1. CAE First-Year Experience Seminar: Transition and Career Development
Counseling Psychology 115
Fall 2015 Semester, 1 credit
Instructor Information: Course Meeting Information:
Pa Her Date Range: September 21st – November 29th
PhD Student, Department of Counseling Psychology Meetings:
Office: Section 33: R 4-5:15PM, 223 Ingraham Hall
Center for Academic Excellence
B24 Bascom Hall
Phone: 608 263-5068 Student Leaders:
Contact Info: pa.her@wisc.edu Marlena Paz, mlpaz@wisc.edu
Office Hours: By Appointment Yasmeena Ougayour, ougayour@wisc.edu
A Cautionary Tale before we proceed:
“ A syllabus is a modern fiction that gives an illusion of the certainty of knowledge when no such certainty
exists. If a course of study is of any value, the syllabus will actually form through a conversation as interests
and problems shift and doubts arise.” – Aristotle’s comments to Karl Marx on the eve of Foucault’s birth.
Course Description:
The Center for Academic Excellence’s one-credit course is designed to foster CAE first-year students’
transition to UW-Madison through the exploration of self-identity and career and majors interests. This
course will help first-year students explore who they are as individuals and how this exploration influences
their educational decisions and future careers. The course will also assist students in developing positive
strategies for academic success.
Course Objectives:
 Assist student transition into the University community
 Facilitate personal growth through self-awareness and life planning
 Engage in career and majors exploration as relevant to future goals
 Orient students to the University and community resources to support personal and career
development
Required Text and Learn@UW:
In this course, there is no required text. However, we will utilize the Learn@UW website:
https://learuw.wisc.edu/ All enrolled students will be able to access this site.
**You are expected to bring your course materials to each class meeting.***
Course Requirements:
Attendance and Participation:
 Students are expected to attend class and to participate in class discussion. Consequently,
attendance for this course is mandatory. Any class period that is missed must be cleared with the
instructor before the class. Each unexcused absence will lead to point deductions.

2.  Participation is important so that we can learn from each other. Everyone can make valuable
contributions in the classroom. For this I ask all students to
1. Arrive to class on time and prepared;
2. Be respectful, open and constructive; and
3. Do not use technology in a disruptive or distracting manner. Cell phone and other
electronic devices must be silenced when in class. No exceptions. Laptops may be used
only when pertinent to the class.
Assignments:
Students are expected to have assignments completed before the next class meeting, unless an alternative
date is provided.
 Online Discussions – Discussion questions will be posted on Learn@UW by the instructor for week
3 and week 6. You will be required to post a response to the discussion questions and respond to
an entry made by your classmate. The postings should be completed by noon the day before class.
 Assessments – You are required to take four assessments (i.e., Learning Styles, Interest Profiler,
Work Values, and Career Interest Snapshot) through WISCareer in your MyUW during week 2,
week 5, and week 7. These assessments will assist you with your career exploration process. They
should be completed and submitted via Learn@UW before class.
 Faculty Interview – You will select one of your faculty members to interview outside of class by
making an appointment and briefly interview the faculty member for 15-20 minutes. You will
prepare a 5 minutes presentation of your experience for the class. The purpose of this experience
is to see your professors as people, and to introduce you to the importance of meeting with faculty
outside of the classroom. Presentation will be held week 8 and week 9.
 Progress Report – You are required to meet with all your professors, instructors, or TA to complete
your progress report. The purpose of this report is to asses where you currently stand in your
course before the final drop deadline. Reports are due to your instructor in class on week 5. The
instructor will then submit all of the reports to your respective CAE advisor by the end of the week.
 Career Autobiography Paper– This is a reflection paper about you, your interests, employment
history, and family background from a developmental perspective, and a look at your future
life/career. Students are required to incorporate the assessment results from the class to their
career goals. A good way to understand this paper is that it is a story about yourself from birth until
now, focusing on specific incidents/experiences or people that have influenced your career
decisions. Paper should be three pages, double-spaced and submitted to instructor via the dropbox
at the learn@UW by your scheduled class time.
 You will be required to meet with Larry Edgerton at least once this semester to get feedback
regarding your writing assignments for this course or other courses. Contact Larry at
lgedgert@facstaff.wisc.edu.

3. Grading Policy:
Assignment Points
Attendance and Participation 20
Two Online Discussion Posts 20
Four Assessments 20
Faculty Interview 10
Progress Report 5
Career Autobiography Paper 20
Meeting with Larry Edgerton 5
Total Points 100
Final Letter Grade If Points:
A 100-92
AB 91.5-89
B 88.5-82
BC 81.5-79
C 78.5-72
D Below 72
Academic Conduct:
Students are expected to behave ethically in this class. Academic misconduct is a serious offense that will
not be tolerated. Plagiarism will be handled according to the University policies. If you do not cite material
from the source, you can be accused of plagiarism. If you have questions about what constitutes academic
dishonesty, please talk with the instructor.
Accommodations for Persons with Disabilities:
To help fully include persons with disabilities in this course, please inform the instructor privately if special
accommodations are needed in the curriculum, instruction, or assignments. Confidentiality of the information
shared will be maintained. Questions about campus disability related policies and services may be
addressed by contacting the McBurney Resource Center located at 702 West Johnson St. McBurney is
located on the second floor, suite 2104. Their phone number is 263-2741.
Discrimination or Harassment:
All students are entitled to personal respect and equal access. Disrespect, discrimination or harassment will
not be tolerated. If you experience discrimination or harassment, please contact your instructor, Counseling
Psychology Department Chair, or Dean of Students.
Religious Holidays:
The faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison respects the observation of religious holidays for
students of all religions. If you plan to be out of class because you are participating in a religious observance
not designated as a holiday by the university, please notify me so that I can plan for you to be away.

4. Course Outline:
*Subject to change*
Date Topic Reading/Activity/Assignment Due
Week1
9/21
Overview of Course
Wisconsin Experience
Read: “The Wisconsin Experience”
Week2
9/28
Academic Transition to UW-Madison &
Learning Style
WISCareer: Learning Styles Inventory (submit
results via learn@UW)
Week3
10/5
Multicultural Career Fairs
– No Class
Online Discussion Post#1 (learn@UW)
Week4
10/12
Academic Transition to UW-Madison Read: “How Muscle Reading Works”
Read: “The Note-Taking Process Flows”
Week5
10/19
Introduction to Career Exploration /
Major Exploration
WISCareer: Interest Profiler (submit results via
learn@UW)
Progress Report Due (in class)
Week6
10/26
Exploring Cultural/social values and
Identities
Read: “Fitting in by race/ethnicity: The social and
academic integration of diverse students at a
large predominantly White university.”
Online Discussion Post#2 Due (learn@UW)
Week7
11/2
Career: Self-Assessment WISCareer: Work Values & Career Interest
Snapshot (submit results via learn@UW)
Week8
11/9
Faculty Interviews Faculty Interview: Presentations (in class)
Week9
11/16
Connect Career Exploration to Self-
Assessment
Faculty Interview: Presentations continue (in
class)
Week10
11/23
Thanksgiving – No Class -Career Autobiography Due (learn@UW)