Syllabus - FlexPace


Course Title:	Introduction to Software Applications
Course Number:	BIS 1120
Credit Hours:	3.0
Lab Hours:	None
Prerequisite(s):	None
Course Description:	Uses word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software applications to create reports, spreadsheets, databases, and presentations for business and other applications.
Required Text/Technology:	Nordell, R., Steward, K., Easton, A. and Graves, P. Microsoft Office 365: In Practice 2021 Edition. McGraw Hill. SIMnet - Testing and Training tool Requires Windows PC and high speed Internet access.


Instructor:	Dr. Jennifer Day
Department:	Business Information Systems
Sinclair Email:	jennifer.day@sinclair.edu
Phone:	(937) 512-3002
Office Location:	5230A
Office Hours (campus):	Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET (BIS Lab) https://sinclair.zoom.us/j/87035737903?pwd=SE9zbDZ0QmZrZ1FaMzFSN1kzbHQ5UT09
Office Hours (online):	Monday 12:30 PM-2:30 PM ET https://sinclair.zoom.us/j/81170856214?pwd=UU5mMnI5UHN3aWEzWWFRNC9ZR3Yxdz09

Use spreadsheet software to create spreadsheets and charts for business and other applications
Use database software to create databases for business and other applications
Use presentation software to create presentations for business and other applications
Use word processing software to create various documents and reports

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You will work with your success coach to create a schedule to help keep you on track. There are no weekly deadlines in a FlexPace course, but you do have to demonstrate Satisfactory Progress. You can see the milestones in the table below and learn more about progress in the Grading Information section of the syllabus.

This course is structured into units. Each unit contains a list of the readings, activities, assignments, and assessments you will complete located at the top of the unit opening page. After completing the Course Overview Survey, the first two units out of seven total units will be available to you. In order for subsequent units to open, you must achieve at least 80% on all graded assignments in each unit. Your scores on these assignments trigger the release of additional content.

This course includes the following graded activities. Again, you must score 80% or higher on each graded activity.

Pre-Assessments - You can take pre-assessments only one time. You must score 80% on the pre-assessment to receive credit for the unit/topic without being required to complete all of the unit content. However, if you receive 80%, you can opt to complete the readings, activities, and assignments to improve your grade.
If you do NOT score 80% or higher on a pre-assessment for the Word, Excel, Access, and/or PowerPoint units, then all activities listed for that unit are required assignments, and you must score 80% or higher on each of those activities to be eligible to complete that unit's post-assessment.
Post-Assessments - You may take post-assessments only one time to score 80% or higher.
Required Assignments – This course contains required assignments. These are required of all students regardless of their pre-assessment score.

UNIT	MODULES	ACTIVITIES
Introduction and Getting Started	Introduction	Connect to SIMnet Introduction Survey Course Pacing Plan**
Windows, Office, and File Management	Windows, Office, and File Management	SIMbook chapter SIMpath - Windows, Office, and File Management
Word Note: Completion of this unit is the 25% milestone for this course.	Word 1-4	SIMbook chapters SIMexam - Word Pre-Assessment** SIMpaths – Word Projects – Word SIMexam - Word Post-Assessment
Excel Note: Completion of this unit is the 50% milestone for this course.	Excel 1-4	SIMbook chapters SIMexam - Excel Pre-Assessment** SIMpaths – Excel Projects – Excel SIMexam - Excel Post-Assessment
Access	Access	SIMexam - Access Pre-Assessment** SIMpath - Access Projects - Access SIMexam - Access Post-Assessment
PowerPoint Note: Completion of this unit is the 75% milestone for this course.	PowerPoint 1-4	SIMbook chapters SIMexam - PowerPoint Pre-Assessment** SIMpaths – PowerPoint Projects – PowerPoint SIMexam - PowerPoint Post-Assessment
Post-Assessment		SIMexam - Post-Assessment

How are course materials, assessments, and outcomes all connected?

Visit the Course Alignment document. If you have questions, contact your instructor.

Where are the course materials coming from?

Unless otherwise cited, content in this course is from the Sinclair College Business Information Systems Department.

All PowerPoints are used with the permission of the publisher, McGraw Hill Education.

Unless otherwise cited, all icons are from the Sinclair College eLearning Division and all images are from Thinkstock or Dreamstime (Sinclair subscriptions).

Remember, you must pass each assessment with a score of 80% or higher. If you have difficulties with any content or assignment, contact your instructor right away and arrange for additional help and coaching for what is causing you difficulty.


