ITC-2000 Syllabus

Presents an in-depth exposure to computer hardware and operating systems. Students learn the functionality of hardware and software components as well as suggested best practices in maintenance and safety issues. Students learn how to assemble and configure a computer, install operating systems and software, and troubleshoot hardware and software problems. This course helps students prepare for CompTIA’s A+ certification exam, which covers the knowledge and skills essential for becoming a successful computer technician.

If assignments are turned in late 10% will be deducted for each day or partial day the assignment is late. If you are turning in an assignment late you must contact the instructor for information before the due date. Failure to do so may result in additional penalties. The grading of late assignments is given a lower priority and may take longer so students are encouraged to plan ahead and turn in assignments on time. Penalty-free deadline extensions will not be given without written documentation from a licensed medical practitioner or other extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the instructor.

If you miss or do poorly on a regular unit/module/chapter exam (not a final exam or skills final exam) you may petition the instructor to retake the exam once. You will need to write a 400-500 word summary of the unit/module/chapter which is covered by the exam. This summary must be written by you personally, the use of any automatic summarization tools or summaries by others will be considered cheating on the exam and is subject to the academic integrity policies covered elsewhere. Your summary must also be written to the satisfaction of the instructor. Retakes or make-ups must be completed by the date specified by the instructor. There is generally no additional late penalty for an exam retake other than needing to write and submit the summary.

Grades for each course is calculated based on a weighted points system. Each assignment, quiz or test is assigned to one of the weighted categories below and is graded on a points system. Your percentage is calculated for each category by dividing the points earned in that category by the points available. Finally, your percentage earned in each category is multiplied by the weight of that category and these are added together. The instructor may round up based on student participation and individual improvement.

Detailed information about assignments and which category they are included in is on the "Assignments" page of the course website.

Mid-Term grades are not officially distributed but assignment scores are made available in the online grade book as assignments are graded and you may calculate your current course grade at any time using the above instructions and weighting. It is strongly suggested that if you want to know where you stand in the class you re-create your own copy of the gradebook with appropriate weights in a spreadsheet program such as OpenOffice Calc, Microsoft Excel, or Google Sheets where you can estimate scores you will likely get on future assignments and run other "what-if" scenarios.

Students should not rely on extra credit to boost their grade and should instead complete each assignment to the best of their ability. However, from time to time extra credit opportunities may arise at which time they will be announced in class, by email and/or through the course website. Unless otherwise noted extra credit will be added to the Lab/Homework Assignments category.

It is unacceptable to look for or find copies of exams, exam questions, or scenarios online and use them to complete your exam. Answering a question or scenario incorrectly based on the exam you are taking but in a way that was indicated as correct on a version of the exam which was found online will be seen as evidence of intentional cheating. You will receive a penalty and it will be reported as indicated in the course and campus policies section below.

In plain English…​ I know some copies of exams for this course circulate online. I look at these and may modify the exam you are given so that a different answer is correct for what looks to be a similar question. You may call these "trick questions" but in this case they are only a trick question if you have seen a stolen copy of an old exam. If you answer one or more of these as shown on the stolen exam this will be evidence of cheating and you will be punished according to cheating policies. Do not cheat, do not look for or use stolen exams.

See the course and campus policies section below for additional information on cheating policies.

In the case of Packet Tracer activities this means you must start with the file provided by your instructor or as part of the curriculum and complete the activity yourself. You may of course ask others for help figuring something out but you must do the work yourself. Do not simply follow tutorials or videos from start to finish showing how to complete the activity as that will not allow you to learn the process and you will likely score poorly on lab exams. You may never ask anyone else to complete an activity for you or turn in an activity completed by someone else, this will be treated as cheating.

In the case of lab activities which are designed to use physical lab equipment you must work on physical lab equipment, no simulators are allowed. Unless specific permission is given by the instructor this means you must use the IHCC lab equipment on campus or the IHCC Netlab remote lab system. Any evidence that you have turned in a lab report for a lab which is designed to be completed on physical equipment without using physical equipment will be treated as cheating.

See the course and campus policies section below for additional information on cheating policies.

After the first class meeting formal attendance will not be taken; however, students are expected to arrive to class on time and participate in class. Students are expected to attend all sessions of each class in which they are enrolled. If attendance is a problem participation assignments may be given and included in the course grade. If an illness or emergency results in an absence, students should contact their instructors as soon as possible to determine if missed work can be completed. A student may receive a course grade of FN or NC after two consecutive weeks of unexcused absence at any time during the semester. Class attendance is defined as being physically present in the classroom. Online attendance is defined as having submitted an assignment, taken a quiz, or posted/made a course content-related comment on the discussion/chat board for the course in which the student is registered.

