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About Fall 2009 Connections

Connections is an academic course specifically designed to ease your transition to Utah State and to prepare you for your collegiate experience. This unique course focuses on developing critical college study skills, time-management techniques, and test-taking strategies, as well as promoting an awareness of the campus and community. Most importantly, Connections allows you to develop a support network of classmates, faculty, and staff to help ensure a successful beginning to your academic experience. It will teach you everything you need to know about becoming an Aggie!

Course Format

Connections classes have 25-28 participants per class. A small portion of class time will be spent listening to formal lectures, while a large portion will be spent involving class members in sharing, reflecting, asking questions, and developing learning strategies for the semester ahead. In addition, classes and workshops will be held in many different areas of campus, so you will learn to navigate the campus easily. Pre-semester sessions will be held the week before the start of the semester, and three one-hour sessions will be held after the semester begins. The three semester sessions are designed to provide additional support during your transition to the University environment, including crucial information necessary to your academic success. They provide a good chance to ask more questions, seek resources, and re-evaluate your study strategies for the semester.

Connections 2009 Syllabus

Check-in

Be sure you already registered in Access (Banner) for USU 1010 University Connections. Check-in takes place Tuesday August 18 from 8-5 in the International Lounge of the Taggart Student Center. During check-in you will receive essential information for the course. After you check-in, take time to visit the “Welcome to USU Fair” in the Sunburst Lounge. There you will receive information about campus & service organizations, employment opportunities, faith communities, and computer set-up assistance.

Housing Check-in

If you are living on campus you may check-in to your complex from 10 am - 10 pm starting Saturday August 15, Sunday August 16, or Tuesday August 18. Click here to access an off campus move in guide.

Lunches During Connections

Connections students are typically given an hour and a half lunch break each day of classes. Some instructors may provide lunch on certain days, but you should plan on getting lunch on the other days (ask your instructor for which days you need to buy lunch). Due to the number of students eating on campus during the Connections lunch time slot, there are some challenges for Dining Services to feed the approximate 1,700 students attending Connections. In order to accommodate you to the best of our ability, we ask that you keep the following options in mind as you decide where to eat for lunch. There are three main places to eat close to the Taggart Student Center (TSC):

1. The MarketPlace Dining Hall – 2nd Floor TSC - If you have a meal plan, this will be the best place for you for eat lunch. Students without meal plans will need to consider other options for lunch. For information on meal plans, please see http://www.usu.edu/dining/htm/mealplan.

2. The Hub – 1st Floor TSC – The Hub Food Court can accommodate approximately 400 persons in an hour. You are more than welcome to join us there and we will take care of you as quickly as we can – first-come-first-serve.

3. University Catering – On the Quad (by Old Main) – For Connections students and staff, we will be holding a special Lunch-on-the-Quad on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in order to accommodate the large numbers. Tickets for the events must be purchased during Connections check-in on Tuesday, August 18th. The cost will be only $6.00 per day or $16.00 for all three lunches. If you haven’t pre-purchased a ticket, this option will not be available to you (no tickets will be sold the day of the lunches).

Assignments

To complete the course with an acceptable grade you will be required to fulfill certain assignments. Some assignments require writing, following personal observation and research of topics. Other assignments require you to create checklists of the facts and concepts discussed in class or workshops. All assignments are graded and designed to help you apply information during the semester. Students should be aware that Connections is an academic course and carries the same GPA weight as two credits in a university math or science course. Be prepared to give the Connections assignments your best effort.

Common Literature Assignment

Connections students join in a common literature experience and literature assignment. The 2009 selection is Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child by Elva Treviño Hart, which is available in the USU Bookstore for $12. You are required to the read the book and bring the completed assignment to your first class on Wednesday, August 19th. Ms. Hart will speak to Connections students and the Logan community on Saturday morning. Students may meet Ms. Hart and have their books signed on Friday evening or Saturday afternoon.

Breakfast with the author, Elva Treviño Hart

If you found the book, Barefoot Heart especially intriguing you might be interested in an opportunity to meet Elva Treviño Hart. The author and convocation speaker will be eating breakfast with a select group of Connections students. To be considered for this honor, submit a 350-400 word essay stating why you should be chosen and what questions you would ask Ms. Hart. The breakfast will take place Friday, August 21st at 7:30 a.m.

E-mail Essay to brian.watts@usu.edu
Submission Deadline: August 11th *Winners will be notified by August 17th *

Class Attendance

Do I really need to attend class? YES! Much of the learning that occurs in Connections is a result of participation in class discussions and activities. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recreate a missed class session or workshop. Class for the two credit option begins Wednesday, August 19 at 9 am and continues through Saturday morning. Make sure to attend your three follow up sessions during the first three weeks of the semester.

Evening Activities

After classes during Connections week, students are invited to participate in various evening activities.

Wednesday August 19, 5-11 pm ~ Associated Students of Utah State University Freshmen Celebration
ASUSU is turning on the fun as they sponsor the “Freshmen Celebration” on Wednesday evening. Be prepared for an evening of games, music, food, dancing, and loads of fun as we welcome our 2009 freshmen to Utah State University!

Thursday August 20, 7-9 pm ~ Comedian Magician Tim Gabrielson
Tim’s show has gained both the respect and attention of performers and audiences alike, having appeared on numerous national television shows and for sold out crowds across the country. Tim’s “keep it funny” philosophy is obvious throughout his laugh-a-minute- show. He prides himself in providing a clean performance in which he takes it to the line, but never crosses. His wide appeal makes his show enjoyable for all types of audiences.

Friday August 21, 7:00-9:30 pm ~ Taste of Logan
Join 1600 other incoming students as we take the bus to downtown Logan for a “Taste” of the Friday night scene. We have over twenty–five local businesses providing food and product samples of their enterprise and various bands playing throughout the evening while students stroll downtown Logan. Students will be given a punch card and allowed to visit each vendor once during the evening.

Important Information for Connections students under the age of 18

Connections students do many activities outside the classroom. These may include a short hike or walk, riding the local transit system, working at a service project site or even a short canoe float. To participate in these activities, students under the age of 18 must have a parental consent form signed and on file with the Connections office. Please download the Parental Consent form by clicking here. Have your parents complete and sign it and bring it with you to Connections Check-In on August 18th.

Connections 2009 Schedule

Click here for a sample schedule. Individual classes will have different workshop times and activities.

Questions can be directed to connections@usu.edu or 435.797.1931