ASSIGNMENT	POINTS
SIMpath - Windows, Office, and Managing Files	10
Word	100
Excel	100
Access	50
PowerPoint	100
Post-Assessment	175
Total Points	535


GRADING SCALE	POINTS
A (90-100%)	482 - 535
B (80-89%)	428 - 481
C (70-79%)	Ineligible to take any more FlexPace courses
D (60-69%)	Ineligible to take any more FlexPace courses
F (below 60%)	Ineligible to take any more FlexPace courses

Receiving an Incomplete:

An incomplete ("I" grade) can only be given if you have met ALL of the following criteria:

Tested regularly and in accordance with the course schedule and completed all the course requirements up to the campus withdrawal date;
Received a passing grade on all work;
Provided a documented and verifiable reason for being unable to complete the course.

Satisfactory Progress

Students must regularly demonstrate progress. FlexPace courses offer students the ability to progress through classes on a flexible schedule that can result in faster completion times. But this does not mean a student can simply stop-out in their course for weeks at a time during the term. In FlexPace courses, students must pace themselves to finish by the end of the 16-week (or summer 12-week) term. What does this mean?

You must complete at least one graded assignment within the first 7 days of your FlexPace course to establish attendance.
(Important: Students who have not met this requirement by the stated Sinclair attendance reporting deadlines shall be reported as non-attending to the college.)
You must regularly demonstrate progress in your course(s). Specifically:
- 50% of coursework must be submitted by the midpoint of the term.
- No more than FIVE assignments may be submitted in the week prior to finals week.
- If applicable, the first attempt on the final exam and/or project must be submitted by Tuesday of finals week.

You can always accelerate beyond these guidelines and finish early at any time during the term - please remember these are meant as the default pace that all students must keep if they choose not to accelerate.

Consequences for not meeting milestones include (but are not limited to) refusal of work submitted after a missed milestone, point reductions, a lower-than-expected final grade, and/or ineligibility for future FlexPace courses. Students who have not completed any graded work throughout the entire course shall receive a Z grade for the term.

How much time and work will this course take?

A FlexPace course takes as much time as a face-to-face course and may take more. While more flexible than classroom courses, FlexPace courses may require additional time reading lessons, as well as preparing for and completing assignments, quizzes, and test. The estimated time commitment required outside of class in any college course is two to three times the number of credit hours. A FlexPace course may require a total of three to four times the number of credit hours.

Since most communication in a FlexPace course is completed via email, many of these courses require a significant amount of online communication and presence. Be sure to factor this into your schedule.

Participation

For the most part, the course is organized by unit or topic. Each one usually contains one or more graded assignments. FlexPace courses are self-paced courses; however, students are expected to demonstrate consistent progress throughout the term. Students who are absent from the course, or who do not turn in assignments, for a period of time will be contacted by the success coach. Students are expected to complete the course within the current semester term, regardless of what date you begin the course.

The Dos and Don'ts of Communication

As a general rule of thumb, you should plan on logging into the course at least three (3) days per week, and participating in activities. When you log in, make it a habit to:

Check your email. While you can send email messages from the eLearn email system to other students and faculty listed in your eLearn course address book, all email sent from eLearn will be delivered to users’ Outlook accounts (@sinclair.edu email address). This means to read or respond to email sent from eLearn, you must access your Outlook account.
Check the course requirements and progress milestones to make sure you are on track.
Contact your instructor if you are having difficulties with a concept in your course. Your instructor is available to help you with the course content. Instructor contact info is located at the top of the syllabus.

Student <—> Instructor/Student Communication

Remember that it's easy to misinterpret the meaning of a message when you can't see the person face-to-face. Consider these guidelines:

Be sensitive and courteous to others when you communicate with them.
Make your communications as clear as possible.
Always be respectful of others’ opinions even when they differ from your own. Remember we all come to the course with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
If you disagree with someone, express your differing opinion in a respectful way.
Do not make personal or insulting remarks.
Be open-minded and discerning. Strive to be a skeptic (a doubter) instead of a cynic (a disbeliever). Question yourself and others in order to find a solution or to search for the truth. We can learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives.
Use cyberspace etiquette (netiquette); for guidelines, visit The Core Rules of Netiquette (excerpted from the book, Netiquette, by Virginia Shea).

If you have any questions or concerns about course communications, please contact your instructor.

Instructor —> Student Communication

It is your instructor's responsibility to be in communication with you as you progress through the course. Expect the following guidelines to be practiced:

Email Response Time: Your instructor will respond to your email questions typically within 24-48 hours from Monday - Friday, excluding weekends and holidays.
Graded Assignments/Assessments: Your instructor will grade your assignments typically within three business days of submission.
Assistance: If you are having difficulties with a concept in your course, contact your instructor for assistance. You can contact your instructor via email or telephone. Additionally, most instructors also have office hours.

Other course policies I should know about?

Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and all individuals involved may be punished by failure on the assigned activity, failure in the course, and/or dismissal from the college.

One of the most important roles of participants in the learning community is to be open to growing and to help others grow by naming any biases, oversights, or assumptions they observe. Students are encouraged to discuss any incidents of perceived bias or discrimination, conscious or otherwise, with the course instructor, the division chair, or with the office of the Chief Diversity Officer at SCC.

Sinclair Community College (SCC) is committed to providing equitable educational opportunities and a safe learning environment for all students, faculty, and staff. View the SCC Non-Discriminatory Practices policy.

A bias incident is any type of conduct, speech, or expression that demonstrates conscious or unconscious bias and targets individuals or groups that are part of a federally protected class (ie. race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, or disability). Bias-based behavior can also be identified as when someone treats another person differently or makes an offensive comment because of their membership in a protected group, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.

What is Expected of All

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Maya Angelou

The work to recognize our own human biases opens the door to engaging with others on a whole new level. This work can only be done with conscious purpose, including awareness of ourselves and others, self-reflection, a willingness to listen and learn with humility, authenticity, and compassion, and a determination to take action once we "know better.”

To be successful, this work must be done within a context of mutual care, respect, and trust, with an assumption of innocent ignorance (unconscious bias) on the part of others but with an emphasis on the real impact of the behavior or comment. Gentle but firm persistence in this effort will lead to lasting and effective change.

What about privacy and accessibility on websites?

You may come across many websites or web-based applications linked within this course. Many websites will have a policy or statement regarding privacy and/or accessibility. For example, Sinclair's website has them: Privacy Statement and Web Accessibility Policy Statement. eLearn, the Learning Management System that Sinclair uses for online courses is owned and maintained by D2L/Brightspace. The D2L website has a Privacy Statement and an Accessibility Compliance statement. If a website has such policies/statements, they are typically located as links on the bottom of the website's homepage. If not noticeably present, you might find them by searching within the website. If you have any concerns about such policies/statements (or lack thereof) on an external website/web-based app linked in this course, please contact your instructor.

What about the accessibility of content within the course?

Sinclair Community College (SCC) prioritizes accessibility of materials, content, and other components of our online, blended, and FlexPace courses by following federal law and other applicable statutes.

SCC respects these guidelines when creating web-based content, documents, images, audio, video, and other materials for online, blended, and FlexPace courses. Companies that provide educational content for use in SCC courses are also required to explain how their products or services meet accessibility standards.

When materials do not meet accessibility standards, SCC is sometimes able to edit or modify those products to improve accessibility. However, some materials are produced or regulated by local, state, or national agencies which grant professional certificates or accreditation. SCC cannot legally make changes to materials produced by these agencies, or the certification/accreditation will not be valid.

Due to specific regulations, some of the content in this course might not be accessible. Please see the Alternate Formats Available in eLearn Courses under Student eLearn News on your eLearn homepage to learn how to generate different formats for these materials. Also, please contact your course instructor ASAP, as they may be able to provide different formats as well. If you need accommodations for this course, contact Sinclair's Accessibility Services.

Sinclair Academic Policies:

Click the link below to view policies such as dropping a course, withdrawing from college, late registrations, change of schedule, administrative withdrawal, grades, student behavior guidelines, safety and security, and academic and other counseling. Understanding these policies is the responsibility of every student.

Sinclair College Policy Library

Here are some policies you may want to pay close attention to as a SinclairOnline student:

Student Code of Conduct Handbook, which includes the Sinclair Academic Integrity Policy
Financial Aid Policies, which includes the Student Attendance policy
Equal Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Policy, which applies to educational, work, and service environments at Sinclair. For more information on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Sinclair, visit the Diversity Office website which includes resources, events, workshops, and student organizations.
An academic policy related to the Recording of Lectures and other Classroom Sessions.
Student Religious Accommodation Policy: Ohio law requires each state institution of higher education to “adopt a policy that reasonably accommodates the sincerely held beliefs and practices of individual students with regard to all examinations or other academic requirements and absences for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system.” Hence, a student shall be permitted to be absent for up to three (3) days each academic semester to take holidays for reasons of faith or religious or spiritual belief system. Instructors must provide students with alternative accommodations regarding examinations and other academic requirements missed due to an absence described under this policy provided both of the following apply:
- The student’s sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student's ability to take an examination or meet an academic requirement.
- Not later than fourteen (14) days after the first day of instruction in a particular course, the student provides the instructor with written notice of the specific dates for which the student requests alternative accommodations.

To view the full policy please visit the Campus Ministry page or the Course Catalog. For more information about the policy, students may contact the Associate Provost at (937) 512-2522 or email Provost@sinclair.edu.