SDSU Biol290/Micr390: Undergraduate Seminar Careers in the Biological/Microbiological Sciences Assignments and Projects

• Assignment 1: Career Goals Statement (Due: September 23)
• Assignment 2: Job Postings and Descriptions (Due: October 21)
• Assignment 3: Career Flow Path, Resume & Letter of Recommendation (Due: December 9)
• Assignment 4: Reactions to invited speakers (Due Each Friday by 5PM)
• Assignment 5: Development of digital portfolio (Due November 4)
• Technology Literacy Competencies:  Assignments which can be used to demonstrate Information Technology Literacy Competencies

Assignment 1: Career Goals Statement (Due: September 23)
Develop a career goals statement of one page in length.  This statement should provide (1) a description of your career area of interest and (2) a list of future career goals.  Your statement should be typed and double spaced.  You should include a title and your name on the top of the page.

Note!  Hand-written materials will not be accepted.  Make sure you proof-read your material.  Errors in spelling and grammar will result in deduction from your total score.  All materials should be written with either MS-Word or WordPerfect and then converted to a htm file.  Both the wordprocessing files (*.wpd or *.doc) and the htm files must be submitted on a CD or 3¹/₂ inch floppy disk (disks will be returned during the following week) or sent as an E-mail attachment (you may also give your instructor a paper copy if you like).

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Assignment 2: Job Postings and Descriptions (Due: October 21)
Based upon career goals statement and list of goals, each student shall identify and list at least three current job posting available in their area of interest.  Students should utilize the University CAP Center, H.M. Briggs Library, Internet, government job postings or any other source of job posting information.  Each position citation should include (1) the source of the posting and (2) a complete description of the position.  Descriptions should include location, job responsibilities, required experience/education, starting date and duration.  Include salary information if it is available.  You may wish to contact the employer to learn more about the position.  This assignment need not be submitted on disk, but only as a paper copy.

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Assignment 3: Career Flow Path, Resume and Letter of Recommendaton (Due December 9)
All materials from this assignment should be written with either MS-Word or WordPerfect and then converted to a htm file.  Both the wordprocessing files (*.wpd or *.doc) and the htm files must be submitted on a CD or 3¹/₂ inch floppy disk or sent as an E-mail attachment (you may also give your instructor a paper copy if you like).

a. Career Flow Path (a diagram which portrays your educational and vocational path toward your ideal position)
• We would like them developed as a flow chart, but can also be written out in paragraph form if necessary.  You should start with where you are right now (undergraduate at SDSU).  The bottom box in your chart should be your ideal career position (where you want to be in 4-6 years).
• You should show different pathways or branchpoints and steps you would need to take to get from where you are right now to that ideal position on the bottom of the page.  There may be two or three different pathways; branch-points may depend on family status, graduate or professional schools that you may or may not get into, and other factors that you may not have control over such as promotions.  Factors influencing branch points should be explained on the chart.
• Your flow chart should be neat.  If possible, create the chart with your computer with text boxes and arrows this can be done with a wordprocessor or a graphic program.  If necessary, you can draw it out with a pen and scan it into a digital file (*.tif, *.jpg or *.gif) with a flatbed scanner.
• This file should be submitted either as a htm, tif, jpg or gif file.
b. Futuristic Resume
• This is not your current resume!  This is a futuristic resume that would represent you when you finish at SDSU (written as you would hope it to read when you graduate from SDSU).
• It will include education and experiences that you don't have right now, but plan to have by graduation day.  Be hopeful but realistic with this document.  You will be graded by how well these assignments match together into your proposed career(s).
• Create this resume from your flow chart.  Choose a path on your chart and include education/experience that you plan to have before you apply for that job/professional school position.  Develop a type written, neat resume.
• (click here for more information regarding resume format)
c. Predictive Letter of Recommendation (an ideal letter of recommendation from a theoretical faculty member or employer; written as you would hope it to read when you graduate from SDSU).

• First paragraph should describe the nature of the relationship that you have with the person in question (i.e. how do you know this person).  This is critical because it determines the validity of the recommendation.
• A vague recommendation is perceived to be a bad recommendation.  Include specific examples to justify important statements; these must be realistic for the type of relationship.  One page if possible.
• Provide evaluations on the following characteristics, if possible (do not comment on areas that you are not in a position to evaluate):

Scholastic ability

Experience, education, ability to work with others, communication style, potential to contribute to that organization, quality of your work, dedication, motivation and ability to assume responsibilities.

Maturity/Emotional Stability

Integrity/Reliability

Communication Skills (written and oral)

Perseverance

Self-Confidence/Ability to Function Under Stress

Judgement/Common Sense

Resourcefulness/Organizational Ability

Acceptance of Criticism

Curiosity

• End with a short summary statement

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Assignment 4: Weekly Reactions to Our Speakers (Due Each Friday by 5:00pm)

You will write a short paragraph describing your thoughts about each speaker.  You should include such items as your interest in their field, what you learned from the speaker and your overall reaction to information they presented.  Reactions should be sent by e-mail each Friday and no later than 5:00pm.

IMPORTANT!  When sending your e-mail enter "SSXXXX - Date" under the subject (where XXXX is the last four digits of your colleague ID number).

Click on the statement below to send your reaction.

My Reaction for Today's Presentation to michael.hildreth@sdstate.edu

My Reaction for Today's Presentation to david.german@sdstate.edu

My Reaction to Today's Presentation to william.gibbons@sdstate.edu

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Assignment 5: Development of Digital Porfolio (Due: November 4)
Students must develop an internet website to be used as a career portfolio.  This portfolio will contain "directory-type" information (e.g. hometown, phone number, major) that will be available to departmental faculty and students accessing the site.  Academic-type information (e.g. current resume, course writing assignments) will be password protected and only accessible to the student (and anyone they give the password to), their advisor and their departmental instructors.  Students are encouraged to include a current photograph of themselves in this portfolio, and digital photographs will be taken of students on a voluntary basis after some of the course lectures.  To complete the portfolio, simply select the link below, then select "student input" and fill in the requested information. Student Portfolios

The Department of Biology & Microbiology requires all students to maintain a portfolio of evidence demonstrating Information Technology Literacy.  Some Bio 290 assignments may be used as evidence that you have achieved these competencies.  Listed below are those Bio 290 assignments which meet selected technology literacy competencies.  You should maintain a copy of (1) the completed assignment and/or (2) the syllabus description of this assignment in your student portfolio as evidence that you have completed the listed goals.

Assignment #2 - Job Postings and Descriptions - Successful completion of this assignment will demonstrate competency to understand different categories of information resources (Goal 1), decide when to use electronic versus traditional information sources (Goal 1), use a variety of electronic and traditional information sources (Goal 2), select appropriate information resources to address a particular need (Goal 2), understand the value of different types of information resources (Goal 2), use information networks (Goal 3), analyze and evaluate information of accuracy (Goal 4), analyze and evaluate information for reliability (Goal 4), analyze and evaluate information for relevance (Goal 4) and analyze and evaluate information for timeliness (Goal 4).

Assignment #3 - Ideal Resume, Career Flow Path and Ideal Letter of Recommendation - Successful completion of this assignment will demonstrate competency to use computers to support communication (Goal 3) and principles of honesty in the use of information (Goal 5).

Assignment #4 - Weekly e-mail reactions to our speakers - Successful completion of these assignments will demonstrate competency in using e-mail and use of computers to support communication (Goal 3).

Assignment #5 - Digital Portfolio - Successful completion of this assignment will demonstrate competency in the use of computers to support communication of information to others (Goal 3).