Welcome to BU-250Business Mathematics

Kaplan University

Mike Sowa, MSc., CAIA

Seminar 1

Agenda• Welcome• Seminars• Office Hours• Aim• E-mail• Instructor Office• Discussion Board• Assignments within course • Grading Policies• Assignment Submissions• Announcements• Late Policy• Questions

Seminars• We will meet every week for one hour.• Seminars are not graded or mandatory, although they are highly recommended.• We will discuss current topics.• Do practice problems.• Answer any questions for the week.• Mondays 8-9 PM ET

Office Hours• On AIM: mikejsowa5280• Wednesday: 8:00P.M. to 10:00 P.M.• (all times eastern)• Other times by appointment

E-mail• msowa@kaplan.edu• On subject line it is important to make sure you put the class you are in. • Allow 24 hours for a return reply.• Allow 24-48 hours for reply on weekends.• Use email for matters of a personal nature.

Instructor’s Office• Instructor’s office can be found in the classroom• Use this area for general questions which may benefit the whole class.• Will reply within 24 hours or 24-48 hours on the weekends.• If classmates know the answer feel free to answer question.

Discussion Board• You will communicate with your professor and

classmates using the threaded discussion areas. This is where you post your responses to Discussion Questions and share your experiences in completing Exercises and applying the content of the course.

• Participation in discussions is required and will help determine your grade. You are expected to contribute to each of the Discussion Questions in each unit. You should read all responses of other students and add your own.

Discussions• Discussion Questions provide a forum for students to seek

clarification and answer important questions about the course material. The discussion also allows students to receive feedback from the instructor and other students in the class. A discussion question grade will be posted to the grade sheet for each Unit using the following grading criteria.

• The Discussion Board Requirement:• Students are to post a minimum of three posts per unit.

One initial response and two replies to their classmates• Posting on a minimum of three different days, for example:

Wednesday, Friday and Monday• The first post must be made by Saturday.

Discussion Rubric

• Quality (40%) of your post will be measured on the following criteria:

• All assigned discussion questions were answered completely

• Posts were on topic and unique in content• All posts demonstrated analysis of the topic

Discussions

• Participation Guidelines (30%) will be measured on the following criteria:

• Initial post no later than Saturday, midnight EST

• Posts made to each discussion question on at least 3 different days

• The original post to be no less than 100 words

Discussions

• Clarity and Organization of Writing (20%) of your post will be measured on the following criteria:

• Posts were organized and logical • No spelling or grammatical errors• References were used and cited properly

Discussions

• Professional & Netiquette (10%) in your post will be measured on the following criteria:

• Respect and consideration toward peers/instructors

• Appropriate language • Professional use of abbreviations and

acronyms

Discussion • During discussions, you must demonstrate not only that you understand the

subject matter but also that you can apply what you have learned, analyze it, integrate it with knowledge you already have, and evaluate it critically. Your postings should be appropriate and timely contributions that add value to the discussion.

Discussion Guidelines• Be clear about which message you're responding to. Refer to specific passages

or ideas in the course or text that have sparked your interest.• Make sure your contribution adds something new to the discussion. A simple

"I agree" may be your initial response, but think about how you can take the conversation to the next level.

• Make your posting clear and easy to follow by dividing longer messages into paragraphs.

• Address classmates by name or user name, and sign your own messages.

Discussion Guidelines• Feel free to pose new questions to your classmates within your own message.• Use correct spelling, capitalization, grammar, syntax, and punctuation.• If you plan on posting a lengthy response, it is a good idea to type your

response in Word or Notepad, then copy and paste it into the discussion area. This way you'll always have a record of your communication if for some reason you lose your connection to the course.

Assignments within course• Readings from Books-- You need to have any required textbooks in advance of

starting the course. Any textbooks required for a course are listed on the Course Home Page.

Web Field Trips• Web Field Trips (also known as Internet Resource Assignments) teach you how to

use the Internet as a resource tool. You may be given links to websites that either enhance the content of readings or show you where information and resources can be found. Some provide online stories or articles. Most also have Discussion Question relating to the content of the Internet resource.

Projects/Assignments• Projects are assignments that require you to submit coursework to the

instructor via the drop-box. Projects are graded assignments.

Reviews• Reviews in this course are used to help check your understanding of the content.

Review results will be included in your final course grade. Time is unlimited, the reviews are opened from Wednesday @ 12:00 A.M. to Tuesday @ 11:59 P.M.

Discussion Questions• Discussion Questions are answered in the class discussion areas and form the core

of class communication. Discussion Questions may ask you to apply course concepts to your own circumstances, provide your opinion about course content, or share your experiences completing course Exercises. Participation in discussions is required.

Grading Policies• All work is due by Tuesday, 11:59 P.M. (ET)• Any assignment submitted after that time is considered late.• When assignments are not in a zero will be applied until the assignment is

submitted.• I usually have grades completed by the weekend. • I will post an announcement when I have completed all the grades

Assignment submissions• Assignments are due by Tuesday @ 11:59 P.M.• Make sure your name and course number are on your paper.• Submit all work in a word document.• If you use excel cut and paste into a word document.

Announcements• Each time you log into the classroom, on the course home page you will find an

announcement area. • This is where I will post any information which must get to you immediately.• Take time when you enter the classroom to read the announcements.

Late Policy• Extenuating Circumstances: If you have extenuating circumstances that prevent

you from completing projects, quizzes, seminars or participating in the class, please contact your instructor to make alternative arrangements. The possibility of alternative arrangements is at the discretion of your instructor. Active communication is the key to overcoming any hurdles you may encounter during the term.

Late Policy continued• It is your responsibility to inform your instructor (ahead of time, whenever

possible) of extenuating circumstances that might prevent you from completing work by the assigned deadline. In those situations, we will work together to come up with a mutually acceptable alternative. Prior notification does not automatically result in a waiver of the late penalties.

Late Policy Continued• Please note that evaluation of extenuating circumstances is at the discretion of

your instructor and documentation may be required for verification of the extenuating circumstance. Examples of extenuating circumstances may include but are not limited to: personal/family member hospitalization, death in the family, weather/environmental evacuation due to fire/hurricane, or active military assignment where internet connectivity is unavailable for a limited time period. Computer-related issues and internet connectivity issues are not considered extenuating circumstances.

Late Penalty• Without Extenuating Circumstances: • Up to one week (1-7 calendar days) late 20% deduction in points• After one week (8-14 calendar days) late 30% deduction in points• No work will be accepted more than two (2) weeks after the due date.

Questions?