Instructor
Name: Seancy Hawkeswood
Office Location: https://asu.zoom.us/my/seancyhawkeswood
Email: Seancy.Hawkeswood@asu.edu
Phone Number: 602.496.0233
Course #
Location
Day/Time
80006
Dtphx – UCENT
207
Tues. 10:30 –
11:30
Open Office Hours
In UCENT Suite 800 or my Zoom Room
Individual assistance is always available by appointment scheduled through email.
College Contact
University College offers this course. For more information about the college, visit our website.
Please speak with your instructor if you have questions or concerns about this course. If your instructor
cannot address your questions, please send your inquiry to successcourses@asu.edu.
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Course Structure
The course employs dynamic classroom activities, collaborative learning and discussions, relevant
readings, personal reflections, and projects. You will earn a letter grade for this course.
Course Description
Starting with exploring your strengths and barriers, we will discuss how self-reflection can be a tool
rather than a source of self-criticism. You will learn how beliefs, perceptions, mindsets, and choices
influence our behavior and how we can leverage our understanding of procrastination, motivation,
and habit to our advantage. Using this knowledge, you will design a project that addresses and helps
solve an academic challenge you or your peers face.
Learning Outcomes
Through your participation in this course, you will:
● Identify personal strengths and areas for growth
● Practice reflection and personal discovery without self-criticism
● Develop the skills to advocate for your academic needs
● Apply knowledge from neuroscience, psychology, and learning science to your academic life
● Explore how habits, motivation, procrastination, and stress interact
● Build flexible academic and social support networks for resilience
● Design and test a solution to a real-world challenge that is meaningful to you
Helpful Habits
● Participate throughout every class meeting
● Turn in assignments on time
● Attend faculty open/office hours
● Refer to the academic calendar
● Keep all notes, assignments, and work
produced for this course
● Read and understand this syllabus
● Regularly check ASU email and Canvas and
respond as needed
● Read Announcements
What you Need
● A planner or personal calendar
● No textbook! All readings are available on Canvas
● Access to GSuite Applications using your ASU login/account
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● An ASU email account
● Web browser (Chrome preferred)
● Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
● Reliable broadband internet connection (DSL or cable)
Note: Course content, including lectures and classroom activities, is copyrighted. Students
may not record, share outside the class, upload, sell, or distribute course content or notes
taken during the conduct of the course without approved SAILS accommodations or
discussion with the instructor.
Course Content Delivery
This course is an in-person (face-to-face) course. Canvas contains essential course content. You can
access the course through my.asu.edu and asu.instructure.com; bookmark both in case one is
inaccessible.
Communication
To build a course climate that is comfortable for all, it is essential that everyone in our class:
● Display respect for all members of the class – including the instructor and students
● Pay attention to and participate in all interactive student partner/instructor sessions and
activities, and
● Maintain a cordial atmosphere and use tact when expressing differences of opinion. In
addition, they must avoid racist, sexist, homophobic, or other negative language that may
unnecessarily exclude course members. This statement is not an exhaustive list of behaviors;
rather, it represents examples of the things that can dramatically impact the course
environment. I may reduce your final grade each time you engage in the types of negative
behaviors indicated above.
Your ASU email account is an official means of communication among students, faculty, and staff.
We expect you to read and act upon email in a timely fashion. Students are responsible for missed
messages and should check their ASU-assigned email regularly. We will send all correspondence to
your ASU email account. Instructors may also use Canvas messaging, which sends a copy of the
messages to your email. You are responsible for promptly reading and acting upon the information,
even if you stop forwarding the message to your email.
Self-Advocacy
You may experience a range of challenges that can interfere with learning. Successful students seek
out resources and support early and often. ASU's Counseling Services provides counseling and crisis
services for students experiencing mental health concerns. If you have a disability and need a
reasonable accommodation for equal access to education, please get in touch with Student
Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services (SAILS). Student Advocacy and Assistance is a central
resource for student assistance and can connect you to other resources on campus. If you need
different types of support to get the most out of this class, or if you want help connecting with any
resources, please let me know as soon as possible.
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Classroom Disruption
If a student is disruptive in the classroom, I may ask them to leave. If asked to leave, students will be
marked absent for the day.
This course aims to help you grow as an individual and a learner in a way that suits you best—grades
in this class support that growth.
To earn a B (or better!):
1. Show up to class and be engaged
2. Submit work that generally follows the instructions
3. Demonstrate your growth over the semester in the Student Evaluation of Work
It's that simple. I use the following weights and grading approaches to calculate the final grade.
