CARD 250*1: Cardinal Directions Senior Seminar

Fall 2023
Professor: Caitlin Luetger-Schlewitt, MA, MALS E-Mail: [email protected]
Class Dates: 10/18/23-12/08/23 Google Voice: 630-465-0167
Day/Time: Mon/Wed/Fri 9:20-10:25am Campus Ext.: 5886
Location: Larrance Academic Center, room 5 Office Location: 40 E. Jefferson (2nd floor)

Contacting Me: You can text or e-mail me between 7am and 5pm Monday-Friday and I will respond within
24-48 business hours! If you haven’t heard back from me after 2 business days, send a follow up message or
remind me in class.

Office Hours: Office hours are times that I am available to meet with you to discuss anything you need help
with, from classwork to mentoring. Any changes/updates to my office hours will be posted to our Canvas page.
You can book an appointment for virtual office hours using the calendar in Canvas. If the available times
don’t work for you, or you’d like to meet in person, please send me an email to schedule an appointment.

Required Materials:

The 2-Hour Job Search (2nd edition) by Steve Dalton ISBN: 978-1-98485-728-6

You will need to bring a pen/paper and your laptop to each class session.

Additional materials will be available through our Canvas course.

What is this class about?

What kind of work might I enjoy? The course begins with this question, inviting students to build the
foundation needed to design a career. Students receive course credit to explore how personal strengths and
characteristics, as well as goals and values, connect to career and postgraduate plans. To be competitive in
today's job market, students need to be able to craft and share their story. Through written communication, such
as resumes and cover letters, to oral communication such as interview stories, students develop the skills to
effectively translate experiences in meaningful ways. Through this course, students learn by doing, leaving with
an understanding of professional interests, workplace fundamentals, effective resume/cover letter writing,
interviewing and job search strategies.

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to demonstrate that you can:

1) Describe career and postgraduate paths of interest

2) Examine personal skills, strengths, and areas of growth to connect who you are to careers and future
paths that energize you
3) Create professional documents that help you communicate your unique set of skills and experiences to
employers: resumes, cover letters, and an online image

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Career Readiness Competencies
The list below outlines the career readiness competencies highlighted by the National Association of Colleges
and Employers (NACE) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). These
competencies exist as a result of annual surveying of employers nationwide on the skills they seek in candidates
entering the workforce. You will develop these competencies in a number of ways as a result of this course that
you will use throughout your career.1

1. Ethical Decision-Making: Student synthesizes in-depth information from relevant sources representing
various points of view/approaches; states a conclusion that is a logical extrapolation from the inquiry
findings; recognizes ethical issues arising in a variety of settings or social contexts, reflects on the
ethical concerns that pertain to the issue, and chooses a course of action based on these reflection.
2. Professionalism: Student demonstrates personal accountability and effective work habits, (e.g.,
punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management), and understands the
impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. The individual demonstrates integrity
and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to
learn from their mistakes.
3. Critical Thinking: Student exercises sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome
problems. Student is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and
may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.
4. Communication: Student articulates thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms
to persons inside and outside of the organization. Student has public speaking skills; is able to express
ideas to others; can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.
5. Technology: Student leverages existing digital technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems,
complete tasks, and accomplish goals. The individual demonstrates effective adaptability to new and
emerging technologies.
6. Equity & Inclusion: Student values, respects, and learns from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders,
sexual orientations, and religions. Student demonstrates openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the
ability to interact respectfully with all people and understands individuals’ differences.
7. Civic Engagement: Student effectively communicates in civic context, showing ability to do all of the
following: express, listen, and adapt ideas and messages based on others' perspectives. Student
demonstrates the ability and commitment to work actively within community contexts and structures to
achieve a civic aim.
8. Leadership: Student leverages the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal
skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage their emotions and those
of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
9. Career & Self Development: Student identifies and articulates skills, strengths, knowledge, and
experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identifies areas necessary for
professional growth. The individual is able to navigate and explore job options, understands and can
take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities
in the workplace.
10. Creativity, Innovation, and Risk-Taking: Student generates new, varied, and unique ideas, and makes
connections between previously unrelated ideas. Those competent in this challenge existing paradigms
and propose alternatives without being constrained by established approaches or anticipated responses of
others; employ their knowledge, skills, abilities, and sense of originality; have a willingness to take risks
1
Reprinted courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the American Association of Colleges &
Universities (AAC&U)
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 and overcome internal struggles to expose their creative self in order to bring forward new work or
ideas.

