1. UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE
LVE 200 Fall 2016
Instructor: Leo Barrera Email: lbarrera@laverne.edu
Office: Disabled Student Services 105A – 2215 E Street
Phone: 909-448-4938 Office 909-452-6908 Mobile
Office hours are by appointment. Email instructor to request an appointment.
Course Description:
The Sophomore La Verne Experience (SoLVE) is a seminar course that focuses on La Verne
values. It extends the curricular experience into the co-curricular, and builds the e-portfolio (a
tool that will present artifacts that demonstrate transformative learning through the application of
discipline and integrative knowledge). The goal of SoLVE is to expose students to how their
liberal arts education provides a foundation that reveals the inter-connection of social justice,
civic engagement, diversity and inclusivity, and their role in solving local, national, and global
problems. The seminar provides a safe space for students to begin exploring their belief systems,
develop skills in cultural competence, cultivate and expand their sense of personal and social
responsibility, as well as identify their strengths and creativity, as they engage with the university
and local community.
Required Books, Readings, and Fees:
Strengths Quest Website Fee of $10.00
Astin, Alexander, Astin, Helen, and Lindholm, Jennifer. (2011). Why spirituality matters &
Higher education and the life of the spirit. Cultivating the spirit: how college can enhance
students’ inner lives. CA: Jossey-Bass.
Baxter Magolda, Marcia B. (2009). Introduction. Authoring your life: Developing an internal
voice to navigate life’s challenges. VA: Stylus Publishing.
Eck, Diana L. (2006). Preface. Building the interfaith youth movement: Beyond dialogue to
action, edited by Eboo Patel and Patrice Brodeur, ix-xi. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield
Publishers, Inc.
Patel, Eboo. (2012). Colleges. Sacred ground: Pluralism, prejudice, and the promise of
America. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Reflection:
Given the content of this course it is important for students to take time to reflect on the learning
that will take place. Be sure to allow yourself time to process the content covered. Engaging
your classmates outside of class will assist in this process. Use this course as an opportunity for
personal and professional growth and to develop your whole self.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
a. Create reflective artifacts that contemplate, examine, and connect many aspects of the
undergraduate experience at La Verne.
b. Demonstrate transformative learning which integrates disciplinary knowledge and

2. values through the e-portfolio presentation.
c. Have a thorough understanding of the mission and values of ULV
Evidence of Learning:
Students will be expected to demonstrate proficient analysis, synthesis and organized
insight articulated through:
a. Consistent participation in classroom discussion.
b. Attendance and personal reflection within an e-Portfolio of eight co-curricular events
(six university sponsored, main campus events and two off-campus events).
c. Demonstration of effective critical thinking and evidence of meaningful reflection on
the University of La Verne’s values, reading assignments, and class discussions
within the e-Portfolio.
Tentative Schedule*
Date Description Assignments
Week 1 Introduction to course and ULV values, Myers-Briggs Email Self-Perceived
JMB
Upload MBTI to BB
Jung Myers-Briggs
assessment on BB
Week 2 Career pt I: Mindy Baggish, Career Services - Introduction and Strengths
Quest
Email Self-Perceived
Strengths
Strengths Quest
JMB Reflection
Week 3 ePortfolio training in a computer lab
Stress Test
Portal-Digication-Digication Resources for La Verne- Example
ePortfolios- Learning wide ePortfolios
Looking ahead; community engagement
CCW & ABCD
View ePortfolio
template
Stress Test Results
Resume
Strengths Test
Reflection
Week 4 Community Engagement: Marisol Morales, Director of Civic and
Community Engagement
Debrief
Watch Ted Talk on
ABCD
Assest mapping
activity
Week 5 Career pt II: What career do you want to pursue?
What are you qualified for now?
What do you want to be?
What do you need to do to be qualified for what you want to be?
Degree Evaluation- Grad Report
Report out on co-curricular events
Co-curricular
Reflection
Week 6 Class Discussion/Diversity and inclusivity pt 1:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-diversity-makes-
us-smarter/
Privilege Walk
How Diversity
Makes Us Smarter-
Katherine W.
Phillips article
Values & Career
Integration
Reflection
Degree evaluation

