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IND 201 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview In this course, you will explore the value of the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies (BA.GS) degree and how the vast knowledge gained in this diverse educational program gives you an innovative edge professionally, personally, and for civic engagement. As you prepare for your future beyond this degree, it is crucial that you be able to articulate, in a professional manner, how your experience has prepared you for the opportunities you seek. To help you practice the skill of formally defending your experiences, skills, and goals, you will create an academic plan of study for the final project in this course. In this document, you will have the opportunity to illustrate your personally designed strategic plan for achieving your goals and earning a BA.GS degree. Your academic plan of study will begin with SMART goal planning strategies. You will highlight the diversity of knowledge and skills you plan to attain through the domains of study that supplement the achievement of the goal statement. The next step is defending your concentration, which is a focused area of study and knowledge that supports your completion of the goal statement. You will then compile a comprehensive list of the completed and planned coursework required to earn your degree by the anticipated graduation date. Finally, you will present an extended rationale for your goal and the steps you have outlined to reach that goal. Your perceived professionalism as you present your academic plan is just as important as the content of what you say. Be sure that you cleanly and professionally format your plan and check your document for any spelling and grammar errors. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Four, and Five. The final product will be submitted in Module Seven. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

x Illustrate the applicability of academic learning by explaining its connections and value to personal and professional planning x Utilize relevant research in explaining how strengths and weaknesses can be leveraged to achieve personal and professional goals x Employ fundamental writing skills in articulating plans of study appropriate for academic and professional audiences x Apply fundamental goal principles and strategic planning techniques in supporting feasible plans of academic study

Prompt Create an academic plan of study that will explain and support your intention to earn a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies degree. Begin by forming an achievable goal statement. Then, discuss your prior and planned academic learning and how you can use it to direct your academic and professional planning. Finally, build a case for your plan of study by articulating its value to you moving forward. Remember that this is a formal, professional document that must be formatted and presented in a manner appropriate for academic and professional audiences. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

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I. Goal Statement: In this section, you will introduce the career and/or personal goals related to achieving your BA.GS degree. You will do this in a brief

goal statement (one to two paragraphs). You will then develop a SMART goal related to your academic plan of study. Remember that your introduction needs to establish the basis of your decisions for your audience.

a) Concisely introduce your academic plan of study with a goal statement that details your career and/or personal goals in a manner appropriate for academic and professional audiences.

b) Develop a SMART goal related to your academic plan of study.

II. Domains of Study: In this section, you will connect your academic learning to specific domains of study to determine the value of this knowledge and how it can be applied to your goal statement. Domains of study refer to categories that compartmentalize different areas where you have gained or intend to gain knowledge, skills, and abilities. These domains could be as broad as “critical thinking” or “technical writing,” or they could be as specific as “the history of Massachusetts as a colony.”

a) Identify three domains that define any prior or planned academic learning, and name three courses that support each domain. For instance, was some of your previous learning focused on communication or critical thinking? Which courses have you taken that align with that domain?

b) Explain how any prior or planned academic learning relates to your strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to refer to the specific domains you are developing. Support your response using research.

c) Explain how any prior or planned academic learning connects to your goal statement and academic plan of study. Be sure to address why this knowledge is valuable to your goals and how will it help you plan your future.

III. Concentration: To complete this section, you will need to choose a concentration in the general studies program using the provided list and then research what knowledge, skills, and abilities you will need to complete this concentration.

a) Defend the concentration you have chosen based on how it will help you achieve your personal or professional goals. Be sure to reference the knowledge you plan to gain in the concentration.

b) Back up your assertions with research that supports your concentration choice. For instance, you might research the desired skills and abilities needed for jobs in industries related to your concentration.

IV. Coursework: In this section, you will think about your domains of study and your concentration in relation to your goal, and you will plan out the coursework for your entire degree program. This should be a specific and detailed outline of the number of credits needed, the courses needed at each level (200-level, 300-level, etc.), the courses you have already completed, and so on.

a) Provide an organized list of your degree requirements and your completed and planned coursework. Be sure to categorize courses by domains of study and your concentration where appropriate.

b) Provide a brief annotation (one to two sentences) of each listed course, illustrating why the course is applicable to your personal or professional goals.

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V. Academic Rationale: In this section, you will articulate the value of the BA.GS degree using research and specific examples to illustrate the benefits of completing this degree plan.

a) Discuss the larger relevance of the general studies degree to achieving your goals. Be sure to address the benefits of your general studies degree and the value of a diverse education to achieving your future goals.

b) Incorporate research (e.g., course resources, scholarly articles, networking sites, webinar opportunities) that will support you in achieving your goals.

VI. Articulation and Presentation: Your academic plan of study will be assessed on professional formatting and your use of fundamental writing skills. Be sure that your plan of study:

a) Has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax b) Is organized in a professional and easy-to-read format

Milestones Milestone 1: SMART Goal In Module Three, you will introduce the career goals and personal goals that are related to achieving your BA.GS degree. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone 2: Concentration In Module Four, you will research the knowledge, skills, and abilities that align with your chosen concentration and will aid you in achieving your specific goal, and you will identify three courses for your concentration that will help you develop those KSAs. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. Milestone 3: Domains In Module Five, you will identify the three domains for your academic plan of study. Then, for each domain, you will list three courses that will help you build the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to accomplish your specific goal. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric. Final Submission: Academic Plan of Study In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.

Deliverables Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading

One SMART Goal Three Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric

Two Concentration Four Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric

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Three Domains Five Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric

Final Submission: Academic Plan of Study Seven Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your academic plan of study must be 6–8 pages in length (plus a cover page and references) and written in APA format. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Include at least three references cited in APA format. Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these instructions.