Course Work and Grades

All college policies and course requirements must be met, and all assigned course work completed and
submitted by the time class starts on the day assigned.

Homework that is submitted on time will typically be graded within 2 weeks of receipt. Late work will be
graded when I get to it. All grades will be posted on Canvas, so you’ll always be able to see where you stand in
the class.

Final grade percentages will be based on the following components & scale:

Assignment Points Rough % of Letter Grade Percentage

your grade A 93-100%
Career Toolkit 100 points 35%
Portfolio A- 90-92%
Career Pathways 50 points 17% B+ 87-89%
Presentation B 83-86%
Informational 30 points 10% B- 80-82%
Interview C+ 77-79%
Participation 100 points 35%
C 73-76%
Total 290 points 100%
C- 70-72%

D 60-69%

F Less than 60%

Career Toolkit Portfolio

Students will submit a portfolio containing their career toolkit. Individual components of this assignment may
have preliminary due dates and students will be expected to work on this project throughout the semester.
Instructions for this assignment are on Canvas.

Career Pathways Slideshow

Students will research 3 career pathways of interest and reflect on their perception of NACE Career
Competencies. Instructions for this assignment are on Canvas.

Informational Interview
Students will conduct an informational interview with a professional in an industry of interest. Instructions for
this assignment are on Canvas.

Participation & Professionalism

Participation and professionalism include in class assignments and activities, as well as all forms of interaction
with your instructor and classmates (during class, via email, verbal/non-verbal, etc…). Attendance is included
in this score—if you don’t attend class, you won’t be able to earn participation points.

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Extra Credit
All opportunities for extra credit will be shared on Canvas and during class. Extra credit is not eligible for late
credit. Extra credit is not a substitute for the assigned work in this class, but it can offer a small boost to students
in need.

Professor Luetger-Schlewitt’s Classroom Policies

Late Work & Extensions Policy

All homework is expected to be submitted in class by the due dates posted in the course calendar. Most
assignments can be submitted for late credit within 3 days of the due date for a 10%-point deduction each day it
is late.
How it works: if an assignment is due by the start of class on a Monday, the latest you can turn it in for credit
would be the start of class on the following Wednesday. If submitted your work on Monday after class, you
would receive a 10% deduction, if you turned your work in on Tuesday, you’d receive a 20% deduction, and if
you submitted your work on Wednesday, you’d receive a 30% deduction.

Any work submitted after the late period will receive a 0. Extra credit is not eligible for late credit.

Extensions may be granted in the case of an emergency and must be approved ahead of the deadline. Extension
requests made on the day of or after an assignment due date has passed will require documentation of the
emergency. What counts as an emergency is at the discretion of your instructor.

Classroom Courtesy & Communication

This class will focus on topics that you might find controversial or uncomfortable. Free thought and speech are
encouraged; however, derogatory slurs and hate speech will result in removal from the class. You are expected
to be sensitive to differences (cultural, political, religious beliefs, etc.) and respect others’ views and opinions,
but that doesn’t mean you should stay silent or not disagree. Think of this class as an opportunity to practice
disagreeing with each other intellectually (by making arguments rather than discussing our feelings) and by
showing each other respect and courtesy. We will present and discuss these topics and issues professionally and
make a good faith effort to not offend.

Open communication is necessary for a good experience in this class, whether you find the content to be
interesting/useful or not. If something has upset you or you have concerns about the class, please speak to me
about it—I can’t know something is wrong if it is never addressed. Use this as an opportunity to build on your
professional interpersonal skills.

Academic Integrity
Plagiarism: North Central College has a complicated process that I am required to follow if you plagiarize your
work. It’s a pain for me and it’s an even bigger pain for you. To avoid this, just do your own work and cite your
sources when you use material that you didn’t conjure up on your own. It’s as simple as that. Plagiarized works
may result in a zero for the assignment or an F in the class.

