1.
Extended Orientation: FYE 1220
Baseball & College Basketball
Thursdays
11:00am – 11:50am
Room 235 Math/Physics Building
August 18th - October 6th
About this Course
Each of you has potential. Each of
you have unique gifts, experiences
and resources to develop and pursue
your life goals. But, having potential
is easy, capitalizing on it takes focus,
perseverance, and guidance. My
goal in this course is to help give
each of you the tools and confidence
to set informed goals and pursue
them with the full breadth of your
abilities.
Together we will explore what you
value in your college experience,
eventual career and in your personal
lives. We will also examine possible
challenges that may arise as you
pursue your goals, and strategize
ways to overcome potential obstacles
through our “What would you do”
series.
In the game of life you will have a lot
of different coaches and teammates
along the way. Some rules will
change as you get to higher levels of
competition, but there will always be
a difference between winning and
just playing the game. My hope is
that this course will help you to define
what winning means to you, and give
you a training plan to become a
champion.
Welcome to the league!
“The key is not the will to win. Everybody has that.
It is the will to prepare to win that is important.”
What’s in this syllabus?
Course Overview
Attendance Policy
Assignment Outline
Success Series Info
Academic Integrity
Grade Breakdown
Course Schedule
About your Instructor
Email: sclark@georgiasouthern.edu
Phone: 912‐478‐1775
Office Location: Williams Center 1003
Office Hours: By Appointment
I grew up in Massachusetts while a young John
Calipari was leading Umass to an unlikely final four
appearance. I was a student at Florida State when
the Red Sox broke the curse of the Bambino in 2004.
Not being there for this event is one of the biggest
regrets in my life. Before coming to Georgia
Southern I worked just outside of Boston where I ran
around Fenway Park every morning. Oh, and I’m also
the Assistant Director of First‐Year Experience with a
Master’s degree in Higher Education.
Extended Orientation
=
25% of your Grade in FYE 1220
Shane Clark

2.
Course Outcomes
1) Examine what YOU value, set goals for college aligned
with those values, and make concrete plans for
achieving YOUR goals.
2) Describe why you are in college and what you think
college will be like. Compare these to the expectations
of the University community
3) Explain behaviors that influence your academic and
personal success.
4) Describe expectations of your degree program and
develop a realistic expectation for achieving your
academic goals.
5) Examine challenges to achieving your goals (time
management, finances and other circumstances) and
develop a plan to overcome such challenges.
6) Locate Georgia Southern resources and services
necessary for your academic and personal success.
Attendance Policy
There are only 8 total classes in the Extended
Orientation portion of this course. We have a lot to
cover in a very short amount of time so it is
extremely important that you are at every class.
We will also be doing a lot of group work so missing
class will be letting your team down.
Absence Deduction
1 0
2 5%
3 10%
4 100%
Everyone has one excused absence, after that you
will have half a letter grade deducted from your final
grade for every additional absence. Four or more
absences will result in a zero for the course.
Attendance is like going to practice…..
It Matters!
What can you expect from this class?
You can expect to be treated with respect by your classmates and your instructors at all times. This class will
address sensitive topics specific to college life both inside and outside of the classroom and it is important that we
maintain an environment that is respectful and judgement free.
You can expect to be challenged. Just like an athlete at practice, we only improve when we are pushed to our limits.
Regardless of your ability, you can expect to have your academic skills and your personal philosophy on college life
and success challenged throughout this course.
You can expect to hear a response from your instructor within 24-48 hours for all emails and voicemails.
What do I expect from you?
I expect effort! You will not be able to “phone-in” this class. You need to be present at all classes, participating in all
discussions, checking your Georgia Southern email, and Folio daily, and giving your best effort in all assignments.
I expect you to have an open mind. You cannot learn new things unless you are willing to think about things in new
ways. At the end of class you are welcome to think whatever you like, but while in class I expect you to be open
minded to new ideas, thought processes and ways of looking at yourself and the world around you.
I expect you to have fun! Arguably more than any other course you will take, this class is about you, and I want you
to enjoy the assignments and class discussions. Learning is easiest when it is enjoyable and finding the fun in every
challenge is an important academic and life skill.
Be on time!
If you arrive more than 5
minutes late without
prior permission, you
will be marked as
absent for the class.

3.
Assignments
All assignments in this class will be submitted to the DropBox in Folio located under the class period that it is
due. Complete assignment descriptions and grading rubrics can be found in Folio under the class period in
which the assignment is given. All assignments will be graded out of 10 possible points and will count as a
percentage of your final grade as outlined below. Assignments are due by 11:59pm on the due date listed in this
syllabus.
A Day in Your Life: Remembering your Future Reflection ………………… 15%
Your Academic Plan: Assignment and Reflection …………………………...15%
Developing your Training Schedule: Time Management Reflection ……….15%
Ballin on a Budget: Financial Literacy Plan …………………………………..15%
People and Places Reflection ………………………………………………….15%
Success Series Reflection ……………………………………………………...15%
“What would you do?” Group presentations ………………..………………...10%
Late assignments will not be accepted without prior permission
Success Series Events
All students are required to go to a minimum of
two FYE Success Series events. One of the
events has to be the “Sex Signals” presentation.
The other event will be your choice out of 7 other
options. All events and times are listed on the
First-Year Experience Website:
http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/fye/students/first-
year/success/
These events do fill up quickly so arrive early to
get a seat!
Class Schedule
Date Topic Assignment/Reflection
8/18 Syllabus Overview None
8/25 Value Systems Remember Your Future
9/1 Your Degree Program Academic Planning
9/8 Sex Signals Follow Up None
9/15 Financial Literacy Ballin on a Budget
9/22 Goal Setting Time Management
9/29 Know your Resources People & Places
10/6 What would you Do Success Series
Presentations
Academic Integrity
As a Georgia Southern student, you will be held
responsible for upholding the honor code and honor
pledge you recited at SOAR:
Code: “I will be academically honest in all of my course
work and will not tolerate the academic dishonesty of
others.”
Pledge: “On my honor, I will be academically honest in
all of my course work and will not tolerate the academic
dishonesty of others. I also pledge to engage in ethical
behavior on‐campus and off‐campus, to live an
honorable lifestyle, and to create a campus environment
that is characterized by individual responsibility, civility,
and integrity.”
Violations of the Honor Code will be reported to the
Dean of Students’ Office. If you ever have questions
about what is permissible, ask in advance. All work in
this portion of the course will be checked for originality
through Turnitin.
Accommodations
If you require accommodations due to a physical or
learning disability, please let Professor Weaver know
as soon as possible, and in no case later than the
second week of classes. We’ll work with the SDRC
(Student Disability Resource Center) to meet your
needs.