Chapter 4
NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS AT Clayton State University
ACADEMIC ADVISING AND CHOOSING A MAJOR
STUDY ABROAD AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS AT Clayton State University
In January
1998, through the Information Technology Project (ITP), Clayton State University became one of the first public universities in the nation to
require all of its students to have
and use notebook computers. This
innovative and exciting approach to learning has been dubbed “ubiquitous mobile
computing.” Electronic communication
between faculty and students and among students has become the normal way of
doing business at Clayton State University. Over the past
three years, ITP has developed into an unqualified success in its most
important measure -- the improvement of the learning and teaching process. Indeed, a recent survey of students and
faculty found that more than three-quarters of them believed that ITP had
enhanced learning at Clayton State.
Clayton State is proud that ITP has won wide recognition, including a
“Pioneer Award” from the national Conference on Ubiquitous Computing.
In the initial years of ITP, the University charged
students a $300 per semester technology fee and then issued University-owned
computers to students along with a standard software load and Internet service
provider (ISP). While that approach was
appropriate for a pilot program nearly four years ago, circumstances have
changed. Since 1998 prices on computers
and ISP services have fallen considerably, and the typical incoming student has
become more computer savvy. In response
to these changes, the University has modified its approach to insuring
ubiquitous computing. The new program
is called ITP Choice. Under ITP Choice
the technology fee will be reduced to $38 per semester to cover basic
infrastructure and services, and the student will be personally responsible for
insuring that he or she has ready access to an appropriate notebook
computer. The details of the policy
follow:
Notebook
Computer Policy
The basic Clayton State University notebook
computer policy is listed here. For
hardware and software specifications and additional details, go to the
University's ITP Choice website (www.clayton.edu
and click ITP-Choice).
1. Computer
Access. Each
Clayton State University student is required to have ready access throughout the semester to a
notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software
requirements for the student's academic program. Students will sign a statement
attesting to such access.
·
A
student has a variety of options for “access.” Student ownership of an appropriate computer will be the most
common approach, but students may also lease, rent, or share a notebook
computer that meets minimum requirements as long as the student has regular,
unrestricted access to the machine.
·
For
students who choose ownership, a list of vendors of notebook computers is
provided to all students on the University's ITP Choice website. Note the "Preferred" vendor status
next to some of the vendors' names.
Vendors are given preferred status only after training and authorizing
the Clayton State University help desk (the HUB) to perform in-warranty repairs on notebook
computers purchased by Clayton State University students.
Use of a Clayton State University preferred vendor is not required.
·
During
academic year 2001-2002, Clayton State University plans to have a limited number of computers
available to rent to students. Priority
for this rental program will be given to students with demonstrated financial
need and to those scheduled to graduate with a degree during this academic
year.
2. Standard
Software. The notebook computer that the student has ready
access to must include the Clayton State University standard software load (MS Office 2000
Professional) plus additional software needed for the student’s major program.
·
Clayton State University
will make the standard software load available to students as part of the
$38.00 technology fee. It will be the
student’s responsibility to contact the help desk (the HUB) to obtain the
software.
·
Additional
software necessary for specific courses and/or programs will be available for
purchase from the Clayton State University Campus Store and/or other vendors.
3. Internet
Access. Each
Clayton State University student is required to have ready access to e-mail and the Internet (World
Wide Web).
·
Each
student will be responsible for making his or her own arrangement with an
Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as AOL, Juno, Bell South, or Yahoo. No specific ISP is considered preferred by
Clayton State University although students are cautioned to pay careful attention to the ISP’s
reputation for reliability and customer service.
·
Clayton State University
will provide each student with an e-mail address through the Clayton State University electronic
post office. The student will be
responsible for monitoring this address on a regular basis for official
communications from Clayton State University faculty and administrators.
4. Computer Skills. Students will be responsible for having or obtaining basic computer skills including e-mail, Web surfing, and word processing. Higher level skills will be expected for many courses.
·
Clayton State University
will make training opportunities in basic computer skills available to students
for no additional cost.
·
Through
a variety of means including free workshops, fee-based workshops, for-credit
computer courses, and modules in courses. Clayton State University will make training opportunities
available in the computer skills necessary for the student’s chosen program.
·
Clayton State University
will provide a computer help desk (the HUB).
The HUB will assist students with software problems. The HUB will assist with hardware problems
only if the machines are under warranty and the HUB is certified by the vendor
to service those machines.
