College Success Courses
College Success courses support students as they transition to college. MCC offers a one credit COS 101 course and a three credit COS 133 course. Both courses are designed to help students navigate the college, learn more about themselves, connect with the college, and plan for the future.
What are the benefits of taking College Success (COS) 101?
- Develop time management strategies
- Learn about MCC resources and how to become more involved in campus life
- Acquire MCC technology skills like Blackboard, email, and the MCC website
- Develop an educational plan toward your career goals
- Learn how to be a successful student
What are the benefits of taking College Success (COS) 133?
- All the benefits of COS 101 and . . .
- Develop communication skills
- Learn how to study
- Discuss diversity and inclusion
- Practice problem solving and thinking proactively
- Think through how to pay for your education
- Learn about your mindset
- Use critical thinking to become an effective learner
Who should enroll in a COS course?
- Any student who would like to work on the list of benefits above
- Students are required to take a COS course the first time they enroll in any TRS course
- Students may wish to take a COS course to see if college is right for them
- First time college students and students who have had a long break from formal education or college may choose to take a COS course
Global Learning/Study Abroad
See: http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/global-education/
Internships
See: http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/experientiallearning/
Learning Communities
A learning community is a group of students who take two or more courses together. The courses are coordinated by two or more faculty who work closely together. Typically each learning community has a theme. Most writing assignments and projects are coordinated and are used in the Learning Community courses.
Service Learning
Service-Learning allows students to learn and develop through organized community projects. It is connected to curriculum, emphasizes student enrichment and fills a community need defined by the participating organization. In addition to teaching values, citizenship and leadership, Service-Learning increases the relevancy of education by bringing academic instruction to life.
Students have the opportunity to use the service-learning (SV) hours in identified courses toward obtaining a service-learning distinction on their diploma. This distinction indicates completion of 200 or more SV hours. To receive credit for SV hours, a student must complete all required SV hours in the course and pass the course with a 2.0 or higher. Obtaining a Service-Learning diploma distinction can be an enhancement to an earned degree and can be helpful when transferring or seeking employment.
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate Research courses are designated as “UR” in the Master Schedule.
Writing Intensive (WR) Courses
Courses that emphasize learning the course content through both formal and informal writing assignments. Writing-intensive courses may be in any discipline. These courses are indicated by a “WR” on the master schedule.
The Writing Across the Curriculum Program promotes writing as an effective way of teaching and learning in any discipline. In writing-intensive (WR) courses, students have the opportunity to explore the course content through both formal and informal writing assignments. Formal assignments are written for a reader and typically are graded; a minimum of 2,000 words per semester in formal assignments is required of a WR course. Informal assignments are written largely for one’s self and are instructor-specific. Informal writing helps the student to think on paper and work through the course content.
Through writing, students increase their understanding of course content while learning the importance of writing as an expression of thinking. Solid writing skills also benefit students when they conduct employment searches or apply for admission to other colleges and universities.
The Writing Across the Curriculum program at Monroe Community College is housed in the Humanities & Social Sciences Division, headed by Dean Michael Jacobs.
The following courses are always WR, regardless of instructor or section:
All Anthropology/History/Political Science/Sociology courses
All English & Philosophy courses
All Honors courses
All Humanities courses
Voluntary WR courses vary each semester and, as with the permanent ones, they are offered from a wide range of departments–many of them STEM.
To see WR courses available for a given semester, please see the course schedule.
WR courses have a prerequisite of College English placement.