STEP 1 – ENGAGEMENT— 40%
A big chunk of learning happens in the classroom. It's hard to say you're meeting the learning goals if
you're not here. Each week, I'll track your engagement with points in the gradebook. You also earn
engagement points for completing the module reading quizzes and syllabus quiz.
You'll miss the in-class engagement points if you miss a class. But don't worry! You can make up for
absences and earn back those missed points. Just keep in mind that if you miss 3, 4, or 5+ classes,
there's a penalty for each absence. While you can earn back the missed points, penalties are here to
stay. So, let's aim to be present and make the most of our class time together!
What might that look like?
In-Class Engagement Points
At the End of the Semester
With Class Make-Up
(+25 Points)
100 % Engagement 325 325
1st absence
(-25 Points)
300 325
2nd absence
(-25 Points)
275 325
3rd absence
(-25 Points & -50 Penalty)
200 275
4th absence
(-25 Points & -150 Penalty)
25 125
5th absence
(-25 Points & -250 Penalty)
0 0
ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING
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You can also use our calculator to estimate points from absences. Please talk with me to determine
the exact impact of an absence on your grade.
Critical Considerations for In-Class Engagement
Contact Student Advocacy in the Dean of Students Office: DeanofStudents@asu.edu if you are
experiencing a significant life issue such as an extended illness, family issue, injury, etc.
I will not automatically withdraw you if you stop coming to class. If your name appears on the roster at
the end of the semester, but you have stopped coming to class, you will receive a grade that reflects
all missed in-class engagement and work. That may include a Failing Never Participated (EN) grade
or Failing Did Not Complete (EU).
Students who need to be absent from class due to the observance of a religious holiday (ACD 304-
04) or to participate in university-sanctioned activities (ACD 304-02) should work with me as far in
advance of the holiday/obligation as possible. Students should notify me at the beginning of the
semester about the need to be absent from class due to religious observances or university-
sanctioned activities. You may be asked to follow the absence make-up procedure to earn the in-
class engagement points. Students should plan ahead, make necessary schedule changes, and
communicate with me per policy.
I will provide students who participate in line-of-duty activities (ACD 304-11/SSM 201-18) make-up
assignments, examinations, or other alternatives for graded coursework missed because of required
work performed, without penalty.
Students with flex attendance accommodations from Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning
Services (SAILS) should discuss their options with me at the start of the semester. Flex attendance
does not waive students from the in-class engagement policy for this course.
Making up a Class
To make up a missed class, you must:
1. Email me before or as soon as possible after the missed class
2. Watch the video on the week's topic, complete the weekly reading, and answer the PlayPosit
questions
3. Meet with me within ten days of the absence to discuss the reading, video, and the absence
Please note that availability for meetings with me will be limited, so please plan accordingly by
emailing me for an appointment.
Being Engaged
Class participation can take various forms. One crucial aspect is completing the weekly readings and
coming to class prepared to discuss them. You will lose engagement points if you are unprepared or
consistently late to class. Points lost are at my discretion, but you will lose more points if you are
frequently late. If you are very late to class, it may count as an absence.
Please communicate with me for infrequent emergencies where you may be late so I can consider
the situation when calculating the deduction. Typically, I deduct from your daily engagement points
according to this chart:
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Late 1-3 times
up to -10 points each time (-30 max)
Late 4-5 times
up to -30 points each time (-60 max)
Late 6-10 times
up to -40 points each time (-180 max)
May not pass with 11+ late arrivals
STEP 2 – THE WORK — 14%
You typically have no more than one piece of work for a week. The Planning and Prioritizing Activity
and personal reflections will receive feedback and fall into one of the following categories:
Complete – You submitted the work on time and met the assignment's intent.
Incomplete – You submitted the work on time but didn't fully meet the assignment's
requirements. You can and should redo incomplete work to demonstrate growth, although it
won't earn additional points.
Missing/Late – You didn't submit the work on time. While you can't regain the points for these
assignments, completing them will demonstrate growth in your Student Evaluation of Work.
STEP 3 – THE NEXT STEP PROJECT — 16%
This project uses action research to design and test a practice, approach, or resource that supports
your personal or academic growth. You'll create a deliverable based on your findings and write an
explanation of your process and results. The project steps, final deliverable, and explanation receive
feedback and are graded on a traditional A to E scale.
STEP 3 – STUDENT EVALUATION OF WORK — 30%
The Student Evaluation of Work allows you to evaluate your growth throughout the course and
support your evaluation with evidence. I use your self-evaluation to grade your growth through the
class holistically. Remember, sustained effort throughout the semester is vital for demonstrating
growth rather than attempting to complete all the work at the end. I also grade the SEOW on a
traditional A to E scale.
