Communication Check your Jeff State e‑mail account and the course site in Blackboard frequently to ensure that you receive important course-related information in a timely manner. Your instructor is not responsible for miscommunication caused by your failure to check e‑mail and Blackboard on a regular basis. If you need to contact your instructor, send an e‑mail message to the address listed in the syllabus; do not use the Course Messages tool in Blackboard.
Your instructor has organized the content on the course site by unit and / or chapter: the activities (assignments, quizzes) appear within the folder for that unit or chapter on the Content page rather than on a separate page (e.g., Assessments, Assignments, Quizzes, etc.). If you cannot locate an item that your instructor has stated is available, please let him know as soon as possible. Do not rely on automatic notifications of availability of graded activities such as examinations; if the Tentative Calendar, the Announcements page, and / or an e‑mail from your instructor lists a date for such an activity, go to the Content page to access it before the deadline.
Failure to resolve issues with attendance verification, tuition payment, or financial aid may cause the college to drop you from the course. Jefferson State policy prohibits students who are dropped from the roster from participating in the course; such students will not be allowed to submit assignments or take quizzes or examinations. Any exceptions to this policy must be submitted in writing from an administrator of the college to your instructor.
Make sure that the contact information Jefferson State has on record is up to date. Instructors and staff may attempt to contact you with urgent information that you may not receive if your contact information is outdated.
Attendance For Internet courses, attendance is based on participation in graded activities; visiting the course site on Blackboard and / or reading course materials does not count as attendance. To verify that all students are participating in the courses in which they are enrolled, each student must complete the verification activity (e.g., quiz) for each course in time for the instructor to report this verification no later than Thursday, June 3; the college is likely to drop students who fail to complete this activity from the course; such students will then need to complete a reinstatement process to return to the course.
Official Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered. Students who are unable to attend class regularly, regardless of the reason or circumstance, should withdraw from that class before poor attendance interferes with the student's ability to achieve the objectives required in the course. Withdrawal from class can affect eligibility for federal financial aid.
Absences Because this is an Internet course, students should be prepared to complete each activity during the timeframe in which it is available. If you are unable to complete an activity by its deadline, e‑mail your instructor at your earliest convenience to notify him of the nature of your inability to participate (without any graphic details) and to inquire about any alternative arrangements. Your instructor will assume that students with excessive consecutive missed activities who fail to communicate with him have abandoned the course. If you are unable to contact your instructor yourself, have a relative or friend contact him or the college in general.
Missed Examinations The syllabus for each course will state whether your instructor allows you to make up an examination or to drop an examination grade. In a course with make-up examinations, you must have documentation of significant grounds for missing an examination (illness, family emergency, etc.) to be allowed to make up the examination, and you must complete the examination within one week of the exam date; if logistics prevent this from occurring, your instructor may substitute your final exam grade for the missed examination. Contact your instructor within twenty-four hours of a missed examination when possible. If you fail to contact the instructor within one week of missing an examination, he will not allow you to make up the examination. If you schedule a make-up examination and fail to complete it at the appointed time, you will receive a zero for the examination. You are limited to one make-up examination per course.
If you know in advance that you are going to miss the date of an examination (for a school-sponsored activity, a religious function, etc.), you must contact your instructor at least one week prior to the date of the examination. Your instructor may require you to take the examination before or after the scheduled date, depending on what fits best in his and your schedules.
Course Withdrawal A student who wishes to withdraw from a course after the official Schedule Adjustment period and prior to the official start of final exams may do so by completing a "Withdrawal from Course" form. Students who withdraw before the beginning of the twelfth (12th) week of the fall or spring semester or seventh (7th) week of the summer term will receive a grade of "W" for any course withdrawn. After this time, the student will receive a grade of "WP" if doing satisfactory work at the time of withdrawal.
There are no automatic withdrawals for non-attendance; students who stop attending a class without completing a withdrawal form will be subject to whatever final grades they have earned. Your instructor cannot withdraw you from the course; you must complete the withdrawal form yourself. Once you have submitted this form, check your schedule and / or transcript within the following seven days to ensure that the withdrawal process is complete. It is also your responsibility to save a copy of the withdrawal form after you submit it in case the withdrawal does not appear on your transcript.
