FAQ (lists) are posted to provide quick answers to questions that are asked frequently
by users of a service. This FAQ is intended to serve students taking computer
classes from professor Randy Gibson of the IRSC
.
Many questions asked by students relate to issues that are defined by policy or
procedure rather than conceptual issues that relate to course content.
If you have a question of this nature, look in the list of Frequently Asked Questions
below to find the answer before approaching your instructor.
If you have a question related to course content, first review the web pages related
to that content (or chapter) on your instructor's web site.
If you do not find an answer in this list or on the web site, then
contact your instructor.
The answers listed below represent your instructor's best estimation of general answers
to common questions and might not apply to specific situations. Many are based on college
policies which can change from semester to semester. Ultimately, it is the student's
responsibility to seek out the correct answer to any given question. Generally, the best
place to start is either by reading the IRSC [College Catalog]
or by calling the IRSC [Information Center].
The text below in boldface should help to quickly identify the topic of each
question.
Normally, yes - if there is space in the classroom and appropriate resources are available.
Students (including online students) are typically welcome to attend an alternative meeting of
Professor Gibson's classes. Students considering this should check the schedule in the posted
syllabus for the alternate class meeting to verify that the other class is covering the same
material and not having an exam or some other exclusive activity.
Look under the Where can I find section below to learn how to find a
syllabus.
The IRSC [College Catalog]
states that "Regular class attendance is required at IRSC.
Students are expected to adhere to the policies set by each instructor.
Students who receive financial aid or V.A. benefits
should refer to the Financial Aid section of this catalog for further information on
attendance." Your course syllabus might include additional requirements.
If you have not printed and retained a copy of the syllabus for your records, you should do so.
Look under the Where can I find section below to learn how to find a
syllabus.
Read the course syllabus. If you have not printed and retained a copy of this for your
records, you should do so. Look under the Where can I find section
below to learn how to find a syllabus.
Read the syllabus for your course. If you have not printed and retained a copy of this for
your records, you should do so. Look under the Where can I find section
below to learn how to find a syllabus.
In all cases, you should contact your instructor as soon as
possible for instructions.
If you are instructed to go to an [IRSC
Assessment Center] to resolve the issue, be sure to take a picture ID with you and check
their hours to be sure that you allow enough time to perform the task.
If you are passing the course without the undone work, then you might qualify for an
"Incomplete (I)" grade. If not, then you will be assigned a failing grade.
In the case of a failing grade, you might qualify for the college "Grade Forgiveness Policy"
(see the IRSC Catalog).
In all cases, you should contact your instructor as soon as
possible for instructions.
A distinction exists between withdrawal from an individual course as opposed to
withdrawing from school. Students may withdraw from school (meaning to drop all
courses for a given semester up until the week before final exams. Students may withdraw
from individual courses only up until the deadline listed in the [Course Schedule]
for a given semester. In any event, a student should first speak with his or her instructor
before withdrawing to discuss alternatives that might exist. Students who receive financial
aid or benefits that might be effected by withdrawal also should consult with the governing
agency prior to taking any action. If withdrawal is desired, the student must submit
the proper form(s) to any IRSC Educational Services office on any campus. In some cases,
withdrawals can be initiated on the college web site, but these will not be official until
the appropriate signed document is received by the college. Do not expect your
instructor to withdraw you from a course. Although an instructor may have that right,
it is the student's responsibility!
A student may request an Incomplete (I) grade only if the following conditions exist:
The student is passing the course at the time of the request
The instructor believes that the student's excuse for the incomplete work is valid
The instructor believes that the student can reasonably complete the course within one year
When a student is assigned an incomplete ("I") grade, it is his or her responsibility to
make whatever arrangements are required by the instructor to satisfy the course requirements.
The student does not register again, nor pay for the course again. Essentially, the instructor
defines the work that must be completed to satisfy the course requirements. If the student
completes the work to the instructor's satisfaction, then the original grade is officially
changed to whatever grade the student earned with the completed work. IF THE STUDENT DOES
NOT COMPLETE THE WORK WITHIN ONE CALENDAR YEAR, THE "I" GRADE REVERTS TO AN "F"!
The assignment of an "I" grade might impact a student's ability to receive financial aid.
Students are advised to consult with a financial aid counselor before requesting an "I".
No (and No). Many courses are offered online to accomodate the diverse schedules and
lifestyles of our students. However, some courses are not suitable for online delivery.
Our department strives to make online courses equivalent in quality and difficulty to
face-to-face classes. And yet, distance learning is not for everyone. It requires a very
disciplined and self-motivated student. A list of classes offered online each semester
can be found through the [IRSC Catalog and Schedule Page].
First, speak with your instructor. Your conflict might be the result of a misunderstanding.
If you want to speak with someone of superior rank, the people to contact (in order) should be:
Associate Dean of Advanced Technology at 772-462-7575 or
by email.
V.P. of Applied Science & Technology at 772-462-7235 or
by email.
