Preferred Method of Contact is through the Canvas Inbox messages.  I will do my best to respond to messages within 24 hours, Monday-Friday.  If you don't hear from me within this timeframe, please email me again or try one of the other methods below because I am human and sometimes I miss messages.

Office : SM 4A; Phone: (408) 741-3950

e-mail : kristen.jackanich@westvalley.edu

Student Hours (aka Office Hours): 

• Mondays, Wednesdays vary by term

• Tuesdays, 10:30-11:15am virtually at Meeting ID: 941 6983 9532; One tap mobile: +16699006833,,94169839532# US (San Jose)

• Thursdays - no student hours

• Fridays, virtually by appointment

I am available to meet with you during these designated student hours, no appointments needed unless these times don't work with your schedule. We can zoom, email, or even talk on the phone-- please just send me an email via Canvas or my west valley email listed above to arrange alternate accommodations to student hours.

If you cannot get ahold of me within a week using the various options above, you can reach out to my department chair (Neeti Mittal <Neeti.Mittal@westvalley.edu>) or dean (Mel Vaughn, <Mel.Vaughn@westvalley.edu>)  And if you are looking for information that Is not specific to our class but more West Valley College as a whole, you can find updates on the WVC homepage, Facebook, or Twitter pager.  They have updates or news before I do sometimes!

Preferred name and pronoun

If you’d like to be known by a name different from the name on the roll sheet or to specify your pronouns, please contact me, and I will make every effort to call you by the name and use those pronouns. You can change your name in Canvas by contacting Max Gault at max.gault@westvalley.edu. You can identify your preferred pronoun in Canvas as well; How do I select personal pronouns in my user account as a student? If you'd like to learn more about personal pronouns, go to mypronouns.org

What will you need for this class?

We will be using Canvas for this course, so you will need access to a computer and internet. Canvas is also mobile-friendly and can be used on your phone or tablet through the Canvas Mobile App or a mobile browser! You can also borrow computers and hotspots through our WVC library

To attend some student hours (aka office hours) you will need to access Zoom.

We will use a free online homework system (MyOpenMath) that has been integrated with our Canvas course.  A physical textbook is not required or recommended unless you are borrowing it for free from Textbooks n' Technology (see below). The textbook we will be following is Introductory Statistics: exploring the world through data, Third Edition, by Robert Gould, Rebecca Wong, and Colleen Ryan through the Pearson Publishing Company. 

A TI-83+/84+ graphing calculator is also required (a TI-89, TI-92, TI-Inspire, Casio or other calculator with a computer algebra system will not be allowed on any exams-this includes any smart phone applications). You have the option to borrow the calculator and hardcopy of the textbook for free (while supplies last) from the Textbooks 'n Technology program.

Tentative Week 1 Plan:

Day 1

• Prior to class: Students individually explore the course on Canvas, specifically the "Start Here" Module; it is recommended you try setting up the online homework, start the first discussion forum and take the first quiz. 

• In class: Discuss Class Setup and any questions students have from the "Start Here" module, then Start Chapter 1 material

• After class: Finish the "Start Here" Module (especially the discussion forum to Introduce Yourself and Quiz 1) and work on the MyOpenMath Introduction assignment and Homework 1 

Day 2

• In class: Finish up the Chapter 1 material.

• After class: Finish up the first week's discussion forums, work on the MyOpenMath Homework 2 assignment

What assignments will you do in this class?

You will be asked to complete assignments in the following categories: Homework, Discussion Forums, Project, Quizzes and Tests.  Other than In-Person tests and some take-home quizzes all other assignments will be managed through Canvas.  I encourage you to make use of Canvas to help you keep track of due dates, see more information in our Canvas shell, and I promise to do my best to keep to a consistent weekly schedule.

Homework

Homework will be integrated within Canvas using MyOpenMath, a free online homework system. The system will allow you to try different versions of a question in order to get 100% on each assignment.  Generally you will have multiple homework assignments due Thursdays and Mondays at midnight.  You are encouraged to attempt the homework the same day you see the material in class, or at the very least try to finish assignments at least 24 hours before they are due to allow time for questions and technical issues to crop up and be dealt with, but if something comes up the day an assignment is due you will also have 10 LatePasses. Students can redeem LatePasses on MyOpenMath for an automatic 48 hour extension to a homework deadline; meaning you can extend 10 different homework assignments for two more days past the original due date, or you could extend one homework assignment for 20 days past it's due date or some combination in between.   Also, your two lowest homework scores will be dropped at the end of the semester. 