The deadline for withdrawal with an automatic "W" for regular term classes during the Summer Semester 2021 is Wednesday, July 7. After the deadline, your instructor will assign a "WP" only if your performance through the date of withdrawal was satisfactory or if extreme unforeseen circumstances hampered your ability to perform satisfactorily. Students with excessive absences, especially those who miss examinations or assignment deadlines, will not be assigned a "WP" and should withdraw before the automatic "W" deadline. Do not wait until the week of final examinations to request a grade of "WP"; submit your request as soon as you determine that you cannot complete the course. Once you take the final examination, you have completed the course and will not be allowed to withdraw.
Incomplete An instructor has the option of assigning a grade of Incomplete and allowing a student to finish the coursework by the withdrawal deadline of the next semester. However, this is reserved for students who have a catastrophic event occur late in the semester after completing most of the coursework; your instructor will not assign a student a grade of Incomplete prior to the automatic "W" deadline. Your instructor reserves the right to enforce individual deadlines earlier in the succeeding semester and to restrict his availability for assistance with material missed during the original semester. Incomplete grades may affect your ability to register for classes the next semester.
Fairness The requirements for this course as described in the syllabus and policies apply uniformly to the entire class. Each student is expected to complete all assignments and examinations by their deadlines regardless of other obligations unless excusable conditions apply. You are responsible for ensuring that your schedule allows enough time to satisfy the course requirements. Your instructor does not consider work scheduling grounds to make exceptions for students who fail to submit assignments on time or to take an examination during its availability. Quizzes and examinations are due promptly at the end of the designated time regardless of the time initiated; students who fail to finish a quiz or examination prior to the cutoff may not receive a grade for that activity.
Reading Comprehension Your instructor uses college-level English for lecture materials and instructions. Students who struggle with reading English at a college level may be unsuccessful in any college course. If your placement test score indicates that you need to take ENR 098, it is in your best interest to complete that course successfully before attempting any other courses. The college also offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for international students to improve their English skills. All students must comply with the academic honesty guidelines listed in the syllabus regardless of their ability to comprehend the materials.
Americans with Disabilities Jefferson State Community College is compliant with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended in 2008. Students having known disabilities requiring academic accommodations should contact the ADA Accommodations Office for an appointment (ada (at mark) @jeffersonstate.edu) or 205-856-6077.
Please note that students must place requests for accommodations with the college ADA Office. Additionally, students should bring up accommodations with the instructor on a case-by-case basis (that is, in advance of each assignment or examination requiring accommodations during the semester); specifically, request accommodations for an examination at least two business days prior to the examination date. A student who begins an examination without requesting accommodations will not receive those accommodations for that examination, nor will a student who is approved for accommodations late in the semester be allowed to apply such accommodations retroactively to prior graded activities. Receiving ADA accommodations does not relieve a student of the responsibility to participate in class on a regular basis and to meet deadlines given by the instructor.
From the ADA Student Handbook: An instructor is not obliged to provide accommodations to a student with a disability until he/she receives the ADA Office accommodation letter from the student. In addition, it is the student's responsibility to discuss scheduling and details of the requested accommodations with his/her instructor(s). If a student delivers an accommodation letter to an instructor within a few days of an assignment or exam, the instructor may be unable to provide the optimal accommodation requested.
Assistance To encourage proper social distancing, your instructor will prioritize availability via e‑mail (at the address listed in the syllabus) during the work week (Monday through Friday, generally during the afternoon, with morning and / or evening availability subject to change). Send messages from your Jeff State Office 365 account (messages sent from non-Jeff State accounts may be flagged as suspicious and could result in a delayed response). Include the course and a summary of your message in the Subject line. You will receive a better response if you seek assistance as soon as you experience trouble with an assignment. Your instructor does not guarantee an expedient response to e‑mail messages during overnight hours or on the weekend; your instructor may also delay e‑mail processing to concentrate on other faculty duties (preparation, grading, administrative requirements). Although your instructor has a telephone in his office, he is unlikely to be available on campus for telephone conversations due to the pandemic. Although there is a Course Messages tool in Blackboard, do not send your instructor a message in Blackboard, as he is unlikely to check this tool on a regular basis.