ACADEMIC ADVISING AND CHOOSING A MAJOR
(Program of Study)
Academic Advisement
Academic advisors, usually
faculty members in the program, are available for each of the programs of study
offered by the University. Advisement is optional or required depending on
major and/or stage of program. In
addition, students who have not selected a program of study will be assisted in
the Office of Counseling & Career Services. Faculty advisors maintain
regular office hours during the academic term to encourage student conferences
whenever questions arise or further information is needed. Students are strongly urged to see their
advisors well in advance of registration for classes. Although academic advisement is available at Clayton State University, each student is
responsible for knowing and for fulfilling the curriculum requirements of a program of study and the graduation
requirements of the University as explained in this catalog, the semester
Schedule of Classes, and in any supplements to this catalog.
Declaring and Changing Majors (Programs of Study)
Students should declare their
major programs of study as soon as possible since the choice of major may
affect recommended or required course choices in the Core Curriculum as well as
in the major field itself. Major
declarations must be filed with the Registrar by paper form or by on-line
process. Majors are listed in the
chapters for each school of the University.
A student must submit a Change of Major form (available on-line or in
paper form) to the Office of the Registrar as soon as possible after deciding
to make a change. Making the change
quickly will help the student to be advised properly and will also prevent
delays in the registration process.
Undecided Students
Students who are undecided
about their programs of study should follow the general guidelines for Areas
A-E of the Core Curriculum until they have selected a program of study. Please note that choices in Areas A, B, and
D and recommendations in Areas C and E may be influenced by choice of
major. Special assistance is available
to undecided students in the Office of Counseling & Career Services. The
office offers academic planning information, referrals to appropriate
departments on campus, assistance with time management and study skills, and
intervention strategies for students experiencing academic difficulty.
REGISTERING FOR COURSES
Schedule of Classes
A Schedule of Classes is
published in paper form and on the University's website each semester (www.clayton.edu).
Instructions on how to register are included in this schedule. Registration is accomplished on-line using
the Clayton State University system known as the DUCK (Digital University Campus Kiosk). Students are responsible for all information
published in the Schedule of Classes.
Policy and program changes that occur during the academic year are
announced in the semester Schedule of Classes. The University also publishes
tentative advance schedules to assist students in their planning for future
terms. Every effort is made to
implement the current and future schedules as published, but circumstances such
as staffing, funding, enrollment, and program changes may result in some
changes.
Prerequisites and Co-requisites
Many courses are listed as
having prerequisites, co-requisites, or absolute co-requisites. See the Course Descriptions chapter of this
catalog for definitions and specific listings. In exceptional circumstances, a
dean or associate dean may grant a waiver of a prerequisite or co-requisite. Faculty members are not
permitted to waive prerequisites or co-requisites on their own. In most cases, the University's computer
system (the DUCK) is programmed to block a student's registration for a course
if he or she has not satisfied the prerequisite or co-requisite
requirements. However, this computer
blocking is not perfect, and students are personally responsible for complying
with the prerequisites or co-requisites for a course even if they are not
electronically blocked from registration.
Students who register for courses for which they do not qualify are
subject to removal from the course and are responsible for any problems that
may result, including the loss of course credit and fees.
Drop/Add and Changing
Schedules
Each semester the Schedule of
Classes specifies a date as the last day to register for classes or to change
schedules through the drop/add process.
After this date, the student’s class schedule becomes official and can
be changed only by official withdrawal (see below). See the Financial
Information chapter for refund policies.
Course Overload
Students may schedule up to
18 hours per semester (15 in the Summer) without special permission. A student who wishes to accelerate his or
her study by taking more than 18 hours in a semester (or 15 in the Summer) must
have a written overload request approved by the dean or associate dean of the
school of the major. In general, a
student must have been at Clayton State University for at least
two semesters and have achieved an overall B
average before an overload will be approved although the dean/associate dean
may make exceptions in special circumstances.
Cross-Registration in the Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education (ARCHE)
The Atlanta Regional
Consortium for Higher Education (ARCHE) is a group of colleges and universities
in metropolitan Atlanta. Clayton State students may take courses from member
institutions on a cross‑registration basis. Cross‑registration
courses are considered transfer credit.
It is usually more advantageous to the student to take a course by
cross-registration than by transient status because cross-registration fees are
paid to Clayton State rather than to the institution offering the course. (The Integrative Studies program has special
provisions for cross-registration; see the Arts & Sciences chapter of this
catalog.) For more information and
regulations about how to cross register, contact the Registrar’s Office in the
Student Center Building, 770-961-3504.
