No-Show Policy!

Important: The Department of Education (ED) requires online students to show attendance by submitting homework during the first week of classes. To comply with this Federal law, you must successfully complete the following assignments:

(1) Send the Campus e-mail by the first Wednesday of the course. (No Campus e-mail = No test for you)

(2) Complete the Student Introduction assignment, found in the "Discussions" section in BB, by the Second Tuesday of classes

(3) Complete the syllabus Quiz with 100%, by the Second Tuesday of classes

(4) Complete, with a score of at least 80%, the Assignment in WebAssign called RU-Ready for Calculus , by the Second Tuesday of classes.

Any student that does not comply with this Federal requirement will be dropped from the course as a No-Show.

Note:  The Syllabus Quiz score will not count towards your final average in this class; however, this quiz is a class requirement, and is one of several factors that validate your attendance to this online course within the No Show policy.

Valencia Core competencies: TVCA

Valencia faculty has defined four interrelated competencies (Value, Think, Communicate and Act) that prepare students to succeed in the world community. These competencies are complex abilities that are essential to lifelong success. This course will help you develop and demonstrate the abilities to (1) think clearly, critically, and creatively; (2) communicate with others verbally and in written form; (3) make reasoned value judgments and responsible commitments; and (4) act purposefully, reflectively, and responsibly. Due to the nature of these global competencies many problems and activities will be presented in the context of an application. These applications will require students to select appropriate information from the problem and communicate effectively how to arrive at an appropriate solution.

Attendance Policy:

The frequency of your visitations to the course websites will also be monitored. In the event of an extended absence-that is, not logging onto course sites (Blackboard and/or WebAssign) for more than 4 days, or not replying to my emails in a timely manner (within 24 hours) - you should contact me as soon as possible to indicate the reason for the inactivity. Before the withdrawal deadline, if your off-campus absences become extreme (4 days or more), you may receive an excessive absence notification and may be withdrawn from this course for noncompliance with the requisites of the course.

Work Requirement:

Instruction in this course does not involve classroom lectures. You will learn the material by reading the sections, watching videos, experimenting  and doing the problems in WebAssign outlined in the Topics section in BB. All instructional materials used throughout the course, as well as the scheduled activities, support and promote the achievement of the stated learning outcomes and unit learning objectives. I will act as facilitator and will guide you in your learning experience. I will not be teaching you the course in the traditional sense, because this is not the purpose of this online course. If you need a live person to explain to you the concepts, this course is not for you, and I suggest you take a classroom course.

    2) Examinations:

There will be four (4) tests and a comprehensive Final Exam. Each test has two parts (a take-home part and a testing-center part).  The comprehensive (Cumulative) final exam is a one part (no-calculator) testing-center exam. Testing center part of tests will be closed book/ no notes .  All testing-center part of tests have to be taken at a Valencia Testing Center, or at a proctoring Center. There will be no set time limit to take any testing-center part of tests. Take-home part of tests, have a 150 minutes time limit. All tests will be taken in WebAssign. Take-home part of tests are timed and you will have only one opportunity to take them. The password to access take-home tests is: onetime.  Once you open the test, you have to take it! Do not email me saying that you opened it by mistake, because to open it, you have to write the password: onetime. Testing-center tests have no time limit, and your proctor will write the password for you.

You must take each test after completion of the WebAssign Homework and after studying the "Topics"  section in BB.  Tests must be taken according to the schedule. You can take the tests before the deadline date, but never after! Remember that every student must take the final. By Valencia policy, any student that does not take the final will have an F in the course

After taking the test, you will obtain your test score.

Note: Students living in the vicinity of one of the Valencia Campuses must take the tests at Valencia.

If you need an alternate Testing Center, please refer to the proctoring Guidelines at

http://faculty.valenciacollege.edu/pfernandez/Calculus/Briggs%20Calculus/proctoring11.htm

Approved testing center can be found at http://www.ncta-testing.org/cctc/find.php

UCF is NOT an  Approved Testing Center.

Grades:

The dates listed in the 'Schedule' link in BB  are the last possible day for you to take on-site tests and to do the online Homework.  If you wait until the last minute to do the online work, I am not responsible for last minute technical difficulties. This includes access to the testing center. There will be no extensions under any circumstances for any of the deadlines in this course. WebAssign will not allow you to take an online examination after the deadline. You can do each online HW up to 3 times. I strongly suggest you complete the assigned work at least one day before the deadline.

Working online problems:

You must work all the problems neatly in a dedicated notebook. You must show all the steps when working the problems. That will prepare you when taking tests.

Make-Up

NO make-up tests will be given. If you miss a test, the final exam’s score will replace that missed test grade. If a test grade is replaced with the final exam grade, the final exam will count double. The final exam cannot be worth more than 2 grades (200 points). Only one test can be replaced per academic term. If you miss any two tests, for any reason, you can only replace one test score with the Final Exam score. The other test score will be zero. No Exceptions.

If you do not miss any test, you can still replace your lowest test grade with he final exam grade if to your advantage (the final replaces a test grade, if the final is higher than your lowest test grade),

Extra Help:

In addition to receiving help from your instructor, you should attend your respective campus math support area. The tutoring services provided by Valencia's math support centers will help you clarify course content. You can work on any specific Calculus I question and you can also get help with your required homework problems. All Valencia’s math support centers are very helpful.

Math Help 24/7:

This Valencia website provides links to video tutorials created by Valencia math professors. The videos use a variety of technologies, and all simple to view. This link will take you there: http://valenciacollege.edu/math/liveScribe.cfm  (Copy and paste the link to your browser if needed.)

