Mondays and Wednesdays 12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
This course focuses on a learner's role and responsibility in the learning process. Students will develop active learning strategies and effective study skills to become broadly educated individuals who are creative, critical thinkers able to solve problems and competently communicate. Upon completion, students will understand the purpose of higher education and the value of a college degree in lifelong learning.
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Critical Thinking
- Responsibility
Faculty Contact Information
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm or by appt or as needed.
M.Ed Higher Education Student Affairs
B.S. Agriculture
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as college students.
- Identify strategies for managing their time, money, and stress.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills appropriate to the situation.
- Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills in a variety of contexts.
- Demonstrate proficiency in a variety of study skills.
- Develop effective and ethical strategies for locating, evaluating, and using information to inform their ideas.
- Articulate what it means to become a learner.
| TOPICS: | EXAMPLES: |
| College Foundations: Suggested Week 1 | Understanding the value of higher education |
| Campus resources | |
| Using Canvas | |
| Growth Mindset and Belonging | Skills, values, and interests inventories |
| Community building | |
| Equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging | |
| Social interactions and relationships | |
| Campus events and involvement | |
| Self-Advocacy | Setting goals and identifying priorities |
| Time management | |
| Communication strategies | |
| Managing stress | |
| Career Exploration | Career Coach |
| Career exploration | |
| Money | |
| Preparing for Success | Critical thinking and problem solving |
| Information literacy | |
| Active reading |
Bhargava, Rohit and Jennifer Brown. Beyond Diversity. Ideapress Publishing. (2021).
Bhargava, Rohit and Jennifer Brown. Beyond Diversity. Ideapress Publishing. (2021).
Class attendance will be worth 50% of your total Final Grade. Assignments will make up the remaining 50%.
In percentages:
A: 100 - 90
B: 89 - 80
C: 79 - 70
D: 69 - 60
F: 59 & Below
1. Student Passport to Online Learning
2. LASSI Inventory
3. Information Literacy
4. Career Exploration and Academic Mapping
5. Campus Event Participation (2)
6. Financial Literacy
7. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging writing assignment
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Attendance and Participation: Foundations for Student Success is a course where regular class attendance and active participation are of critical importance to your learning and to the experience of your classmates. Additionally, research has shown that regular attendance (in this class and all your classes) is a strong predictor of your academic success. Therefore, you are expected to actively participate and engage in our online Learning System called CANVAS and in class. You will be required to log in on a consistent basis (logging in at least every other day) and engage with course content, your peers, and your instructor. Attendance is mandatory and you will receive a grade for your attendance in person. In order to be successful in this class, you MUST attend class consistently. If you will be absent, you are required to let your instructor know ASAP through email, phone, in-person, or other avenue when it's safest to do so.
Communication: You are expected to communicate with your instructor any questions, issues, or concerns you may have regarding the course. Communication IS KEY! If at any point, you are experiencing a challenge in our course, please reach out to me ASAP. We want you to succeed and we want to help provide you with the resources needed to do so. You are also expected to check your Student Email at least once a day in order to be successful.
Class Assignments/Late Policy: ALL assignments are expected to be completed and turned in ON TIME. You MUST inform your instructor if you are planning to submit an assignment late. I will accept late assignments up until the official end date/time of the course - March 6, 2026 by 11:59 PM CST. Late points will be deducted for assignments turned in after the due date. 10% will be deducted EACH day your submission is late - up to a maximum of 75% will be taken off.
Plagiarism/AI Policy: All assignments submitted must be the student’s own work. Plagiarism is defined as representing the words or ideas of another writer as one’s own. Plagiarism may result in an immediate final grade of F in the course without exception with no chance for withdrawal. All information taken from an outside source must be properly cited. You are not allowed to use AI in this class. This class is based upon true engagement and reflection. If AI is detected in your work, the instructor will initiate a conversation with you and the assignment will result in a 0. Submitting work from Internet sites and databases as your own original work constitutes both cheating and plagiarism and can result in an immediate final grade of F in the course without exception. In addition, work written for other courses or submission of work that has been acquired from other students or written by family members or friends will result in a final grade of F in the
course without exception. Other instances of academic dishonesty, such as changing fonts and type sizes of letters or punctuation to lengthen papers, may result in an immediate grade of F in the course without exception with no chance for withdrawal. Any incidence of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will be reported to the Director of Student Affairs and may result in additional academic discipline and possible academic suspension.
Technology: You will need consistent online access to complete this course. Please reach out to your instructor ASAP if you come across any issues.
Work Submitted Electronically: Any work that is submitted MUST be submitted electronically unless the student and instructor have created an agreement otherwise. All work must be submitted by 11:59:59 pm CST on the due date listed in order to be considered on time. If you are unable to submit your work electronically or on time, you must inform your instructor immediately through phone, email, in-person, or another pre-approved communication method. Otherwise, your assignment will be considered late.
Paper/Reflection Format: All submitted papers must have required format to avoid point deductions:
Name, Date, Class, Instructor. Points will be deducted for incorrect formats. Assignments must be turned in the required format provided in EACH assignment or points will also be deducted. Please see below for heading
requirements and format expectations:
Times New Roman
12 pt Font
Double Spaced throughout entire paper
Works Cited separate page to be formatted in MLA correctly
In-text citations for any sources is expected
Instructor Expectations: You can also expect me, as your instructor, to respect AND value the thoughts, opinions, and identities you and your classmates bring! You can expect me to be communicative, open to listening, and to be a resource to you here at Kankakee Community College. You can also expect me to be flexible and to effectively communicate throughout this course. You can also expect communication from your instructor in a timely manner.
Student Support Hours (When/where you can reach me) : As needed, Mondays – Fridays in L292 or by appointment: https://kccadvising.setmore.com/tishauna-thigpen
Important Dates/Information: If for any reason, you are struggling academically, or if you're simply interested in perfecting your study routine, please visit our Student Success Center (Tutoring) located in the Miner Memorial Library. You can also view their Tutoring Schedule each week in real time here.
Our Course Refund Date is January 16, 2026 . The Course Withdrawal Date for this course is February 17, 2026. Please visit with your Academic Advisor before these dates to discuss your options.
Expectations for Classroom Behavior: To ensure an enjoyable, inclusive, and engaging learning environment, you are expected to openly share your ideas and express your opinions in class; respect the opinions, values, and identities of your classmates, instructors, and guests; and honor the open environment of the class by respecting confidentiality when appropriate. You are expected to do your best work, meet assignment deadlines, engage regularly in class discussion and activities, and treat other members of the class with courtesy and respect. Treating others with respect is non-negotiable. This applies to not only your interactions with me as your instructor, but it carries over to your classmates, and yourself. Disrespect in our class conversations will not be tolerated and if needed, disciplinary action may be taken.
| Dates/Week | Topic | Assignments |
| Week 1 | Introductions, Tutoring, and My KCC/Canvas Navigation | Hello my name is... & Pre-Course Survey |
| Week 2 | Time Management & Planning | Student Passport to Online Learning & Learning about the Library - Part 1 & 2 |
| Week 3 | Time Management Continued & The KCC Miner Memorial Library | Semester Planning & Time Management Part I |
| Week 4 | Study Skills and Notetaking | LASSI & Student Guide to AI & Campus Event - Connection |
| Week 5 | TRIO/Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Center/Student Life | Chapter 1 of Beyond Diversity Letter to Your Future Self |
| Week 6 | Career Services & Financial Literacy | Career Coach Assessment & Financial Literacy |
| Week 7 | Advising & Beyond Diversity | Chapter 2 of Beyond Diversity & Academic MAP |
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.