Guidelines for Using Discussion

1. All postings are accessible to the entire class and the instructor.

2. Normally, only the instructor may create a new topic ("thread"). Please send questions about the course to me personally through my email. If appropriate, I will post the answer to the entire class on Discussion.

3. When contributing to a discussion, click on "Reply" or "Quote," not on "Compose New Message" (doing so will begin a new thread).

4. Postings are to remain course-related. Students may include links to course-related web sites they believe may be useful to the class.

5. Postings should be clear and concise. They should be grammatically sound and spell-checked (this is not a chat room)

. 6. Postings should remain civil in all respects. The Aims Standard of Student Conduct applies to online students as well as on-the-ground students. Crude, profane, obscene, abusive language or insensitive or derogatory remarks concerning race, gender, or religion will not be tolerated. As instructor, I reserve the right to withdraw without additional warning students who violate these standards.

7. Do not post complaints about another student or about the course on Discussion; email them to me directly.

8. Check for new postings daily. I may post answers to FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) here.

9. I may invite guest speakers to participate in "directed discussions" with class members over a few days' time. In such a case, I will most likely assign background material for students to familiarize themselves with prior to the discussion.