BCC SyllabusTemplate - Created 6/05

SYLLABUS

Table of Contents

Faculty Contact Information

• Office Phone:
• Department Phone:
• Email: (All email communication should be through WebCT. Use this only if you have an emergency and are unable to access WebCT email.)
• Department Fax:
• Office Hours:
• Virtual Office Hours:
• BCC's Emergency Hotline Number: 954.201.4900

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Faculty Directions: This is where you insert a general description for your course: (use description from BCC College course outline)

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General Course Outcomes

Faculty Directions: Provide a general summary of course outcomes using the general outcomes from the course outline for your course.

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Course Prerequisites

Faculty Instructions: This is where you identify knowledge, attitudes, and skills that students will need to be successful in your course. Feel free to include any of the suggested skills below or add your own. Don't forget to include required course prerequisites.

Students: To maximize your chances for success in this course, make sure that you meet the following course prerequisites:

• Course Prerequisites and Corequisites:
• Computer Knowledge and Skills:
  • Students in this course should be familiar with the following computer skills.
    • File Management - You should be familiar with finding and saving files on your computer.
    • The Internet - You should be familiar with connecting to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider or Network Connection.
    • Web Browser Software - You should be familiar with using web browser software to navigate the Internet and locate information.
    • Email - You should be familiar with sending and receiving email messages.
    • Discussions - You should be familiar with posting and reading discussion messages in a threaded format.
    • Attachments - You should be familiar with sending email messages with attached files.
    • Word Processing - You should be familiar with creating, editing, saving, and printing documents using Microsoft Word.
• Other Requirements
  • You'll need a BCC email address to access the online portion of this course.
  • Obtain a County Library Card or University/College Library Card. You will need either a County Library Card which you may obtain at either North Campus or South Campus Library or a University/College Library Card from the Central Campus Library. These cards will allow you to use select library databases. (optional)

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Course Hardware & Software Requirements

Faculty Instructions: If you have specific software requirements for your course, please list these requirements under the course materials section.

Students: To complete the online segments of this course, you must have access to computer hardware and software that meets or exceeds BCC's minimum hardware and software standards for e-learning courses. It is strongly recommended that you check your computer to verify that its hardware and software configuration meets or exceeds the BCC standard.

• BCC's hardware and software standards can be found at http://www.broward.edu/flexible/student.jsp Click on "Computer Checkup" then carefully read and follow the directions on "Browser Tuneup"
  • Attention AOL Users: Students using AOL should pay particular attention to the section addressing issues related to AOL. To avoid AOL dropping your connection, set up a private chat room to suspend AOL's idle timer. See AOL's help function for more details.
  • Attention Windows XP Users: Users who have upgraded to Windows XP from Windows 95,98,ME,NT,2000 do not need to download any additional files. Windows XP does not include the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The JVM is used by some tools within WebCT. Students with new machines or who perform a clean installation of Windows XP will automatically be offered the choice to perform a one-time download of the virtual machine the first time you try to access any tool within WebCT that uses Java.You must download the entire file before continuing to use WebCT.
• Technical and Access Problems
  • If you attempt to use hardware or software that does not meet the BCC standard, it is possible that you will encounter technical difficulties when accessing your online course that could interfere with your ability to view content or complete assignments.
    • If you encounter difficulties accessing content in WebCT or in logging in, please contact the 24/7 helpdesk.
  • To avoid unforeseen technical complications that can occur, even when you think everything is working well, it is strongly recommended that you complete and submit your assignments well ahead of schedule.
  • If you do not have access to a computer that meets or exceeds BCC's minimum hardware and software standards, you can use an "open lab" computer at any BCC Learning Resource Center. Get current check your campus for the hours of operation of the LRC Open Computer Lab at http://www.broward.edu/libraries/index.jsp Please remember that the computer lab attendants are there to ensure that the computer equipment is working properly, not to help you with your assignments. Direct all questions regarding this course to your instructor.
    • Lack of access to a computer that meets BCC's hardware and software standards or difficulty connecting to the Internet are not a valid excuse for failure to complete the online portion of course requirements on time.
• Additional Software Required for this Course (optional)
  • Any word processing documents that you may be required to submit for this course must be submitted in Microsoft Word format. (Not Microsoft Works, text, not ascii, not PDF, etc.) If you do not have proper software on your computer, you can use the Microsoft Word program on any of the "open lab" computers at any BCC Learning Resource Center.
    • Only word processing documents in Microsoft Word format will be accepted. Please virus check documents before sending them. Panda Software offers a free online virus check.

