Foundations for University Success
This course is the first in a series of six classes designed to prepare new students for their educational journey. The series, called the Phoenix Success Series, is designed to provide skills and information that will help you be successful throughout your degree program.
This course provides a foundation for success in all remaining courses by helping you develop your analytical ability, critical thinking skills, writing skills, and adherence to academic standards. You will also learn to develop personal strategies for achieving educational goals and develop skills in decision making, information literacy, and problem solving. Give it your best effort, and you can achieve great things!
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson, Philosopher
Resources:
Academic Policies & Procedures
GEN/201: Course Specific Library Resources
Plagiarism: SafeAssign® Instructions
Course Tour
Watch the GEN/201 Course Tour video to gain a better understanding of the course structure, weekly activities and assignments, and best practices for being successful.
Career Relevance
Each course outcome is linked to an In-Demand skill. The course outcome and skill are measured though specific assignments in the course.
Course Learning Outcome
Describe approaches for successful academic and professional communication.
In-Demand Skill
Decision Making
Workplace Example
Throughout your academic and professional career, you will need to make decisions about how, when, and in what format you will communicate with others. Whether drafting a message to your faculty member or developing a proposal for your supervisor; good communication requires good decision making.
Course Learning Outcome
Review academic sources for credibility, bias, and relevance.
In-Demand Skill
Information Literacy
Workplace Example
In an era of misinformation and information overload, the ability to evaluate the quality of information is an important skill for students, professionals, and citizens.
Course Learning Outcome
Summarize practices and habits that contribute to successful academic study and professional development.
In-Demand Skill
Problem Solving
Workplace Example
Most of us encounter obstacles daily. You could be stuck in traffic on your way to work or having technical issues with your computer. Developing the habits and skills to solve problems as they pop up will help you stay on track to achieving your academic and professional goals despite the challenges that come up along the way.
Textbook:
University of Phoenix. (2021). GEN/201: Foundations for University Success. Zyante Inc.
Course Tool
This course uses a digital textbook that we call a myBook, Powered by zyBooks. Textbooks delivered through zyBooks provide opportunities for you to review and engage with the material while also assessing your knowledge of the concepts presented. Review the zyBooks Student Support Guide for more information.
Join a Friend Program
If you have a friend or family member who is also taking classes at the University, did you know you can take classes together? For more information, check out Join A Friend.
Classroom Learning Platform
You will attend your online courses at University of Phoenix through a learning platform called Blackboard or sometimes referred to as Blackboard Ultra. When you log into MyPhoenix, scroll to the bottom of the page and use the “Go to Class” button to access Blackboard.
University of Phoenix Mission, Purpose, and Learning Goals
Review the University of Phoenix Mission and Purpose, as well as the University of Phoenix Learning Goals. What learning goals do you feel will be most important to your academic and professional career?
New Student Orientation
Review the New Student Orientation to learn tips for success in your first class and more about the resources available to University of Phoenix students. Be sure to bookmark it for future reference.
myBook, Powered by zyBooks Guide & Tips
The textbook for this course is your myBook, Powered by zyBooks. This is a unique textbook that provides opportunities for you to interact with content through activities and assignments. As you complete activities in the myBook, your scores will be fed back to the Blackboard classroom so your faculty can publish them to the gradebook. Review the following tips and guidelines:
- Accessing Assignments – Links to the myBook are located in each week’s folder in Blackboard. Be sure to access your myBook Reading and Practice assignments from the links provided in Blackboard. This will ensure your instructor will see your work and scores. Failure to launch the myBook Reading and Practice assignments from Blackboard will prevent you from earning scores.
- Bookmarking myBook – Although you can create bookmarks in your myBook, you will still need to access your myBook via the links in Blackboard. Using a bookmark to access your myBook is not recommended as it will not allow your progress or grades to be automatically sent to your faculty. Your myBook is accessible via your mobile device but using a personal computer (PC) provides the best reading experience.
- Participation Activities – These sections consist of questions that reinforce learning immediately after one or two paragraphs or examples. You will find the Participation Activities embedded in Ch. 1–5. These activities earn you points that will count towards your final grade in the class. . Upon completion, your work will be auto graded by the myBook system and your scores will be fed back to your faculty member to be posted to the gradebook.
- Keep in mind, there are several parts to the Participation Activities that need to be completed. There is a status pane at the top of each activity that shows all the items to complete for that activity.
- You can revisit and accumulate additional points for unfinished or incorrect responses to the Participation Activities throughout the course.
Occasionally, you may see a difference between points in the myBook and points in Blackboard. Only points visible in Blackboard count toward your final grades.
Troubleshooting myBook
If you are having trouble accessing your myBook, please contact University of Phoenix tech support at 877-832-4867.
Important Note About myBook Assignments
Unless otherwise directed by your instructor, you do not need to submit anything for myBook assignments, you just complete them in the myBook itself. Your instructor can view your scores for all myBook assignments within the myBook, Powered by zyBooks platform.
Summative Assessments
There are summative assessments in Weeks 3, 4, and 5 that require you to use the knowledge and skills you have learned in this course. These assignments also you require you to download documents from Blackboard.
Your faculty member will use rubrics to grade these assessments.
The assessment instructions describe what you must do to complete the assessment. The rubric describes how you will be graded, and the performance levels you can achieve.
You are encouraged to ask your faculty member any questions you have about the assessment instructions or the rubrics before completing the assessments.
