Syllabus

Interdisciplinary course in career development that connects the liberal arts and sciences degree to academic and career preparation, practical job skills, goal-setting, critical thinking and reflection. Designed for second year students, but open to all students.

This course explores the meaning and value of your liberal arts and sciences education to your future career – no matter your major. Through weekly lecture and discussion meetings, you will reflect on your experiences, your strengths, and the value of your liberal arts and sciences education at UW-Madison; explore a career community that interests you through both digital social networks and in-person interviews; and practice techniques to present your value to a prospective employer in writing, in person, and online.

Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Credits: 1
Level: Elementary
Requisites: None
Instructional modality: In person
Meeting time and location: See below

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Instructional team

Professor office hours: 12:30–1:30pm Thursdays at SuccessWorks (third floor of University Book Store – enter by Moka Coffee)
TA office hours: Contact your TA

Luke Moore
lmoore5@wisc.edu
Public Affairs // Planning & Landscape Architecture

Sequoia Sirek
ssirek@wisc.edu // LinkedIn
Public Affairs

Alyssa Lutker
lutker@wisc.edu // LinkedIn
Journalism & Mass Communication

Viswanath Pathmanaban
pathmanaban@wisc.edu // LinkedIn
Computer Science

Jonathan Jibson
jibson@wisc.edu
Supervisory instructor

Steve Catania
steven.catania@wisc.edu
Career Education and Learning Manager

For L&S Students
Visit SuccessWorks (third floor above University Book Store)
to find hours for drop-in, online, and scheduled career advising.

Not an L&S Student?
Find your career office here.

Textbooks and other required purchases

Paper and pens. In this course, we will periodically ask you to write things on paper. If you don't already have the following materials for this course, you are expected to purchase them:

A spiral notebook or composition book
Two different colored writing implements
- Could be one pencil and one pen
- Could be two different colored pens
- Could be markers, colored pencils, highlighters, etc.
$1 on your WisCard for printing resumes and other assignments

Required textbook. CliftonStrengths for Students (2017). This book has a unique code in it that allows you to take an online strengths assessment for one of your assignments. Purchase a new physical copy – not a used copy, not an eBook. Students in the past who bought a used copy or an eBook had trouble accessing the online strengths assessment. If you bought an eBook, check your email including your spam filter for the code. (Expect to pay $25.)

Optional textbook. You Majored in What? Designing Your Path from College to Career (2017). This book is a comprehensive guide to the job search process, written by an expert in career advising and targeted to liberal arts and sciences university students. It should remain useful to you throughout your time at UW-Madison and beyond. It's optional because PDF versions of each chapter are available in Modules, week by week, but it's written as a workbook for you to write in. (Expect to pay $25.)

Free in Canvas. Working Toward Success: Building a Career in the Liberal Arts and Sciences (2019). This 200-page PDF textbook is also split up into chapters in Modules, week by week.

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Calendar

Learning outcomes

Develop and communicate a compelling personal career narrative about your path through a liberal arts and sciences education, with respect to a specific target career community.

How this course works

You should expect to spend two and a half hours a week on your assigned readings, activities, and writings. By UW policy, "a credit hour is defined as the learning that takes place in at least 45 hours of learning activities, which include time in lectures or class meetings, in-person or online, laboratories, examinations, presentations, tutorials, preparation, reading, studying, hands-on experiences, and other learning activities." Your estimated workload accounts for the planned cancelations of class indicated on the calendar.

Homework and other assignments (due by midnight before your class meets)

Readings and lecture videos. Each week we ask you to complete several assigned readings (some available online, some from your textbooks) and to watch several assigned lecture videos (all available online). Each week's readings and videos are clearly listed in the Modules section of this Canvas site.
Assignments. The night before your discussion section meets each week, you must submit one or more assignments online through Canvas.

In-person class meetings

Discussion. Classes are held at various times during the week, in various rooms on-campus, depending on which section you registered for (see above).

