General / Common Syllabus – Mesa Community College – Marquez – CIS105, CIS162AB, CIS162AD
The syllabus items that are common to all of my courses are presented here.
Refer to each Course Syllabus for specific course information.
     CIS105 Survey of CIS
     CIS162AB C++ Level I
     CIS162AD C# (C-Sharp)

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Communication:
Below is a list of several ways that students may communicate with me. The last two are the least effective.

• Email – include a meaningful subject line and your full name, course, and section number in the body
• Phone / Voice message
• Office Hours
• See me after class
• See me during my lab hour in the computer lab (if any)
• Schedule an appointment to meet with me
• Post a question in Blackboard's Discussion Board
• Leave a message with the Business Department

I will try to respond back within 24 hours of receiving the message, or by the following Monday if received over the weekend.

Pass/Fail Option:
Students that wish to earn a Pass/Fail (P/Z) grade in this course instead of a standard grade must inform me of this right away. We must file a Letter-Grade Contract form by the end of the second week of classes.

Classroom Guidelines and Requirements:

• Cellular phones should be turned off in the classroom.
• Attendance is required. If you miss the first class meeting or if you miss four or more class periods total, I plan to withdraw you from the course. If you want to be certain you've been withdrawn from class, you should file the appropriate paperwork. Otherwise, you run the risk of receiving an "F," rather than a "W." See the current college catalog for more information.
• I will not carry students on the roster that are behind to meet financial aid or other requirements, and I will not issue a grade of "F" if the student is withdrawn for not meeting the course requirements. Students must fully participate in the courses they are enrolled in.
• I expect you to read the new course material and to review previous lecture notes prior to attending class. There may be pop quizzes throughout the semester at the beginning of class. If I think students are coming to class unprepared or late too often, I may give additional pop quizzes and adjust the grading system accordingly.
• In class assignments can only be made up with an excused absence.
• Pop Quizzes (if any) may NOT be made up at all.
• When we are in a classroom with computers, please do not work on the computers while I am lecturing. The typing and printing disrupts the entire class. We will not necessarily be having a lab day when scheduled in a classroom with computers. Use the open lab if you need to complete an assignment.
  
  
• Online Students: Some of these items do NOT apply to online students. However, I do plan to withdraw online students that fall behind.

Blackboard/WebCT:

• Note: WebCT was purchased by Blackboard in late 2006, and some products and server names still reflect WebCT. WebCT and Blackboard mean the same thing at MCC.
• Blackboard is a course management tool that will be used to submit assignments, facilitate discussions, monitor grades, and take exams over the Internet.
• When an MCC email account is created, a Blackboard account is also created. Both use the same username and password.
• Important: Pop-up and Ad blockers will need to be disabled in order to use Blackboard. Blackboard opens separate windows for various functions (tests, discussions, etc.), and pop-up blockers prevent these functions from working correctly.
• Some functions also require Javascript, so make sure that Javascript is NOT disabled.
• If you experience any other technical problems with Blackboard or any part of the course, be sure to inform your instructor right away.
• If a technical problem on the MCC servers prevent you from completing or submitting an assignment on time, an extension may be granted.
• Students must retain copies of all assignments just in case electronic data is loss and MCC is not able to be restored from backups.
• If the instructor is not available to provide technical support, please contact:
  Technology Support (480) 461-7217, www.mc.maricopa.edu/its/tss/

Homework:

• All work generated using a computer must have your name included in the documents, including source code and output generated by your program.
• Homework assignments will be submitted electronically through Blackboard. If for some reason we need to revert to turning in hardcopies of homework assignments, procedures will be announced.
• Assignments are due before midnight of the due date. A penalty of 5% will be assessed for each late assignment. Assignments over 1 week late will be assessed a 10% penalty. The number of points subtracted will be rounded up to the next whole number.
• Assignments over 2 weeks late will not be accepted.
• The last day assignments will be accepted is posted on the course schedule as the "Last Day to Submit Homework".
• Since a significant portion of the total points possible come from homework, it is important that homework be completed and turned in on time. In addition, the homework will help you prepare for the exams. If a situation arises and you need additional time to complete the assignments, be sure to see me to get an extension on the homework due dates. Depending on the situation, a late penalty may still be assessed.
• All homework will be graded and recorded in the electronic grade book. All hardcopies (if any) will be returned to the student. You should save all graded homework until the end of the term just in case there is a discrepancy between what you have turned in and what is recorded in the grade book. This is also a good reason to save all of your work on your storage device.
• Computer and programming courses require lab time. Lab time will vary by assignment and will mostly depend on how prepared you are when you go to the lab. On average schedule at least 5 hours per week of lab time. Sometime it may take 1 hour of lab time, an sometimes it may take 10 hours.
• If you fall behind and have 3 assignments outstanding, I plan to withdraw you. It is to your benefit to keep up, and students are rarely able to catch-up.

