COAD 1000
The COAD 1000-Student Development and Learning in Higher Education course is designed to assist students with the transition to East Carolina University and building a foundation for student success. The course builds on information shared at orientation and allows instructors to discuss transition issues as students are experiencing them throughout the first semester.
This one hour credit class meets twice a week throughout the fall semester. The course is taught primarily by academic advisors and student affairs educators who have been trained in understanding college student development and the academic and social issues encountered by college students.
To sign up for COAD, search “Counselor Education in Self-Service Banner.” You can register yourself for any section marked “Open to All Students.” If you are interested in taking a major specific COAD class, please contact your Academic Advisor. If you have any difficulties, please contact transitions@ecu.edu.
Topics
- Understanding the transition from high school to college
- Goal setting and motivation
- Time management
- Academic Skills: note-taking, reading, study, test-taking and memory techniques
- ECU academic rules and regulations
- Career Development
- Life Skills: communication, stress management and resiliency, campus safety, making good choices, and more
Goals
This extended-orientation seminar course is designed with four overarching goals:
To Help Students Develop a Sense of Belonging
Class size is kept between twenty and twenty-five students to enhance connections between students and the instructor. Students are introduced to East Carolina University resources, organizations, and traditions in order to help students feel a part of the campus environment.
To Teach Academic Skills
Students are taught how to read a textbook, how to take notes during a lecture, memory techniques, and test-taking skills. Academic policies are reviewed so that students are familiar with requirements and information in the course catalog. Grade Point Average calculations are reviewed.
To Assist Students with Life Skills
Class discussions include time management techniques, stress management, alcohol, drug usage, relationships, leadership, and more.
To Begin the Career Development Process
Sections that are major-specific can address major requirements and career options for particular majors. Other sections address career exploration in broad terms (values, personality types, etc.).
Special Sections
In addition to general COAD 1000 sections, sections are offered based on major as well as several special interest groups such as transfer students, veterans/dependents, and first-generation students.
A special section of COAD 1000 is offered for students transferring to ECU. This section discusses the topics covered in other COAD 1000 sections from the perspective of a student who has previous college experience. In addition to these topics, this section discusses topics such as interaction with the Career Center, study abroad, and personal branding.
Spring Semester
The majority of the COAD 1000 courses in the spring semester classes are populated with students in academic difficulty after their first semester and is focused on academic recovery. The Spring class focuses on time management, study skills, and goal setting.
A section for students entering in the Spring semester is sometimes offered. If interested in a COAD course and starting at ECU in the Spring semester, please contact transitions@ecu.edu.
Interested in Serving as an Instructor?
Instructors are primarily academic advisors and student affairs educators. If you are interested in teaching a section, please contact transitions@ecu.edu.
Instructors provide documentation and are approved and credentialed through the College of Education Department of Interdisciplinary Professions. New and returning instructors are required to attend yearly training. New instructors learn about the goals, outcomes, and history of the course as well as course requirements. Returning instructors are updated on campus resources, changes to policies, and any updates with the course.
The Office of Student Transitions actively works to support instructors by providing weekly emails, a resource site for instructors, guest speaker lists, and more.