Grading

Semester grades are computed out of 100 possible points on UW's scale. Grades are not curved or rounded. Here is the minimum grade you need in order to achieve each grade:

90 = A
85 = AB
80 = B
75 = BC
70 = C
60 = D
Lower = F

The breakdown or weighting of graded components is as follows:

56% = Career development assignments
8% = Informational interview
36% = Participation

Weekly assignments. Submissions may lose points for deviating from the formatting guidelines, for not utilizing college-level writing, for missing something substantive from the prompt, etc. The rubric for each is assignment is given in its prompt.

Participation. Engaging with your instructors and your classmates is essential, given the nature of the course material. Your instructors have discretion to assess your participation. Grading participation is inherently subjective, but here's a rule of thumb: if you feel like you should hide what you're doing, you're probably not participating! You earn credit by doing the following – doing some of them will earn you partial credit.

Coming to class on time
- -1pt for being 5 min late
- -2pts for being 15 min late
Coming to class prepared
Contributing readily to the conversation but not dominating it
Making thoughtful contributions based on the literature that advance the conversation
Showing an interest in and respect for others’ contributions
Participating actively in all groups

You should always bring a pen/pencil and a notebook to class. (If you have to buy them just for this class, consider that we've made the textbook freely available online without purchase!)

Late work. Assignments will be accepted up to one week after the due date for 50% credit. You do not need to ask for permission to turn work in late. Even one minute past the deadline is considered late, so we recommend submitting early.

You may ask your TA to waive the 50% penalty for reasons such as those outlined in the attendance policy above – your TA has discretion in such cases.

How to view feedback in Canvas. Once an assignment has been graded, you should check it for feedback (otherwise you might lose points for the same thing over and over). Click on the assignment that's been graded, and click "View Feedback" – there’s a comment pane on the right side of the page, but that might not have all the feedback, and you should always click “View Feedback.” If you think you’re on the right page but you don’t see “View Feedback,” try clicking “Submission Details” first.

Hard-copy feedback. Some students prefer hand-written feedback, rather than Canvas feedback. To ask your TA to do this, leave the request as a submission comment when you turn in your assignment (don't just email them) and then bring a printed-out copy to your next discussion for your TA.

Lack of communication. If you miss two consecutive discussion sections or weekly assignments (without letting your TA know why) we will email you out of concern for your well-being. If you do not respond to us with an explanation and a plan to get back on track, we may ask the Office of Student Assistance and Support to reach out to you to offer help.

Extra credit. There are no extra credit opportunities in this class. Keeping up with your assigned work is a crucial skill in the modern workplace.

NOTE: You will only get out of this course what you put into it. Students tend to earn high grades in this course, by attending all course meetings and completing all of the assignments on time and with integrity. And students who keep up on attendance and assignments tell us consistently that they achieve their learning outcomes in this course. Many of the assignments cover tasks like reflecting on your experiences, putting together a resume, and setting up a LinkedIn site, which you'll have to do anyway – so why not get some guidance and credit along the way?

Grade appeal policy

You may appeal a grade if you feel that it is too low. But there is a specific process you must follow in order to do so. This ensures a fair and consistent regrade process. Following these guidelines will help ensure that your request is processed efficiently and fairly. Failure to follow these guidelines may mean that your assignment does not receive review.

When can I appeal?
- Starting 24 hours after the grade is posted (not after the date of any comments in Canvas)
- Ending 96 hours after the grade is posted
- You have 3 days to appeal a grade, but you have to wait a day to collect your thoughts
- NOTE: You may not appeal your grade past the start of final exams (as scheduled by the university)
What might happen if I appeal?
- The grade may go up, if grading errors are identified
- The grade may go down, if further submission errors are identified
- The grade may stay unchanged, if neither of the above is found
Who do I appeal to?
- Your TA (whoever graded the assignment)
- Only appeal to the supervisory instructor – the professor – after appealing to your TA
How do I appeal?
- Review the steps above
- Write an explanation of your appeal
  - The onus is on you to explain how the grading was in error
  - You should respond to specific TA feedback
  - Vague or general statements will not be considered relevant
- Send an email with your explanation
  - Maintain a professional, courteous, and respectful tone in your email.
  - Frame your appeal as a request, not a demand.

