CS 171 Syllabus-- Fall 2004
Communicating Via Computers-- Section 50
CRN#: 73329

INSTRUCTOR
Sherri McWilliams
Office Hours: Open Door and by Appointment
Office: Forestry 202
Work Phone: 406-243-2479
PREFERRED METHOD - E-mail: sherri.mcwilliams@umontana.edu

*Please use CS171 in the subject line of any email messages you send to me. Be sure to put your name in any email message you send!! I read email all day, and I will answer your email messages if I am in the office. (except on weekends and holidays)

* The best way to reach me is by email.

NEW STUDENT EMAIL ADDRESSES
The University of Montana assigns an official University Email Address to each student. You can change the email address in Blackboard, but the default email will be your Official University Email.

By default, email addresses are in the form "firstname.lastname@umontana.edu." To find out exactly what your new email address is:

1. login to Cyberbear and click Personal Information.
2. While in Cyberbear, just below your umontana.edu email, you will notice a second "cue1" email address. Your username for your email login is the first part of the cue1 address printed before the "@" symbol.
3. Your initial password for your new e-mail account is your Cyberbear PIN number.
4. You may access your new email via a web-based interface at: http://cue1.umt.edu/

We recommend that you use your Offical University Email address, but you do not have to. You can change the default email address in blackboard to whatever email address you use. Here is how to do it:

Once you are in Blackboard and into our class, Click on Tools - Personal Information - Edit Personal Information - Make sure that your correct email address is listed. If I need to contact you, this is the email address that I will use.

For help with your new email account, contact the CIS help desk: 406-243-4357.

WEBSITE
The URL to our online class is http://umonline.umt.edu/

Information about your username and password was sent to your Official University Email Address (see the section above). Please email sherri.mcwilliams@umontana.edu if you are having problems with your account.

This course will be delivered completely online. We will not meet for lectures. All of the material for this course is delivered via the Portal Blackboard System on the web.

COURSE MATERIALS
TEXT : You will need the textbook to complete the assignments.

The following book is required and needed to complete homework assignments. It can be purchased at the UM Book Store or online at http://web.umtbookstore.com/umtbookstore/txtbk/

The Select Series:
Microsoft Office XP
Volume 1
ISBN: 0131788272

SOFTWARE :

If you are working at home you will need:

• Microsoft Office XP Professional. If you already have Office 2000 or Office 2003 , they will work, but some of the instructions in the book may be different. The book is designed for Microsoft XP Professional. If you are going to purchase Microsoft Office, I would recommend that you purchase Office XP Professional or Office 2003 because they are the newest products.
• To access our web site, you will need a web browser (like Internet Explorer or Netscape etc.)
• You will also need a modem, and an internet service provider to connect you to the web (such as AOL, Bigsky.net and many others).

  It is your responsibility for software compatibility if not using the labs.

  It is your responsibility for getting your computer hooked up to the Internet. Your computer crashing is not an excuse for not turning in assignments.

If you are working in the labs on campus, Microsoft Office XP Professional, Internet Explorer, and access to the internet will be provided.

COURSE GOALS
The student will be able to use the application software to

• Create word processing documents for effective communications in Word 2002 (XP)
• Create presentations using PowerPoint 2002 (XP)
• Create effective spreadsheets in Excel 2002 (XP)

ASSIGNMENTS, LABS, AND TESTS
Assignments are to be completed by students in their own time. Communication with the instructor will be done primarily via e-mail. Tests will be online and are open book, but you will only have a specified amount of time to complete the test. No make up exams will be offered without prior consent.

How do you hand in assignments? Assignments will be turned via the Digital Drop Box (which you will learn how to use). If any homework you turn in contains a virus, I will not even attempt to grade it. Check for viruses before you send in homework. PLEASE CHECK OUR WEB SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS OFTEN SO YOU ARE AWARE OF ANY CHANGES!!

Be sure to check the class schedule to see when homework is due. I will accept Late homework, but you will loose 10 points for every day it is late. Assignments turned in later than 1 week late will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Be sure to check your grade on our class web site after each assignment. It is your responsibility to be sure that I have receive your homework. I need to know right away if there has been a mistake.

