The UTD First Year Experience

Rhet 1101
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication
Section: 003 Semester: Fall 2008
Instructor: Leah Nall First Year Leader: Ramin Toofan
Office Location: GR 4.524 Phone #: 972-883-6754
Email: lnall@utdallas.edu Email: rkt042000@utdallas.edu

Required Materials:

• UTD Student Planner & Guide

• Cohen, Harlan, (2005). The Naked Roommate, Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville.
• DiTiberio, John, K. & Hammer, Allen, L. (1993). Introduction to Type in College, CPP,
Inc. Palo Alto.
• Index Cards
• UTD student email account

Course Objectives:

• To connect you with the UTD campus community through department presentations,
campus involvement, and interactions with peers.

• To help you discover your personal learning style and ways to use that knowledge to
achieve greater success and enjoyment in your classes.

• To present tips, tactics, and techniques for more effective learning, emphasizing time
management strategies, critical thinking, and the use of campus resources.

• To enhance your communication skills through opportunities for both oral and written
expression.
Coursework & Grading Philosophy

• Rhet 1101 is a required course for all incoming freshmen as it has been effective in
raising GPA’s, retention from the freshman to sophomore year, and overall student
satisfaction and success.
• UTD is a selective admissions institution with one of the highest average Freshman
class SAT scores in the state, therefore performance and participation in Rhet 1101 is
expected to reflect the caliber of students and academic standards of the university as a
whole.
• The course objectives for Rhet 1101 represent goals which are fundamental to student
success both inside and outside of the college classroom.

Course Requirements and Grading

• Class Attendance 250 points

• Weekly writing 50 points
• Academic Autobiography 100 points
• Campus Event Attendance 600 points
• Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony 100 points
• Group Project & Presentation 150 points
• Risk Taking Paper 100 points
• Final Exam 150 points

Total 1500 points

1500 A+ 1155 – 1199 C+

1395 – 1499 A 1095 – 1154 C
1350 – 1394 A- 1050 – 1094 C-
1305 – 1349 B+ 1005 – 1049 D+
1245 – 1304 B 945 – 1004 D
1200 – 1244 B- 900 - 944 D-
Below 900 F

*Rhet 1101 is a requirement for graduation. If you drop the course or fail it, you must
take Study Skills (DRDG 0v94) in the Spring. It will be recoded as Rhet 1101 in order to
give you credit for the course and enable you to replace your low grade or W.
Class Policies

• Cell phones must be turned off or to vibrate and are not to be answered or used for text
messaging during class time.
• Unless otherwise noted, laptops are NOT necessary for taking notes in class and should not
be opened at any time.
• Food and drink should be kept to a minimum and put away once class begins.
• Arriving late is disruptive to class activities and may affect your attendance and
participation grade. If you have a legitimate reason for being late, please inform your
instructor ahead of time or immediately after class.

Class Attendance

This is a discussion-based class that involves collaborative learning and interactive exercises in
order to explore a variety of topics relative to your transition to college life and The University
of Texas at Dallas. Therefore, it is critical that you come to class to take part in the activities
and contribute to the class dynamics.

For an excused absence, you must adhere to the following:

• All students participating on UTD competitive teams (athletic and intellectual) must bring
an official Intercollegiate Competition Memo signed by John Jackson prior to any
sanctioned absences. Students must inform the instructor of the impending absence at least
2 weeks prior to the absence. If this does not occur, it is at the instructor’s discretion to
excuse or not excuse the absence.

• Any anticipated absence arranged through Disability Services must be shared with the
instructor at least 2 weeks prior to the absence. If this does not occur, it is at the
instructor’s discretion to excuse or not excuse the absence.

• Students observing a holy day must inform the instructor before the class day to be missed

Weekly Writing

For 10 weeks of the semester, your instructor will post a question or scenario on the class
Facebook page or provide a personal journal topic for you to respond to with your thoughts,
ideas, and concerns.

Academic Autobiography

You will write a minimum 3-4 page paper about your life as a student thus far and considering
where you want to go with your major and career, examining your experiences in the context
of your learning style.
Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony

You will prepare a 2 – 2½ minute talk about something familiar to you and that you would like
to share with the class. Topics must be pr-approved by the instructor.
Group Project & Presentation

You will work with a group of your classmates to explore issues related to making a successful
transition to college life through The Naked Roommate and other sources. Your findings will
form the basis of a minimum 8 minute oral presentation to the class.

