Name: Bruce Caraway
Office Phone: 281–401–5394
Office: UP NRB Bldg, Room 209P
Email: bruce.caraway@lonestar.edu
Website: carawaysclass.com
Course Number: ITSW 1304
Course Title: Intro to Spreadsheets
Term and Year: Spring 2018
Course Dates: January 16 - March 11, 2018
Course Section(s): 6001/2
Class Days & Times: ONLINE
Credit Hours: 3 (Lecture hrs: 2 | Lab hrs: 3)
Total Contact Hours 80
Campus Map: Lone Star College - University Park
Tuesday 10 - 11:30am
Wednesday 1–2:30pm
Thursday 10 - 11:30am
…or by appointment
In this course, students will learn about the concepts, procedures, and application of electronic spreadsheets and, more specifically, this course introduces the topic of spreadsheet software using Microsoft Excel. We will look at how spreadsheets can be used to perform calculations, organize data, communicate quantitative information, make financial decisions, share data, and more. Knowing how to use spreadsheet software like Excel is a key skill required in just about any business setting.
Generally, students completing this course will be able to:
To be successful in this class, the student must:
Register for access to the McGraw-Hill SIMnet environment.
MS Office Excel 2016: Complete (SIMNET 2017)
Author: Nordell
Access Code
Note You may purchase your access code from the campus bookstore or from within the SIMnet app. I recommend that if you haven’t already purchased your access code to wait until after the first week of class to buy. The publisher provides two weeks of “free” access to start our semester.
We will use Slack.com for most student-to-professor and student-to-student communication. Slack is an on-line communication tool that allows team members or students in a class to stay in contact with each other.
With Slack, you can hold a direct conversation with your instructor, share an idea with one of your classmates, or enter into a discussion with a group of your classmates.
I will email you an invitation to our Slack class site, during the first week of class. This will include everything you will need to know in order to join and participate in our Slack class.
Slack is your best choice in communicating with me, but there may be instances where you wish to email me. If you choose to use email, be sure to include your name, course name, and course number in the email. Keep the body of your message brief, and to-the-point. Here is an example of a good email:
Professor Caraway:
I am Angela Ford from your ITSW 1304 (Intro to Spreadsheets) class, and I have a question about this week’s assignment. I thought that we needed to complete both sections, am I correct? Can you please help me?
Angela Ford
Please feel free to drop by my office for help during my office hours (listed at the top of this document) but it is best to let me know you are coming as I may have meetings or other appointments already scheduled. I am also available by appointment if you cannot visit during office hours. Contact me via Slack or email to coordinate a convenient time for both of us.
We do not formally meet during the week so no attendance is taken. I do reserve the right to assign tasks that may require your participation in on-line Slack discussion or chat session. It is your responsibility to keep up with the material and check the class D2L page regularly for updates, assignment due dates, and potential schedule changes.
Should you anticipate that you will not be able to log on and participate in class for an extended period (72 hours), please notify me in advance. Not logging in to the on-line class at a regular interval will significantly impact your chance for success. I will withdraw a student if they are not active in the course and do not respond to my Slack or email correspondence during a 7 day period.
The college classroom is a place for adult men and women to meet with a common purpose of improving their intellectual and academic skills. This applies to both face-to-face and on-line classes. When engaging your instructor and fellow students, you will be expected to treat everyone with respect and in a professional manner. The use of profanity, derogatory terms, and threats in any class-related forum will not be tolerated. If a student violates this rule, they will be asked to leave the classroom (in a face-to-face section) or their access to the class will be blocked (in an on-line section).
The violating student will not be allowed to return to class or regain access until he or she arranges a conference with the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for this conference.
Members of the Lone Star College, which includes faculty, staff, and students, are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all aspects of campus life. Lone Star College holds all members accountable for their actions and words. Therefore, all members should commit themselves to behave in a manner that recognizes personal respect, and demonstrates concern for personal dignity, rights, and freedom of every member of the College community, including respect for the College property and the physical and intellectual property of others.
Assignments are due according to the schedule posted in slack.com (and D2L). Students are responsible for meeting assignment due dates.
