College 101: Strengthening Navigation Skills
Summer 2025
Instructor Information
Traci Arnold, MPH
Instructor’s E-mail Address: tarnold@highline.edu
Instructor’s Contact Information: Please email and I will reply within 24-48 hours.
Course Information
Class Meets: 9:35 - 11:00 Tuesday - BLDG 30 RM 210 and Thursday BLDG 14 RM
103
Class Meeting Location: Highline College
Grade Feedback, Student Help, and Office Hours
Weekly assignments will be graded and feedback provided within 7 days of the
submission deadline.
Instructor will be available for “Student Help/Office Hours” in ZOOM by a
scheduled appointment, only.
If assistance is needed “face-to-face”, please email, request an appointment, and
use the following ZOOM link to attend our meeting:
https://highline.zoom.us/my/tarnoldzoom
Important Dates
https://registration.highline.edu/registration/dates-and-deadlines/
Course Description
You belong here. So do your classmates. In this course, you'll build connections with
other students, faculty, and staff, and get to know resources and degree pathways at
the college. Together, we will build strategies for effective learning, goal setting, and
self-care for college. With a recognition of your own strengths and support systems, you
will create plans for funding and your degree and career goals.
2
Course Overview
In this course, you will learn more about the purpose of attending college, selecting a
program of study, and determining your personal and academic needs and the
resources provided by Highline College to help you along your journey. Additionally,
you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about formulating your personal goals and how
to ‘manage’ being a successful student. My hope as your instructor is that upon finishing
the course, you will feel empowered with new time management, information literacy,
and financial aid planning skills that will lead you in becoming a successful college
graduate.
Student Learning Outcomes
This COL 101 class at Highline is designed around a set of learning outcomes. The
outcomes are our “goals” of teaching and learning for our class. These are outcomes I
am responsible for teaching, and you're responsible for learning. Your work will be
evaluated throughout the quarter based on these outcomes. Here are the outcomes for
College 101:
By the end of College 101, students will be able to:
Formulate and practice communication strategies to build connections with other
students, faculty, and staff.
Demonstrate effective use of technology tools required for college success.
Identify and engage with campus resources, communities, programs, structures,
and people who can support their success.
Articulate funding options for college that align with student’s needs.
Devise a plan to effectively manage academic workload with time management,
learning strategies, and social and emotional wellness.
Generate a process to confidently and competently navigate library resources to
prepare for future information literacy assignments.
Develop academic planning goals based on Degree Pathway and career interest
exploration.
Describe aspects of identity development and personal strengths for positive self-
concept in college.
Course Text(s) and Other Required Materials
No book is required for this course -- all videos, readings and other resources will be
provided free of charge through Canvas.
3
How to Succeed in this Course
Part of our focus this quarter will be on time management. You may be great at time
management, or you might need some extra support. Either way, be sure to look at your
weekly calendar and identify the blocks of time when you will work on your College 101
coursework. This is a three (3) credit course which means you have 3 'contact/class
hours' and may have between 3-6 'homework hours' to complete each week. So, plan
for 6-9 study hours each week. If it doesn't take you that long, then you get some hours
back.
I firmly believe you can succeed in this course. To succeed, I recommend that you take
advantage of the learning activities you find in each Canvas weekly module. To begin,
you should come to your class prepared to fully participate in each activity. Remember to
be ‘flexible’ and maintain a ‘growth’ mindset. Students with a ‘fixed’ mindset believe they
are either good or bad at something and may not try to advance their knowledge or study
skills. However, students with a ‘growth’ mindset welcome opportunity to push their
current knowledge limits and strive to learn more about a subject. Be ‘flexible’. Try your
best, but always be ‘open’ to learning more.
I am here to help you succeed. If you have trouble with a subject or with Canvas or just
need advising for how to move forward at Highline, please email me and I’ll always be
happy to help you.
Information about Our Course Assignments
In Canvas, you will see weekly reading activities, instructional videos, and learning
assignments. It is important that you view each of the Canvas links each week and
develop a good understanding of the work you need to perform before getting started.
To receive the greatest benefit from the course, and to achieve the highest grade
possible, students are strongly encouraged to complete all of the weekly activities
provided in Canvas.
Grading and Related Policies
Complete/Incomplete grading:
Grading for course assignments and quizzing will be on a “Complete” or “Incomplete”
basis. Submitted assignments that follow all provided directions, answer all of the
assignment questions, and meet the learning objective(s) will be awarded a grade of
“Complete”. Assignments not meeting these specifications will be awarded an
“Incomplete” grade.
