DUS 101: Syllabus

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Syllabus

Description

The DUS Navigator 101 program for first-year students enrolled in the Division of Undergraduate Studies is designed to (1) provide a decision-making model for choosing a major, (2) facilitate informed educational planning through active engagement, and (3) promote the understanding of policies and procedures to successfully navigate the Penn State system.

Goals

In order to develop well-informed educational plans and successfully navigate the Penn State system, students will

Gain a better understanding of their personal characteristics (interests, abilities, values, personality).
Gain a better understanding of the characteristics of Penn State majors (e.g., focus of the course content; intensity of required courses in math, science, writing, etc.; flexibility in course selection; abilities needed to be successful; possible career opportunities).
Understand the relationship between their personal characteristics and the characteristics of Penn State majors.
Understand relevant Penn State academic policies, procedures, and deadlines.
Understand the importance of a variety of curricular and co-curricular opportunities as part of their educational planning.

By completing DUS 101 activities, you will gather information to (1) assess and evaluate academic programs and (2) refine your list of possibilities. This will enable you to choose a major and create an educational plan that is consistent with your personal characteristics and future goals.

Lesson Outline

Lesson 1: How can I be sure I have the best possible schedule?
The purpose of this lesson is to make sure you have a schedule that is right for you.

Lesson 2: What do I need to know about myself to choose a major?
The purpose of this lesson is to help you reflect on your personal characteristics and prepare to discuss them with your adviser.

Lesson 3: Which Penn State majors relate to my interests?
The purpose of this lesson is to help you discover all of the majors that may interest you and begin to learn more about them.

Lesson 4: How can I find out more about majors that interest me?
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to Penn State's college/department resources that will help you learn more about the majors that interest you.

Lesson 5: How can a “degree audit” help me explore majors?
The purpose of this lesson is to help you understand the focus and content of a major by analyzing the characteristics of required courses and relating them to your personal characteristics.

Lesson 6: How am I doing so far?
The purpose of this lesson is to guide you in assessing your grades and, if improvement is needed, to provide you with helpful resources.

Lesson 7: What courses should I schedule for spring?
The purpose of this lesson is to teach you how to identify courses that would be appropriate for a major you are considering and prepare to discuss them with your adviser.

Lesson 8: Should I consider dropping a course?
The purpose of this lesson is to guide you in reassessing your grades, inform you of the late drop policy, and help you decide if you should take any action.

Lesson 9: How do majors relate to careers?
The purpose of this lesson is to show you that any major can prepare you for a variety of career opportunities and to help you identify careers that relate to majors you are considering.

Lesson 10: What activities will help me learn more about majors and careers?
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to co-curricular activities that will assist you in developing your educational and career plans.

Lesson 11: How can I weigh the pros and cons of majors I'm considering?
The purpose of this lesson is to help you choose a major based on the factors that are important to you.

Lesson 12: What should I schedule for fall?
The purpose of this lesson is to help you identify courses that are consistent with your educational plans and the majors you are considering so that you are prepared to meet with your adviser to discuss your fall schedule.

Lesson 13: Where am I going now?
The purpose of this lesson is to help you assess when it is appropriate for you to transfer to a college or major and suggest ways to use the summer to continue learning about majors and careers.

Lesson Calendar (Suggested Timeline)

FALL SEMESTER
September	Complete Lesson 1 by the drop/add deadline. Complete Lesson 2. Complete Lesson 3.
October	Complete Lesson 4. Complete Lesson 5. Complete Lesson 6. Complete Lesson 7.
November	Complete Lesson 8 by the late drop deadline.
December	Complete Lesson 9 by the beginning of spring semester.

SPRING SEMESTER
January	Complete Lesson 10.
February	Complete Lesson 11.
March	Complete Lesson 12.
April	Complete Lesson 13.

Additional Resources

All of the lessons, assignments, and additional resources you will need for this program are available on this website.

Supplemental materials can be found in the pull-down list in the right-hand margin of each lesson.

Each lesson includes a link to a student example to help you get a better idea of how to complete the lesson based on how a fictitious student completed it.