Important Notice

Students are responsible for reading and following all of the instructions in this course syllabus and in any other materials distributed during the course, including those distributed on-line. Students are also responsible for all information and instructions presented in the classroom or lab whether or not they are present.

Most activities must be completed during class times. Quizzes will be completed either in class or in lab. For some quizzes, we will swap papers and grade them. The schedule for the quiz dates may change, so make sure to check Canvas frequently. Expect a time window of one to two weeks for exercises. Due dates for all assignments are listed on the Lesson Plan page. Most activities are due in-class by the end of the class session; all other assignments are submitted online by midnight of the due date.

Evaluation and Grading

Quizzes and the final exam must be taken on the date specified in the course lesson plan. If you know ahead of time that you will need to miss a quiz or the final exam, arrangements may be made for you to take it early. Additionally, it is understood that at some time during the course an absence is unavoidable, perhaps resulting in a missed quiz. Therefore, the lowest activity, exercise, and quiz scores will be dropped from final grade calculations.

Unless specified otherwise, assignments in face-to-face course sections must be submitted by the start of lecture on the date due. Assignments in on-line sections are due by midnight on the date specified in the course lesson plan. Late assignments will be severely penalized. Occasionally, assignments are reviewed during lecture on the due date; and frequently, assignments depend on work to be completed in prior assignments. If work is completed late on an assignment, it may result in a dependent assignment to be late as well. For this reason I strongly discourage late assignments by deducting 10 points for each 24 hour period (or fraction thereof) that it is turned in late.

For classes with a lab component, it is unlikely that you will have enough time to complete your lab assignment during the lab portion of the class. Plan to spend some non-class time to complete it. Additional lab hours are available on campus. During certain times of the day some areas of the Business & Computer Science Lab are reserved for classes, so be sure to check the Open Lab Schedule for information concerning BCS Lab availability.

The grade in this course will be determined by student performance in several areas, and will be weighted as described in the following charts. Extra credit points will occasionally be given in quizzes, exercises, or the final examination.

Each student is evaluated on a number of different dimensions throughout this class:

• Quizzes: assess the understanding of course content during the most recent time period.
• Activities: step-by-step tutorials and/or participation in discussion forums to give a basic understanding of course content and give the student an opportunity to reflect on the material read before putting it into independent practice.
• Exercises: small projects to put into practice the knowledge gained during lecture and textbook or on-line readings.
• Final and/or Midterm Exam: assesses the retention of knowledge and analytical abilities learned during this course.

Students are responsible for checking the accuracy of all of their own assignment scores on the class website. If there is a posted score appears to be incorrect, please notify the instructor within three days. If a score is not posted within one week of the due date for any submitted assignment, notify the instructor. Final scores will be posted within five days of the final exam, and official class grades will be posted within ten days of the end of the term.

Accomodations

Students who may need an academic accommodation based on the impact of a disability and who require instructional, curricular, or test accommodations are responsible for making such needs known to the instructor as early as possible. Every possible effort will be made to accommodate students in a timely and confidential manner. Individuals who request accommodations must be registered with the Office of Disabled Students Programs and Services, which authorizes accommodations for students with disabilities.

Contact the office by phone: 916.484.8382, email: peterst@arc.losrios.edu, or video phone: 916.484.8798, on Monday, Thursday, or Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or on Tuesday and Wednesday during the extended hours between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Attendance and Participation

All absenses in this class are considered unexcused. All students are given the opportunity the drop the lowest grades for most assignments, thus accomodating last-minute sickness or emergencies.

Class participation is required in both face-to-face and on-line sections of this class. Excessive absences may result in withdrawal from this course. LRCCD (Regulation R-2222) specifies that "a student may be dropped from any class when the student's absences exceed six percent (6%) of the total hours of class time." Note: missing one week in a full-term class results in missing at least 6.25% of the total hours of class time. Furthermore, students who have not attended the first session of class will be dropped as a no-show. Students who have not attended at least one of the first three sessions of a class will be dropped as a no-show following the third session of the class.

Face-to-face or hybrid class sections

If you are late or miss class, please take responsibility to find out what you have missed. All class meetings include a mandatory in-class activity. Classes which meet once per week may have multiple activities. If you fail to complete an activity during class, you will be assumed absent for that day. If you attend class but fail to complete the activity, make sure to notify your instructor of your attendance.

The instructor will not review missed lecture material or in-class activities with you. Refer to the class Lecture Notes and Assignments web page for missed notes and assignments.

Fully on-line class sections

Missing the on-line orientation is equivalent to attending the first day of class. Absences are determined from the percentage of missed quizzes, discussion board postings and other assignments, and late assignment submissions. You are expected to complete all assignments on time. e.g. missing three of six assignments during one week in an eight-week class is equivalent to missing 6.25% of total class time. (Missing one week of an eight week class is missing 12.5% of class; one-half is 6.25%.)

Class Policies

Students are responsible for reading and following all of the instructions in this course syllabus and in any other materials distributed during the course, including those distributed on-line. Students are also responsible for all information and instructions presented in the classroom or lab whether or not they are present.

Ethical Student Behavior

When entering the classroom or computer lab, students are responsible for turning off all cell phones, pagers or any other device which would, in the opinion of the instructor, distract the activities in class. Only students registered in this class are allowed in our classroom or computer lab; children and other family members are not allowed.

No copying, plagiarism, or collaboration will be tolerated in this class. Unless the instructor specifies otherwise, all work assigned in this class, including homework, laboratory, and application or programming assignments, and all examinations, are to be individual efforts. This means that students may discuss their assignments with others, but the actual work must be completed individually.

