Policies

• For questions related specifically to the class: If you have a question about something on the syllabus, something you read in the textbook, something about an assignment, or anything related to the class POST A MESSAGE ON THE DISCUSSION FORUM TITLED "ASK THE PROFESSOR."

• For questions that are personal/about a grade/not related to the class: Please feel free to email me at jbraun@sdccd.edu or call/visit me during scheduled student visiting hours hours. This includes questions about a grade you earned on an assignment or difficulty you might be having with the course. Please include the class CN in the subject line of your email. Please be courteous and respectful in all communication with me. For example, a good way to start an email is "Dear Ms. Braun, I noticed that you made a comment on my recent assignment about not citing my sources properly and I was wondering if you could provide some clarification so that I know what to do for future assignments. Sincerely, Jane T. Student."

Why this rule? Because we don't meet together as a class. If 10 people all send me the same question in an email, I have to respond 10 separate times with the same information and no one else sees these responses. BUT, if one person asks a question on the discussion board, I only have to respond one time and the ENTIRE class sees the response. Everybody wins. Also, please read the syllabus carefully BEFORE sending an email. There's a pretty good chance the answer is somewhere in it. Also, your personal issues are just that - personal. The discussion forums are public, so it's important that you not publish personal information on it that another classmate can view. Repeated misuse or violation of these rules could result in loss of Canvas privileges.

Please allow anywhere from 24-28 hours for me to respond to an email or discussion board post. I'm typically not logged into the course or email on weekends or during the evenings, so if you do post a message or send an email during that time and don't hear back from me immediately, please know that I'm not ignoring you and I will respond to you. Don’t forget that I'm also available during student visiting hours on Zoom, in my office, or over the phone for immediate attention.

If I see that you have not actively participated in the class for 2 consecutive weeks and I have not heard from you despite repeated attempts at communication, you will be dropped/withdrawn from the class unless you can provide proof of extenuating circumstances. This means completing assignments, not just logging into Canvas.

Students who remain enrolled in the class beyond the published withdrawal deadline, as stated in the Spring 2024 class schedule, will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class. If you wish to drop or withdraw, please do so prior to the deadline indicated in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spring 2024 Class Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠. Per SDCCD policy, no late adds, drops, or withdrawals are permitted barring an extraordinary circumstance.

Please keep these dates in mind:

February 9: Last day to receive, process, pay for an add code; last day to drop a class without a grade of "W."

April 12: Withdrawal Deadline. The last day to withdraw from classes and receive a “W”. No drops are accepted after this date. 

May 25: End of course.

• Be kind to your classmates and your professor. It is okay (in fact, it is encouraged) to disagree with a classmate. Lively debate is an essential component of this course. But it is important to do so in a respectful manner without “dissing” your classmates. Students who violate this rule may be temporarily suspended from class. Repeated violations of this rule could result in further action. 

• Show professionalism and courtesy. Exhibit the same professionalism and respect in the online class as you would in the workplace. 

• Before hitting the Send or Submit button, review your message. The ease and speed of the Internet makes it easy to say something you may regret later. Remember: You are communicating with other human beings, with feelings, sensitivities, and opinions. When composing a message, ask yourself, "Would I say this to the person face-to-face?" 

• Think carefully about who the recipients of your message should be. Avoid sending an email to the entire class. Use descriptive subject lines for email messages and discussion board postings. Check the syllabus and course policies stated by your instructor to know what to expect about your instructor's turnaround time for responding. 

• Practice using correct spelling and grammar. Adhere to correct spelling and grammar rules as best as possible. It is good practice to compose your message in a word processing program where you can check your spelling and grammar prior to sending. Avoid typing in all capital letters, as this is considered to be shouting (flaming). Avoid abbreviations, emojis, and informal language ("LOL").  

• Keep in mind that online doesn't mean self-paced. The instructor will remove and make course material available to students as needed. You can always go back to review material from previous modules or assignments.

• If you have a question about anything related to this course, post your question on the class discussion forum titled “Ask The Professor.” Other students may have the same questions, and we can all benefit by posting these questions and answers for the entire class to read.

• Emailing the professor is reserved only for questions that are of a personal nature and are not appropriate for the discussion forum. Otherwise, all class-related questions should be posted on the discussion forum.

For full guidelines please read the District Netiquette Guidelines available at: http://www.sdccd.edu/docs/ISPT/online/NetiquetteGuidelines.pdf