Addendum to Syllabus

for Mike Martin's On-Line Courses

Accessing 
Course 
Materials
The online course you are enrolled in uses a course management/development tool called BlackBoard. To access the course, go to 

http://webct.jccc.edu  

When you arrive at the above web page, you'll be requested to enter your user name (Global ID) and password since the site is password protected. Your instructor will provide your user name (Global ID) and initial password.
If you ever have problems accessing the site, wait a few minutes and try again. If you're still not able to access the course, notify your instructor via phone at (913) 469-8500 ext. 3369 or email (mmartin@jccc.edu).

Hardware/Software 
Requirements
To successfully complete this course, you will need a contemporary browser and a reliable internet connection (ISP).

Remember, if you do not have an ISP or if your computer doesnÌt work for part of the course, you can also use the open computer labs at JCCC to access the Web-based materials for the course.

Installing 
Hardware/Software
This course does not provide instructions or assistance covering the installation of hardware or software necessary for the completion of the course. 
Communications 
with 
Your Instructor
I work full-time as a math professor at the Johnson County Community College and teach this course in that role. The easiest way to reach me is via email at mmartin@jcccedut.  You can also call me at (913) 469-8500 ext. 3369. I have voice mail; so leave me a message if you cannot reach me in person. You are expected to check your email (through your stumail account with JCCC) for messages from your instructor. On-line activity is required of this course. Keeping in touch with your instructor via email is an absolute necessity if you are to succeed. If you are having problems with an assignment, email me immediately or call me to discuss it before the assignment's due date. 

Each student is expected to participate in the Discussion Board discussions. You should check the Discussion Board frequently, plus check your email daily! Your presence and participation in Discussion Board is required.  

Email 
Questions
If you have questions of a general nature that the entire class can benefit from hearing the answer, post them to the course's Discussion Board. If you have personal questions (pertaining to your grade, specific assignments you're working on, and so on), you can contact me by email at mmartin@jccc.edu. Be sure to type the course number and the topic in the Subject area of your email messageÛsuch as: MATH 175: Link problems.

I try to monitor my email frequently during the day (M-F) and then at least once each evening. I'm frequently in class, meetings, or working on projects that do not allow me to respond immediately. However, I attempt to answer all email within 48 hours. That's my goal. I'll send all responses to your email address of record (stumail) or if your question is posted in the Discussion Board area, I'll post it there; email questions of a general nature may be responded to in the discussion board or through course announcements on WebCT.

Project 
and 
Assignment 
Submission
You may want to submit projects and assignments electronically using WebCT. The required steps are:

 

  1. Select the Assignments icon from the home page. 
  2. Select the appropriate assignment link.
  3. Click the Student Files button to upload your files.
  4. Click the Upload button
  5. Use the Browse button to locate the file on your hard drive.
  6. Once you've entered the path to the file, click the Upload button.
  7. After the file is uploaded, you'll see a new screen indicating the file name, modification date, and size. 
  8. If you have additional files to upload, repeat steps 4-6 above.
  9. After you have uploaded all files, click the link that follows the phrase Return to Assignment at the top of the page.
  10. When the next screen appears, click the Submit Assignment button.
  11. In the Email address for email notification field, type your email address.
  12. Click the Submit assignment button to complete the process.
  13. When you see the Assignment will be submitted. Proceed? message, click the OK button to proceed.


Because files for some projects may be very large, you should have access to a compression program, such as WinZip (Windows) or MacZIP (Mac OS). Although the files you submit to complete an assignment do not need to be compressed for submission, you will find that you can upload them faster, if they are 'zipped' (compressed).

Keep a backup copy of all materials emailed to your instructor for grading. IÌll confirm the receipt of all assignments. Assignments lost in transit are counted as not received.

