I'm Jon Ausubel and I'll be your instructor and guide for the class.  I look forward to getting to know you and to working with you this semester. I thought I'd start by telling you that I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was quite young because I always felt that teaching is a way to change the world one mind at a time. I also love cats, so much in fact that I've adopted two to keep me company and pester me as I sit at my computer. They're brothers from the same litter, and are named Vansk (that's Yiddish for "bed bug") and Holstein (he looks like a cow).  They're slowing down as they age, but I love them anyway.  You can find out more about all three of us on my biography page. I also have a brilliant and beautiful wife and two stepdaughters who are sweet as summer corn.  Although I've taught online classes and composition classes more than a few times, I'm always excited to teach in this dynamic environment.

Unlike a face-to-face class, our contact will be exclusively through our Blackboard course site; like a face-to-face class (in fact, better than a face-to-face class), we will communicate extensively, but via discussion boards, chat, web mail, surveys, and other tools of most excellent quality.  No face-to-face meeting is required for this class. Although ENGL 450 Online contains the same content as ENGL 450 face-to-face, students will need to adapt to and learn about the online environment to varying degrees.  I thought I'd give you my advice on how to make your experience a successful one. First, you should read this letter carefully, in its entirety.  You might even want to print it for future reference.

What is online ENGL 450?

First, it's a college class--in this case, introductory composition. Throughout the course, in your writing and presentations as well as in our discussions, I expect students to be prepared and to try hard.  These are fundamental expectations for all college classes. Your instructor is available to help you in this class (as s/he should be in all online classes) and much additional support is available (see below).

Second, ENGL 450 online is a technological undertaking.  As with any technology, you should expect a few technical problems and difficulties--even pencils break.  Approaching these incidents as challenges and learning opportunities rather than as disasters will set you on a path for success.
 

In addition to learning from your mistakes, online learning requires that you switch roles often. Sometimes you will follow the role of a traditional student and you will be expected to complete all of the assignments and homework by the appropriate deadline, just as you would in a traditional classroom. Other times you will be expected to learn from other students, to participate in group activities and to take control of your own learning by teaching yourself and others. This course will not be less work than a traditional class, and it will require you to take more responsibility for your own learning than you might otherwise. Keep up with the readings and assignments, get involved in the class discussions and activities in a timely manner, let me know if you have problems or difficulties. If you follow these suggestions, you should do just fine.

Now that you see what a kind and understanding guy I am, I will issue my first stern warning:  Online learning hides a major danger for some students! The class can slip easily out of sight, out of mind. You will have to take control, to be organized, to manage your time, and to motivate yourself to meet all of the deadlines. Procrastination will be your worst enemy in this class.  And failing is a snap:  It requires no effort at all. This class is not self-paced and all assignment have specific deadlines. Students in this class must expect to spend an average of nine hours a week working on class material to keep up.  This is six hours of homework (reading, research, working on projects, etc.) plus three hours per week doing instructional (online) activities such as discussions, chats, notes, and (limited) virtual field trips. If you cannot make this time commitment, you should give your spot in the class to someone who can. It is YOUR responsibility to complete and submit work on time.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE AND DO NOT FALL BEHIND SINCE LATE WORK IS NOT ACCEPTED FOR CREDIT. Please note also that students in ENGL 450 online are expected to log in to Blackboard regularly each week: Students who do not log in may be dropped from the class for non-attendance on the fifth consecutive day of absence.

Was that stern enough?  Now I'll be nice again.  Although online learning requires that you be independent by motivating yourself to work on Blackboard daily, to meet all deadlines, and to complete all of the homework, independence does not imply that you are alone in your learning process. I will be there every step of the way to answer questions, to support your learning, to clarify points and to monitor your progress. You should view the online instructor in part as a coach or guide. I am here to help you learn, not to tell you what to think. I will provoke your thinking, demand that you challenge one another and me, and evaluate the quality of your work. My goal is to help you learn, to prompt you to think critically, and to aid in your development as a student. Additional information on student services appears below.

• Blackboard is a virtual learning space with discussion boards, chat rooms, student homepages, mailboxes of various sorts, and other tools that will facilitate the conduct of course content and class activities.
• To access Chaffey and Blackboard orientation materials, go to http://www1.chaffey.edu/onlineed/current/orientation.html

Click on the links to the online tutorials, which will provide you with detailed information that you can use to help you navigate through your online course.

• In getting a personal computer ready for the class, students should install Adobe Reader and Quicktime applications and/or plug-ins. In any browser used Java must be enabled and pop-up blockers and filtering should be turned off.  Throughout the semester, additional adjustments may be required.
• Although Blackboard is simple enough to use as long as one has appropriate computer skills, before the semester begins, students must nevertheless orient themselves to the Blackboard course management system (CMS) using the link above.

