Welcome to CAOA 128: Office Technology and Telecommunications

Dear Student,

Welcome to distance education at Cuesta College and the hybrid-online version of Office Technology and Telecommunications.  My name is Amity Perry and I will be your instructor for this course.  This letter is to inform you of some of the important details prior to the start of this Fall 2010 class.

Class Requirements

You will need to have access to an e-mail account and the World Wide Web.  You will also need to purchase your textbooks prior to the first day of class.  The textbooks are available in the college bookstore http://bookstore.cuesta.edu/ and are required.  I have listed the textbook details below. 

Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8th Edition

ISBN: 0-13-506389-2

Authors: Sharon Burton and Nelda Shelton

Publisher: Prentice Hall

 

Communicating in the Workplace

ISBN: 0-9660869-2-9

Authors: Dan Farley and Cindy Donaldson

Publisher: Work Skills Associates

 

It is essential that you understand the basic concepts of email, web navigation and online communication to succeed in this course.  Please visit Cuesta College’s Distance Education website at http://library.cuesta.edu/distance/index.htm for FAQs, online resources, and information on “how to survive an online course”.

Class Meetings

We will meet five Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 at the SLO Campus as follows:

·         8/19

·         9/16

·         10/14

·         11/18

·         12/16

The above class meetings are mandatory. 

Computer Requirements

The following are required for this class:

·         Web Browser: Microsoft Explorer 6.0 or higher.

·         Computer Specs: Intel Pentium III/500 MHz processor speed or better and a minimum of 512 MB of system RAM (memory) running Windows XP or better.  Speakers, Sound Card, Reliable DSL or Cable (not dial-up modem) Internet Connection.

·         Software: Microsoft Word 2003 or higher

Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Word (or the entire Office 2007 Professional Suite) may be purchased at a discount through www.ultimatesteal.com, www.journeyed.com, or http://collegesoftware.org/.

Accessing Blackboard

Your first assignment is to log into the class at Blackboard http://blackboard.cuesta.edu sometime during the first week of the semester, before the first class on Thursday, August 19. 

·         Your login ID is the same as your my.Cuesta login.  It is: firstname_lastname (all lowercase). 

·         Your initial password, which you will have to change the first time you login, is STUDENT (all uppercase).

·         Remember to change your password and do not forget your new password.

You will NOT be able to access the Blackboard for this class until the first day of the Semester, August 16, 2010, a few days before our first class meeting.  Once you locate the site, please bookmark it or add it to your favorites for future reference.

Please confirm that the information you provided to Cuesta College when you registered is current, especially your phone number, address and an up-to-date email address.  If Cuesta College does not have your current email address, you will not receive any of the emails sent out regarding CAOA 128.

School Policy:  Each student is required to follow all school guidelines and comply with all school deadlines including personal responsibility for adding and/or dropping this class. Each student is responsible for obtaining updates or changes to the syllabus and/or assignments for the course.

If you have any further questions prior to the first day of class, please feel free to email me at amity_perryboada@cuesta.edu.  Otherwise, I look forward to meeting you on August 19, 2010 at 4:30, Room 4111 (SLO).

Thank you,

Amity Perry