Communication is the solvent of all problems and is the foundation for personal development. —Peter Shepherd
I expect you to fully communicate with me throughout your semester learning experience. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact with me in class but if at any point you need further help to successfully meet a specific learning objective in our class, it is your responsibility to reach out to me and let me know.
While I take great pride in the success of my students I will not always know how well each student is grasping the material every step of the way. Don’t wait until an exam to tell me you need help. Send me an email after a learning unit has wrapped up if you are unable to successfully achieve each learning objective listed in the unit. We’re in this together!
I also hold office hours each week (see syllabus). During these hours I am available via email, Slack, Zoom and am in my office if you want to stop by.
Emails
I get a lot of email and it is important for me to be able to prioritize them effectively to ensure I can respond quickly to student questions. Here’s how you can help! When you send me an email, please be sure to include your class (ex: COSC 3375, COSC 4325, etc.) and your first initial and last name. A proper subject line looks like this: “COSC 4309 J Smith.”
How quickly will you respond?
During the week (Mon-Fri), I typically reply to each email I receive within 24 hours. If your email is about an upcoming event (anticipated absence), you will receive a reply after the event has finished. If I do not reply to your email within 24 hours during the work week, assume I did not receive it and send a followup email or reach out via Slack or Zoom. Ensuring I’ve received your email communication is your responsibility. I usually reply to emails over the weekend but this is not guaranteed.
Slack is a much quicker way of receiving a response. I will typically respond immediately to within a few hours. I have even been known to respond to the occasional 2am question, but it is not always guaranteed.
If you need a video meeting, try Zoom. It is simple to setup on your computer or phone and you can look me up with my email address.