ORIN 1541 Foundations for Student Success Syllabus 040 Fall 2026

Credit Hours 1.00 Lecture Hours 1 Clinical/Lab Hours 0
Type of Credit
CIP Code
24.0199
Course Meeting Time

Mon & Wed 8:00-8:50

Course Description
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

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:

  1. Critical Thinking
  2. Responsibility
Explanation of Course Alignment
  • Plagiarism, is defined in section 16.2 of the Code of Conduct: “Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else.” All instances of intentional plagiarism on any major assignment for this course will lead to the immediate failure of the course with no opportunity for the student to withdraw. The instance of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of Student Development. If the student has a second instance of plagiarism reported to the Dean of Student Development, the student may be suspended from the institution.
  • Academic Integrity: Students are expected to submit honest, original work. Examples of
    cheating include copying another students’ work, using another’s work (including artificial
    intelligence) without appropriate references, or submitting your own work that has already been used in another class. The college regards cheating as a very serious offense and may result in failure of the class and dismissal from the college.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI programs can serve as helpful tools in the learning process. However, they cannot be used as a substitute for writing. Acceptable uses of AI for this course include assistance with grammar, spelling, and writing mechanics. However, using AI to generate content for a paper, assignment, or discussion post is considered plagiarism and is not appropriate use. Such use will result in, at minimum, a zero for the assignment without opportunity for resubmission, and may result in failure of the course. Academic dishonesty on a major assignment such as papers, case studies, and exams will result in failure of the course. Any use of AI should be properly referenced in the References.

 

  • 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 be in class and on time (in your seat when class begins) each day your class meets on campus and to actively participate online (logging in at least daily) and in your face-to-face class meetings with course content, your peers, and your instructor. In fact, “attendance and participation” is considered 10 percent of your final grade in this course. I allow one absence (excused or unexcused) over the course of our 8 in-person meetings. After that, I will deduct 10 points from your grade for each absence. Tardies of more than 15 minutes will be considered an absence.

Faculty Contact Information

Faculty Name
Antonia Guajardo MA, LPC
Faculty Email
Faculty Phone
312-489-8831
Faculty Office Number
N/A
Faculty Student Support Hours

By appointment 

Faculty Information

Antonia Guajardo

Course Information

Course Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as college students.
  2. Identify strategies for managing their time, money, and stress.
  3. Demonstrate effective communication skills appropriate to the situation.
  4. Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills in a variety of contexts.
  5. Demonstrate proficiency in a variety of study skills.
  6. Develop effective and ethical strategies for locating, evaluating, and using information to inform their ideas.
  7. Articulate what it means to become a learner.
Topical Outline
TOPICS:EXAMPLES:
College Foundations: Suggested Week 1Understanding the value of higher education
 Campus resources
 Using Canvas
Growth Mindset and BelongingSkills, values, and interests inventories
 Community building
 Equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging
 Social interactions and relationships
 Campus events and involvement
Self-AdvocacySetting goals and identifying priorities
 Time management
 Communication strategies
 Managing stress
Career ExplorationCareer Coach
 Career exploration
 Money
Preparing for SuccessCritical thinking and problem solving
 Information literacy
 Active reading
Common Course Materials/Textbooks

Bhargava, Rohit and Jennifer Brown. Beyond Diversity. Ideapress Publishing. (2021).

Textbook/s and Course Materials

None

Methods of Evaluation

Individual assignments, their descriptions, and point allotments are available within our Canvas shell.

90-100 A

80-89 B

70-79 C

60-69 D

0-59 F

Common Course Assignments

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

Academic Division

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700

Course Policies
  • In-Class Assignments: In-class work may or may not be collected for points. In-class quizzes may be given at any time. These opportunities are only available to those who are present in class at the time and will not be available for make-up work.
  • Missed Classes: In the event that you need to miss a class, you can work with me in advance to find out what you will miss and how we may adjust due dates. If you miss a class without notice, it is your responsibility to check Canvas for assignment information, and connect with a classmate to review what happened in class.
  • Technology: We will be using Canvas regularly. It’s important to understand how to complete common tasks in Canvas. Please reference the Online Passport to Student Learning course or visit Tutoring Services if you need Canvas support.
  • CANVAS will be used for everything - All course content and communications will be facilitated through the use of CANVAS, KCC’s learning management system. All courses at KCC use CANVAS to some extent. If you have taken a KCC course in a previous semester, you are probably familiar with CANVAS to some extent. If not, you may access the Student Passport to Online Learning in your CANVAS account which will introduce you to the components of CANVAS and online learning. When you log into CANVAS, you should see the Navigation Panel to the left. If you click on the Dashboard button, all of your classes will show up and Student Passport to Online Learning should be one of them. If you find yourself struggling with any component of online learning, please reach out to me as soon as the issue arises.
Expectations for Classroom and Online Behavior

If you are struggling with the use of technology, please let me know and we can arrange a face-to-face meeting on campus so that I may help you with the use of the technology.

  • Cell Phones, Texting, and Laptops: Respectful behavior includes giving what’s going on in class your full attention. Please put phones away during class time. If an emergency has come up where you need to answer your phone/texts, please leave the classroom to do so. Likewise, if you have your laptop out, I expect you are taking notes for this class. Please do not be engaged with homework or other assignments for another class during our meeting time.
  • Work Submitted Electronically: Please submit work through Canvas when directed to do so. If you are absent from class, you are still responsible for submitting your work in Canvas by the due date.
  • Canvas and KCC E-Mail: Our communication will take place through Canvas, so please check it regularly (at least 4 times per week). Most of your instructors will also communicate using this method. KCC sends important emails to your KCC email, so you should check that regularly too, or at least forward it to an email that you do check.
  • 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.
Course Calendar

****SUBJECT TO CHANGE****

Week 1 · Academic Support Visit 8/19 · Pre-course survey. · Hello my name is. · Student passport to online learning.

Week 2· Academic MAP  · Library Visit 8/26 · Learning about the library Part 1. · Learning about the Library, Part 2. · Letter to your future self.

Week 3 · Are you ready? Class preparation. · Being prepared for college coursework PowerPoint. · Career coach assessment. · Exploring my career. · Career Services Visit 8/31

Week 4 · Labor Day - No Class - Time tracking grid · Time tracking essay · Campus and community resources. · Upcoming Campus Connection events. · Upcoming campus learning events. · Connection event quiz · Learning event quiz Successfully managing your time.

Week 5 · Budget · Financial Literacy. · Median earnings by education attainment.· Financial Literacy. PowerPoint.

Week 6 ·  A student guide to AI. · Academic honesty. · Quiz A student guide to AI.

Week 7 · LASSI Assessment and Paper

Week 8 · End of course, survey. · End of course, tips for future freshmen.

College Policies, Resources and Supports

College Policies

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. 

Resources

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.