GRADING
This course will follow the standard letter grade assignment policy of:

LATE DROPS / INCOMPLETES
The last day to drop without refunds is Oct. 11th.
University policy on drops after 30 days of instruction: (see page 19 of the catalog or http://www.umt.edu/catalog/acpolpro.htm#5). The department follows this policy rigorously.  There are five circumstances under which a late drop might be approved:  registration errors, accident or illness, family emergency, change in work schedule, no assessment of performance in class after this deadline. 
University policy on incompletes:  (See page 20 of the catalog or http://www.umt.edu/catalog/acpolpro.htm#28.)

AVAILABLE LABS
The CIS help desk should have a schedule of what labs are available and the times that they are available. Please allow a week or so before you go in and ask because they are still finalizing the new lab schedules for this semester.

HELPFUL HINTS
This can't be emphasized enough - keep checking the web site for Announcements. Help, and more important information will be added throughout the semester.

Make sure you turn in all your assignments!! 60% of your grade is Assignments. Don't wait until the last minute! Many of these assignments are long and if you get hung up, you won't have time to ask for help.

Backup all your assignments to a disk. (you may want to back up the disk also) If an assignment gets lost you will have a backup. Never turn in an assignment without backing it up first. If you do not have a disk with you and you are in the lab, you can email the file to yourself, or you can add it to your personal drop box in Blackboard.

CLASS CONDUCT: IMPORTANT!!!
During online discussions and in email, you should be sure that everything you say is courteous and well thought out. Before submitting a question or response to a question, read through your message _twice_ and be sure that it includes enough detail for others to understand what you are asking or explaining. Be sure that what you wrote won't be offensive to others. Discussion and friendly debate is encouraged. Inappropriate language, rudeness, aggressive behavior, vulgarity, etc. will absolutely not be tolerated. Likewise, inappropriate language and/or obscenity should not be used in course work. Student discussion of assignments is encouraged, however the actual work on assignments should be done alone. Inappropriate behavior will result in loss of Blackboard privileges, and will be subject to consequences defined in the Student Conduct Code.

No food or drink of any kind in the labs. Abuse of computing resources (hardware, software, privacy of others, etc.) is a serious offense that may result in disciplinary action by the University and loss of computing privileges.

EMERGENCIES
If you have a family or medical emergency, please contact me as soon as you can. I will try to help you in any way I can, but you will be required to show proof of your emergency. You will not be allowed to make up work if you wait until the end of the semester to notify me.

DISABILITIES
If you have a Disability and you have registered through disability services, notify me when class begins.

CIS - THEY CAN HELP YOU
Computing & Information Services is located in LA 139. They have a help desk, lots of information sheets you can take with you about operation of the computers, using applications, connecting to the Internet, lab schedules, etc. You can go in or call the help desk at 243-HELP. They are NOT there to answer questions about your lab assignments!!

A COURSE ONLINE
DON'T LET IT FOOL YOU - If YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS VISIT THE INSTRUCTOR.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK THE WEB SITE.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK YOUR GRADES EACH WEEK.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY ATTENTION TO ANNOUNCEMENTS.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLETE COURSE REQUIREMENTS.

IS THIS FOR YOU?
This course requires A LOT of independent work. If you feel that you would be more comfortable in a more traditional class setting, where you would have the ability to ask and get answers to questions immediately, there are two other sections of this course that are taught with both traditional lecture and lab times.

Also, if you are completely unfamiliar with computers and the internet you may want to take CS111 Computer Literacy before you take this course. You should know the basics of how to get around your computer, use the internet, and how to use email to take this course.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Go to our web site http://umonline.umt.edu/ and enter your username and password. Click on courses and go to our course. You will need to navigate around and get familiar with blackboard and our course. Read the Announcements, Course Information, and then go to Assignments -- Assignment 1 and begin!!

CONTACTS
Technical assistance and email accounts:
CIS Help Desk: 406.243.4357, helpdesk@selway.umt.edu

UMOnline login accounts:
Marvin Paulson: 406.243.6394, marvin.paulson@umontana.edu

General registration information:
Clare Kelly: 406.243.4626, mailto:clare.kelly@mso.umt.edu