All Complete/Incomplete grades are posted on the student grade sheet for viewing.
Feedback will be provided from the instructor regarding areas met successfully as well
4
as that which did not meet the assignments specifications. Assignments graded as an
“Incomplete” may be corrected and resubmitted to receive a “Complete” grade if
prompted by the instructor in the grading feedback (comment) box.
All Canvas quizzes will automatically generate a numeric grade (i.e., 90%); however, for
students to receive a grade of “Complete” for the quiz, a minimum quiz grade of 80%
must be achieved. Canvas quiz scores lower than an 80% will be considered
“Incomplete” and will not be used to increase the student’s weekly grade.
Instructor’s Grading Time
Assignments will be graded within 7 days of the posted deadline. Please view your
grades in the Canvas grade sheet and check for instructor comments provided.
Grading and Related Policies
A’s B’s C’s D’s F’s
>95% = 4.0 89% = 3.4 79% = 2.4 69% = 1.4 <57% = 0.0
94% = 3.9 88% = 3.3 78% = 2.3 68% = 1.3
93% = 3.8 87% = 3.2 77% = 2.2 67% = 1.2
92% = 3.7 86% = 3.1 76% = 2.1 66% = 1.1
91% = 3.6 85% = 3.0 75% = 2.0 65% = 1.0
90% = 3.5 84% = 2.9 74% = 1.9 64% = 0.9
83% = 2.8 73% = 1.8 63% = 0.8
5
82% = 2.7 72% = 1.7 58%-62% = 0.7
81% = 2.6 71% = 1.6
80% = 2.5 70% = 1.5
General College Grading Policy
● Only grades of a 0.7 or above will earn credit at Highline College. Below 0.7, the
assigned grade is a 0.0.
● Any course used for credit in the AA and AS degrees must be a 1.0 or better.
Some Highline degree programs require a 2.0 minimum.
Course Grade Calculation
Throughout the class, there will be weekly assignments. After the posted deadline, I will
begin reviewing your assignments and providing feedback. After I have reviewed all
assignments and providing feedback, I will then post your “weekly grade” in Canvas.
The class grade at the end of the term will be the average of weekly assignment grades.
Attendance and Assignment Deadlines
Each weekly assignment will be available on or before Monday by 8:00 am of that week
and due by the end of the week on Sunday before 11:59 pm. Attendance and course
participation is required and part of the final grade. Attendance is recorded at the
beginning of each class. Class will begin promptly. Arrival 10 minutes after will be
recorded as tardy. Three late arrivals in the quarter will be equal to one absence.
Policy on Missed Deadlines (Late Work)
6
Students may experience difficulty in completing coursework in a timely manner due to
unforeseen circumstances with family, work obligations, health, etc. Should an issue
arise that creates difficulty in performing and submitting coursework, the student should
contact the instructor by email as soon as possible so that other arrangements can be
made.
• Students are strongly encouraged to complete course assignments and quizzing no
later than the posted due date to avoid missing deadlines due to unforeseen
circumstances.
• Assignments submitted “late” (after the posted deadline) will receive a 10% (10
point) grade deduction for each late day accrued. Late days include weekdays
and weekend days.
• The last day for accepting assignments for grading will be Monday, March 20th, 2023,
which is the last day of class. Assignments submitted after this date will not be
accepted for grading unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor. If prior
arrangements are not made, the student may receive a “0%” for any unfinished or
unsubmitted assignments.
Academic Honesty
One of the outcomes for this course is learning to use sources in your own writing. We
will be going over how to ethically use and cite sources when learning “Information
Literacy”. This will help you use information from other sources in your own writing without
copying or cheating.
Throughout this class and your other courses, it will be important for you to hold yourself
to the highest standard for academic honesty and integrity in your work. One example is
“do not plagiarize”. Plagiarism is when you copy sentences or even whole paragraphs
directly from your source (for example, ‘copy and paste’) and do not provide the
appropriate credit (or “cite”) your source, or having someone write the information for you.
Here are two different types of plagiarism:
Plagiarism by mistake: Students learning to paraphrase, quote, and cite may
sometimes make mistakes: they forget to put quotation marks around a quote, for
example, or they copy too much of the original information into what is supposed to be a
paraphrase (paraphrase is restating information using your own words). If you do this, I
will give you a “0%” on the assignment but allow you to revise the assignment for full
credit (100%) so that you can learn how to do it correctly.
