration Workshop
(TBD: Date/Time)
Meeting #13: Study Abroad Workshop
(TBD: Date/Time)

Meeting #14: Wednesday, April 19,2017 1:00-2:30pm (Community time)TBD

Course Evaluation
Freshman Year Reflection
Planning for Sophomore Year and Beyond (graduation plan, faculty advisor, etc).
Summer 2017 Term and Internships
Celebration
Assignment:
Submit a reflection paper on all SEBA Career Gateway Workshops/Events that you attended between
September 2016 and May 2017