Auditing Courses
Students may choose to take
courses on an audit basis. Courses that
are audited are assigned a grade symbol of V,
and no credit toward graduation is awarded.
To audit courses, students indicate their intention at the time of
registration. Requests to change to
audit status will not be accepted after the drop/add period. All regular fees apply to audited courses. Courses taken on an audit basis will not be
used for certification for financial aid, Social Security, or Veterans’ Administration benefits.
Students may not receive credit for courses in which they were
registered as auditors unless they repeat the course for credit.
"On-Line" Courses
Many courses at Clayton State University are offered "on-line" as well as on
campus. In on-line courses the majority
of the instruction is delivered by on-line computer connection via the Internet
(World Wide Web). The Internet may be
supplemented by television, video conferencing, or other distance learning
methods. Use of this technology allows
the University to offer learning experiences that are more convenient for many
students. Courses offered via distance learning are identified in the
Schedule of Classes each semester.
Additional fees will accompany on-line courses with video components.
Nature
of On-line Courses
On-line courses are often
attractive for students who cannot conveniently attend on-campus courses.
Students can take all of their courses on-line for a given semester, or they can
mix on-line and on-campus sections. It is important to keep in mind, however,
that even though on-line courses offer schedule flexibility, the total time
commitment and academic expectation for an on-line course is the same as it is
for a traditional on-campus class. Although
routine classroom attendance is not required for distance learning courses,
some physical presence is required on campus or at an approved site for
orientation, testing, and, in some cases, "hands-on" experiences
(labs, clinicals, observations, etc.) In addition, some distance learning
courses may have additional optional or required on-campus sessions for
discussion and/or review. For details, please consult the notes in the official
Schedule of Classes each semester and the on-line syllabus for each course.
Registration for On-line Courses
To take an on-line course,
students must be admitted to the University and be eligible to register for
credit courses, including having met all prerequisites and/or co-requisites. Students
may register for on-line courses through the University’s on-line registration
process, which is called the DUCK.
Details about registration are published each semester in printed and
on-line versions (www.clayton.edu). Students
should not register for on-line courses unless they are already thoroughly
competent at sending and receiving e-mail, navigating the Internet, and using
Windows-based programs. No class time
will be spent on basic computer instruction.
Also, students should be aware that taking on-line classes requires
excellent time management skills and good self-discipline.
Course
Materials
Printed texts, special
software, or other supporting material needed for on-line courses can be
obtained in person or from the Campus Store or online at www.Clayton State Universityestore.com.
Many research resources are available on-line through GALILEO, but some
projects may require on-site library work at Clayton State University or elsewhere.
On-line
Courses with Video Components
Some on-line courses include
some instruction provided via television or video tapes and are called
"on-line courses with video components." Some of the content for
these courses is broadcast over satellite in cooperation with GPTV. If students
do not have access, they can still take these courses by obtaining the
videotapes from the Clayton State University library circulation desk and playing them at their
convenience. There is an additional
$20.00 per course fee for on-line telecourses to cover Clayton State University’s costs for
broadcast and distribution rights.
Important Information about Getting Started in an On-line Course
When students register for an
on-line course, they MUST contact the instructor by
e-mail to confirm that they are registered and to make sure that they have
established electronic communication. In some cases students will receive a
communication from the instructor, and their response to that message can
constitute their initial contact. However, even if students do not receive a
message from the instructor, it is their responsibility to contact the
instructor BEFORE any scheduled
orientation session. (If there is no orientation session, students must contact
the instructor before the end of the first week of the semester.)
Most on-line courses have a mandatory orientation session. Students must attend any such session in person unless they have made
advance
arrangements with the instructor.
If students do not contact
the instructor and meet all orientation requirements during the first week of
the semester, they must withdraw from the on-line course or receive an F.
The instructor’s e-mail
address and information about orientation sessions are usually included with
the appropriate course listing in the Clayton State University Schedule of Classes or on the Distance
Learning Website. If students have difficulty contacting their instructor by
e-mail, they should call the school that offers the course (Arts &
Sciences, 770-961-3420; Business, 770-961-3410; Health Sciences, 770-961-3484;
Technology, 770-361-3415; New College, 770-960-4200).
On-site Attendance Requirements
All of Clayton State University's "on-line" courses require physical attendance for orientation and examinations unless a special exception has been established. In addition, as mentioned above, some courses that are delivered substantially on-line also require attendance at Clayton State University (or other sites) for the purposes of review, discussion, laboratories, practica,