Exams:

• All of the exams will be completed online in Blackboard.
• Since this may be the first time you take an exam using Blackboard, a practice Quiz will be assigned early in the course to give you experience and practice with the testing tool. The Quiz will have 5 points associated with it, so everyone is required to complete it. Since the Quiz is supposed to be practice, you will be able to take the quiz twice and the highest score of the two attempts will be recorded as your final score. On the actual tests you will only have 1 attempt.
• The exams consist of True/False and Multiple Choice questions. You will have 60 minutes to complete each exam. When you open an exam by clicking on it, the timer begins. You must complete the exam at that time, because the timer will continue to run even if you exit the browser. In other words, no previewing of exams.
• If you arrive late on the day of an exam, you will lose those minutes from the time allowed for the exam.
• Exams may test you over anything covered in the textbook, lectures, handouts, and homework assignments.
• Exams will be a combination of concepts and terminology, and possibly include the use of the computer to solve some computer exercises.
• Students are encouraged to complete the Study Guides which are listed on the Course Schedule.
• Students will be allowed to use the textbook, handouts, lecture notes, study guides, and homework assignments on the exams, but due to the time constraint, you still need to come prepared.
• Exams will be taken in a classroom with computers when available or in the open lab during a regularly scheduled class.
• Dates of exams are on the course schedule. Make sure you attend class on the date of the exam or you will get a zero for the exam.
• There will not be any make-up exams, unless you have an excused absence.
• If you have an excused absence, you must make-up the exam within two weeks of the missed exam date. We must schedule a time convenient to both of us for the make-up.
  
  
• Online Students: At this time, online students will NOT have to come in to have exams administered by a proctor. However, online students must complete the exam during the scheduled week. There will not be any make-up exams, unless you have an excused absence.

Policies:

• Academic Honesty: Students may work in small teams during class at various times throughout the semester at the beginning of most large projects. In addition, students are encourage to work with each other to develop solutions to the various assignments. However, every student must develop their own documents and programs, and students should not share soft or hard copies of their work with other students. If very similar assignments are turned in by two or more students, I reserve the right to question who's original work was turned in. In some cases I may ask for the students' storage devices for verification of the softcopy. The first offense may result in a written warning, with subsequent offenses leading to withdrawal from the course for all students involved. If you find yourself in such a situation, and you are not sure how to handle it, please feel free to see me. An instructor may remove a student from class meetings for disciplinary reasons resulting from academic dishonesty or disrupted behavior (MCC Catalog, 2000).
• Copyright infringement is expressly prohibited by the US Copyright Act. Anyone who infringes another's copyright in a creative work is subject to liability, and could be required to pay large sums in damages. Violations of this law may result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion for students.

  Copyright Policy: www.dist.maricopa.edu/legal/ip/

• The General Standards Governing Use of Maricopa County Community College District Computing Resources Handbook with regards to use of Maricopa's computing resources specifically prohibits: "Transmitting, storing, or receiving data, or otherwise using computing resources in a manner that would constitute a violation of state or federal law, including (but not limited to) obscenity, defamation, threats, harassment, and theft." Violation of any provision of the Standards, which are detailed in the Handbook, could result in immediate termination of a user's access to Maricopa's computing resources, as well as appropriate disciplinary action.

  Computing Resources Standards: www.dist.maricopa.edu/legal/it/

• The policy of the Maricopa Community Colleges is to provide an educational, employment, and business environment free of unwelcome sexual harassment as defined and otherwise prohibited by local, state and federal law. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion for students.

  Sexual Harassment Policy: www.dist.maricopa.edu/legal/harassment/

Services:

• I am willing to make reasonable accommodations for limitations due to any special needs from students including learning disabilities. Please see me after class to discuss any special needs that you may have, or call/visit Disability Resources and Services (480) 461-7447.
• Mesa Community College is committed to the success of all our students. Numerous campus support services are available throughout your academic journey to assist you in achieving your educational goals. MCC has adopted an Early Alert Referral System (EARS) as part of a student success initiative to aid students in their educational pursuits. Faculty and Staff participate by alerting and referring students to campus services for added support. Students may receive a follow up call from various campus services as a result of being referred to EARS. Students are encouraged to participate, but these services are optional. www.mesacc.edu/students/ears
• Many students find that college coursework provides new academic challenges. Students who wish to deepen their understanding of course concepts, extend their skills, and improve their performance in this course are encouraged to use the free tutoring and other support services in the Learning Enhancement Center on the first floor of the Elsner Library and High Technology Complex. Tutors are there to help students with assignments in almost all subject-area courses. If you have any questions about tutoring, you are welcome to call the Learning Enhancement Center at (480) 461-7678.
• There are times when the instructor or department may need to contact you by personal email, phone, or U.S. Mail. Please verify and update your contact information in the Student Information System using the online records site: my.maricopa.edu.
• Computer lab hours: Subject to change during the holidays.
  Only open Monday - Thursday during the summer.
  

  7:00am - 10:20pm Monday - Thursday
  7:00am - 8:20pm Friday
  7:00am - 4:20pm Saturday

• Only persons who are registered for a class may attend that class.
  Children younger than 18 may not attend any class or enter labs unless they are officially registered for the class.
• Food and beverages are NOT permitted in the classrooms and labs.

Student Acknowledgment:

• The student accepts responsibility for reading and understanding the information in the syllabus and college catalog. Any questions or concerns must be addressed within the first week of the course.

Subject to change:

• The topics and schedule for the course are subject to change as needed during the course. I will make verbal or electronic announcements of any changes.

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Revised: 8/15/2009 - www.mc.maricopa.edu/~marquez/1syllabus_general.html