It will be helpful to assemble any written documenation related to the issue.
If you are having schedule difficulties, you should arrange a meeting with the instructor
who is teaching the desired course to discuss the situation. It is possible that an alternative
such as an online class or a contract for Directed Independent Study exists. Our goal is for
students to succeed. In situtations where students are hampered by circumstances beyond their
control, our department will try to find appropriate alternative courses to substitute for
required courses that are not available. Requests for course substitution should be made to the
Chairman of the Computer Science Department in writing or
by email.
Typically, when inexpensive items are found in a classroom, they are left on the
front table for a few days to allow students to find them. Each campus maintains an
official Lost and Found area where items are sent ultimately. On Main Campus,
it is located in the office of the Dean of Students. On the other campuses, it is
located at the front office. Students in the V-Building should also check with the
Lab Assistant in the Computer Lab in V-125, as lost items are often left with them.
Personal items such as memory sticks and books should always be labeled by their owners
to assist in recovery.
Try the backup web site at
If that does not work, try other web sites to be sure that your Internet access works.
If the problem appears to be with your instructor's site, please
notify him by email or phone.
That type of problem can have a few different causes. The most typical ones (and the actions to handle them) are:
CAUSE: A pop-up blocker is preventing necessary data from reaching your screen while using .
ACTION: the simplest solution to this is to disable any pop-up blocker BEFORE logging into . To do this in MS-Internet Explorer:
Click on the Tools button in the browser window.
Select Pop-up Blocker from the drop-menu.
Select Turn off Pop-up Blocker if it appears. If not, it is already off - so press the Esc key twice.
Beware that you might have third party pop-up blockers enabled, such as the one that comes with the Google Toolbar. You will have to read the documentation for those products to learn how to disable them.
CAUSE: The browser cache (referred to in Microsoft products as the "Temporary Internet Files") contain out-of-date files that are interferring with your browser.
ACTION: Deleting the files in your Temporary Internet folder prior to login into . To do this in MS-Internet Explorer:
Click on the Tools button in the browser window.
Select Internet Options.
On the General Tab dialog box, Under the Browsing history area, click on the Delete button.
Then click on Delete All and close the dialog box.
CAUSE: The wrong version of Java (software) is installed on your computer.
ACTION: Run the Browser Check from the Login Screen by pressing the Check Now button, and then follow the directions in the event it detects a Java error.
Note that these actions must be done before logging into , NOT while logged in.
Normally, these actions will solve the problem. If not, contact the IRSC eLearners' Support Staff as explained on their Web page at .
Check the schedule of the syllabus for your course to see what you missed and what is
approaching. If you have not printed and retained a copy of this for your records, you
should do so. Look under the Where can I find section below to learn
how to find a syllabus. In most cases, you should contact your
instructor as soon as possible for instructions. Do not simply wait for the next class
and risk falling behind.
Understand that in today's complex high-tech world, systems sometimes breakdown.
Messages can get misdirected, erased or simply lost. If you do not receive acknowledgement
of an attempted communique within a reasonable period of time, try contacting your
instructor by an alternative method. Do not expect a reply to email messages
sent late Friday afternoon until sometime Monday morning. Do not expect responses
to telephone messages left at your instructor's home until sometime the following day.
Teachers have a life too. The most reliable way to contact Professor Gibson is to:
First check to be sure that your class is really supposed to meet that day and has not
been cancelled for some reason. Look on the classroom door and boards to see if a note has
been left. On the Main Campus, check with the office of the Dean of the Associate Dean of
Advanced Technology at phone extension 7575. On other campuses, check at the front office.
If you cannot find your instructor,
send an email to
indicate your presence and ask for instructions, then make the best of the situation.
If you can study independently, do so. Otherwise leave.
Look for a web page under your course listing on the instructor's web site at
http://www.gibson.vero-beach.fl.us/classes/
or the backup web site at
http://home.earthlink.net/~irsc.edu/classes/.
On there, you should find a link to the web site of the publisher of your textbook containing
lisks to any student data files used in the course. If you are on an IRSC campus,
try looking in a disk folder named after your course's number on the campus network
[Drive P:]. This disk is accessible only from
computers in IRSC computer classrooms or labs. Student data files must be copied to another
disk and cannot be used directly on this network disk. A single diskette might not be large
enough to hold all of the files needed. You might need to create a temporary folder on
Drive C: to work with and later copy individual files you want to save onto a diskette.
Student data files often are stored with a read only attribute which must be
removed before the file can be edited or erased. To remove this attribute, right click on
the filename in the folder, select Properties, then uncheck the box
labeled Read only and click on the OK button.
Microsoft provides a free add-on called a "Compatibility Pack" that can enable Office 2000, Office XP (2002), or Office 2003 to open, edit, and save files using the file formats new to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007. It will not upgrade those earier versions to function any differently other than adding the ability to open from and save to Office 2007 data formats. The web address of the free download page is: