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Instructor Information and Resources

 

New Instructor Information
COR 101 is an academic course that is designed to engage students in critical thinking about their personal, academic, and social development as they make the transition to college.

COR 101 is an opportunity for faculty and staff to connect to first-year students and learn first-hand about the challenges students encounter during their first academic semester. The course benefits instructors by giving them insight into their own teaching methods and allows for the development of new teaching strategies. COR 101 offers instructors an opportunity to learn current concerns and student perspectives on campus issues, which serves as a powerful way to enhance teaching and advising.

General Qualifications we look for in COR 101 instructors include:
- Previous teaching experience
- Knowledge of current issues college students encounter
- Interest and experience working with first-year students

Instructors are required to:
- Attend the Kick-off scheduled at the end of August just before the semester starts
- Submit a course syllabus to the COR Coordinator
- Work with a Teaching Assistant, an upperclassmen student

Required Texts
The Textbook. Purpose and Practice, Making the Most of Your First Year at SUNY Cortland.
Purpose and Practice was developed by faculty, professionals, and students on campus to help educate our first-year students about the campus, including the resources, policies, and opportunities that are available to them. The essays, activities, and resources have been compiled to encourage our students to reflect on their experiences and the experiences of their peers.

Student Planner: Your Guide to Success. During the first week of your COR 101 class, all students should receive the Student Planner. In addition to the calendars that will help students keep track of their schedules, exams, etc., several pages are devoted to advising and registration, Cortland policies, and other information that helps supplement COR 101 topics.

College Catalog. In the past, incoming first-year students would receive a copy of the college catalog through their COR 101 sections and instructors would use the catalog as one of the texts for the course. With the move of the catalog from a print version to all online, it is important for instructors to continue to encourage students to become familiar with their program requirements in the catalog and to identify important rules and regulations. The catalog can be found at: www.cortland.edu/catalog

Course Requirements
Instructors use a variety of styles and teaching methods in class. We encourage new ideas and approaches to COR; however, as part of the program's goals, there are a few basic requirements for all students in COR 101:

  1. Campus events: Students must attend at least four campus events
    • One cultural
    • One athletic
    • One lecture of program on personal or academic issues
    • One event of the student's choosing

  2. At least six pages of writing is required. This can be in any format that you find effective. Here are some tips:
    • A breakdown of small assignments, journals, and reflection papers
    • Give at least two essay assignments to increase the emphasis on critical thinking.
    • Your feedback on the content and skill of your students' writing is critical. Even if you do not grade all of their work, feedback on any level helps establish a relationship with students in your class. Get to know your students through their writing.

  3. Students must establish and use a Cortland e-mail account. (If for some reason the student does not choose to use the Cortland e-mail account, please encourage the student to indicate their e-mail address via Banner Web)

  4. Class Participation: Students are expected to participate in COR 101. This fosters greater student-student interaction, increasing understanding and support.

  5. Completion of the College Student Inventory (CSI). See below.

Grading
COR 101 is graded on a scale of E to A+ and is worth one credit. To ensure a level of consistency throughout all sections of COR 101, the following weighting of assignments is recommended:

Written Work 30%
Class Participation 30%
Outside Activities 30%
Attendance 10%


COR Syllabus
Depending on your personal style, the syllabus for COR may be a basic outline or a much more detailed description of activities throughout the semester. To ensure consistency throughout the courses, all syllabi should include:

  1. Instructor name, telephone, email, and office hours
  2. Teaching Assistant name and contact information
  3. Course section and number
  4. Meeting time and location
  5. Description of the course (feel free to use the catalog description, or a description of your own)
  6. Goals and objectives
  7. Required texts
  8. Course requirements (attendance, assignments, etc.)
  9. Course scheduling, including any plans you have set for the semester
  10. Your grading policy
  11. Academic Integrity policy
  12. Disability statement

Some tips for building your course:

  1. Use the themes and the objectives as a base for your course
  2. Identify areas that you would like to cover
  3. Leave some room in your syllabus to be flexible - you never know what a particular class might want to explore
  4. You will not have to worry about filling time - the bigger problem is always how to cut the content down to fit into 15 sessions. Think of how to use out of class assignments, journals, and extra credit to address other issues.
  5. Think of balance. How much time will you devote to certain topics and why?

The College Student Inventory
Every first-year student takes the CSI as part of their COR requirements. Select this link to learn more about the CSI and the different activities you can use in class or in an advising session to discuss the CSI student results. The CSI is taken online during a specific time-frame, usually within the first six-weeks of class. The inventory is a self-assessment tool that helps students look at their social and academic transition issues. Your role involves requiring students to take the CSI, providing information on how to access the CSI online (PDF), and using your group's results (PDF) to enhance class discussion. The CSI helps us identify students encountering challenges or having a difficult time in their first semester.

Instructor Grants
COR instructors may apply for grant money to support activities that help integrate the students into the campus and within their respective departments. Grants can be used to subsidize tickets to off-campus events such as theatre and/or musical or community events, cover the cost of transportation to such events, support the cost of refreshments for class or special events, and fund guest speakers. Grant funding can range from $50-$200. COR 101 Instructor Grant Information and Application (pdf)

Speakers Bureau
The Advisement and Transition office maintains and updates a list of campus faculty and staff who are available and willing to be contacted to speak to your COR 101 class. Their contact information and particular area of expertise is listed. Speakers Bureau List (pdf).