Plagiarism on purpose: Students who feel overwhelmed sometimes cheat by copying
sentences or whole paragraphs from outside sources into their papers; or, they ask a
friend to write the paper for them (or pay someone). This is called “plagiarism on
purpose”. If I find sentences/paragraphs copied from an undocumented (or “uncited”)
7
source in your writing, or discover that someone wrote the assignment for you, I will
report this plagiarism as cheating to the Vice President's office. When I report
plagiarism, the assignment earns a zero and may not be revised. If you are uncertain
about “plagiarism”, please email your instructor for assistance before you submit the
assignment.
Inclusivity Statement
I recognize and respect diversity of ethnicity and race, gender and gender expression,
sexual identity, class, age, national origin and language use, religion, disability, and
other aspects of identity. Differences provide us with opportunities to learn new things,
compare experiences, test our assertions, understand ourselves better, and find
common ground. Differences also sometimes engender conflict. Should there be any
class content that creates conflict, I ask everyone to remain courteous to one another
and to maintain a language and attitude of respect.
Access Services Statement:
Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established
accommodations with Access Services, please communicate your approved
accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in
this course.
If you have not yet established services through Access Services, but have a temporary
health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions
include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing,
physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact Access Services at 206-592-
3857, access@highline.edu or access.highline.edu. Access Services has moved to a
new location on the 5th floor of the Library, Building 25, Room 531.
Grievance Procedures:
I hope that you will communicate with me if you experience anything in this course that
does not support an inclusive environment. You can also report any incidents you may
witness or experience on campus through the following procedures:
● For instructional grievance process:
In the case of a complaint about a course, students are encouraged to speak with their
instructor first, and if the matter is not resolved, students should then contact the
division chair if the complaint is against a full-time faculty member, or with the
department coordinator if the complaint is against a part-time faculty member. For more
detail, see the procedure:
8
http://catalog.highline.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=33#Instructional_grievance
● For Title IX (claims related to discrimination and sexual harassment)
It is the policy of Highline College to provide equal opportunity in education and
employment and not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age,
disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, religion, or status as a veteran of
war as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age
Discrimination Act of 1975, RCW 49.60.030 and their implementing regulations.
Prohibited sex discrimination includes sexual harassment (unwelcome sexual conduct
of various types). For more detail see the procedure:
https://humanresources.highline.edu/faculty-and-staff/policies/title-ix/
College Policies:
For information on college policies on diversity, classroom behavior, incompletes,
absences for religious reasons, student grievances, withdrawals, and emergency
procedures please visit Highline College Procedures and Policies
Student Resources
The college offers many resources to support student achievement and success. These
include Access Services, faculty advising, the Academic Success Centers (math,
writing, and general tutoring), the college library, and technical support. For more
detailed information on these services, please visit Highline College Resources for
Students.
Academic Advising
Highline College instructors are a wonderful resource for students at any stage of the
academic process. Many instructors have career experience, are knowledgeable about
campus resources, and can assist students in reaching their educational goals through
degree planning. If you have an advising question, feel free to approach your instructor.
If your instructor cannot answer your question, she/he will help you find someone who
can.
Access Services
If you have a health condition or disability that may require accommodations in order to
fully participate in this class, please contact the instructor after class or contact Access
9
Services. Information about disability will be regarded as confidential. • Location:
Building 99-180 • Voice: (206) 592-3857 • TTY: (206) 870-4853 • VP: (253) 237-1106,
(866) 327-6856 • Email Access Services at access@highline.edu • Access Services
web site (full URL: https://access.highline.edu)
Academic Success Centers
Tutoring Center
The Tutoring Center provides academic support to all Highline students. Trained and
certified peer tutors assist students in numerous academic disciplines through a variety
of tutoring techniques by addressing their individual needs in a constructive, student-
centered environment. Drop-in, group tutoring, one-on-one consultations, and
workshops are free to all currently enrolled students. • Location: Building 26, Room 319
• Voice: (206) 592-3444 • Email the Tutoring Center at tutoring@highline.edu • Tutoring
Center web site (full URL: https://tutoring.highline.edu)
Math Resource Center
The Math Resource Center is a place for you to gain a better understanding of the
mathematical ideas in your classes. You can check out vide