Critical Elements Exemplary Proficient Needs Improvement Not Evident Value Goal Statement: Goal

Statement

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates sophisticated ability to detail career and/or personal goals in a manner appropriate for academic and professional audiences (100%)

Concisely introduces the academic plan of study with a goal statement that details career and/or personal goals written in a manner appropriate for academic and professional audiences (85%)

Introduces the academic plan of study with a goal statement that details career and/or personal goals, but introduction is not concise, is illogical, or is not written in a manner appropriate for academic and professional audiences (55%)

Does not introduce the academic plan of study with a goal statement that details career and/or personal goals (0%)

8.34

Goal Statement: SMART Goal

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates an advanced ability to utilize goal principles in supporting feasible plans of academic study (100%)

Develops a SMART goal related to the academic plan of study (85%)

Develops a SMART goal related to the academic plan of study, but goal is illogical or irrelevant (55%)

Does not develop a SMART goal related to the academic plan of study (0%)

8.33

Domains of Study: Domains

Meets “Proficient” criteria and makes cogent connections between domains of learning and associated courses (100%)

Identifies domains that define any prior or planned academic learning, and three courses that support each domain (85%)

Identifies domains that define any prior or planned academic learning, and three courses that support each domain, but courses do not logically support the domains (55%)

Does not identify domains that define any prior or planned academic learning, or three courses that support each domain (0%)

6.25

5

Domains of Study: Strengths and Weaknesses

Meets “Proficient” criteria and makes cogent connections between prior or planned academic learning and personal strengths and weaknesses (100%)

Explains how any prior or planned academic learning relates to personal strengths and weaknesses, including the specific domains being developed, with support from research (85%)

Explains how any prior or planned academic learning relates to personal strengths and weaknesses, including the specific domains being developed, with support from research, but explanation is cursory or illogical (55%)

Does not explain how any prior or planned academic learning relates to personal strengths and weaknesses (0%)

8.33

Domains of Study: Connects

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates sophisticated understanding of how any prior or planned academic learning connects to the goal statement and academic plan of study (100%)

Explains how any prior or planned academic learning connects to the goal statement and academic plan of study, including why this knowledge is valuable to goals and how it will help plan the future (85%)

Explains how any prior or planned academic learning connects to the goal statement and academic plan of study, including why this knowledge is valuable to goals and how it will help plan the future, but explanation is cursory or illogical (55%)

Does not explain how any prior or planned academic learning connects to the goal statement and academic plan of study (0%)

6.25

Concentration: Defend

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and level of support provided demonstrates thorough understanding of how the chosen concentration will help achieve personal or professional goals (100%)

Defends the chosen concentration based on how it will help achieve personal or professional goals, supporting the defense by referencing the knowledge to be gained in the concentration (85%)

Defends the chosen concentration based on how it will help achieve personal or professional goals, but defense is cursory or not supported by referencing the knowledge to be gained in the concentration (55%)

Does not defend the chosen concentration based on how it will help achieve personal or professional goals (0%)

8.33

Concentration: Research

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and support provided demonstrates thorough understanding of knowledge and skills needed in chosen concentration (100%)

Backs up assertions with research that supports concentration choice (85%)

Backs up assertions with research that supports concentration choice, but research is cursory or does not adequately support need to acquire particular knowledge (55%)

Does not back up assertions with research that supports concentration choice (0%)

8.33

Coursework: Degree Requirements

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and level of detail provided demonstrates thorough understanding of all degree requirements (100%)

Provides an organized list of degree requirements and completed and planned coursework (85%)

Provides a list of degree requirements and completed and planned coursework, but list is incomplete or unorganized or contains inaccuracies (55%)

Does not provide a list of degree requirements or completed and planned coursework (0%)

8.33

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Coursework: Annotation

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates sophisticated understanding of why each course is applicable to personal or professional goals (100%)

Provides a brief annotation for each course listed that illustrates why the course is applicable to personal or professional goals (85%)

Provides a brief annotation for each course listed that illustrates why the course is applicable to personal or professional goals, but annotations are illogical (55%)

Does not provide a brief annotation of each course listed that illustrates why the course is applicable to personal or professional goals (0%)

6.25

Academic Rationale: Relevance of the

Degree

Meets “Proficient” criteria and makes cogent connections between the relevance of the degree in achieving goals, the benefits of the degree, and the value of diverse education in achieving future goals (100%)

Discusses the larger relevance of the degree in achieving goals, including the benefits of the degree and the value of diverse education in achieving future goals (85%)

Discusses the larger relevance of the degree in achieving goals, including the benefits of the degree and the value of diverse education in achieving future goals, but discussion is cursory or illogical (55%)

Does not discuss the larger relevance of the degree in achieving goals (0%)

6.25

Academic Rationale: Research

Meets “Proficient” criteria, and research provided illustrates a sophisticated awareness of research that will support achievement of goals (100%)

Incorporates relevant research that will support achievement of goals (85%)

Incorporates research, but it is cursory or not entirely relevant to goals (55%)

Does not incorporate research that will support achievement of goals (0%)

8.33

Articulation and Presentation: Citations, Grammar, Spelling, or

Syntax

Has no major or minor errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, and/or syntax that affect the clarity of the submission (100%)

Has several minor errors and no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, and syntax that affect the clarity of the submission (55%)

Has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, and syntax that significantly affect the clarity of the submission (0%)

8.34

Articulation and Presentation: Organized

Meets “Proficient” criteria and demonstrates masterful use of fundamental writing and organization skills (100%)

Is organized in a professional and easy-to-read format (85%)

Is partly organized in a professional and easy-to-read format, but some sections are unclear or illogical (55%)

Is not organized in a professional and easy-to-read format (0%)

8.34

Total 100%