You will need daily access to a high-speed internet connection (DSL, cable modem, 4G, fiber, or equivalent) and a modern computer to successfully complete this course.

Academic integrity is one of the most important values in higher education. This principle requires that each student’s work represents his or her own personal efforts and that the student acknowledges the intellectual contributions of others. The foundation for this principle is student academic honesty. IHCC students are expected to honor the requirements of the College Academic Integrity Policy. The following are some examples of unacceptable academic practices that will be viewed as policy violations.

For the purposes of this policy artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT or automatic summarization systems are "another person". As such they are prohibted unless authorized in advance by your instructor.

It is unacceptable to submit the work of another person as your own. If you quote, summarize, paraphrase, or use the ideas of another, you must accurately attribute that information. If you do not acknowledge the source, you are plagiarizing. Academic dishonesty also includes unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; submitting the same assignment for multiple classes without instructor permission; taking an examination for another person and many other situations. If you are unsure whether you are plagiarizing or how to cite a source please ask an instructor or staff member for help prior to turning in the assignment.

In this course, the first offense of plagiarism and/or cheating will result in a score of zero on the assignment, quiz or test and reporting of the incident to college administration. Further plagiarism and/or cheating may result in immediate failure of the course and additional consequences determined by college administration.

If you have cheated in other ITC courses that will count as your first offense. In other words, if you have cheated in ITC courses before cheating in this course may result in immediately failing the course and additional consequences determined by college administration.

All instances of cheating will be reported to the college administration. In addition, plagiarism and cheating are covered by the Student Code of Conduct. Please see the Catalog or IHCC website for details.

Students must initiate requests for withdrawal from a course by filing the appropriate form with Enrollment Services. Students who stop attending classes without completing the withdrawal process may receive a grade of “F,” and are responsible for all tuition/fees associated with the course registration. The last day to withdraw from your course will be the date on which 80% of the course has elapsed. The last day to withdraw for each course can be viewed in E-Services by searching for the course at the following link: https://webproc.mnscu.edu/registration/search/basic.html?campusid=157. Click on the course title to view additional details about the course, including last day to withdraw.

There are limits as to the latest date you can withdraw from the course and still receive a refund as well as the last date to withdraw from the course at all. Please see the Add, Drop and Withdraw page on the IHCC website: https://inverhills.edu/Registration/AddDropWithdraw.aspx

Recognizing the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail Inver Hills Community College has designated e-mail as an official mode of communication. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. Therefore, students are asked to regularly check and utilize the email address they have registered with the college. If your email address has changed it is your responsibility to make sure the college has an up-to date email address where you can be contacted. You should check your email on a regular basis as course changes and communications may be sent by email.

A student may elect to take a course on a pass/fail (P/F) grading basis by contacting the instructor within the first 5 business days of the semester, or within 1 business day of the start date for a course beginning after the first week of the semester. If the instructor approves, they will submit approval to the Enrollment Center. Not all courses are approved for students to elect the P/F grading method and there may be limits to the total number of classes which can be taken pass/fail in your degree or certificate program. Contact your instructor for details about what level of achievement in the course will be required to receive a pass in the course.

Inver Hills values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to fostering mutual respect and full participation for all students. My goal is to create a learning environment that is equitable, inclusive and welcoming. If any aspects of instruction or course design result in barriers to your inclusion or learning, please notify me. The Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) provides reasonable accommodations and assistive technologies for students who encounter barriers in the learning environment. Services are available to students with a wide range of disabilities including, but not limited to, physical disabilities, medical conditions, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, depression, and anxiety. If you have already registered with OAR and have your Letter of Accommodation, please meet with me early in the course to discuss, plan, and implement your accommodations in the course. For additional information, please contact OAR located within the Learning Center (L207), 651-450-3884, accessibilityresources@inverhills.edu or https://www.inverhills.edu/LearningSupport/AccessibilityResources/index.aspx

In accordance with federal and state laws, Inver Hills Community College is committed to a policy of free expression and respect for the diversity of beliefs, including religious observances, among our academic community. It is the policy of the college to provide reasonable accommodations for students when religious beliefs and/or observances conflict with classroom activities or course requirements.

It is the responsibility of students to notify instructors of the need for accommodation at the beginning of the course or as soon as a situation arises. If a mutually agreed accommodation is not made, a student may initiate a complaint. The procedure for filing a complaint is described in the Catalog and on the Inver Hills website. The complaint must be filed within 15 days of a denied accommodation request.