Course Planning Meetings
Course Planning Meetings are informal opportunities for COR instructors to gather together before the semester starts to share ideas and activities. There will be two optional sessions available for instructors to choose from: Tuesday, July 29 at 11:00 a.m. and Wednesday, August 6 at 1:00 p.m. in the Library Conference Room. If you plan to attend one of the sessions, pleaes RSVP to Lori Schlicht

Kick-off
The 2008 COR 101 Kick-off is scheduled for Friday, August 22 at 3:00 pm in the Jacobus Lounge. The Kick-off is for all instructors and teaching assistants to receive additional information on the course, to be updated on any necessary administrative details, and to connect with each other as we begin the new academic year. Instructors and TAs can also use the time immediately after the kick-off to plan specific course assignments or activities.

Working with Your TA
Instructors work one-on-one with their teaching assistant and are required to submit a mid-semester grade and a final grade for the TA. Teaching Assistants receive three internship credits for their work with COR 101. An aspect of the instructor's role involves taking an active part in the mentorship of the teaching assistant and providing ongoing feedback regarding his/her class involvement and performance.

In the beginning of the semester, all TAs must submit a learning contract to the Advisement and Transition office. Learning contracts encourage students to set goals for their development, monitor progress, and begin to establish their own set of academic standards. Instructors and TAs should discuss expectations and role of the TA in the class and work together to complete the learning contract. For more details on what should be included in the contract, go to Learning Contract.
Instructors should also work closely with their TA to create the final poster presentation to be displayed during the Symposium. Your feedback and help during the development of the poster is a good way to provide insight on the assistant's growth throughout the semester. Your assistance can also give you a better look at the TA's perception of the class and his/her own work throughout the semester. For more information on the Symposium poster and what it should include, go to Symposium.

Active Learning Techniques

COR 101 encourages instructors to use a variety of teaching methods in class and strongly encourages the use of active learning to enhance student learning.

Active learning encompasses a wide variety of activities to encourage higher level of student participation in their own learning. Instead of being passive recipients of knowledge, students are challenged to discover knowledge on their own and through interaction. The hope is that students are more invested and interested in their learning and that new (often unexpected) insight and knowledge emerge from higher levels of active learning.

Active learning often encourages students to interact, sharing and challenging each other’s perspectives. This social interaction can be a critical part of student’s reflection and development in COR 101. Use students as peer-teachers!

Ways to Encourage Active Learning

  • Share authority in the classroom; let students take the lead and make decisions; present yourself as a peer in the learning process
  • Encourage direct student-to-student interaction through discussions, small groups, and activities
  • Monitor your class looking for times they are more actively involved
  • While active learning is often considered ‘small group activities’, it’s really anything that engages students in their learning. Thus, a student writing an in class journal or doing an activity on their own can be as active as a small group discussion.
  • Get students doing something in class—whether that is talking, writing, speaking
  • Experience is a great way to learn—encourage students to try things and be reflective on those experiences (e.g., students writing a reflection paper on their residence hall event)
  • Cooperative and collaborative group work both in and out of class
  • Interactive lectures, discussions, in and out of class journaling, guest speakers, visits to campus offices, case studies, and role plays are just a few examples of the activities instructors have used in COR 101.

Active Learning Ideas

There are many ways to encourage active learning, including:

  • Discussions in class or small groups
  • In-class reflection papers or "two minute papers" where students can take a moment to write a response
  • Out of class assignments
  • Class debates on topics
  • Student presentations (of any length; informal or formal)
  • Case studies or scenarios
  • In class activities that help students share a goal (Web scavenger hunt, library searches)
  • Get the students up to the board, using flipcharts, reporting about discussion
  • Use concept maps and mind maps and have students draw explanations of how they view a concept or situation
  • Use brief in class essays or journals to help start a discussion
  • Informal or formal quizzes or personal assessments
  • Handouts for discussions are a great way to engage visual and tactile learners
Discussion Tips
Some things you can do to foster great discussions:
  • Consider the physical layout of your class; can you arrange the tables or chairs so that students see each other?
  • Think about where you are sitting or standing, your body language
  • Turn questions back to the group instead of answering directly. See how the group can answer a question.
  • Bring some topics, questions, or ideas to each discussion to generate discussion
  • Allow students to think about ideas or questions first. Maybe have them jot down their own perspectives or answers before asking them to share thoughts.
  • Use open ended questions (Instead of, "Did Jim do the right thing calling his RA?" you might ask, "What were Jim’s choices in this situation?" or "What would you have done in Jim’s situation?"
  • Set and role model standards and ground rules for respectful discussions
  • Have students discuss in smaller groups and then share with the entire class for give greater opportunity for individuals to share ideas.
  • Use video clips, articles, campus events, case studies, and experiences to build discussions.
Activities
The COR 101 activities provided are based around the five themes of COR: orientation, transitions, academic success, diversity, and personal wellness.

Activities for the theme of orientation to Cortland
Activities for the theme of transitions
Activities for the theme of academic success
Activities for the theme of diversity
Activities for the theme of personal wellness

Instructor Application
The Advisement and Transition Office welcomes applications for new COR 101 Instructors. The application is available here in a pdf format.