Dear Registrant:

As you are officially registered for an online course, I'm writing to welcome you to my online course offered at Suffolk and to request that you fill out the Course Questionnaire located at http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/oconnog/questionnaire.html as soon as possible but not later than the first week of class. Failure to submit this to me by then may mean your removal from the course.

You must register for this course (even though your are registered through Suffolk Community College) through the Suny Learning Network. Go to this site by typing this URL into your browser window http://www.sln.suny.edu.. If you do not register with the Suny Learning Network by the first week of class, it will be assumed that you are no longer interested in the course and your name will be removed from the roster.

My online courses traditionally have a high drop out rate. To prepare you for the course I have prepared a web site with observations from former students. http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/oconnog/reviews.html Those who stay will say that they learned much and had fun but that it wasn't easy. You have to be an independent learner, willing to resolve problems on your own, and have the ability and perseverance to complete assignments without being reminded. Computer literacy is more than simply owning a computer. Familiarity with the technology ( E-mail, FTP, Telnet, Web browsers, etc.) goes a long way toward sustaining a good comfort level with the course.

Additionally, you might want to visit the college web page on Distance Education at:
http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/Web/VirtualCampus/. This site will provide valuable information about Distance Education at Suffolk.

Look over the entire course to make sure you are aware of all the issues related to online learning and that you are prepared for this experience. While the course is not finalized at this point, it will be by the first day of class. If you have any questions please E-mail me and I'll do the best I can to answer them. All registered students must activate a Suffolk E-mail address prior to the September 6th. All course work will be posted on a web page of your creating and housed on the college server.

As a registered student you already have an E-mail account. If you have not used it before and wish to use it for this course, you must activate it. Go to http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/Users for directions and access. You may however, use your person e-mail if you promise to always sign your e-mails

As soon as I get all the E-mail addresses I'll be assembling the class listserv. This will enable us to communicate asynchronously.

If you are not already comfortable and familiar with the Internet, you will need to allow yourself extra time for each assignment to become so. Normally, a three-credit class requires two hours of work for every hour of class during a 15-week semester. If you are new to E-mail, the World Wide Web, and other Internet technology, you should schedule even more time for the course. Further, you should plan on checking your E-mail and accessing class materials at least three times a week. This is a minimum and you will be better off if you check your e-mail and work on the class at least five or six days a week. If you do not have Internet access in your home, you will need to make at least three trips a week to the computer you intend to use for this course. The more active you are in the class, the greater your likelihood of success.

You might also want to look at the FAQ page I have put together for this course:
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/oconnog/story/faq.html
It should answer many of your questions, but if not feel free to fire away.

I'm really looking forward to working with you and hope that you will get as much out of the course(s) as I have in putting it together.

On the other hand, if you are interested in dropping the course, for any reason, please do so as soon as possible as I am being pressed by other students wishing to get in.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Regards,



Gerry O’Connor
E-mail: oconnog@sunysuffolk.edu
Personal web page: http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/oconnog
English Department web page: http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/Web/Selden/English