UTD Campus Exploration

You will attend a variety of 6 on-campus events in order to discover what UTD has to offer in
the way of student services, personal resources, social opportunities, and entertainment. A
community service option is available to count for two of the events.

Take A Risk

You will identify ways in which getting out of your comfort zone will help you grow as a
person and enable you to successfully achieve your goals. You’ll take a risk, then write about
the thoughts and experiences leading up to it and your conclusions about the experience
afterwards in a minimum 4-5 page paper.

Final Exam

This will be your opportunity to demonstrate what you have gained over the course of the
semester.

Written Assignment Format

All assignments are due on the specified due date – NO LATE WORK WILL BE
ACCEPTED!! Also all work must exhibit the following format:

• A coherent essay that addresses all required elements of the assignment.

• Typed, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font with one-inch margins.

• Students should include their name, section number, and date on all work.

• Papers should be free of typos, spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors.

• Vocabulary should reflect that of a college student, and writing style should be mature and
cognizant of the instructor as audience.

• If submitted via email, papers must be sent as an attachment, from your UTD email
account, following the above format and submitted on or before the specified due date.
Failure to adhere to any of the above will result in:
• A 10 % deduction for incorrect format.
• A 5 % deduction for multiple typos, spelling and grammatical errors.
• A 5 % deduction for poor language use and/or a disrespectful voice in the paper.
• No points for work turned in after the specified due date.

The University of Texas at Dallas is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter
of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 as amended. With the passage of new federal legislation entitled Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed
focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to

students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student
responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and in
providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels.
Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic
accommodations can be found at www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/hcsvc.html. Please visit the
office of Disability Services in Student Union (1.610) or call at 972.883.2098 to obtain proper
paperwork for this class.
 Course Schedule (MW)
August
25 Go over syllabi, take the UTDAT
27 PLSI, Overview of Understanding Type in College

September
1 Labor Day: No Class
3 Group Resume’
8 DUE: Academic Autobiography; The Importance of Public Speaking & Elements of a
Good Oral Presentation
10 DUE: Campus Events #1, Rubric Development, Expert Testimony Assignment
15 UTD Scavenger Hunt (Bring camera phone)
17 Introduction to Naked Roommate Group Project; Group Work Day
22 Oral Presentation: Expert Testimony Homework: Risk Questionnaire
24 Getting out of your comfort zone. Definition of “Risk”
29 Time Management

October
1 **No Class**
6 DUE: Campus Events Set #2, Technology & Communication
8 FYL Presentation FYI [Mark Stoerner Presentation 7:00pm]
13 Library Information Session **Meet in Lobby of McDermott Library**
15 Group Presentation #1 and Follow-Up Discussion
20 Test Anxiety
22 Alcohol and Other Drugs
27 DUE: Campus Events Set #3 $$$ & Credit “What’s it all about”
29 Group Presentation #2 and Follow-Up Discussion

November
3 Relationships 101
5 FYL Presentation
10 Academic Dishonesty
12 Group Presentation #3 and Follow-Up Discussion
17 HIV/AIDS Ethics Exercise
19 DUE: Campus Events Set #4 Career Center Presentation
24 Group Presentation #4 and Follow-Up Discussion
26 Battle of the Sexes

December
1 DUE: Risk Paper Discuss the Results of Risk Assignment
3 Summing it all up- Letter to next class of freshmen
8 Last Day of Class – Final Exam
 Academic Autobiography
Goal: To give you the opportunity to reflect on your life as a student and incorporate your
understanding of your learning style. Write a paper discussing the following items and provide
insight as to the influence of your learning “personality” on these experiences. Be specific,
using information from the Understanding Type in College book to illustrate your points. Your
paper should be a minimum of 3-4 full pages in length.

Begin by stating your learning style according to the PLSI and give a brief summary of the
elements of this style.

Then, discuss in autobiographical format, the following:

• What has been your best academic experience thus far? How has it affected your
approach to school over the years?

• Who are the teachers that influenced you the most, and in what ways?