Tips:
- Download Office 365 prior to Week 3.
- Preview the summative assessment instructions at the beginning of the week.
- Preview the assessment rubric before you start to work on the assessment.
- Remember, Summative Assessments are worth a high percentage of points, so it’s important that you complete them.
Office 365
You will use Microsoft Office® software (Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®) in your courses, and it is important to have this software installed for your first course. As a student at University of Phoenix, you can download Microsoft Office 365 for free.
Faculty Member Feedback
Each week, you will be provided feedback from your instructor (faculty member) on your participation and assignments. The feedback is to help you understand what you did well and areas to improve to enhance your work and improve your grades. Carefully review your feedback to apply it in future assignments.
Attendance and Participation Policy
One of the biggest factors to success is showing up and turning in your work. It is difficult to take advantage of opportunities if you aren’t present. Faculty cannot help you pass the class without assignments to grade. You will need to carve out time in your daily schedule for class discussions and for completing class activities and assignments We want you to have every chance for success in your education, so we strongly encourage you to read the Academic Policies & Procedures document, located in the Tools & Resources section, and Creating a Substantive Post to take an active role in your educational success.
Why should I take this course?
This course is not only an opportunity for you to discover more about yourself. You will also become familiar with the online classroom environment, University resources and expectations, but also will provide you with strategies and information on important foundational concepts for college students such as grit & growth mindset, time management, goal setting, communication skills, information literacy, and networking. These are concepts that will help you maintain motivation throughout your degree program and be successful as a college student.
I’m taking the course online, is there a certain time class meets every day or is it more of a “on your own time” thing?
Students at the Online Campus are not taking a “live” course, it is asynchronous, which means you can get online and work on class when you can/need to as long as you meet the due dates for discussions and assignments. Each online course week begins on Tuesday and ends on Monday. Here is a general overview of what is required each week:
- Due by Thursday (Day 3): Post your initial response to the current week’s discussion questions.
- Due by Monday (Day 7): Post at least 2 additional substantive replies to your classmates or instructor within the discussion.
- Due by Monday (Day 7): Complete the Reading and Practice exercises in the myBook, Powered by zyBooks, located in the weekly folders.
- Due by Monday (Day 7): Complete Summative Assessments (in Weeks 3–5 only). There are specific instructions in each weekly assignment/homework link.
What if I have a question and need to contact my faculty member?
You can send a “Private Message” to your faculty member in Blackboard. Just click on the “Messages” link in Blackboard and you will be able to send a message directly to your faculty member.
How do I earn credit for participating in class discussions?
There is a discussion board in each week of the course. To earn credit for participation, you must post a total of 3 substantive responses over 2 separate days. This includes your initial post and 2 replies to other students or your faculty member. Your faculty member will likely provide some guidance as to what qualifies as a substantive post, but if you have questions, you can send a message to your faculty member.
OK, I think I am ready. How do I get started?
Once you get into Blackboard, start at the top of the content page of your class and look over the Course Overview, the Course Syllabus, and the Course Resources. Then, you can move on to the Week 1 content. To access Week 1 content, click the downward facing arrow to the right of the “Wk 1 – Preparing for Success heading” to expand that folder. Then, post an introduction to the “Meet Your Faculty and Peers!” discussion area in the Week 1 folder so you can get to know your classmates and faculty member. You should see a welcome video from your faculty member in that same area, so be sure to check that out too! After completing these steps, you are ready to get started with your Week 1 work. A good place to start is to access your myBook, by clicking on “Wk 1 – Reading and Practice” and start reading through and engaging with the Week 1 content. You are off to a great start!
When are assignments due?
Typically, assignments in an online course are due by 11:59 p.m. AZ time on the due date listed. The weekly initial DQ response is due by 11:59 p.m. AZ time on Thursdays and all other assignments for the week are due by Mondays at 11:59 p.m. AZ time. It’s always a good idea to review the due dates your faculty member has established in Blackboard.
Can I work ahead on assignments?
You can read and work ahead in the myBook if you want to/are able to. However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind if you want to work ahead on the Summative Assessments. The Summative Assessments build off the concepts learned in prior weeks, so you may not want to start on an assignment before you have fully explored the topic/s covered in the assignment. You also want to be sure that you have downloaded Microsoft Office software before completing your Summative Assessments. It is also always a good idea to confirm that a submitted assignment went through by logging out and back into class and confirming you can see your submission.
Where do I see my grades and feedback?
You can view your points and feedback by going to the “Gradebook” link at the top screen in Blackboard. The graded assignments will show as “Graded”. For most assignments (besides the myBook activities which are auto graded), you should see a purple comment bubble which is where you can read the feedback from your faculty member.
What if I need to submit an assignment late?
University of Phoenix understands that adult learners run into situations where they might need some extra time to compete assignments. Individual course assignments will be accepted up to four days after the assignment due date, with a maximum 10% deduction. This includes Week Five assignments, which may be submitted up to four days after the course end date. You should always inform your faculty member ahead of time if you will be late on an assignment so they are aware and can work with you if you need any additional support. If you find that you are struggling to turn in assignments even with the 4 additional days, make sure you reach out to your faculty member. Also, the University offers support for anyone with a temporary or permanent disability, so it is important to talk to your faculty member if you need assistance.
Can I complete my work on a tablet or my phone?
You can access Blackboard and the myBook on your tablet and phone. However, it is best to complete your work using your desktop or laptop computer, especially the Summative Assessments.