Thank you for teaching what some consider to be the most important course at Monroe Community College! After all, you have taken on the responsibility of helping students effectively transition to MCC by learning about what they need to succeed. In teaching this course, you help them navigate the campuses, learn about resources, accept personal responsibility, form a community, explore diversity, access technology, problem-solve through difficulties, and so much more.

To help you accomplish these monumental tasks, we present the newest edition of our Open Educational Resource (OER) text for College Success. This text is organized into ten chapters, with most chapters containing four sections. Each section begins with an activity designed to activate schema and increase engagement; the sections also include videos and activities throughout.

Many of these activities can be done in groups in class while others are assessments students complete individually. Each chapter also ends with a “Chapter Activities” section that includes a few key takeaways, resources, case studies, and additional activities. A few of these sections contain major projects that have been shown to be extremely helpful to students’ development.

Active learning and immediately applying course content are stressed throughout because the more ways students access information the more likely they are to understand its relevance, internalize the concepts, and take concrete actions that will lead to their success. With such a variety of activities available, the text lends itself well to differentiating instruction, giving students choice, engaging in collaborative activities, and doing things differently every single class.

Because of its value and versatility, College Success students are required to purchase this book and use it as a resource, not as a workbook. New this year, both COS 101 and COS 133 will use the same text. All ten chapters will be covered in 133, although some of them, such as chapter 10, may be used mostly as resources. In COS 101, students will be able to refer to all ten chapters, but instructors should explicitly cover chapters 1 through 4 and 10. Although many important issues and concepts and a lot of material are addressed in COS, these courses are designed to be fun and supportive. We hope this text reflects that intention!

Below are the learning objectives for each of the ten chapters along with some information that might help you plan instruction. Please note, each objective section alternates between bold and regular type to indicate the different sections within that chapter. You may wish to use some of these objectives for review or low stakes quizzes.

Additional materials for students can be found in the LibGuide, and supplemental content for faculty can be accessed within the COS faculty organization space in Blackboard. The COS Coordinator, professional development events, and experienced faculty can also serve as resources for teaching MCC’s College Success courses. By facilitating students’ development of key skills and mindsets, you provide a necessary foundation that will serve our students well in their classes, at their jobs, and throughout their lives.

Thank you again for helping students start smart at MCC!