Every student is required to actively participate to ensure the success of the class assignments. Students are encouraged to discuss problems and/or help each other in Labs and work together to facilitate the learning process, however all students must do their own homework, quizzes and lab assignments. Any copying, plagiarism or "duplicate printing" of any part of homework or lab assignments is expressly forbidden and may result in penalties. The following is a list of examples of Academic Dishonesty.

1. Copying in part or in whole from someone else's test
2. Submitting work previously presented in another course when contrary to directions prohibiting such acts from either course.
3. Altering or interfering with grading in the class.
4. Using or referring to any sources or materials not authorized by the professor during the test, quiz or examination
5. Committing other acts that misrepresent one's own academic work
6. Acting in part or in whole to compromise the integrity of the course examinations, quizzes or projects through replication, duplication, or electronic means.
7. Submitting a written paper purchased or obtained from an outside source
8. Representing another's creation (painting, photo, music, computer program, etc.) as your own product and work.
9. Incorporating words, passages, ideas of another person's writing without citing appropriate credit or acknowledgment and representing it as your own.
10. Duplicating any previous academic work from another and then submitting them as your own for academic credit.
11. Forging signatures on Add/Drop slips or altering other college documents
12. Stealing examinations, test, quizzes, or scoring key for tests.
13. Removal of class exams or class assignment projects without instructor approval
14. Altering graded work after it has been returned from the instructor and resubmitting without the instructor's approval
15. Having another person or student submit academic work in your name
16. Giving your academic work to another student to copy
17. Purposely sharing your paperwork with another student to copy for a test or assignment especially when it is not a group project or group response to a test
18. Lying to an instructor or to a college official to improve your grade
19. Accessing the college computer system to change your grades or those of other students

Possible Penalties for Academic Dishonesty or Disruptive Behavior

Students will receive a grade of "Zero" or "F" for the current assignment. If the assignment is a large percentage of the grade, or the student has demonstrated academic dishonesty on multiple occasions during the course, the student may receive a failing grade. A report of all incidents will be documented and sent to the Student Discipline Officer. Multiple incidences could lead to suspension and or expulsion from the Los Rios Community College District.

These actions may also apply to students who knowingly or unknowingly allow their work to be copied—keep your work secure.

Communication Policies

All face-to-face and on-line students are welcome to take advantage of the instructor's on-campus office hours. Telephone calls are not answered during virtual office hours, or office hours scheduled in a lab classroom. If leaving a voice-mail message, please leave a number with local 916 area code or an alternative method of reaching you such as an email address.

As for all on-line communication, please be respectful and refer to a netiquette guide before emailing or posting to discussion boards.

Students are encouraged to ask or answer class content questions on the general Tips and Tricks discussion board on the class website. Please do not email your instructor directly for answers on these questions. All students are given the opportunity to review this board periodically, and respond to fellow students when able. (If, after fellow students are unable to respond to your question, then you will receive your instructor's response on the discussion board.) All interactions on this discussion board are looked upon favorably by the instructor. At the end of the class term, students earning a borderline final score that provide significant assistance on this discussion board will be assigned the higher class letter grade.

Questions of a more specific nature, such as individual scores and feedback on individual assessments, students should email the class instructor directly. On Monday through Thursday, you should generally expect a response within twenty-four hours. Emails received during virtual office hours are responded to within one hour.

All assignments and due dates are listed on the Lesson Plan page. However, both online and face-to-face students tend to forget an assignment or two during the term. Expect a weekly email reminder from your instructor regarding assignments due and upcoming course topics. Check your email frequently.

Expected Student Performance

Personal behavior that promotes an atmosphere favorable to effective instruction and learning is always appropriate. Concern and respect for others both in the classroom and on-line contribute to such an environment. Students should cooperate by willingly demonstrating interest and responsibility throughout this class. Please

• Come to class prepared
• Actively participate in classroom assignments
• Stay focused on the assignments provided
• Show respect for the other students and the professor
• Talk only when necessary to achieve the goals of the class

Classroom Standards of Conduct

Students shall comply with the following standards of conduct while in the Classroom and Labs.

1. All students must complete and sign an ARC HS1000 form, and must ensure that they have a correct e-mail address listed with ARC E-Services as well as the course website.
2. No food or drinks are allowed at or under desks. All eating or drinking must be done outside the classroom and labs.
3. No typing, talking or printing while the instructor is lecturing. Please be courteous to your fellow students.
4. No instant messaging, personal E-mail, viewing of inappropriate material, or other non-class-related use of the Internet.
5. No beepers, pagers, or cellphones that are turned on are allowed in class or lab. Turn them OFF before coming to class.
6. No working on assignments for other classes during lab.
7. Students are expected and required to stay focused on the assignment for each class and work cooperatively with others to facilitate the learning process for all students.
8. No software is allowed to be installed or used on ARCs PCs unless specifically authorized by the professor.
9. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and respectful manner towards their fellow students, the professor and the Instructional Assistants (IA) at all times.
10. Please be attentive and take good notes during lectures and while receiving instructions in lab. Students are expected to bring their notes to class with them each class meeting—you will need them for lab assignments!
11. Students shall follow the Instructor's and/or the Instructional Assistant's specific directions at all times.

Dropping the Class

If you want or need to drop the class, you may do so by using the on-line Admissions and Records enrollment and registration system. The instructor's signature is not required to drop a class. Students must drop themselves "officially" through Admissions and Records, or they will receive an "F" in the class. DO NOT assume that the instructor will automatically drop you off the class roster—it is the student's responsibility to officially drop classes.

An instructor is not required to drop a student who is not attending class. If a student intends to drop a course, it is the student's responsibility to drop the course, otherwise the student will receive an "F" grade for the course. Once a student has been dropped from the class for whatever reason, the student will not be reinstated.