• What has been the biggest challenge with regard to your education thus far?
• What made it such a challenge?
• Did it change your perception of yourself as a student?
• Did it affect your attitude toward school and learning?
• How did you get through it?
• In what ways do you limit yourself, or hold yourself back in some way?

• When did you first sense the particular ways in which you prefer to learn?
• How did you discover your learning style?
• Discuss your current thoughts about a career path.

• If you don’t know what direction you would like to go, what majors/careers might
you look into based on your learning style?
• Explain why these have good potential.

• If you have selected a major/career path:

• What is appealing about it to you?
• How do the job possibilities mesh with your learning style?
• Are there any particular challenges to this major/career path that may result from
your learning style? Explain.

• Now that you know your learning style, what can you do to get more out of your
classes and reach your academic goals?

What are you most looking forward to during your college experience at UTD?
 Oral Presentation:
Expert Testimony
Oral Presentation:
Expert Testimony
Goal: To enable you to become more comfortable with public speaking and develop
your communication skills in a small, familiar environment.

Assignment:
1. Prepare a 2 - 2½ minute presentation on a topic you know very well. This could
be a hobby, a particular academic subject, your home town, a favorite book, etc.
No research should be necessary.

2. Practice your presentation so that you are prepared and comfortable with what
you are going to say. You will not be allowed to use note cards, prompts or
PowerPoint.

3. Consider the following:

• Well organized presentation of information - Just because the information

is familiar to you, doesn’t mean everyone will know what you’re talking about.
Rambling about any topic is never going to make people want to listen to
you. Deliver the information you want to share or the story you want to tell in
an interesting, easy to follow manner that makes sense to the naïve listener.
• Substantial content appropriate for time frame – Even brief speeches
must have substance. Make yours and everyone’s time worthwhile by saying
something worth listening to.
• Ability to engage your audience – You’ll be listening a lot more than you’ll
be talking and you don’t want to be bored. Don’t be the one who puts
everyone else to sleep.
• Adherence to time limit – Even professionals have a time limit. It’s critical
to accomplish what you want to in the minimal time you are given without
going over or coming up short. It takes practice to get this down.

4. This assignment is worth 100 points and will be presented on:

Campus Event Categories
You must attend at least one event from each of the different categories listed below.
Two additional events may be selected from the categories of your choice. The events listed
below are just examples, and many more events are likely to qualify for this assignment. If you
are uncertain as to whether or not an event counts for this assignment, or which category it
belongs to, please ask your instructor.

You can find a complete list of campus happenings through:

• The Online or hard copy of the Comet Calendar
• The Mercury
• The Electronic Sign by the Conference Center
• The Arts & Humanities Events page
• Your First Year Leader or Instructor
• Bulletin Boards and Flyers

Campus and Social Integration

NCAA Athletic Events (Volleyball, soccer, basketball)
Welcome Week Games/Waterview parties
Meteor Theater Movies
SUAAB Events (Casino Night, Karaoke Night, etc.)
Intramural Sports Participation
Club Sports Participation
Student Government Meeting Attendance
Campus Club or Organization Meeting Attendance
SOF Meeting Attendance

Personal Wellness
Women’s Center Seminars/Speakers
Counseling Center Seminars
Health Education/Health Center Seminar or Event

Academic Enhancement
Career Center Seminar
McDermott Library Tour
Learning Resource Center (calculus study session, use of writing lab, etc.)
Office of International Education Seminar
Office of Judicial Affairs Seminar
Academic Department Brown Bag or Speaker
Cultural Awareness
Multicultural Center Event
International Student Services Event
Musical Concerts and Theater Productions
Theater Productions
Art Barn Exhibit (proof = brochure and brief write up of your “take” on the art. Please don’t
ask staff for proof of your visit.)
Community Service Option

If you are interested in being a tutor or mentor in the Richardson Independent School
District (RISD) you may take part in the ____________program and upon completion, earn
credit for two campus events. You must meet all program requirements in order to receive the
full 200 points.

To learn more about this program, talk with your instructor. You must fill out the
necessary forms and return them to _____________by _______________.

Your other four campus events must come from each of the categories designated on
the previous page and follow all format and deadline requirements.