Keep 
all 
Assignments
It is your responsibility to keep all graded assignments until you have received the final grade for the course. This will be advantageous to both the instructor and yourself, in case there is a conflict regarding the final grade at the end of the course.
Time 
Management 

Due Dates
Staying on schedule is especially important in this class. If you begin experiencing problems, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor for assistance by email at mmartin@jccc.net or by phone at (913) 469-8500 ext. 3369. 

Due dates listed on the course schedule are the final date that a printout must be postmarked, submitted in person in my office, or a file submitted electronically. Late assignments or tests will be penalized by a significant loss of points. Projects over 2-3 days late will be graded down by 50%. All projects must be completed to receive a letter grade of an 'A'.

Course 
Withdrawal
Students who simply stop attending and participating in the course remain officially enrolled and must be assigned a course grade. You can officially withdraw by contacting the JCCC Admissions Office prior to the date when the course is partially completed (check with the Admissions Office for the exact final date for withdrawal from a course or look in the college catalog). Active, constant participation is critical in this short-term course. In an eight-week course, you have no time to procrastinate!
Project & 
Quiz Info
All projects submitted for evaluation must adhere to the project specifications.  On-line assessments will be listed on the Calendar within WebCT. All quizzes for this course are taken over the internet and are posted for a three-day period before they become unavailable.
Hard Copy 
Submission 
Guidelines
With the exception of the final (and midterm for some classes), electronic correpsondence is the goal.  This includes work to be evaluated:  all work should be submitted to the instructor electronically.

For some projects, you may need (in exceptional situations) to submit printouts the old fashion way, either by hand delivering them or by US postal mail. If you mail the print out, it must be postmarked no later than the due date. Mail all submissions to:

Mike Martin

Math Department, Box 29

Johnson County Community College

12345 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 66210

If you hand deliver the printouts, they must be delivered in a sealed envelope with my name on the outside and delivered to the Math Department Office, CLB235. You can leave the envelope with any office personnel there at the math department. The department is only open the following hours (Monday-Friday 8 am - 5 pm), so plan accordingly.

When you submit printouts, you must collate them in order in which they are printed and then staple them together in the upper left corner of the pages (one packet per assignment). Once stapled together, you must print (by hand) across the top of the first print out the following information:

Your full name

The course and section number

An assignment identifier

Your email address

Finally go through the stapled packet of printouts and on the bottom of each sheet hand print:

The page number 

Sign each page with your complete signature

Grades 
Posted
The grade for each assignment, quiz, or project is posted online. Simply go to the online course, click the Student Tools button, and then select the My Progress link.
Standard 
Operating 
Procedures
You are responsible for reading and adhering to the guidelines covered in the syllabus. 
Student ID You will need a current, valid JCCC student ID card to utilize the Mathematics Resource Center (MRC) or to check out manuals in a computer lab or to use a lab. You can obtain a card at the Student Information Desk in the new Student Center. If you do not plan on using campus facilities (such as the open computer labs, Library, and so on) you do not need a Student ID. 
Lab Hours If you do not have Internet acess, you can use the open computing lab in OCB 304.  Be sure to check with the computer lab technicians for the availability of a computer for you to use. The availability of computers varies depending on the day of the week and time because some lab areas are also scheduled for classroom instruction. If you use the JCCC open labs, be sure to save your project files on a disk, Jaz or Zip cartridge. Don't leave your files on the lab computer workstation.
Copyright 
& Plagiarism
Each student is individually responsible for adhering to any and all copyright laws! Copying another person's work is not tolerated. Cheating or copying another person's work is cause for an automatic failing grade.
Support 
Services
It is the student's responsibility to notify the instructor of any disability they have, which will require special accommodation in this course. JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you desire support services, contact Access Services for Students with Disabilities, (913) 469-8500 ext. 3521, or TDD 469-8525.
Anti-Virus 
Software
During this course you will be uploading and downloading files over the Internet. Install anti-virus software on your computer. You will not receive points for any assignment file that is infected by a computer virus.

This page is maintained by Mike Martin
Last updated:  15 January 2001
mmartin@jccc.net