Evaluation will be based on the following grade components:
| Grade Type | Points |
|---|---|
| SIMBook Readings (10%) | 100 |
| SIMpaths (4.5%) | 45 |
| SIMNet Projects (54%) | 540 |
| Mid-semester Capstone Project (7.5%) | 75 |
| Slack Discussions (9%) | 90 |
| Final Project (15%) | 150 |
| TOTAL POINTS | 1000 |
Our grade book is based on a 1000 point scale. Your final letter grade will be based on the number of points you earn for the semester. The number of points required for each letter grade are as follows:
| Points Earned | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 900–1000 | A |
| 800–899 | B |
| 700–799 | C |
| 600–699 | D |
| 0–599 | F |
| Week | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | SIMnet, Windows 10, MS Office, and Creating and Editing Workbooks (Ch1) |
| 2 | Working with Formulas and Functions (Ch2) |
| 3 | Creating and Editing Charts (Ch3) & Formatting, Organizing, and Getting Data (Ch4) |
| 4 | Consolidating, Linking, and Inserting Objects (Ch5) |
| 5 | Exploring the Function Library (Ch6) & Mid-semester Capstone |
| 6 | Working with Templates and Sharing Work (Ch7) |
| 7 | Exploring Data Analysis and Business Intelligence (Ch8) Recording and Editing Macros (Ch9) |
| 8 | FINALS - Final Project |
If you have any issues in our classroom, the course content or with me, I would ask that you first address the issue directly with me. If you feel that the issue remains unresolved even after speaking with me, you may contact the following individuals to whom I report.
If you have not attended class for a face-to-face section or if you have not logged into D2L for an on-line section by to the Official Day of Record, you will be administratively withdrawn from the class, no exceptions.
Withdrawal from the course after the Official Day of Record and prior to “W” Day (Friday April 6th, 2018) will result in a final grade of “W” on your transcript. Instructor approval is necessary if you want to withdraw after the Official Day. No credit will be awarded for a course earning a “W.” If you stop participating in the on-line class, you must withdraw at the registration office prior to “W” day.
If you stop attending class and do not officially withdraw, you will receive an “F” for the course.
An ‘I’ or Incomplete will be considered only in extreme cases of illness or emergency. An Incomplete will only be considered for those students who have completed at least 75% of the course material and have a passing average (70 or better) for those assignments that they have completed. Granting an Incomplete is fully at the discretion of your instructor.
A student who receives an “I” does not re-register for the course and must complete the course no later than the set due date not to exceed the end of the following fall or spring semester. The instructor must submit a signed “I” contract to the appropriate division; students will receive a copy of the contract following approval by the Dean or designee.
Early Alert is a student success effort designed to help students reach their full educational potential and successfully complete their classes. By requesting Early Alert for a student, a faculty member sends a message to the advising/counseling team, who will then contact the student and schedule a meeting to discuss support options. Students may be referred to Early Alert for many reasons, including poor academic performance, lack of basic study skills, attendance, persistent tardiness, and personal or financial issues that interfere with class performance.
Students who enrolled in Texas public institutions of higher education as first-time college students during the Fall 2007 term or later are subject to section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, which states that an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop (withdraw with a grade of “W”) from more than six courses, including courses that a transfer student has previously dropped at other Texas public institutions of higher education that have already been counted against their six drop limit. Each student should fully understand this drop limit before you drop any course. Please see a Counselor or Advisor in our Student Services area for additional information and assistance. This policy does not affect developmental or ESOL students.
Lone Star College-University Park Learning Center is committed to your success.
If you are experiencing challenges achieving your academic goals, please contact your instructor or an advisor. We can provide assistance with academic needs, ADA accommodations, classroom difficulties, financial concerns, and other issues.
Tutoring: For all disciplines, please visit the UP Tutoring Center for information on hours and location. The tutoring lab, reading/writing lab, and math lab can be found within the Student Learning Resource Center in Building 12 on the 8th floor.
Counseling services are available to students who are experiencing difficulty with academic issues, selection of college major, career planning, disability accommodations, or personal issues. Students may contact Counseling, Career, and Disability Services at 281–401–5370, or in Building 13, Room 200.
The Assistive Technology Lab is available for students who benefit from its various technologies to convert text to speech, magnify items, convert text to Braille, etc. For further information, please call 281–290–2672 or email UPAssistiveTech@LoneStar.edu.
The Lone Star College-University Park SLRC is located in Building 12, on the 8th floor and contains information resources for both college students and community members. Librarians are available to assist with research. To contact a reference librarian, email uplibrary-ref@lonestar.edu. For Library hours and contact information, please visit http://www.lonestar.edu/library.
The Lone Star College-University Park Assessment Center is located in Building 13, Room 240. See link for all testing center hours: http://www.lonestar.edu/testing-centers.htm.
The Lone Star College System upholds the core values of learning: honesty, respect, fairness, and accountability. The system promotes the importance of personal and academic honesty. The system embraces the belief that all learners – students, faculty, staff and administrators – will act with integrity and honesty and must produce their own work and give appropriate credit to the work of others. Fabrication of sources, cheating, or unauthorized collaboration is not permitted on any work submitted within the system.
