Table of contents:    1. Welcome to this class    2. Spelling    3. Presentations    4. Monitors    5. Web page    6. Taking notes    7. Pictures    8. Class requirements submission policy    9. Required email account    10. What time is it?    11. Late arrivals    12. Early departures    13. Running class    14. Rule #1: No private conversations in class without permission    15. Rule #2: Do not sleep in class    16. Rule #3: Attending class is important    17. Class participation score    18. Suggestions    19. Syllabus    20. Backup web site    21. Acronyms

1.0 Welcome to this class

Here is the information you need to write down, unless I have handed out a slip of paper with the information on it.



• Professor:  Dr. Robin Snyder
• Web:  http://www.RobinSnyder.com
• Email:  snyderr@savstate.edu


Unless mentioned otherwise, everything else that you need should be on my web system, except for information from the book(s) for class.

2.0 Spelling

My last name is spelled as "snyder". If you spell it as "synder" (or some other way) it will not work.

Correct	Incorrect
Snyder	Synder
www.RobinSnyder.com	www.RobinSynder.com
snyderr@savstate.edu	synderr@savstate.edu
snyderr@RobinSnyder.com	synderr@RobinSnyder.com

3.0 Presentations

I present most material for class in slide form using a computer projection system. I started using projection systems in class in 1990.

So, if you see something on the projection screen in this form, you will be able to access what you see on my web page sometime after class.

4.0 Monitors

I use two, three, or four monitors with one computer, so sometimes I lose track of the mouse.

I may be typing and you will not see anything.

5.0 Web page

Several hours after the last section meeting of a lesson for a class, I publish these notes on my web page in a condensed form that does not use as much space as the slide version of my notes.

• The "screen-friendly" version includes extra links and context information.
• The "printer-friendly" version has text that is in black and white without the extra links.
• The other versions are only available to the teacher.

6.0 Taking notes

Taking notes is a useful tool in learning and remembering material.

Thus, you should take notes during class.




However, you should not blindly copy down everything that is on the screen, since that material will be made available to you later, and I cannot wait for you to copy everything down.

Instead, write down those ideas that will help you make the proper connections to remember and learn the material.

7.0 Pictures

Last, First

During the first meeting of every class, I take pictures of every student in every class. This is a class requirement. I started doing this in 1992.

These pictures are for my use only and I do not give them to anyone else.




I use these pictures to help me connect you with your name.

I find this very useful for email messages, telephone conversations, etc.

Should you contact me in future years, it is easy for me to remember you.




I use a small video-conferencing camera to grab images.

Then, I match the images to your name while recording the name that I should call you in class.




At the start of class, I see your image on my primary monitor which you normally do not see.

Once I have marked you present at the start of class, your image should darken so that it is not visible.

So, if you see your image on the screen at the start of class, I have not marked you present yet. If you do not see it, I have already marked you present at the start of class.

8.0 Class requirements submission policy

Unless specifically and explicitly permitted in writing by the instructor, all submissions of required work must be done electronically according to the submission method specified for that requirement. Submission by any other method, such as printed hardcopy, files on floppy disks, etc., will not be accepted and will result in a score of zero (0) points for that requirement. I have used this policy from 1984 to 1990 on a mainframe system and since 1998 on microcomputer systems. Late submissions are either not accepted or assessed a point penalty, at the discretion of the instructor. A submission is late if it arrives at the server after the due date and time. The server time is periodically synchronized every few hours to the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) official United States time, using the ITS (Internet Time Service) . You can see this time at http://nist.time.gov .


NIST  ( see dictionary wikipedia google ) National Institute of Standards and Technology


ITS  ( see dictionary wikipedia google ) Internet Time Service

9.0 Required email account

Each student is responsible for obtaining an email account and using it on a daily basis.

Note: You might consider obtaining another email account and setting this email account in PAWS as your preferred student email account. Information on free email accounts is at Free email accounts .




There are many sources for an email account. Here are a few.

• The email account can be a company email account (provided by your employer).
• The email account can be an ISP (Internet Service Provider) email account (you usually pay the ISP a fee to connect your computer to the Internet)
• The email account can be a free email account such as Hotmail , Yahoo mail , etc.
• The email account can be an University email account (i.e., provided by the University). (see above restriction)

Important note: You should set your preferred email account from your "Personal Page". Until you do, you will not be able to complete certain class requirements (for which you are still responsible).





ISP  ( see dictionary wikipedia google ) Internet Service Provider

10.0 What time is it?

Does anyone know what time it really is?

The time used to start class is official U.S. time. My computer clock is automatically synchronized to official U.S. time just before each class starts.

If you need to find the official time, see, for example, http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5 . The site also allows you to download a program that you can use to set the time on your computer. See Official U.S. time for more details.

11.0 Late arrivals

I record late arrivals at the end of class. So, if you come in late, you should make sure at the end of class that I have marked you late and not absent.

You are present if you are sitting in your seat when class is to start. Otherwise, you are late.

12.0 Early departures

If you leave class early, you should let me know before class starts that you are leaving early. If possible, sit near the exit so that you do not disturb class as you exit. I record early departures as part of the attendance for that day.

13.0 Running class

I like to run class as if we are a business team, I am the manager/coach, you are the employee/team member, and class meetings are team meetings. Here are some minimum ground rules.

• Classes start on time. You should not arrive late without reason.
• Classes end on time. You should not leave early without reason.
• If you miss any part of class, you need to provide a reason to avoid penalty.
• No private side conversations in class.
• No sleeping in class.

14.0 Rule #1: No private conversations in class without permission

You are encouraged to participate in class.

However, while I or any other person is talking in class, you are not to have a private conversation with anyone, for any reason. If you have a question, ask me. If someone else asks you something, in violation of this policy, ignore them. Otherwise, you are also in violation of the policy.

15.0 Rule #2: Do not sleep in class

It is impolite to sleep in class. It is also impossible for you to learn anything about what I am saying if you are sleeping in class.

Usually I only call on students who are either talking or sleeping. So, if you do not want to be called on, do not talk or sleep in class.

16.0 Rule #3: Attending class is important

I take attendance visually using the computer.

You can sit anywhere you want to, but I reserve the right to move you to another seat.

I record whether you are present or absent at both the start of class and at the end of class.

If you arrive after I have finished taking attendance, then you are not present at the start of class.

For more details, see my Policy for class attendance .

17.0 Class participation score

Class participation comprises about 5.0% of your overall grade for the class. See your syllabus for the exact percentage.

• Talking in class, sleeping in class, or disrupting class will lower your class participation score.
• Missing all or part of class without sending the required email message will lower your class participation score.
• Talking in class, sleeping in class, disrupting class, or arriving late to class will make you first in line to be called on to answer questions for that class period.

For more details, see my Policy for class participation .

18.0 Suggestions

See Earn extra points for good suggestion(s) (but your suggestion must be practical, useful, and provide value in relation to cost).

19.0 Syllabus

Make sure that you have carefully reviewed the class calendar and syllabus.

You are responsible for what goes on in class and for checking your email and the class web site on a regular (i.e., daily) basis.

20.0 Backup web site

I am working on a backup web site at http://ssu.RobinSnyder.com . Until then, you can use http://ssu.RobinSnyder.com to get a link to the current web site at http://www.RobinSnyder.com .

21.0 Acronyms

(see how to study acronyms )

1. NIST = National Institute of Standards and Technology ( see dictionary wikipedia google )
2. ITS = Internet Time Service ( see dictionary wikipedia google )
3. ISP = Internet Service Provider ( see dictionary wikipedia google )