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Required Course Materials

Faculty Instructions: This is where you identify all required and optional materials that will be used in this course and tell students how and where to obtain these materials. Make sure to clearly identify which materials are required and which materials are optional. Make sure to include information on required texts, workbooks, CD-ROMs, software, videos, or reserve materials.

Students: Optional and Required course materials are described below:

• Required Text (use a picture if desired)
• PIN Code for access to WebCT Content (if using publisher material that requires an access codes) A publisher PIN code (Web Tutor Package) is required to access course content.
  • Purchase the PIN code through the Central Campus bookstore OR
  • Purchase PIN code online at http://www.webct.com/content/viewpage?name=content_student_access_codes OR
  • Purchase PIN code by calling 1.800.842.3636

Course Participation and Attendance Policy

Faculty Instructions: Since students will attend fewer classroom meetings in a blended course than in a traditional course which meets on campus 100% of the time, it is very important to establish clear expectations regarding the course attendance policy. You should clearly indicate how many meetings or assignments a student is permitted to miss and describe any penalties that might be applied as a result of missing those assignments or meetings.

Students: Regular, active, and meaningful participation in both on campus class meetings and online learning activities is a critically important component of this course and is essential to your success. It is recommended that you check into the course site several times during the online week. Frequency and quality of participation may effect your grade.

• Participation:
  • Active participation is expected of all students in this course.
  • Check your email and course discussions regularly. Ask questions.
  • Post and respond to messages.

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Course Schedule and Assignments

 

Faculty Instructions: This is the most important part of your syllabus. It is essential that you distinguish online learning activities from those which will take place in class, that you identify specific learning outcomes for all segments of the class (In and out of class), and that you link those learning outcomes to the assessment activities. For any given date, students should be able to tell what materials they should read/view, what they should learn as a result of reading/reviewing these materials, and understand how their mastery of the identified learning outcomes will be assessed. For each of the sections listed below, please provide details students will need to complete their assignments. For example, for discussion postings, what are your expectation in terms of length, content, citations of chapter references, or replies to other students. The details you provide should be both qualitative and quantitative to help students better understand your expectations and to reduce questions that result from unclear expectations. Learning outcomes must address the objectives identified in the course outline. Make sure to complete a table like the one below for each of your instructional units.

Some elements to consider including in the student instruction sections below:

For quizzes - Provide general directions. Where do students access quizzes, are they required?, time frame for completing, etc.

For discussions - Provide general directions. How often will students need to reply, consequences for late postings, due dates. Provide qualitative and quantitative guidelines or examples regarding what constitutes an acceptable posting.

For exams - Provide general directions. Where will exams be held? When will they be available? What is the test format? How long should each exam take? If using the Central Campus testing center please include this link Central Campus LRC testing center.

For assignments - Provide general directions. If instructions are lengthy or detailed, or if they involve separate grading rubrics, link to these and tell students that you consider this information to be part of the syllabus. Provide examples of high quality assignments.

Students: Read and refer to this document regularly. It will tell you what assignments you should read and when, and how and when you will be assessed.

• Instructions for Discussion Postings:
• Instructions for quizzes:
• Instructions for tests.
• Instructions for assignments:

Learning Unit # 1 _ Dates x-y
Content areas	Learning Environment	Learning Materials and Activities	Expected Learning Outcomes	How Learning Will Be Assessed / Due Dates
Unit 1	In Class	Assigned readings Text Chapters	Learning outcome #1 Learning outcome #2 Learning outcome #3	In class exam Presentation Group Work
	Out of class	Online activities CD ROM's Videos Group work Library Assignment	Learning outcome #1 Learning outcome #2 Learning outcome #3	Discussion Assignments Online Quizzes Online Assignment Postings Team Project Written Paper

 