Discussion Forum

To expand on interesting topics from class there will be at least one discussion forum post each week on Canvas discussing things like what topics were challenging, digging into real-life articles to evaluate the statistics, etc. This is your chance to also learn from and encourage your classmates as well.  You can always complete discussion forums late for half credit and one lowest discussion forum score will be dropped at the end of the term.

Project

You will be invited to take part in a project split into two parts that will allow you to do your own research around a question of your choice. The first part covers descriptive statistics and is due after the first test and the second part covers inferential statistics and is due after the third test.

Quizzes and Tests

There will be a test or quiz given every week to allow us to check-in on your understanding. Generally, quizzes will be open from Wednesday after class through Sunday, with a Friday due date. I encourage you to find a good 30 minute block of time for you to take the quiz by Friday, however If you need it the quiz will be open through the weekend and there is no penalty to finish it on Saturday or Sunday, the quiz will not be open past the weekend. Note any multiple choice questions through Canvas will be automatically graded, but you will have to wait for me to grade any free response, so don't be surprised or concerned if your initial score is low. I almost always give partial credit and will provide feedback when I grade. Your one lowest quiz score will be dropped at the end of the term, and there is a grading option where one of your tests may be dropped, see "How will you be graded?" below for more details. Three tests will be given during designated class times and tentative times are provided in the Canvas syllabus, if anything changes you will be alerted in announcements on Canvas and/or in class.

Test 1 covering Chapters 1 – 3

Test 2 covering Chapters 5 – 7  

Test 3 covering Chapters 8 – 11

Final Exam cumulative 

MyOpenMath

As soon as possible you should sign up for MyOpenMath.  If you are not signed up by the end of the first week of class you can be dropped from the class.  MyOpenMath is completely free! Here are the registration instructions:

1. Log into our course Canvas page

2. Go to Modules, Week 1

3. Select a homework assignment, this should direct you to the MyOpenMath website within the Canvas shell and prompt you to try logging in at which point you should follow the steps. You will be asked to provide:

   • A username (I recommend your email address)

   • A password

   • Your First name and Last name (These should match my course roster)

   • Your email address

   • You’ll have the option to request an email notification when you receive a new message in the system (know that I will generally default to emailing you through Canvas

   • Type in the Course ID: ###### and Enrollment Key: Jackanich###### 

     1. [contact Kristen if you are a waitlisted students and want to preview the homework -- it is best to have students enroll within Canvas not directly from the MyOpenMath website]

4. Click “Sign Up” then you will be taken back to the Login page to log in and you will hopefully see the course.

How will you be graded?

I want to make sure you know how you’re doing in this class, so I’ll be updating grades regularly in Canvas. Please alert me if you notice any errors in the Canvas gradebook, specifically ones that lower your grade. This class must be taken for a letter grade. I will calculate your grade two ways at the end of the semester; whichever gives you the higher percentage will be the grade you receive.

Grade Breakdown:

1st Grade Calculation 

• Homework = 10% 

• Discussion Forum = 10% 

• Project = 10%

• Quizzes = 10%

• Lowest Test = 10%

• Middle Test = 15% 

• Highest Test = 15% 

• Final Exam = 20%

2nd Grade Calculation 

• Homework = 10% 

• Discussion Forum = 10% 

• Project = 10%

• Quizzes = 15% (Increased by 5%)

• **Lowest Test score dropped 

• Middle Test = 15%

• Highest Test = 15%

• Final Exam = 25% (Increased by 5%)

Notice that one grading option drops your lowest test score, so barring any extreme circumstances there are no make-up exams. We will use the typical grading standard; in other words, 90% or above is an A, 80-89% is a B, 70-79% is a C, and so forth.

During class, we'll be working together to learn and practice math. You are all very busy people, and I promise to do everything I can to make our time together an active learning experience. After more than 15 years of teaching, the best way to learn math is by doing it, making mistakes, and ideally correcting those mistakes when you have access to an instructor who can assist in a timely manner.

Our initial plan will be to meet In-Person for each scheduled lecture, but realistically we know there could come a time when one or all of us cannot meet.  What happens if our class cannot meet In-Person during our regularly scheduled day and time?