Once you are on the website, you only need to look for the course Calculus I and it will take you to specific videos for this class. VERY HELPFUL SITE!

Extra Credit:

You can do the each problem in the online homework up to 3 times. You can replace your lowest test grade with the final exam, and you can take part of your tests at home, Consider this to be your Extra Credit. There will be No Extra-Extra Credit. Please do not ask for any additional Extra Credit.

Rules and Tips for Taking Tests at the Testing Center:

You will need at least 2 hours to complete each math test.  You will be taking your tests at a Valencia Testing Center. You are responsible for finding out their hours of operation. 

Here is a link to Valencia's Testing Centers. It provides information on their locations, contact information, and hours of operation: http://valenciacollege.edu/testingcenter/.

Government ID cards are required for the Testing Center and Valencia's. No other form of ID at those locations will be accepted. A Valencia ID can be obtained at the Campus Security Office of your campus. Call for details. Click on this link for their contact information:  http://valenciacollege.edu/studentdev/centers.cfm. Not having an ID is not an excuse for missing a test!

* Do not bring food or beverages to the testing center.

* Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off and stowed away during testing. If your phone or any electronic device rings, you will be asked to stop testing and sign out, and you will miss the opportunity you have to take the test. Ouch! Do not let this happen to you!

* Allow enough time to take a test. The Testing Center will not give a test the last hour before closing (for example, if the Center closes at 9:00 p.m., the last test is given out at 8:00 p.m.). The testing Center will not give a Final Exam within two hours of closing.

* In addition to these rules, your instructor’s test policies will apply.

Withdrawal:

If you decide to withdraw from this course, you must follow the proper Valencia procedure.  Students should familiarize themselves with Valencia Community College’s withdrawal policy. 

The withdrawal deadline for this term is found in the Important Dates section of the syllabus. Per Valencia Withdrawal Policy (4-07), a student cannot withdraw and obtain a grade of W after this deadline. After this deadline, students will only receive a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F. Again: No W grade can be given after the withdrawal deadline. 

Academic Support:

In addition to the computer lessons and guidance and assistance from your instructor, you have supplementary academic support at the Math Support Center (walk in tutoring).

Here is a link to the tutoring services: http://www.valenciacollege.edu/tutoring

The following link will provide you with more information on our math resources:

 http://www.valenciacollege.edu/math

For computer lab hours, click here: http://www.valenciacollege.edu/labs

Student with Disabilities:

Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during the first week of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities. The goal at the OSD is to open doors, remove barriers and assist you in any way they can. The key to success is matching your needs to the services provided. Please discuss your individual needs with your instructor. Valencia’s OSD can be found online at http://valenciacollege.edu/osd

OSD contact information per campus:

East: Bldg. 5, Rm. 216, Ph: 407-582-2229, Fax: 407-582-8908, TTY: 407-582-1222

West: SSB, Rm. 102, Ph: 407-582-1523, Fax: 407-582-1326, TTY: 407-582-1222

Osceola: Bldg. 1, Rm. 140A, Ph: 407-582-4167, Fax: 407-582-4804, TTY: 407-582-1222

Winter Park: Bldg.1, Rm. 212, Ph: 407-582-6887, Fax: 407-582-6841, TTY: 407-582-1222

Student Support Services:

Here are some links that you can use for additional help in areas that affect your learning experience at Valencia, such as advising, registration, financial aid, and others:

Answer center: Student Services Office - Valencia College

Career and educational goals (LifeMap): LifeMap - Valencia College

For general information on all student and academic services: Students Directory

For assistance with planning your class schedule, please visit with an academic advisor (if you are seeking an Associate in Arts degree) or with a Career Program Advisor (if you are seeking an Associate in Science degree).

Student Assistance Program: Valencia College is interested in making sure all our students have a rewarding and successful college experience. To that purpose, Valencia students can get immediate help with issues dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, time management as well as relationship problems dealing with school, home or work. BayCare Behavioral Health Student Assistance Program (SAP) services are free to all Valencia students and available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 878-5470. Free face-to-face counseling is also available.

For general information on all student and academic services: Students Directory.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

FERPA is a Federal law that is administered by the Family Policy Compliance Office in the U.S. Department of Education (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). FERPA affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their educational records. Valencia College has a firm commitment to protecting the privacy rights of its students. For further information on FERPA see: http://valenciacollege.edu/ferpa/default.cfm#whatis

Title IX Valencia College strives to be a place free from all forms of discrimination. Title IX protects students from discrimination based upon sex including protections against sexual violence, domestic violence, and stalking. This also includes protections for students who are pregnant or may become pregnant. If you experience sexual violence, domestic violence or stalking and would like assistance there are several options available to you. Valencia partners with the Victim Service Center of Central Florida which is a confidential resource available 24/7. They can be reached by calling 407-497-6701. If you would like assistance on campus, you can go to http://valenciacollege.edu/eo or contact Valencia College’s Title IX and Equal Opportunity Officer, Ryan Kane, by emailing rkane8@valenciacollege.edu. If you would like to report to law enforcement, you may visit Campus Security or call 911.

Please note that there are no confidential resources on campus. As your professor, I am required to report any information mentioned in this statement to the appropriate campus resources. This will include your name, and detailed information shared with me. We take privacy very seriously at the College and only those who have a legitimate need to know the information will be provided with this information. If you have more questions about Title IX or the College’s response, please visit http://valenciacollege.edu/eo.

Course Completion:

Students enrolled in the same college-level course at Valencia more than two times shall pay the full cost (100%) of instruction fee (you will have to pay out-of-state tuition after your second attempt). Please see a  counselor or advisor if you must repeat a course for the third time.

Disclaimer: