Fall 2020 – IDS 94 03/Cooperman Scholars Group Meetings

IDS 94 03
0 course units (no-credit)
Term:  Fall 2020
Time:  1:30-2:50pm W
Place:  REMOTE
Prerequisites: None		 Prof. G. Steinberg
Office: Bliss 216
Office Phone: 609-771-2106
Office Hours:  by appointment only (remote)
Email: gsteinbe@tcnj.edu

GOALS.  By the end of the course, I want you

      1. to know more about the academic culture of TCNJ,
      2. to share experiences and give each other advice and support,
      3. to develop methods to help manage your time,
      4. to start developing a long-range plan to manage future decisions, and
      5. to learn to use the support services available on campus.

REQUIREMENTS.  As part of your contract with the Cooperman Scholars Program, you are required to

      • meet with your Cohort Mentor and participate in a weekly group meeting during your freshman and sophomore years. This meeting is estimated to require one to two hours of your time per week and is designed to help ensure your continued success in college.
      • attend one-on-one meetings with your Cohort Mentor every two weeks. This meeting is estimated to require one hour of your time every two weeks and is designed to help support you on campus, check in on your academic progress, and connect you to campus resources.

This course is graded Pass/Unsatisfactory.  In order to pass the course, you must attend and engage in both the weekly group meetings and the biweekly one-on-one meetings.

All our meetings will take place remotely (because of the coronavirus pandemic), but for the group meetings, we will “meet” synchronously online during the scheduled time for our class on each of the regular class days of the semester (unless otherwise noted in the course schedule below).  You are expected to “attend” all these class meetings.  The links for joining the synchronous online class meetings are available in Canvas under “Zoom.”  For information on the College’s attendance policy, please go to https://policies.tcnj.edu/?p=77.  If you have technology issues or needs during the semester, please contact the IT Helpdesk at 609-771-2660 or helpdesk@tcnj.edu.

You are also required to attend one-on-one meetings with me every other week.  We will schedule a regular meeting time and will “meet” virtually or by phone at that same day and time every other week.

PROFESSOR’S AVAILABILITY.  My office is Bliss Hall 216, but my office hours this term are by appointment and remote only.  You may contact me by email (gsteinbe@tcnj.edu) to arrange a virtual or phone “meeting.”  You may also call my office phone (609-771-2106) and leave a message (if I do not answer), but email is usually the best way to get in touch with me.  In an emergency (minor or major), you have my cell phone number and may call or text me.  Please, do not share my cell phone number with any other students outside our group.

COURSE SCHEDULE.  This schedule is subject to revision at the discretion of the professor.

Dates Topics
W Aug 26 What do you want to learn and do at these meetings?
Possible topics:

      1. career planning – how do I plan for my future beyond TCNJ? how do I find out about and get internships?
      2. study abroad – what are the options?
      3. mental health warning signs – what should I watch for?
      4. sequencing courses – how do I plan out my four years at TCNJ?
      5. faculty – who are they and how do I get to know them?
      6. GPA – how do I figure it out and why is it important? + PAWS tricks
      7. identity – who am I and how do I fit in?
      8. other majors and minors – what are options and ideas?
      9. other things?
W Sep 2 We will meet at 1pm instead of 1:30pm.
TOPIC:  Time Management – how do I avoid falling behind?
Community Learning Day (play performance at 2pm)
W Sep 9 We will meet at 1pm instead of 1:30pm.
TOPIC:  Boundaries – how do I balance work, family, and school?
Steps to a Successful Semester workshop at 2pm
W Sep 16 TOPIC:  Thinking about careers (https://career.tcnj.edu/online-resources/subscriptions/focus/)
W Sep 23 We will meet at 1pm instead of 1:30pm.
TOPICS:
Meeting in person?
Tutoring
Study skills and note taking
Time Management in a Digital Environment workshop at 2pm
W Sep 30 TOPIC:  Check-in – what do you need right now?
W Oct 7 Leadership Conference (all week)
GROUP MEETING CANCELED
W Oct 14 Procrastination and Mental Health workshop at 11am
We’ll meet at our regular time.
TOPICS:
Leadership Conference – what workshops did you intend and what did you learn?
GPA – how do I figure it out and why is it important?
PAWS tricks – how do I make best use of PAWS?
W Oct 21 TOPIC:  faculty – who are they and how do I get to know them?
W Oct 28 TOPIC:  registration, advising, and PAWS
W Nov 4 TOPIC:  sequencing courses – how do I plan out my four years at TCNJ?
W Nov 11
W Nov 18 TOPIC: mental health warning signs – what should I watch for?
W Nov 25 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)
W Dec 2 First- and Second-Year Cooperman Scholars Mixer