• If you cannot be on campus for a lecture it will be your responsibility to reach out to me via the Canvas Inbox [ideally before or at least within a day of your absence] to get access to recordings for lectures from prior semesters to watch while staying on top of all deadlines. You should also reach out to someone from class to get access to any notes you might have missed that are special to this semester (for instance if an announcement was made in class to change a deadline/due date, etc). Hopefully you will leave the first day of class with contact information for at least one classmate.

• If I as the instructor cannot be on campus for a lecture I will let the class know via a Canvas Announcement as soon as possible and a minimum of an hour before lecture.  Ideally the lecture will still meet with a sub if I can find one.  If you haven’t already done so, in your Canvas Account>Settings, set up message forwarding to an email address that you check regularly. See How to Manage My Canvas Notification Settings. Worst case scenario I will cancel the lecture and adjust future lectures as necessary.

• For more information specific to COVID please checkout COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) Advisory | West Valley College.

According to the West Valley Catalog, instructors may drop any student who does not attend the first class or who has missed more than ten percent of the total class hours for the semester which equates to about 5 hours or a little over one week of class, but note I will not drop anyone without first giving them a chance (and usually multiple chances) to communicate with me first.

Life happens so I can be flexible on attendance up to a point since participation is important to learning the subject matter and I don't want to be passing a robot. Specifically, if you're not in class regularly I'll contact you to check In. If you continue to miss lectures and are not passing the class with a C or better I will start to talk to you about dropping the class because this might not be the best semester for you to take it or perhaps the best Instructional Method for you.

Please see West Valley Academic Calendar for specific dates on: 

• last day to drop a class and qualify for a refund. 

• last day to drop the class without getting a grade. 

• last day to drop the class with a W.

• any West Valley College holidays. 

I realize there are a variety of religious celebrations that you all observe. Please inform me within the first week of each semester about such holidays so we can work out an accommodation.

What you can expect from me

• I will treat you with dignity and respect and be flexible to support your individual needs.

• I will provide you with a clear, organized course that is designed to ensure you meet our course outcomes in a meaningful manner.

• I will provide a variety of assignments to ensure your learning needs are met.

• I will grade assignments in a timely manner to facilitate your success on future assignments.

• I will be actively present in your learning.

• I will provide a supportive and safe environment for you to share and discuss ideas with your peers.

• I will reach out to you when I sense that you need support.

What I will expect from you

• Treat me and your peers with dignity and respect.

• Strive to be an active participant in this course.

• Maintain an open line of communication with me so I understand how to support you.

• Aim to meet due dates. Contact me if you have a concern with meeting a due date.

• Do your best to have patience with technology. There will be hiccups; expect them. We will get through them together.

What we can expect from each other

• We won't be perfect. We are human and will make mistakes at times. We will view mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow.

• We will all strive to contribute regularly in collaborative activities to ensure all members of the community have ample opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to all ideas. Disagreements are part of learning and growing, but we will always treat one another with dignity and respect. If you sense a negative emotion surfacing within yourself, step away for a while; reflect on what is happening; then return and respond by focusing on the issue, not the person.

• ...

Is there anything else you would like to add to any one of these lists? If so, you will have the opportunity to add your suggestions during the first week of school. Please see the Student Code of Conduct for more information.

Sources of Help:

You are encouraged to ASK QUESTIONS!  If not in class please use one of the following resources:

Academic Counseling

West Valley College wants you to succeed! If you have not made an educational plan with a counselor or if you have other questions about your academic pathway, make an appointment with a counselor right away to explore your academic future. Find more information about the counseling services available, including online appointment booking by going to Counseling Services. You can also see an embedded counselor, special program counselor, or a learning community counselor.

Accommodations for a Disability

West Valley College is here to support you, and we want to make all learning experiences as accessible as possible. If you think you may run into academic barriers because of your disability, such as a learning disability, ADHD, mental health, or chronic or temporary medical condition, please let me know so we can privately discuss your options. Registration with the Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP) is also highly recommended. West Valley College’s DESP program is known for going the extra mile to support students, and they will work with you to establish reasonable accommodations to further your success. Find out more about their services by going to Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use

In this course, limited use of artificial intelligence (AI) is permitted for specific assignments or within set parameters as follows: (list to be determined by the instructor). 