Work Submission
Unless otherwise noted, all assignments should be submitted electronically in the specified format via
Canvas. Email submissions will not be accepted. In the event of a Canvas failure, you may email your
work to "stop the clock," but you must submit it via Canvas as soon as possible. Corrupt files and
blank files will not count as a submission. Please open files once submitted to ensure they are correct
and working. Assignment due dates follow Arizona Standard Time. Note: Arizona does not observe
daylight saving time.
Students must refrain from uploading to any course shell, discussion board, or website used by the
course instructor or other course forum material that is not the student's original work unless the
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students first comply with all applicable copyright laws; faculty members reserve the right to delete
materials on the grounds of suspected copyright infringement.
Extra Credit
I may assign extra credit work to the entire class. Extra credit will be no more than 2% of the total
possible points for the course. I do not offer individual extra credit.
Grade Scale
I calculate final grades as follows:
Grade
Percentage
Points Range
A+
97%-100%
970-1000
A
90%-96.99%
900-969.9
B+
87%-89.99
870-899.9
B
80%-86.99%
800-869.9
C+
77%-79.99%
770-799.9
C
70%-76.99%
700-769.9
D
60%-69.99%
600-699.9
E
0%-59.99%
0-599.9
XE Failure due to Academic Dishonesty
EU Failure Did Not Complete
EN Failure Never Attended
You should keep a copy of everything you hand in for your protection. You should keep your graded
assignments until grades are finalized at the end of the semester if you wish to contest any grades.
Grade Appeals
Students must first speak with the class instructor to discuss any disputed grades. If the student and
instructor do not achieve a resolution after review, students may proceed with the appeal process.
Student grade appeals must be processed in the regular semester immediately following the issuance
of the grade in dispute (by commencement for fall or spring), regardless of whether the student is
enrolled at the university. Complete details are available in the ASU Grade Appeals policy.
Use of Generative AI
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), including ChatGPT and Grammarly Go, are increasingly used to
generate text, images, computer code, audio, or other media. Use of AI tools is generally welcome
and even encouraged in this class with attribution. AI tools might be employed to brainstorm, draft,
edit, revise, etc. ASU Writing Centers can help you use AI tools effectively and appropriately.
Schedule an appointment for in-person or online tutoring anytime in your writing journey.
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Unless otherwise stated, generated content must be accurately attributed using the appropriate
citation style. Any submitted course assignment not explicitly identified as using generative AI will be
assumed to be your original work. Using AI tools to generate content without proper attribution will be
considered a violation of the ASU Academic Integrity Policy, and students may be sanctioned for
confirmed, non-allowable use. If at any point you have questions about what is permitted, contact the
instructor to discuss before submitting work.
Syllabus Disclaimer
Read and understand this entire syllabus. Students are responsible for knowing the information in this
syllabus whether they have read it or not. A course syllabus is an educational contract between the
instructor and students. I will make every effort to avoid changing the course schedule. Still, the
possibility exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes necessary. Attendance and
grade policies cannot change, even with reasonable notice. The instructor reserves the right to
change the remaining syllabus elements as required. I will notify students promptly of any syllabus
changes via email or in Canvas.
University Policies
Please review the relevant university policies and resources for this course, including information
regarding:
• Course time commitment
• Drop/add and withdrawal
• Academic integrity
• Students with disabilities
• Mental health
• Harassment prohibition
• Student conduct
• Title IX
• Course evaluation
• Academic affairs manual
• Copyright notice
• Establishing a safe environment
• Statement of Inclusion
Refer to Canvas for specific instructions regarding all course assignments.
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Course Outline
Date
In-Class Activities/Concepts
Deliverables
Week 1
Sizing Up The Situation
Syllabus Quiz
09/10
Community Building
Planning and Prioritizing Activity
Week 2
Using Our Strengths
Next Step Project #1 - Initial Concept
09/17
Recognizing Obstacles
Reflection A
Week 3
The Impact of Choice
Reflection B
09/24
Week 4
Minding Our Mindsets
Next Step Project #2 - Project Plan
10/01
Week 5
Capability and Capacity
Reflection C
10/08
10/15 No Class - Fall Break
Week 6
Mastering Procrastination
Reflection D
10/22
Week 7
Taking Action
Next Step Project #3 - Initial Check-In
10/29
Week 8
Stress Strategies
Reflection E
11/05
Week 9
Motivation and Momentum
Next Step Project #4 - Final Check-In
11/12
Week 10
Owning It With Confidence
11/19
Reinforcing Support Networks
Week 11
The Upward Spiral
Project Deliverable & Explanation Due
11/26
Week 12
Moving Forward With Certainty
Student Evaluation of Work
12/03
12/09
Student Evaluation of Work Due at 11:59 p.m.
