40 percent of your grade is group project, so communication between students and between students and professor is all the more important. It is your responsibility to keep up with communications. You cannot wait until an assignment is due or until class to express concern about a reading assigned over the weekend. The following page lays out my expectations about communications for this course and answer the following FAQs:
Do I need to have a computer, laptop, or special tools for this class?
Do I need to be a computer wiz?
Can I use my smart phone in class?
When do I need to participate in online discussions?
What exactly does “timely communication” with my group mean?
How do I get in touch with the professor outside of class?
I emailed the professor, but I haven’t heard back, what should I do?
Do I need a computer or laptop or special tools for this course?
The short answer is no because you can use Baruch computers to access all the materials, and you should be able to print out any readings.
However having regular access to the internet is helpful. All the materials for this course are online for this course or will be emailed to you. It is essential that you have a reliable internet connection. When it comes to communicating with groups and receiving class updates, I expect that you check your email at least once a day (excepting the days of religious observances), which means that if I send a class email, I expect that you will receive and be able to respond to that email within 24-36 hours.
Do I need to be a computer wiz?
A wiz, no? Comfort with the computer though helps, since 1) we will use a lot of online media, and 2) the final project for this course involves putting together a class website. You will be working in groups, so you will have help, but your ease in this class will be greatly helped if you can do the following:
1. access Blogs@Baruch for reading and posting regularly
2. access Blackboard for sending group emails or accessing files that cannot be put up on the Blogs@Baruch site
3. stream videos and music
4. upload and download and read word and pdf documents
5. use Google Docs
6. type relatively long passages of text (meaning you should have a standard keyboard)
7. regularly access (send and receive email from) your Baruch mail and/or a working email account.
Can I Use My Smartphone in Class?
I encourage you to print out your readings or bring them on a larger device, however you can if you must use your smart phone in class to follow along with readings or online materials.
You cannot take notes on your smartphone. If you need to take notes you should use good old fashion pen and paper or a laptop or tablet with a keyboard. If it looks as if you are typing on your smartphone, I reserve the right to confiscate your phone until the end of class.
When do I need to participate in online discussions?
You should read the posts for the online discussion every week. I reserve the right for pop quizzes. In terms of posting a post, you will be required to post when we have whole group posts (during the first two weeks of class) and when your post group is assigned to post. You will be divided into four post groups [Group A, B, C & D]. You required to post the week your group is listed on the syllabus to post. Your post should follow the guidelines for the post listed under the “Post” assignments. All required posts for the week should be completed and published 24 hours before class, so people have time to read the posts.
How should I communicate with my group members outside of class?
You will need to be able to communicate with the group members frequently especially near project deadlines. I expect that you will communicate in a timely fashion with your group. To this end you should be able to do AT LEAST THREE of the following:
1. provide your group with a working mobile phone number for texting or calling.
2. friend the members of your group on Facebook
3. work with a GoogleDoc
4. participate in Google hangout or gchat
5. provide your group with an email address you regularly check and respond to.
What exactly does “timely communication” with my group mean?
I expect that you will communicate in a timely fashion, which means that by and large you should respond to your group members roughly within 36 hours (knowing that at times, depending on what your group has worked out, you may need to respond more quickly).
How do I get in touch with the professor outside of class?
After Class: I will be available for a few minutes after class, for students who have quick questions, follow-up inquiries, or want to schedule an appointment. For more involved questions, it’s best to attend office hours. Please do not try to meet with me right before class . While I am always happy to speak with you, I am preparing and setting up for class, and I cannot give you my full attention at this time.
Office Hours: You can drop in or make an appointment to see me during my scheduled F2F office hours. I will be in my office hours VC 7-298. If you know you want to come to office hours, it is generally good to drop me a line telling me you’re coming and what you’d like to talk about.
Outside Office Hours: While I will try to respond within 24 hours (and at times I will respond much more quickly than that), you should allow for 48 hours for any response. This means do not wait to the last minute to contact me. If you cannot make office hours, and you need to meet with me in person, you must make an appointment.
I emailed the professor, but I haven’t heard back, what should I do?
If I have not responded to your email in 48 hours, you should respectfully email me again to follow up and/or approach me AFTER class.
If you are absent, it is your job to figure out what you missed. I will not give you an individual email instruction. I do however update the syllabus, and I typically post and email the class about significant changes to assignments or due dates.