3. 3-17-17 SPRING BREAK NO CLASS
Week 7 Class Discussion/ Diversity an Inclusivity pt 2:
Debrief
Museumof
Tolerance Reflection
Week 8 Graduation & Career 5-Year Map
Academic Advising
Looking Ahead; Diversity and Inclusivity
Diversity Reading
Week 9 Diversity and Inclusivity pt 2: Dr. Beatriz Gonzalez 5-Year Map
Readings TBD
Week 10 Report out on co-curricular events
Registration and Academic Advising
Graduation
Debrief
Looking ahead; Interfaith Cooperation
About Me (D&I)
Week 11 Good Friday – No Class Co-Curricular
Reflection
Week 12 Interfaith Cooperation: Dr. Zandra Wagoner,University Chaplain
Ted Talk by Karen Armstrong called “My Wish; The Charter for
Compassion
https://www.ted.com/talks/karen_armstrong_makes_her_ted_prize_
wish_the_charter_for_compassion?language=en
Eck, Preface in
Building the
interfaith youth
movement
Patel, Colleges in
Sacred Ground
View Ted Talk
Week 13 Interfaith Debrief
Report out on co-curricular events
Positionality
About Me
(Interfaith)
Week 14 Final Presentations
Peer Review Braid Reflection Workshop
Braid Reflection
Week 15 Final Presentations
Week 16 Finals- No Class
Flexibility: There may be some changes to the syllabus as the semester progresses. This is a
class that will change as your needs change (especially in the writing section). Please be
flexible.
Assessment: My assessment of the student will be based on the following:
Class attendance and participation: 100 pts.
Weekly assignments (about me reflections): 100 pts.
ePortfolio: 100 pts.
Co-curricular event attendance: 80 pts.
Braid reflection: 100 pts.
Career map: 100 pts.
Total: 580 pts.

4. Grades: 93-100% = A; 92.9-90% = A-; 89.9-87% = B+; 86.9-83% = B; 82.9-80% = B-;
79.9-77% = C+; 76.9-73% = C; 72.9-70% = C-; 60-69% = D; < 59% = F
Class Attendance and Discussion: Regular and prompt attendance is required for this class.
Students are expected to complete assigned readings before class and to participate in class
discussions and activities. Students are expected to attend faculty panels and values workshops.
All students are expected to participate in the open classroom discussion sessions, lending their
opinions and insights based on the assigned readings, workshops, events, and other material
provided by the professors. Daily participation in lecture will count as approximately 20% of
your overall grade. Failure to attend or stay for the duration of seminars will result in a half grade
deduction.
Co-curricular events: Students will attend eight co-curricular events (six university sponsored,
main campus events and two off-campus events). Off campus events will be cleared at the
discretion of the instructor. Four of the six events must correlate to: Community Engagement,
Career, Interfaith, Diversity and Inclusivity, and Self-Authored World View. Details will be
discussed in class.
Extra credit will be given to students who take a picture of themselves at events and post it
to Twitter with the hashtag SoLVE2016
e-Portfolio and About me: Students will build an e-Portfolio and will create reflective artifacts
that contemplate, examine, and internalize university values, co-curricular events, readings, class
discussions, speakers, faculty panels, and workshops. E-Portfolios will be presented to the class
in a formal presentation at the end of the semester.
Braid reflection: Near the end of the semester each student will write and submit a paper to the
following prompt:
A. Consider how your experiences have influenced your ethical core beliefs and cultural self
identity; using specific examples from your life, discuss what has shaped your beliefs and
your understanding of your cultural identity.
B. As an extension of this discussion, think forward to your life beyond La Verne, including
your career plans. How do imagine that the La Verne core values (Ethical Reasoning,
Diversity and Inclusivity, Civic and Community engagement, and Life-long Learning)
and your knowledge of intercultural/interfaith perspectives will influence your life and
your understanding of the world?
Responses should include: (a) experience and learning both inside and outside of the classroom,
(b) event attendance, (c) intentional and unintentional learning from all aspects of the class, (d)
connection and relation to the Universities Baccalaureate Goals and values (e) a deepened
understanding of their values and beliefs as it relates to their holistic development. The paper
should incorporate both objective and subjective reflection. The paper should be between 4-5
pages. See rubric for assessment criteria
Career map: Students will visit the career center and through classroom dialogue, develop a
five-year career map. More information will be provided in class.

5. Late Work: Work submitted after a due date will be accepted but will not earn full credit. An
automatic 25% reduction will be given for all late work. Frequent communications with the
instructor throughout the semester is highly recommended, especially when students encounter
difficulties in meeting course requirements.
Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty is not acceptable. The University of La Verne states
“that each student is responsible for performing academic tasks in such a way that honesty is not
in question.” Students are expected to maintain the following standards of integrity:
 All tests, term papers, oral and written assignments, recitations, and all other
academic efforts are to be the work of the student presenting the material.
 Any use of wording, ideas, or findings of other persons, writers , or
researchers requires the explicit citation of the source; use of the exact
wording requires a quotation format.
 Deliberately supplying material to a student for purposes of plagiarism is culpable.
Disabled Student Services: Any student eligible for and requesting academic accommodations
due to a documented disability are asked to contact the Disabled Student Services office. You
can reach the Disabled Student Services office at (909) 448-4938. The office is located at 2215
“E” Street. Students with disabilities must document their disability with the Disabled Student
Services office in order to be considered for.
The instructor reserves the right to modify this course syllabus at anytime during the semester.