Make-up work for absences

Missing class means missing points – directly (no points for the day) and indirectly (worse prepared for other assignments). However, there are reasons you might miss class beyond your control: illness, personal emergency, dangerous weather, religious observance, sports participation, job interview, approved learning accommodations. In such cases, an absence can be excused with a make-up assignment, as described below.

To initiate, you must email your TA (not vice-versa) to explain your situation and request a make-up. Do this in advance whenever possible.
- Even if you talked face-to-face already, we still need you to make the request in writing.
If your TA approves, they will email you instructions for a make-up, and you must complete the assignment by the start of your next discussion period.
- Make-ups are not accepted late.
After your TA has reviewed your make-up, you will earn participation points for the day (if the work is satisfactory).

Every student can request 1 make-up, no questions asked. After that, additional requests for excused absences are granted or rejected at your instructor's sole discretion on a case-by-case basis. (If you are missing class for a career-development reason, like a worksite visit, contact your TA.)

Course website and digital instructional tools

If you are reading this page, you are already on Canvas. It is our campus learning management system (LMS) – basically an interactive course website. It is the place to submit assignments, participate in online discussions, complete quizzes, view your grades, and view a calendar with due dates. Your instructor will conduct class through this platform. (If you are new to Canvas, know that most students get the hang of it as they go through their semester. For more detailed information, use the Canvas Student Guide. For accessibility standards, review the Canvas Accessibility webpage.)

Chrome is the recommended web browser for Canvas, and it is best to always have the latest version installed for security reasons and to experience full functionality of the course. (Visit the Canvas Community to learn more about which browsers Canvas supports.)

Zoom is a web conferencing tool that you might use to meet synchronously (live) for office hours and/or for particular class sessions. In Zoom, we can also share documents, create polls and surveys, and use whiteboard technology to collaborate with one another. You can access UW-Madison Zoom here. (You can also get support for Zoom on your own.)

Tech support resources

Computers & Equipment For Students: What Do I Need?
DoIT Help Desk: The Help Desk provides free tech support and troubleshooting help with your computing needs by phone (608.264.4357), email (help@doit.wisc.edu), chat (https://helpdesk.wisc.edu/chat) or in-person at 1210 W. Dayton Street.
Download WiscVPN: A VPN is a "virtual private network". WiscVPN allows you to access University resources without being on campus, and provides an extra layer of security.
- How to connect to the WiscVPN

The privacy and security of faculty, staff and students’ personal information is a top priority for the university. The university carefully reviews and vets all campus-supported teaching and learning tools, including proctoring tools, and it takes necessary steps to ensure that tool providers prioritize proper handling of sensitive data in alignment with FERPA, industry standards, and best practices. (Visit the Office of the Registrar's FERPA overview for more information on student privacy and educational records.)

Notifications

We use the Canvas Announcements feature to send information and reminders to students. You can view past Announcements by clicking on the menu choice on the left.

Make sure that your Canvas settings allow our course Announcements to flow directly to your email! Click on the Account button on the upper-left of the screen and choose Notifications to verify that your email settings for Announcements are turned on. (See example below – the little bell is green indicating that announcements will automatically flow to your email.)

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Academic policies and statements

The university has provided several additional policy statements at UW–Madison's online policy guidebook. (You may recognize them from other course syllabi.) We hold, honor, and abide by these policies. Take time to read through them. Notify us if you feel that a policy is being violated.

In addition, we want to clarify a few points beyond what the university has stated, as they apply to our course.

Accommodations. There are several reasons a student may receive accommodations, from holidays to sports teams to the McBurney Center. Whatever the reason, you are expected to reach out to your instructor and connect about your accommodations within the first two weeks of the semester (or else as early as possible).

Generative AI. We expect you not to use AI in this class. We have found semester after semester that, when students use AI to prepare their job materials, the results do not make the students stand out. While we understand that AI is much quicker and easier, the results are much cheaper and blander.

