Technology + Media Access

In this class you are required to several times a week access:
the course website,
Brightspace,
your WCC email account, and
document your work.

You can access these tools and resources through a computer, tablet or smart phone. The icons below can be found on the top and bottom of our course site and offer a shortcut to Brightspace, College Email, MyWCC and College website:

• Brightspace
• WCC Email
• MyWCC
• WCC Site

Computer & Internet Access

WCC offers free Wi-Fi access throughout the campus and extension sites. You just need to select the ASGARD wireless network, open a browser and accept the college's Terms of Usage to gain access to the internet. More Info . . .

The college also offers several open labs with computer and internet access to ensure that you can complete work that require access to technologies. Harold L. Drimmer Library has several computer working stations with internet access extended hours; Tec 25 and some extension sites also offer computer labs with extended hours. Check their locations and hours. Call in advance to ensure that the hours posted are up to date.

The Art Department offers Open Studio for art students in HAAB 403 - Design Studio when no class is in session in the studio. Available open studio time will be posted on the studio door in the beginning of the semester and here.

WCC Laptop Landing program allows you to borrow a laptop for a 2-hour period during school days (until 2pm). More Info . . .

WCC Email Account

WCC requires that you must use your college assigned email to communicate with your instructors, peers, administrators and staff. This policy follows the The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or FERPA, a U.S. Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

Please make sure you have access to your college email account as soon as possible. For more information on how to access your email account go to http://www.sunywcc.edu/about/it/.

Having regular access to your WCC email account is a requirement for this course as I will be emailing you class updates, reminders and important deadlines. When contacting each of your instructors via e-mail, you must use your WCC e-mail address – no personal email addresses! Remember that this is a WCC policy.

Printing Policy

WCC has implemented a print monitoring system. When printing, you will be required to sign-in. Please use your MyWCC login credentials. Your printing account will be credited with $25 at the beginning of each semester* and every time you print the following amounts will be deducted from your printing budget: 5¢ per B&W page and 15¢ per color page. If you run out of money you can request the college to refill your account one more time. The third refill is on you!

Be conscientious about printing! Despite costing your money, the more paper you use, the more trees need to be killed; and the more ink cartridges and toners are needed generating more non-sustainable garbage. Check this article on What effect does ink cartridge waste have on the environment.

Communicating through Email

I am happy to communicate through email, but again, I can only do so if your email came from your official WCC email account. When emailing your instructors, peers, administrators and staff, please keep the following Email Etiquette in mind:

First, make sure what you want to communicate is best suitable for an email exchange. Remember that your college email account is an official college record.

Make sure what you are about to ask or comment on in your email is not addressed on the course site and syllabus. Asking a professor to go over a content that is already available on your course site or syllabus makes you look like you are not a serious student and only harms your cause. If after going over the content you still have questions, by all means, do ask them!

Type a clear, informative and succinct Subject Line.

Use a salutation. Instead of jumping right into your message or saying “hey,” begin with a greeting like “Dear” or “Hi,” and then address the person by the appropriate title and last name, such as “Prof. Jacques” or “Ms. Cardoso.” I welcome you to use my first name: Claudia.

Use traditional rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation in your message. Read your email aloud to proofread the message yourself as spell check won’t catch everything.

Please avoid acronyms or abbreviate words for convenience. Use complete sentences and only standard abbreviations.

Do NOT send me file attachments through email that are over 250 kb. If you are not sure what the file size is, don't send it. All artwork should be posted to your e-portfolio and you can send me a link to the image page. You can also text me a file if you want me to check your artwork. Reading posts should be embedded in Blackboard's editor.

Finalize your email with a signature. Instead of concluding with “Sent from my iPhone” or nothing at all, include a signature, such as "Thanks",“Best” or “Sincerely,” followed by your name (first and last). Please include your class name, reference number, semester and year the first time you contact me through email.

Please Do Not Attach Images to Email Messages! They clog my email server. Text me the images instead!

Communicating through Text Message

I am happy to communicate through text message, give you feedback on assignments, and clarify concepts that you are not understanding, but again, please be aware of the following texting protocol:

Make sure what you are about to ask is not addressed on the course site and syllabus.

Please do NOT call my cell phone number unless I specifically instructed you to do so.

Always, start your text message with your name and where do I know you from. This way I know who am talking to.

Please avoid abbreviations. If I can't understand what you are communicating, I can't help you.

I am very prompt but please do allow me time to answer your text message. It will be faster than email but I have a very busy life and I may be tied up for hours before I can give you feedback. Again, plan accordingly!

Be aware that my cell phone does not work properly in the Design studio. This means that if you text me during class time I will only see your message after class ends when I am out of the college. Once again, plan accordingly!

I am constantly editing and improving our course site. I count on you to give me feedback on any broken links, missing content or discrepancy that you come across. Please text me as soon as possible with a URL link to where you encountered the issue or do a print screen of where I can find it. This way I can fix it right away!

Any other information related to you, a class or the course that does not involve a specific assignment or content should be done through WCC's email to cmc9@sunywcc.edu.

ZOOM Netiquette

This course requires you to have your camera on, but microphone on mute, unless you are speaking.

Having your camera on provides you with the following advantages:

1. Easier for you to engage with your classmates and your professor.
2. Meet your classmates/creates a sense of community.
3. Provides valuable feedback to your professor of your understating of the subject matter (non-verbal cues).
4. Forces you to focus on the subject matter and avoid distractions.

If you need an accommodation to having your camera on during class, please contact your professor for review on a case-by-case basis.

Tips when using ZOOM:

1. Be aware of your surroundings.
Your professor and classmates can also see BEHIND you. Make sure that there is nothing in the background (traffic, other people, a pile of laundry) that may distract from the class. While it is not necessarily the best choice to attend class from your messy bedroom, it may be the only place you can find peace and quiet away from roommates or family members. If that is the case, you can employ a Virtual Background to hide what you don't want seen.

2. Mute is your friend.
Once you log in to the virtual classroom, be sure to mute your microphone (lower left-hand corner). This will help to eliminate background noise that could distract others.

3. Raise your hand and wait to be called upon.
If you wish to speak, either physically raise your hand or use the "Raise Hand" button at the center of the bottom of your screen. Once the professor calls on you, unmute yourself and begin speaking. When you have finished speaking, indicate you are done by saying something like "That's all" or "Thank you" and then mute your microphone again.

4. If you don't have anything nice to say...
The Zoom chat feature is a tool to make comments and ask questions without interrupting the speaker but be aware that your comments are public and are recorded in the minutes of the session.

5. Clothing is NOT optional.
Remember that, even though you may be alone at home, your professor and classmates can SEE you! While attending class in your pajama bottoms is a tempting option, you want to make sure that you are presenting yourself in the best possible light at least from the waist up.