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism includes anything that you have copied verbatim or in part (patchwriting;
changing a couple of words) without citing the original author. If you copy and paste from a source, it’s
plagiarism. It’s plagiarism even if you copy your own words from a paper you’ve previously written (weird, but
true!) It’s plagiarism and fraud if someone else writes a paper for you but you pass it off as your own work. It’s
plagiarism if you did it on purpose, and even if you didn’t mean to do it or didn’t know you did it. It’s still
plagiarism. Do your own work. Please see the student handbook for the full plagiarism policy.

ChatGPT/AI: Sometimes ChatGPT and other AI programs can be useful tools in getting started with research
or organizing ideas. However, the work you turn should come from your own brain, use your own
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thoughts/words, and be written by nobody else but you. Using AI to do work for you is fraud, which may not
seem serious to you now, but it is a serious offense. Students who use AI to complete their work will be asked
to include a statement containing a brief explanation of why they used AI and a list of the search terms they
used to generate their work. Please review individual assignment instructions for additional AI
requirements/restrictions.

Tech Devices & Phones

Please be respectful while using phones and other devices during class. There are a few times that phones and
other devices are prohibited: during student presentations and class discussions. For regular classroom sessions,
please go in the hallway to use your cell phone for texting, calls, games, apps, etc.
If your cell phone or tech usage is distracting to me or to your peers, I will ask you to put your phone away, step
in the hall, or leave the classroom.

You will be asked to use your smart phone, tablet, or laptop for activities in class throughout the semester.
Bring your devices accordingly.

Recording During Class

Recording of class time is prohibited unless you have received my permission in advance due to an
accommodations concern. If permission is granted, the recorded content may not be shared with anyone who is
not registered in this section of this class and may not be uploaded to any file-sharing sites, the web, or on social
media, nor may it be provided to journalists or shared with them in any other way. Failure to comply with this
policy violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA.)

Severe Weather Policy

Class will only be cancelled for weather related incidents if NCC formally closes campus. If campus is formally
closed, I will always send a message via Canvas to keep you posted on any revisions to our schedule. The
schedule will be revised to accommodate any weather-related closings.

Sick Policy
It does not matter what you’re sick with, if you’re contagious, stay home! If you’re not sure if you’re
contagious, err on the side of caution and stay home! If you are sick on the day something is due, stay home and
email me to work something out. Anyone who comes to class sick will be asked to leave or wear a mask.

Other
Food/drink in the classroom is fine. Please throw away your garbage and be mindful of smells and sounds.
Please don’t smoke (anything) or dip during class.

College Policies and Resources for Students

College Policies
Students are expected to abide by college policies, including:
• Course Catalogs
• Student Handbook
• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures (Cheating, Plagiarism, Citations, Sanctions)

