Communication outside of class: optional Zoom Hours and ASULearn Need Help Forum

My Zoom availability is typically Sun, Mon, Wed 7-7:50pm and Tues and Thur 1:15-2:30pm, internet allowing. See https://asulearn.appstate.edu/course/view.php?id=146113 for access. Zooms are optional. I encourage you to talk to me often and you can ask me questions related to course content or structure. I can also set up individual breakout rooms for private conversation with me. You can come in to Zoom to work on future assignments, working along and asking questions as they arise, or you can ask me questions about items you already turned in, or ask me to go over a concept. Keep me informed about any problems and I also want to hear when things are going well! You do not need to make an appointment to meet with me in Zoom, just drop by and I am happy to help!

If you can’t make it to Zoom, you can contact me with a professional message on the Need Help Forum on ASULearn, which I’ll try to answer once a day, including the weekends. Except for extreme emergencies, all private written communication must be handled through your private forum, with just you and I, on AsULearn rather than e-mail. I prefer that you use the optional Zoom hours as it is easier to discuss material in person.

Communication policies

Check ASULearn daily for work. You are also responsible for all announcements made during class, whether you are present or not, or content and policies on the web pages or within class activities, so check them often.

Communicating about Excused Absences: If there is some reason you must miss an assignment, then keep me informed, with any appropriate documentation, and obtain the assignments and class activities from the web pages to turn the work in early or on time, if possible.

Inclement weather: If the university cancels classes, check the class web pages for updated info, which may include plans for the missed class such as additional readings, problems, video meetings, Chat, and/or Forum sessions in ASULearn. Work may still be due on ASULearn.

I also want you to be informed about your choices regarding what you tell me about certain types of sensitive information. In situations where students disclose experiencing an act of interpersonal violence to their instructor, faculty are required to report what students tell us to the campus Title IX Coordinator, who then reaches out to the student by email offering support services. I care about you and want you to get the resources you need. I'm happy to talk with you if you decide you want that, but please be aware that if instead you'd like to explore options with someone who can keep your information totally confidential, I highly recommend the Counseling Center at 828-262-3180. They offer walk-in hours as well as after-hours coverage: http://counseling.appstate.edu.

Appalachian’s General Education Program prepares students to employ various modes of communication that can help communities reach consensus or respectful disagreement: successful communicators interact effectively with people of both similar and different experiences and values and in this class you will practice oral and written communication during class by interacting with your peers and me. Regardless of gender, political party, race, religion, sexuality, or more this class is to be a welcoming environment, and so I want you to be sensitive and respectful to each other in upcoming discussions. Part of the welcoming environment is to keep an open mind as you engage in our class activities and explore current mathematical/scientific consensus. Performing activities that detract from this welcoming environment will result in a lowered grade. If you expect to miss more than 10% of class activities due to university sponsored or other activities then I advise you to drop the course. Any student who wants to obtain an “excused absence” must meet certain responsibilities, including providing official documentation and making up the work in advance.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences at Appalachian State University also recognizes Effective Communication as one of Program Learning Outcomes which represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by students who graduate from our institution. Communicating effectively in an online environment requires students to uphold rules of netiquette. The following guidelines (adapted from from Dr. Arrington) should be followed in all aspects of this this course:

Maintain a professional tone

Use standards of professionalism and collegial communication as you focus your communication on course content and structure. When communicating online, the facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures which accompany face to face interactions are often lost, leaving the tone of a message up to interpretation. Sarcasm, slang, and jokes can be misinterpreted in an online environment. Remember your audience and create messages which are direct and contain relevant details; a relevant subject, preferred name, and concise message. If you haven't heard back from me yet, only message again if you are addressing a new and separate issue or retracting a previous message.

Follow the rules of grammar and usage

While social media has allowed informal writing to become more common, professional communication still follows formal grammar and usage rules. Forum posts and the like should be spell-checked and proper capitalization and punctuation should be used. Avoid writing in all-caps as it is considered shouting and rude to online users.

Show respect and courtesy in your online interactions

Displaying politeness and common courtesy is always appropriate. Conflicting opinions are inevitable, but disagree with ideas, not people, to provide a supportive learning environment for all. Reinforce a viewpoint with facts and examples rather than criticisms and personal attacks.

Make your contributions matter

Discussion posts which state agreement in one or two words ("I agree" or "Good post") create more reading for everyone without contributing much to an overall discussion. Offer details and examples which support your viewpoint when creating posts. Likewise, make sure your posts are relevant to the topic.