You will be graded down – by however many points your instructor deems appropriate – if your work reads too much like AI output, in your instructor's assessment. Here are some examples:

Describing a given work experience (especially one that many students have had) in the same way others are describing it
Using high-level, abstract "fluff" with no specifics – when specifics would make you stand out
Claiming experiences that never happened to you
Presenting perspectives that you don't hold
Reflecting back, not reflecting on

If you ever want to use AI, first ask your instructor and include a proposal for how you would use it. In our class it is better to ask permission than forgiveness. Your TA also has the ability to follow UW–Madison's academic misconduct process in particularly egregious cases.

Personal electronics. Bring a personal electronic device to every in-person class meeting, because some activities will require you to use one. In discussion, you may not otherwise use a personal electronic device – unless the instructor has connected with you about accommodations. In lecture, you may use a personal electronics device to take notes, but not for any other activity – to do so is disrespectful to your instructors, distracting to your classmates, and wasteful of your tuition. (We encourage you to take notes by hand because it involves better mental processing and because we will not test you on in-class material.)

Email etiquette. You are expected to communicate respectfully when you communicate via email. Here are some reminders:

An email should not read like a text message.
You should not expect a reply until at least one business day has passed.
If you send an email after the end of the workday or over the weekend, you should not expect your TA to read it until the start of the workweek – and you are not automatically excused from or granted accommodations on whatever your email was about.

Professionalism. The topic of this class is how to connect your academic and extra-curricular university life to your future life in the world of work. Part of what we practice in this class is professional conduct, including such things as:

clear and timely communication
regular attendance and participation
respect for the views and experiences of others
appropriate use of personal electronics
constructive participation in discussion without monopolizing the discourse (which includes listening as much as talking)
appreciation for the returning alumni who give freely of their time to make this class succeed (such as following up with thank-you notes)

Supporting you

If you find yourself needing additional support, please look through the support resources below to help you be successful.

Testimonials

After taking this course, students report that it works!

93% felt better prepared to utilize campus resources to assist with career planning.
85% felt better prepared to apply for an internship
85% of students felt better prepared to explore career options

Take a look at what students have been saying, after doing the work in this class.

I didn’t realize how much I offered as an employee. I think a lot of people tend to only highlight skills directly related to the position, but employers look for a multi-faceted person! This course has helped me not only recognize this, but actually be able to communicate this clearly with employers via thoughtful examples.

I have become much more aware of electives I can take that relate to my intended career. Next semester, I’m signed up for Civil Engineering 159, which is decidedly not a data science course. I’ve also realized that extracurriculars don’t have to be tailored perfectly to the job you’re going for. All of your experience will contain transferable skills, and uncommon or unrelated involvement will actually help you to stand out to potential employers. I’m now a member of the Madison Swing Club, and every single interviewer has asked me about that since I added it to my resume.

I was really at a loss as international student how to prepare for an internship and a job here. This class made me gradually aware of the steps to prepare for my career, what kind of attitude I should take, what kind of sources I should use to get information, and it was a good time.

As a result of this class, I am more open to taking courses that truly interest me, not just classes that I think will appeal to future employers. I decided I would make this change after listening to our guest speakers. They emphasized the importance of doing something you love, and it was clear that they were passionate about their occupations. A lot of the speakers also mentioned that they are doing what they are doing because they took one class that grasped their interest and it just happened to lead to a career.

The most important thing that I have learned in this course is my strengths. The Clifton Assessment of my strengths was very beneficial to me because it helped me to identify aspects of my personality that I take for granted and don’t necessarily constitute as career-centered strengths. Now, I have found that that is not the case and that my empathy and relator strengths set me apart from people who may be competing with me for a position.

The most important thing I learned from this course, about myself, was that I am ready to go to law school. I had a little voice in the back of my mind asking if I was going to be ready to move to graduate and then professional life so quickly. After this semester, I doubt anyone will care, and if they do, I don’t.

Although this class is only 1 credit of work, the impact this course has on my future decisions is immense. I would say to get the maximum potential out of this class, a real effort needs to be made, so students should not expect too much if they do not put in the effort.