Any student work submitted using AI tools should clearly indicate what work is the student’s work and what part is generated by the AI.  In such cases, no more than 25% of the student work should be generated by AI.  If any part of this is confusing or uncertain, please reach out to me for a conversation before submitting your work. 

Using an AI-content generator such as ChatGPT to complete an assignment without proper attribution violates the  West Valley College Dishonesty Policy. By submitting assignments in this class, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and attribute your use of any tools and sources. 

To ensure academic integrity, students must openly disclose any AI-generated material they utilize and provide proper attribution, including in-text citations, quotations, and references.  

To indicate the use of an AI tool, a student should include the following statement in their assignments: "The author(s) acknowledge the utilization of [Generative AI Tool Name], a language model developed by [Generative AI Tool Provider], in the preparation of this assignment. The [Generative AI Tool Name] was employed in the following manner(s) within this assignment [e.g., brainstorming, grammatical correction, citation, specific section of the assignment]."  

• How to cite generative AI output (MLA)

• How to cite generative AI output (APA)

• How to cite generative AI output (Chicago)

Classmates

The other students in the course are one of your best resources and likely people you will have classes with in the future. I highly encourage you to exchange contact information with someone so you have a person to call if you need notes, or just someone to text you if he/she notices you missing from an exam.

Health Services

West Valley College Health Services is here to help you with a range of services and resources. In addition to clinical assessment and intervention, other services available include mental health support, personal counseling, and specialty support for issues like alcohol and substance use disorder and sexual assault. Many services are covered by enrollment fees and are free of charge to students. For a comprehensive list, go to Health Services.

Learning Support

Are you having difficulty with your classes? Do you feel shy or uneasy about asking questions in class or even when attending student hours for extra help? Or has life just gotten in the way, due to trouble managing home duties with school responsibilities? We are here to help! West Valley College’s Success Center offers FREE tutoring, no matter what your challenges are! Visit the Success Center website for more information about tutoring support available to you both in-person and online.

STEM Resource Center

Free tutoring in SM 5! Please checkout the course shell accessible from your Canvas Dashboard.  Also, they have a physical location near the Science and Math Division Office. This is also a nice place to just hang out and do homework.

Student Hours

I encourage you to attend my student hours (formerly known as office hours) whenever possible and as soon as you have a question that cannot be answered in class. No prior notice needed when you plan to stop by consider bringing a classmate with you.

Student Needs

• Food: If you need help affording food while attending West Valley College, you are not alone, and West Valley College can help. A mobile food pantry provides free food on campus weekly. 

• Housing: West Valley has resources to help you deal with housing instability or homelessness. West Valley also has on-campus showers Monday -Thursday.

• Finances: If you are having difficulty paying for your classes, there is help.

See Student Needs for information about the services listed above and more.

Textbooks ‘n’ Technology

The college Library has textbooks for many courses available to loan out for the term as well as laptops, Surface Gos, hot spots and graphing calculators. Go to the library’s Textbooks ‘n’ Technology page to find out which courses have books available for loan this term and complete the forms to check out technology.

Honesty is the foundation of academic work

Occasionally, you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to accomplish. If you cheat, you may get a warning, receive no credit for the assignment or be referred to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action. You would also be de-valuing your resulting degree or certificate when you enter the workforce or transfer and cannot meet the expectations that your degree or certification requires.

Here are some examples of what you should and should not do:

What not to do

• Pay someone to take a test or quiz for you. Recent reports show that people who sell papers or take exams for pay by students may end up "blackmailing" those students in a variety of situations. For example, if the student defaults on the agreed amount of compensation, does not purchase additional services, etc., these people have been known to notify the college of the misbehavior of students caught in this kind of trap.

• Use applications like Photomath to find answers on tests or quizzes. If I suspect that your work is copied from an application, I'll set up a meeting with you and ask you to do a similar problem with me.

• Copy answers or work from another student.

• Ask another student to do your work for you.

What to do

• Trust the value of your own intellect.

• Demonstrate your own achievement and abilities.

• Ask for help from the instructor, or for more time if you need it!

West Valley College nondiscrimination statement

The District, and each individual who represents the District, shall provide access to its services, classes and programs without regard to national origin, religion, age, sex or gender, race, color, medical condition, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, or because he/she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

Emergency information

Be prepared! Please review the college’s Emergency Preparedness information. It is recommended that you:

• Download the WVC Go App

• Put WVC emergency numbers into your phone (also available at the above website)

• Register for WVM Alert