2. 1 HCC Brandon Independent Study Orientation Power Point Instructor: Tiffany Cantrell

3. 2 Check your materials: You should print off: An Independent Study syllabus An assignment packet for each class: cover sheet general instruction sheet Be sure you have get the right assignment packet

4. 3 How Independent Study Classes Work 1.Register for class 2.Participate in the conference call & turn in all assignments (lessons & projects). 3. Get help when needed 4. When all work is done, take final exam 5. Receive exam results/final grade

5. 4 Be sure you are registered for the right class. Check on any prerequisites – review material if you took the prerequisite a while ago or on a different campus. 1 – Register for class Be Windows/Computer/Internet literate – even for the Intro to Computer class. Be self-disciplined, get the work in early.

6. 5 You will need a Simnet code to do the assignments. Make sure to buy the one that is for Microsoft Office Suite – ONLY. Ask questions – be sure you understand how the program works. 2 – Complete the conference call at one of the designated times

7. 6 Important Dates No late assignments are accepted. Please review course syllabi carefully for all due dates. You must email Mrs. Cantrell the form you received from the conference call to keep from being dropped from the class for non – attendance. There are NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to comply will result in you being dropped from the class by the instructor.

8. 7 When you finish your assignment, submit it on Simnet Weekly due dates are on the front of your syllabus & assignment packets. No late work accepted. 3 - Complete work during the semester

9. 8 Feel free to work at home – any differences in browsers and technical issues at home is up to you to handle. 3 - Complete work during the semester – cont.

10. 9 Students are expected to do all work themselves. You can’t learn by using others’ work or receiving excessive help on assignments. Copying others’ work will result in an F on the assignment and/or an F in the course. Assignments are worth 50% of your total grade (the lessons are 20% and projects are 30%). Your final is worth 50% of your total grade. After you pass the final exam, your assignment grade is added to your exam grade to give your final course grade. Late assignments are not accepted – no exceptions. But, you must do all of the assignments (even if they are late and won’t be for a grade) to do well on your final exam. Do your work early so you won’t run into any last minute problems. 3 – Complete work during the semester – cont. Assignment Grading

11. 10 Contact me – email 253-7920 / tcantrell@.hccfl.edutcantrell@.hccfl.edu Email me if you want to reach me. I will answer your email within 24 hours, with the exception of the weekends. On the weekends, there might be a little more of a delay. Mickey Reigger & the lab staff are there to keep the computers running so you can use them. They are very helpful – but it’s not their job to answer all of your assignment questions. Please contact me if you get stuck on an assignment. Start early so you can get any questions answered. Anyone who is rude to the lab staff or uses the computers inappropriately will be banned from the computer lab. Before asking for help – be sure you have done the reading, tutorials, and tried the procedure a few times. Go to the class web site: http://www.hccfl.edu/faculty/tcantrell/home2.htm http://www.hccfl.edu/faculty/tcantrell/home2.htm

12. 11 Contacting Mrs. Cantrell & E-mail The best way to contact Mrs. Cantrell is via email. If you call the lab and leave a message, Mrs. Cantrell won’t get the message. When you email Mrs. Cantrell: Be specific, tell her who you are (first & last name), what class you are in, and your specific problem that you are having. Please exhaust all of the other course resources provided for you, i.e. class web site, syllabus, and course materials prior to emailing Mrs. Cantrell with non content related questions. DO NOT: Call the lab, ask a lab tech or ask a friend who has had the class before or is in the same class as you now. Doing this will allow you to receive help faster and not have to send several emails to clarify information, thus slowing down the process. Be tactful if you are frustrated when you send Mrs. Cantrell an email, be careful how you word what you say. Remember emails don’t have facial expressions and can be interpreted depending on the wording used in the email. She has feelings too.

13. 12 Contacting Mrs. Cantrell & E-mail Continued: When Mrs. Cantrell emails you, she will be short and straight forward and to the point. She gets a lot of emails (due to the nature of the classes) and checks her email several times a day and makes it a priority to get back to you within 24 hours. If you send Mrs. Cantrell an email and do not receive a response in 24 hours (with the exception of the weekend), please feel free to email her again. There are times that emails do not go through and she wants to make sure that she is there to help you and answer your questions promptly.

14. 13 Please review syllabi to view exam dates. You must turn in all of your assignments to be able to take the exam. Even if you do them late and do not get a grade. 5 – Taking the final exam Continuing Education classes do not have a final exam Students auditing the class don’t have to take a final exam.

15. 14 Final Exam Schedule If you would like to take your exam early, please email Mrs. Cantrell with: your name, the class you are taking, and a list of some different days and times that you will be available to take your exam.

16. 15 6 – Take your final exam If you require an accommodation due to a physical or learning impairment, you must contact the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities. The office is located in BSSB 109 and their phone number is 253- 7914.

17. 16 ONLINE SECTIONS OF EXAMS 1.The exams are available online inside the Simnet system. 2.The exams will be available for you to take during the week of exams. 3.See the class web site for more details about the exams as the exam time approaches. Generally an email is sent to the email you provided when you emailed Mrs. Cantrell for the Statement of Agreement after the conference call. But please refer the class web site for specific exam information.

18. 17 Please wait a few days after the exam period is over and then check Hawk Net for your grade. If your grade is not posted in a timely manner, please contact Mrs. Cantrell. Once you pass the exam, your assignment points are added to your exam grade. The following grading scale is used: A 100-91 B 90-81 C 80-71 D 70-61 F below 61 / exam score below 61 Continuing Education students get a credit/no credit grade 6 – Take your final exam - cont

19. 18 You will need your syllabus with the drop/withdrawal date on it to drop or withdraw from this class. Drop/withdrawal dates will be extended as necessary if textbooks are not available. Homework extensions are not granted. Start early & give yourself time so that if an emergency/illness/work problem occurs, your work will be in on-time. Incompletes can only be given if you have completed 3 assignments & have a C or better average in the class. To receive an incomplete you must have documentation verifying your circumstances (acceptable circumstances include: death in family, severe illness or hospitalization of student or dependent (i.e. child), military service ) Incompletes are rarely given for self-paced classes. Drop, Withdrawals, Extensions, Incompletes Don’t wait until the day before it is due to start your work

20. 19 Before You Begin the Class: Make sure that you that you have; –Read this presentation thoroughly –Printed off the main syllabus for all independent study classes –Printed off the syllabus required for the specific class you are taking –Participated in one of the REQUIRED conference calls –You have purchased the correct Simnet Code for the class you are registered for. –You understand how the class works.