Interdisciplinary Studies (IS)

Classes

IS 50: Summer Bridge

Credits 2 Class Hours2 lecture
Description

IS 50: Summer Bridge is meant to help prepare students for their first semester at KCC. This course includes the study of resources available to students at KCC, college-level study skills, non-cognitive affective success skills, and the use of technology to create, manage, and share files.

Semester Offered Summer
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
  1. Use appropriate college-level study skills and strategies to successfully complete assignments and projects.
  2. Demonstrate attitudes and beliefs that support academic success.
  3. Describe college resources and services available to students at KCC.
  4. Use academically appropriate software to create, manage and share files.

IS 103: Introduction to College

Credits 3 Class Hours3 lecture
Description

This course is a comprehensive first-year experience course for new students. This course takes a place-based approach, in which students are encouraged to explore connections between their personal and cultural identity, their community, and the college. Students will learn about college resources, study skills, and psycho-social skills that contribute to college success. Students will apply their academic skills by collaborating with a community organization and developing a service-learning approach to a relevant community issue.

Semester Offered Fall, Spring
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
  1. Collaborate with a community group to identify a relevant place-based issue that can be addressed through service learning.
  2. Use appropriate college-level study skills and techniques.
  3. Describe college resources and services available to students at Kaua‘i Community College.
  4. Explain how psycho-social skills, such as growth mindset and emotional intelligence, contribute to college success.
  5. Describe how sense of place and identity contribute to college success.
  6. Use academically appropriate computer software to create, manage and share documents and files.
  7. Apply lessons from traditional Hawaiian literature to problems related to college success.

IS 105: Career/Life Exploration and Planning

Credits 3 Class Hours3 lecture
Description

The course provides opportunities and resources for students to seek career information related to academic and occupational interest patterns, which form the foundation for sound career decision-making. Students are guided through individual and group exercises that assist in identifying needs, values, wants, interests, and abilities. The purpose of the course is to help students develop a strong foundation for major and career decision planning through career inventories, research on careers, and personal reflections.

Framework: This course uses the Pyramid of Information-Processing (Knowing about myself & knowing about my options→Knowing how I make decisions→Thinking about my decision making) and the CASVE Cycle (→Communication→Analysis→ Synthesis→Valuing→Execution→) as a framework for career and major exploration.

Semester Offered Fall, Spring
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
  1. Understand and describe the process of career development.
  2. Identify and use campus, community, and technology resources to support major and career exploration.
  3. Identify and apply the steps of decision-making to career and major decisions.
  4. Integrate the results of self-assessment and career exploration to identify career and educational options.
  5. Design and implement an action plan that includes educational and career goals.
  6. Identify personality, interests, values, skills, family, cultural, and financial influences that relate to career and educational decisions.

IS 110: Foundations of College Success

Credits 1 Class Hours1 lecture
Description

This course is designed to assist students in the transition to college. In this course you will learn proven strategies for creating greater academic, professional, and personal success. Major topics include study techniques, campus resources, and the development of attitudes, values, and beliefs that foster success.

Semester Offered Fall
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
  1. Describe college resources and services available to students at Kauai Community College
  2. Use appropriate college-level study skills and strategies
  3. Explain how non-cognitive factors, such as motivation, grit, and emotional intelligence, contribute to success in college

IS 111: Career Planning and Financial Literacy

Credits 1 Class Hours1 lecture
Description

This course will introduce students to the process of career exploration and enhance students' knowledge and skills regarding personal finance to increase financial literacy. Students will assess their own abilities, interests, and values, and then apply this self-knowledge in their choice of major and career. Students will learn the financial planning process and evaluate their money management attitudes and behaviors.

Semester Offered Spring
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
  1. Develop an educational and career plan.
  2. Evaluate financial tools and services and their roles in achieving financial goals.
  3. Identify and understand the life experiences, personal characteristics, values, interests, and abilities that influence their career opportunities.

IS 180V: Study Abroad

Credits 1 15 Class Hours

Instructional hours will vary according to courses taken at the host institution.

Description

This course is a place holder course for students who study abroad on an exchange program for a semester or for an entire academic year. Students going on the exchange program will register for this course (1-15 credits) and pay only their home campus' tuition. Upon returning to Kaua‘i CC, students are responsible for submitting the course syllabi and transcripts from the host institution to the admissions office for the courses taken abroad to be articulated with courses offered by UH. After the courses are articulated, students will receive equivalent UH credit for the courses taken abroad while this course will remain on the transcript but will show zero credit.

Prerequisites

Approval of instructor.

Semester Offered Fall, Spring
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
  1. Present information orally, combining complete sentences and pronouncing the language of the host country well enough to be intelligible to a speaker of native fluency accustomed to dealing with non-native speakers.
  2. Answer questions based on the main idea after listening to a simplified passage in the language of the host country.
  3. Use culturally appropriate behavior in routine social situations in the host country.
  4. Conduct basic research on the topic of their independent study using sources and techniques available at the partner institution.
  5. Write a short paragraph on a familiar topic in the language of the host country.
  6. Answer questions based on reading the information given in a simple paragraph in the language of the host country.