Support for class-specific Blackboard- and other technical issues

• Beyond the Blackboard orientation mentioned above, the Chaffey College Office of Distance Education provides support by e-mail at onlineed@chaffey.edu, and 24/7 support is available online at http://d2.parature.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8183.
• Users of Microsoft Office 2007 (Vista) take note:  Office 2007 is incompatible with earlier versions of Microsoft Office.  When users of Office 2007 save files, these files should be saved in "rich-text format" (.rtf) so they can be read on earlier versions of Microsoft Office.

Technological preparation and problem avoidance

• For the purposes of this class, your instructor assumes that student computer equipment meets or exceeds the minimums specified in the Chaffey College Schedule of Classes.
• Additionally, I expect students to be familiar with the following:
• Using a word processing program
• Cutting and pasting text
• Creating and finding files and folders
• Navigating the Internet with a Web browser
• Creating and using bookmarks
• Using e-mail
• Downloading and installing applications and browser plug-ins
• Backing up computer files
• Solving minor computer and technical problems independently.
If you do not have the recommended equipment or skills, you are not ready for ENGL 450 Online.
• Students should have their own computers, but should also be aware that Chaffey College provides limited computing resources to students.  The Library and the College Success Centers including the Chino and Fontana campuses all have computers with Internet access for your use; additionally, there are numerous wireless hotspots on campus.
• If you need help with Blackboard problems you should refer to Chaffey's online ed page for students at http://www1.chaffey.edu/onlineed/help.html  Unfortunately, I simply cannot help you with technical problems that arise before you log in to Blackboard.

As mentioned above, to some extent in this class, I expect that students will be able to resolve common technical issues on their own; to facilitate resolution of technical problems, it is essential that you back up your class-related files regularly.  I use an inexpensive flash drive to keep easily transportable copies of all files for this course.

I can be reached by phone as indicated in the syllabus.

Chaffey College Student Services and Student Success Centers
 

In the last few years, Chaffey College has created Student Success Centers, which offer tutorials, workshops, study groups, and computer access to assist students in their academic development and success.  Three of the centers, located on the Rancho Cucamonga campus, are designed to address specific subject needs:
  Math Center  Room PS-12 (909) 652-6452
  Language Success Center  Room EEC-101 (909) 652-6907
  Writing Center Library (909) 652-6820
The remaining four centers are multidisciplinary, designed to serve students in all subject disciplines.
  Rancho Success Center Room EEC-101 (909) 652-6932
  Chino Success Center CCCC-218 (909) 652-7766
  Fontana Success Center CCFC-107 (909) 652-7408
Call the centers or consult the college website at http://www1.chaffey.edu/success/ for more details.

Disability Programs and Services
If you have a disability documented by a physician or other appropriate professionals and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact the DPS office at (909) 652-6379.  Please be sure to allow adequate time to arrange for an appropriate accommodation.

EOPS and CARE
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is designed to ensure student retention and success through academic support and financial assistance for eligible students.  Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) is a program that serves a limited number of EOPS students who are single heads of household parents.  It provides additional support services beyond those available through EOPS.
The ultimate goal is completion of a certificate program, an associate degree, and/or transfer to a four-year college.  Call (909) 652-6345 for more information.

Library, Financial Aid, Counseling and many other services are also available; consult the Chaffey College Student Services web page for further details--That's an important link, so click it!

What do I do now? Or, How the class works.
I have tried to keep this Welcome Letter brief, and I know many questions are unanswered at this point.

From this point, you should log in to our Blackboard site following the information and directions online at http://www1.chaffey.edu/onlineed/current/login.html; please note that you will not be able to log in to Blackboard until around Noon on the College's first day of classes for the semester.  Until you log in to Blackboard, you may read the class assignment sheets and follow the links on the Verizon "mirror" site for students.

Either on Verizon or Blackboard, read the syllabus and the other documents.  Note:  The Course Documents area of the ENGL 450 Blackboard site contains crucial documents that are not available on Verizon "mirror" site.  Students in the class should read all the documents in both places.

Reading all the documents, which outline the requirements of the class as well as the assignments on which students will be graded, will take about an hour and a half.

If, after reading the syllabus and other course documents, you decide to remain in the class, you must complete the Intake Survey in the Week One Assignments folder of the Weekly Assignments area of the Blackboard site.

After you have completed the Intake Survey in the Week One Assignments folder of the Weekly Assignments area of the Blackboard site, you should read the "Weekly To-Do file," and begin your classwork.  Each week, these to-do files will be your guide to the course content and activities; students may use them as checklists of assignments, activities, homework, etc.

I'll see you online!