Netiquette and Patience

Please remember that at the receiving end of every email you send and threaded discussion you post is another human being. Please be as respectful of your reader as you are of a fellow classmate or instructor in a traditional classroom. Tone is critical when you interact on the Web, so be wary of sarcasm, disrespectful innuendos and emotionally charged comments. If you think a comment could be misinterpreted, it probably will be. Try writing it another way before you hit Send or Post.

Also, remember that technology is not perfect (and neither are we). So, please be patient with your on-line experience. The course website may not open on the first try; your computer or the website's server may crash while you are completing an assignment; an attachment may not post to the Dropbox quickly or at all on the first try; you may be dropped from the course erroneously for any number of reasons et al. This can be very frustrating. If something unusual happens or you have a unique request, please do not panic. Breathe deeply. If it is a homework related issue, review my homework instructions and the textbook instructions again very, very carefully. If you are still having some trouble, contact me about the situation, and we'll begin addressing it. It may not be resolved to your total satisfaction, but I will try my very best to work with you. The most important thing to remember is that you need to communicate with me. Also, one email is sufficient about any circumstance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I know my grade to date in the class?
   The Gradebook is used to keep track of your assignments and exam scores. You can compare the total points earned to the total points possible, and view the points earned on any individual assignment.
    
2. Where is your office?
   B220-E. Second floor of the Business building.
    
3. Do you mind students going ahead of schedule for the assignments? In other words, if a student wanted to complete the entire class work in two weeks would you mind?
   You can work at your own pace on the homework, however you will not be able to enter a week until the beginning date of that week. Sorry, but I will not make exceptions to this. Also, you will need to review what is due each week. You can submit an assignment at any time during the week it is due, however I will not review and grade homework until its due date.
    
4. Can I use multiple e-mail accounts and how do I change my email address?
   No. If you wish to start using another e-mail account, be certain to change it in your user profile at this site. If you change the email account you wish to use for this course, go back to the Enrolled Classes page (click Exit Course button in lower left screen...it is the page you enter after you have logged in and before you go to this course section) and go to the Student User Profile link at the top of that page. Please keep your e-mail account current in the user profile or you won't receive e-mails from me. There is no need to inform me of the change.
    
5. When is homework due?
   All items must be completed/submitted by 11:59 pm on the day they are due (Pacific Standard Time). Note: Regardless of your location, our course is completed in PST. Late assignments will not be reviewed or scored for any reason unless you have a documented medical emergency. Please give yourself ample time to do the assignments (don't start two hours before the due date) so that you can practice and ask questions before you submit the homework. Remember, if you have incomplete work for multiple assignments, you may be dropped from the class (see Syllabus).
    
6. How can I get help in the course?
   Post homework questions to the Homework Discussion area under Course Home or E-mail me regarding other concerns.
    
7. What kind of computer do I need and can I use computers on campus?
   To complete this course off campus, you need a PC with a Windows operating system. You cannot use a Mac for this course. Students taking only online classes are not guaranteed access in the CSIS department's computer lab (B231). If you do not have the required software you should consider taking this class on campus. See the Syllabus for more information on Technical Requirements.
    
8. How can I get extra credit?
   There is no extra credit in any of my classes.
    
9. How do I drop the course?
   It is your responsibility to drop the course. However, because this is a fast-paced course, if you do not complete the Week 1 assignments by the due date or if you have incomplete work for multiple assignments, you may be dropped from the course. If you wish to receive a refund or a W, you must drop by the refund deadline or the W deadline (see http://www.smc.edu/EnrollmentDevelopment/Admissions/Pages/Dates-and-Deadlines.aspx - for exact Dates and Deadlines). It is not my responsibility to drop you by these deadlines. Because I would like you to successfully complete the course, please contact me via an e-mail and let me know that you are considering dropping the course. If work or personal obligations make it impossible to keep up with assignments, you may want to consider taking the course another semester. Or you may wish to take the class on campus for more instructor interaction. Once you are dropped, you will not be able to enter this class section.
    
10. How do I earn discussion points?
    If you add a comment to a threaded discussion or perform the task described in the threaded discussion by the due date, then you will receive the full points for that discussion/participation credit. However, you must discuss the topic or complete the given task as described to receive the points (ie if you post a question about that week's homework in a weekly threaded discussion, you will not receive the participation points...homework questions are posted in the Homework Discussion area under the Course Home button).
     
11. I have a question about my enrollment at SMC and whether this course fulfills a degree or certificate requirement, who do I contact?
    For help with general course enrollment, please contact a cyber counselor. They can be reached by clicking the Exit Course button on the lower left corner of the screen and returning to the Enrolled Courses page. Then, click on the Advising tab in the upper page. Scroll down the Advising page and type in your question for the cyber counselor in the text box.
     
12. Will we ever meet on campus?
    For this online section, no.
     
13. Do we have to meet online at a specific time?
    No. You may work online at your convenience.
     
14. I submitted or completed an assignment/exam, so why isn't the grade posted yet and/or why does it show that the assignment has not been completed?
    I do not post any scores until one to three days AFTER the due date. This means that I may not review assignments or post scores until the Thursday after a Monday night deadline. Please be patient.
     
15. Who do I contact for technical assistance with the smconline.org website?
    Once you have enrolled in an online class, technical assistance is available 24 hours a day/7days a weeks via email at helpdesk@smconline.org or you can call toll-free 877-740-2213. The instructor cannot assist you with technical issues.