If you are struggling with an assignment that involves a file, attach the file to the e‑mail message. Do not attach screenshots, camera pictures, or video clips unless your instructor requests that you do so. Your instructor will not open links to files uploaded to cloud storage due to the risk of malware.
Your instructor is happy to assist you, but he must divide his time fairly between students seeking assistance and various other duties. He expects students to read provided materials and instructions carefully. Your instructor will not devote extensive time assisting students who have not read and followed the instructions to the best of their abilities. The limited availability of the instructor is not a license to violate the Academic Honesty Code.
Final Grade Determination Letter grades are based on a combination of the percentage earned on examinations and the percentage earned on other activities as follows:
| Exam Percentage | Other Percentage | Final Grade |
|---|---|---|
| 90% or above | 85% or above | A |
| 60% to 84.9% | B | |
| Below 60% | C | |
| 80% to 89.9% | 95% or above | A |
| 70% to 94.9% | B | |
| 40% to 69.9% | C | |
| Below 40% | D | |
| 70% to 79.9% | 85% or above | B |
| 60% to 84.9% | C | |
| 30% to 59.9% | D | |
| Below 30% | F | |
| 60% to 69.9% | 75% or above | C |
| 45% to 74.9% | D | |
| Below 45% | F | |
| 40% to 59.9% | 60% or above | D |
| Below 60% | F | |
| Below 40% | Any | F |
Examinations, assignments, and other graded activities may have specific point values associated with them, but the percentage you earn of the points on all graded activities combined has no bearing on your final letter grade; examinations and other graded activities factor into your final letter grade separately according to the above table.
Grading Guidelines Grades will appear on Blackboard. A description of the deductions taken will accompany each grade. You must submit grade disputes via e‑mail within one week of a grade's release; you will not be permitted to contest grades posted early in the semester once your final grade has been determined. Be specific in describing the question you have about how your instructor graded the activity.
Your instructor does not view or grade assignment submissions until after the assignment deadline (or the cutoff for late submissions if allowed); do not send urgent messages in the comments with your assignments, as you will not receive an immediate response. If you are concerned that your work on an assignment does not satisfy the requirements, contact your instructor for assistance prior to the deadline. Your instructor cannot guarantee a specific turnaround for grades, as other demands (course preparation, student assistance, and other faculty duties) take precedence over grading and may prevent the use of office hours for expedient grading; asking your instructor for a timetable for grade availability will not accelerate the release of grades. He grades all submissions for a given assignment or examination at the same time; he will not expedite grades for individual students. He will strive to release grades in a timely manner and to provide enough feedback to improve your understanding of concepts whenever possible. Your instructor usually grades items in chronological order, although he may prioritize examinations that involve manual grading.
Grades are based on an understanding of the material as presented during the lectures; students may lose points if they submit solutions that incorporate approaches beyond the lecture material without instructor permission, even if they are functionally equivalent. This applies to all graded activities (including examinations). Your instructor grades all student work according to the same criteria; his grading process makes no allowances for student-specific circumstances (e.g., dual enrollment, ADA accommodations, illness, equipment limitations).
Bonus Points Each course has a predetermined number of bonus opportunities related to graded activities. There are no additional opportunities for points after the final examination has been administered and the final grade has been determined.
Submitting Assignments You will use Blackboard to submit assignments. The clock on the Blackboard server, which may be slower or faster than your computer's clock, determines the deadlines. Your instructor does not accept submissions via any means (e.g., e‑mail, attachments for other assignments, links to cloud storage) other than the assignment tool for the specific assignment you are submitting. You are responsible to send the correct work in the format specified in the instructions; Blackboard will not allow you to resubmit an assignment after it has been graded. You are also responsible to ensure that the submission process succeeds (you should receive a confirmation message after a successful submission).
If you make a mistake in your first submission, you may create a new submission prior to the deadline. You are limited to three submissions per assignment. Your instructor will grade only your last submission, so be careful to attach all work that you want graded to your final submission (even if one of the files did not change).