Resources for Students

North Central College has many staff and resource centers dedicated to student success. They provide support
in wide-ranging areas such as writing, tutoring, advising, and financial assistance. To learn more about these
resources, click Support for you at NCC on the left side of Blackboard. If your class uses Canvas, click Help in
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the left side of Canvas and then click Student Support Units to find the service that best meets your needs. Some
of these resources are also highlighted below.
North Central College cares about, and is committed to, the safety and success of all members of the College
community. If you or someone you know may be struggling academically and/or personally, College resources
and assistance are available. As your instructor, I may seek support for you by passing information on or
sharing concern with the Office of Student Affairs or the Center for Student Success by submitting an Early
Alert Referral Form.
Center for Student Success
The Center for Student Success is committed to ensuring that all students have access, opportunities, and
resources to achieve their highest level of academic achievement. Our programs, activities, and services
support the educational objectives of the faculty and College by emphasizing personal and practical skill
development so students become engaged, informed, and confident learners. To help you succeed in your
courses, our academic success programs provide a range of support including individual tutoring, structured
study groups, academic skills workshops, and supplemental peer-led instruction programs. Additional
assistance is provided in our Writing Center, Speaking Center and Math Resource Center. See also Online
Resources for Student Success.
Student Disability Services
Academic Accommodations through Student Disability Services
North Central College values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full
participation by providing an equal opportunity and meaningful access for all students. Student Disability
Services is the office designated by the College to support students with disabilities under Section 504 and 508
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act
of 2008. If you are a student with a disability, you are encouraged to contact Student Disability Services at 630-
637-5264 or [email protected]. Please visit the Student Disability Services HUB page for additional information.
Please be aware that the accessible table and chairs in this room should remain available for students who find
that standard classroom seating is not accessible. Be cognizant of those around you and respect the learning and
physical access needs of your fellow classmates.
Clinical/Internship Accommodations
Student Disability Services coordinates accommodations with clinical/internship partners. Assigned academic
accommodations do not guarantee clinical/internship accommodations. If you are a student with a disability and
need clinical/internship accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at 630-637-5264 or
[email protected]. Please visit the Student Disability Services HUB page for additional information.
Title IX: Confidentiality and Mandated Reporter Statement
North Central College faculty are committed to creating a safe learning environment for all members of our
community, free from gender and sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment, domestic and dating
violence, sexual assault, and stalking, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Please note that our Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Policy designates all faculty members as Mandated
Reporters. Under this policy, all Mandated Reporters must report all disclosures of sex or gender-based
discrimination or violence to Cortney Matuszak, North Central College’s Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX
Coordinator will reach out to provide resources, support, and information after receiving a report, but
community members are not required to respond to such outreach. Reported information will remain private.
The Title IX Coordinator can be reached at [email protected], (630) 637-5156, or by visiting her office in
Old Main, Room 524.
If you have (or someone you know has) experienced any form of sex or gender-based discrimination or violence
and wish to speak with someone confidentially about rights, options, and referrals, please contact our Campus
Advocate Samantha Godfrey, at [email protected] or (630) 637-5113. For more information regarding
North Central College’s Title IX procedures, reporting, or supportive measures, please visit the Title IX
webpage.
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Technical Assistance
If you are encountering difficulties with your NCC email, password, network, wireless, printing, or Box cloud
storage, consult the Instructional Technology Services Hub site or contact the Help Desk at
[email protected] or 630-637-5440.
For help with Canvas, click Help on the left and use the Chat for Students or call the number listed for
assistance. You can learn more about using Canvas through the tutorials gathered for students at Introduction to
Canvas.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, please call the Department of Campus Safety at 630-637-5911 and/or 911.
Students may also submit an Early Alert referral if you or another member of our campus community needs
assistance.

Course Calendar

All reading assignments should be completed before the start of our live class session. The entirety of this
calendar is subject to change at Instructor’s discretion.

Date What to expect in class//what homework is due and when

Intro to CARD 250; Exploring Career Pathways

Wednesday 10/18
ü Review the syllabus

Exploring Career Pathways

Friday 10/20

Learning Intentional Self-Reflection; Wandering Map

Monday 10/23
ü Read: Dalton Introduction

Learning Intentional Self-Reflection

Wednesday 10/25

Learning Intentional Self-Reflection

Friday 10/27
Class will not meet for a live session today. Instead, complete the VIPS
assessment when we would normally meet. (Completion of this assessment
counts toward your weekly participation score.)

Crafting Documents for Success

Monday 10/30
ü Read: Dalton Ch 1 & 2

Crafting Documents for Success

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Wednesday 11/1

Crafting Documents for Success

Friday 11/3
ü Bring your completed resume to class today for peer review

Strategizing Your Search

Monday 11/6
ü Read: Dalton Ch 5, 6
ü Assignment: Informational Interview is due by the start of class

Strategizing Your Search

Wednesday 11/8

Strategizing Your Search

Friday 11/10

Networking & Developing your Personal Brand

Monday 11/13
ü Read: Dalton Ch 8, 9, 10

Networking & Developing your Personal Brand

Wednesday 11/15

Networking & Developing your Personal Brand

Friday 11/17

Networking & Developing your Personal Brand

Monday 11/20
ü Assignment: Career Pathways Slideshow is due by the start of class

Wednesday 11/22 No Class-Thanksgiving Break

Friday 11/24 No Class-Thanksgiving Break

Promoting Skills & Sharing Your Story

Monday 11/27

Promoting Skills & Sharing Your Story

Wednesday 11/29

Promoting Skills & Sharing Your Story

Friday 12/1

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 Recognizing Career and Professional Development as a Lifelong Process
Monday 12/4
ü Assignment: Career Toolkit Portfolio is due by the start of class
ü Assignment: Extra Credit is due by the start of class

Recognizing Career and Professional Development as a Lifelong Process

Wednesday 12/6

Recognizing Career and Professional Development as a Lifelong Process

Friday 12/8