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Grading & Exam Policy

• Submission Deadlines (examples for submission of assignments)
  • In class and online assignment submissions: include explanation of assignment policy.
  • State whether quizzes/tests will be taken online or proctored by instructor in class.
  • Discussion postings - Include due date/times for discussions.
  • Individual and Group Projects
• Late submissions
  • Assignments submitted after the due date and time (written assignment and group project) will these be accepted?
  • Quizzes cannot be completed after the due date and time. If using an online quiz/test, please remind students to allow ample time to complete quizzes
  • There will be no makeup assignments available.
• On-Campus Exams
  • State requirements for on-campus, in class exams. For example, this course requires the completion of three proctored, on-campus tests.
  • Tests may be taken anytime during the dates indicated. Tests will not be administered after the dates and times indicated in the syllabus, unless there are extenuating circumstances and you have made prior arrangements with the instructor.
  • Or if using the BCC Test Center located on Central Campus Building 17 (library) Room 219. Before taking your exams, visit the testing center web page at http://www.broward.edu/locations/central/lrc/testingcenter.jsp to confirm their hours of operation. Allow plenty of time to complete your test prior to the scheduled closing time of the Test Center. When the Test Center closes, tests must be collected/submitted whether they have been completed or not. You will not be able to return to complete the test at a later date. Sundays are the testing center's busiest day so you may have to wait for a seat. Children, visitors, cell phones, beepers, food and drink are not permitted in the Testing Center.
  • You will need to show a BCC identification card or picture ID in order to be able to take the test in the testing center.
  • On-campus tests will be delivered online via WebCT in a multiple choice format.
  • The use of notes, books, binder, texts, etc. is not permitted for any test
• Make-up Exam Policy
  • Make-up exams will be permitted only under extenuating circumstances and only with prior notification and documentation (original funeral notice, original doctor note, etc.).
  • The instructor reserves the right to create alternate make-up exams for students who are not able to take the scheduled, on campus exams.
  • Exams cannot be made up after the exam date has passed unless prior arrangements have been made.
• WebCT-Based Quizzes
  • These quizzes can be taken any time prior to the closing date, and may be taken via any computer with an Internet connection.
  • Collaboration between students and discussion of quiz answers are NOT permitted.
  • You will only be able to attempt each quiz once. Allow time to complete each quiz before the closing date and time. Make sure you have a solid Internet connection. If your ISP disconnects you during a quiz, that will count as an attempt and you will not be able to repeat the quiz.
• View Your Grades
  • Online quiz and exam grades will be available after finishing the quiz or exam. View "My Grades" from the course homepage.
  • Grades for assignments will be posted within ????? BCC working days of the closing date of the assignment.
  • Grades for discussion postings will be posted ??????? after the discussion has closed.
  • Indicate where/when students may obtain final grades for course.
• How your grade will be determined:
  • Include how students grade will be determined.

Assessment	Graded Points	Percent of Final Grade
Quiz 1
Group Project
Quiz 2
Research project
Online Discussions (5)
Midterm
Final
Totals		100%
Bonus Points - Course Evaluation
Bonus Points - Instructor choice

     

Grading Scale
Grades	Percentage
Grade = A	90-100+%
Grade = B	80-89%
Grade = C	70-79%
Grade = D	60-69%
Grade = F	59% and below

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Communication Policy

Faculty Instructions: The Communication policy is an important part of your syllabus because it defines your expectations for communication as well as what students can expect from you. Instructors are expected to monitor communications (discussions and faculty email) within their course sites. Please modify the sample response policy provided below to suit your availability.

Students:

• Expectations for Course Communication
  • BCC Email: Please do not send course related emails to the instructor's BCC email address. Use the WebCT email address instead. Assignments sent to the instructor's BCC email address will not be accepted. Send your assignments to the instructor via WebCT using the WebCT feature identified in the syllabus.
  • WebCT Email: Use the email tool only for private, personal, one to one communication with a specific individual or groups of individuals.
  • Discussions: Please check the discussion area regularly. Use the class discussion tool to post questions that might be of general interest to all students such as questions about assignments, tests, etc. Feel free to respond to other students if you think you can help them. Remember - we are all in this together and we can learn from each other. Remember that the discussion tool is public - everyone will be able to view posts and responses.
  • Chat Rooms: Chat Rooms allow you to talk with other students in the course in real-time outside of your on-campus class meetings. Students must setup times at which to meet other students in the chat room. This is a useful tool for coordinating group projects.
  • Netiquette: In all online communication, it is expected that all students will follow rules of online "netiquette". Netiquette is a set of rules for polite online behavior that all members of this class is expected to follow. See details at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/index.html) Basically, these rules say "be respectful and be polite to each other". and "be patient and considerate of others". No one is perfect and we all have different approaches to life, work, and school.
    • Individuals who violate the netiquette policy or engage in disruptive online behaviors such as flaming (posting disrespectful or hostile comments), posting inappropriate comments, or shouting (posting messages using all capitals) may have their course access privileges revoked and/or they may be referred to the Student Dean. Students who continue to engage in unacceptable online behavior even after being warned, may be permanently denied access to the course and/or may receive an F for the course.
    • Please don't use email short hand like ROTFLO (rolling on the floor laughing outloud) or BTW (by the way) - not everyone knows what these abbreviations mean.
    • Remember that in the real world we can see the facial expressions, gestures, and hear tone of voice. We can't do that online so it's very easy to misinterpret another person's meaning to to be misinterpreted ourselves. Be careful of how you communicate to your instructor and to your peers online. If you want to use emoticons (smileys) to convey feelings, please stick with the basics happy :-) sad :-( or wink ;-) Others are less well known and are subject to different interpretations. The idea is to be clear in your communications.
    • If you have a concern about the course, a test or an assignment, please contact the instructor.
• Privacy Notice