Blackboard allows you to save a draft of an assignment that you have not completed, but your instructor cannot access any files attached to a draft. Click the Submit button if you want your instructor to grade your submission.
The computer from which you plan to work must have the software you need to complete the assignments, and your Internet connection must be stable enough to allow you to use Blackboard successfully. Your instructor does not extend deadlines for computer malfunction unless the problem is related to college services (e.g., a Blackboard outage). Campus laboratories may not be open to students during the summer semester, but the college may be able to provide you with a loaner laptop should your computer not meet the requirements for the course.
If allowed in the course syllabus, Blackboard may accept late assignment submissions for half credit up to the time when your instructor begins grading that assignment or three business days after the deadline, whichever comes first; Blackboard will not accept late assignment submissions after this time. Assignments near the end of the semester may have firm deadlines with no late submissions allowed.
Printing When on-campus computer laboratories are available, students are permitted to print up to 500 pages each semester from these laboratories; after you click the Print button in the program from which you are printing, you will need to enter your myJSCC username and password. You should check the printer before you attempt to print to ensure that it is in proper working order and has paper and toner. If you would like assistance in reducing the number of pages required to print a document (especially PowerPoint slides), please let an instructor or lab assistant know.
Shared Computers When using a computer in a public location, guard your information thoroughly. Log out of any personal accounts (e‑mail, myJSCC, Blackboard) before you leave a computer. If you are unable to save your assignment-related files to your flash drive, delete them from any location where you saved them (e.g., the Desktop, the Documents folder, the Downloads folder) and the Recycle Bin. If another student obtains and submits your file as his / her own, you may be subject to penalties for violating the Academic Honesty Code.
Concentration Although you will not be in a classroom when working on course activities, you should consider the following guidelines to maximize your ability to concentrate:
Respect Be respectful in any communication with your instructors, your classmates, and college staff. The college does not tolerate harassing, threatening, or otherwise disrespectful behavior and may subject students who engage in such behavior to penalties at the course and / or college level(s). We all have different perspectives on what is "in good fun" and what "crosses the line" (especially regarding profanity, politics, religion, sports, etc.), so keep in mind the diverse makeup of the Jeff State body as you interact with others.
Statement on Discrimination / Harassment: The college and the Alabama State Board of Education are committed to provide both employment and educational environments free of harassment or discrimination related to an individual's race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, or disability. Such harassment is a violation of State Board of Education policy. Any practice or behavior that constitutes harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated.
Advising Jefferson State offers two major types of degrees: those designed for transferring to a four-year institution, Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS); and those focused on immediate employment, Associate in Applied Science (AAS). The requirements for these degrees vary widely, and completing the requirements for the wrong degree could affect your ability to continue to your desired goal after graduation. Students pursuing an AA or AS should also complete the STARS guide for the institutions to which they plan to transfer. Please contact an advisor in your academic area to ensure that your declared major is correct and that the courses you are taking count toward that major. Keep in mind that not every course is offered every semester; failure to enroll in a once-a-year course when it is offered may delay your graduation, so it is important to communicate regularly with an advisor to determine which courses you must take each semester. Additionally, degree requirement changes may require you to take a substitute in place of a course listed in your original catalog. If you are taking individual classes and do not plan to pursue a complete degree, please declare yourself as a non-degree seeker so that you are not factored into the graduation rate. The courses for an AAS degree may also count toward one or more certificates; contact Enrollment Services to determine if you can pursue the degree and the certificate(s) at the same time.
Schedule A tentative schedule is available with the syllabus and course policy documents on Blackboard. The Announcements page on Blackboard should include a weekly overview of material to cover, upcoming deadlines, and the availability of the next examination. Reasons for schedule changes may include, but are not limited to, instructor illness, inclement weather, or resource unavailability. Students are responsible for following the schedule and any posted changes.
Overall, my advice to you is to do your best! If something unforeseen comes up during the semester, your instructor is much more likely to work with you if you have been a trustworthy and diligent student. Do not hesitate to ask questions on any topic relevant to the course.