The consequences for academic dishonesty are determined by the professor, or the professor and academic dean, or the professor and chief student services officer and can include but are not limited to:
Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately while on College property or in an on-line environment. Students may receive disciplinary action up to and including suspension, if they violate System or College rules, disrupt classes, or interfere with the opportunity of others to obtain an education. Students who pose a threat to the safety of others will be subject to immediate withdrawal from the classroom, campus environment, and/or on-line environment, as well as face subsequent criminal charges, as appropriate.
Please refer to the Student Code of Conduct located on-line at http://www.lonestar.edu/student-responsibilities.htm for additional information.
Sleeping (or laying your head on your desk) is not allowed in the classroom. On the first occurrence, you will be asked to refrain from sleeping. On a second occurrence, you will be asked to leave the room.
Lone Star College - University Park is a smoking-free campus. The use of e-cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, vapor cigarettes, pipes, vapes, etc. is strictly prohibited throughout campus.
Lone Star College is very committed to equal access in educational opportunities and provides assistance through disability services. Each main campus has an assistive technology lab to assist students with disabilities. These centers offer a wide range of educational technology tools, such as screen readers, for example, to assist students with their educational needs. Information specific to your campus’ Assistive Services is located on-line at http://www.lonestar.edu/19287.htm.
Lone Star College-University Park is dedicated to providing the least restrictive environment for all students. We promote equity in academic access through the implementation of reasonable accommodations as required by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title V, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) which will enable students with disabilities to participate in and benefit from all post-secondary educational activities.
Disability Services is located on the LSC University Park campus in Building 13, Suite 200. You may contact Disability Services at the following number: 281–401–5370. Additional information may be accessed on-line at the following URL: http://www.lonestar.edu/disability-services.htm.
Lone Star College System is committed to maintaining the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and guests while visiting one of our campuses. See http://www.lonestar.edu/campus-safety.htm for details. Register at http://www.lonestar.edu/LoneStarCollegeAlert.htm to receive emergency notifications. In the event of an emergency, contact the police at 5911.
The Texas Legislature enacted campus carry by passing Senate Bill 11, effective at LSC on August 1, 2017. Senate Bill 11, known as the “Campus Carry” law, amends Texas law to allow license holders to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. To carry a concealed handgun on LSC campuses, an individual must have a valid License to Carry issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
LSC has established rules and regulations regarding enforcement of Campus Carry. Lone Star College prohibits concealed carry in some areas of LSC campuses. For more information about Campus Carry, visit the LSC Campus Carry website.
Computer viruses are, unfortunately, a fact of life. Using flash drives on more than one computer creates the possibility of infecting additional computers and flash drives with computer viruses. This exposes college computers, personal computers, and any other computers to potentially damaging viruses. The college has aggressive anti-virus procedures in place to protect its computers, but cannot guarantee that a virus might not temporarily infect one of its machines. It is your responsibility to protect all computers under your control and use and ensure that each flash drive you use, wherever you use it, has been scanned with anti-virus software.
It is the policy of the Lone Star College System to provide equal employment, admission and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or disability. Lone Star Colleges strive to provide an excellent learning environment free from harassment or intimidation directed at any person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or disability. Any form of harassment will not be tolerated.
The academic, financial, and non-directory information on your student account is confidential and protected by the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA). LSCS cannot release certain information to another person without your written authorization. The Authorization to Release Student Educational Records can be found at http://www.lonestar.edu/departments/generalcounsel/OGC-S–2009–03-Authorization_To_Release_Educational_Records.pdf.
LSCS provides computing and network resources. You are encouraged to use the computers, software packages, and electronic mail (e-mail) for educational or System-related activities and to facilitate the efficient exchange of useful information. The equipment, software, and network capacities provided through the district computer services are the property of the System. Use of the equipment and networks is to comport with the policies and procedures of the System and access may be denied to any student who fails to comply with the System’s policies and procedures regarding its use.
Access to the System’s e-mail and similar electronic communications systems are a privilege and certain responsibilities accompany that privilege. All users are expected to demonstrate the same level of ethical and professional manner, as is required in face-to-face or written communications. Threatening, anonymous, or forged messages will be treated as a violation of this policy.
Law strictly prohibits unauthorized copying of software purchased by Lone Star College-University Park for use in laboratories. Lone Star College-University Park administration will take appropriate disciplinary action against anyone violating copyright laws.
Lone Star College-University Park is committed to student success. As part of its institutional effectiveness efforts, our instructors are assessed in several ways. For the continuous improvement of our instruction, all students are required to provide input for each course they take each semester using the Course Evaluations Questionnaire, which can be accessed on-line for each course. This occurs approximately half way through your course and your instructor will provide you more information on this process. Once you evaluate your course, print and turn in the receipt of completion to your instructor. The college deans review these evaluations each semester. The deans and/or department chairs may visit each instructor’s class at some time during the semester to observe the instructional environment being provided and complete an assessment of the instructor.