• WebCT software automatically stores course access records, quiz scores, email postings, discussion postings, and chatroom conversations. One more reason to make sure that your communications adhere to the netiquette policy.

• Alternate Communication

• In the unlikely event that a WebCT problem makes it impossible to use the course communication tools for more than 24 hours, the instructor will communicate with students (if necessary) via their BCC email addresses. Access your BCC email account at http://www.broward.edu/info/studentemail/Home.jsp

• Faculty Response Policy
  • Course emails and discussion posts will be answered within 48 hours. Emails sent on Saturday or Sunday may not be answered until Monday. It is recommend that you post course related questions in the discussion area. If you need info related to a test or assignment, plan ahead and submit your questions well ahead of the due date. Your instructor is not online 24 hours per day, please allow time for response.

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Assorted Policies and Procedures

Faculty Instructions: Review the academic honesty policy and modify it to reflect specific penalties that will be applied for your course.

• Special Needs: Students having special needs as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act should:

• Notify the Office of Disability Services as early in the term as possible. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Disability Support Office prior to document disability prior to receiving services.
• Notify the instructor after you have contacted the Office of Disability Services so that the instructor can consult with the Office of Disability Services to discuss what reasonable accommodations would be appropriate for your situation.

• Academic Honesty (Cheating):

• Each student's academic work must be the result of his or her own thought, research, or self-expression.
• Cheating includes, but is not limited to: copying the work of another person (plagiarism) or permitting your work to be copied by another person, discussing test answers or questions with people who have not completed the test, distributing assignment materials to other students, poses sing course materials that have not been formally released to students in the course, and collaborating on the completion of assignments not specifically designated in the syllabus as being "group projects".
• Cheating will be considered a breach of Broward Community College's Code of Conduct Policy and may result in academic penalties (zero points on the assignment/test in question, a failing grade for the course), disciplinary action, and/or a referral to the Dean of Student Affairs. Examples 1) If it appears that two or more students have submitted the same material for any solo assignments, each student involved will receive zero points for that assignment. 2) If it appears that a student has copied an assignment from published material (including Internet sites), the student will receive an zero points for that assignment

• Critical Event Procedure

• In the event of a school closing due to weather or other major event that might impact class schedules, the instructor will post an announcement indicating what changes (if any), the event will have on the course schedule and due dates.

• Copyright:
  • Please add the following statement relating to copyright to your syllabus and as a lower textblock on the course homepage.
    • The materials used on this course Web site may be protected by copyright and are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for the purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated
• Withdrawals:

• No withdrawals will be given for any reason. It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from this class by the withdrawal deadline if you are not earning the grade you want or will not be able to complete the course. To view important dates (including withdrawal deadlines) for this semester, visit the college calendar on line.

• Logging Off WebCT

• WebCT does not require you to log off to exit WebCT. Security Warning: If you don't close your browser or log off, a person using that machine after you will have access to your course materials, could send e-mail to me in your name, and view your confidential student record. Protect your password.

• Changes to the Syllabus

• The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus. In the event that changes become necessary, students will be notified through WebCT Email.

• Lab Safety (if applicable)
  • Students must follow approved safety procedures when completing lab work. For information related to safe laboratory practices and procedures, visit this link.

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Student Success Tips

Success Tips are located in the _____________________________. It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the various ways that you can increase your chances of being successful in this course.

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