Rules

Netiquette:  Refers to "Network Etiquette."   As you engage in online communications, including but not limited to emails, forum discussions and chat sessions at the college, it is essential that you communicate effectively with faculty, staff, and other students.

When interacting online it is easy to lose perspective that we are in-fact communicating with other human beings.  In order to best minimize and hopefully avoid any miscommunications, and to best ensure that your communications within the college environment are both productive and successful, please be mindful of the following tips:

General Computer and Network Usage:

Please consider the privacy of others and only conduct online communications from your own user account.  Also, do not allow anyone to use your password or share your account.  Accessing another student’s account or allowing another student to access yours is not only poor Netiquette, but is also a violation of the SCC Computer and Network Use Agreement.

• Always be mindful of the personal information that you provide in your communications, remember our help desk will never ask for your password.  Additionally, as a personal policy, you should never send your password, full Social Security Number, bank or credit card information via email.

• Do not engage in language that incites, is intolerant, or is hateful.  Purposely attacking someone for his or her point of view and engaging in hateful and/or confrontational language or rhetoric, also known as “flaming” or “trolling”, will not be tolerated within the college’s online communications and is a violation of the college’s Computer and Network Use Agreement and or the Student Code of Conduct.

• As per the college’s Computer and Network Use Agreement, online communications sent across the college are not 100% private, and the privilege of this communication is limited.

• The Assistant Dean of Students, the Director of Security, and/or a member of Counseling & Special Services will be the initial contact when inappropriate communications are noted.  The instances when notification can occur include anytime there is admission of a crime, language of a disturbing or potentially dangerous nature, communications that make others uncomfortable, or when language could be considered threatening to yourself, your instructor, or other students.

Campus Communications:                            

• Common courtesy and good manners, along with proper use of grammar, sentence structure, and correct spelling, are all expectations when communicating with faculty, staff and students.

• Be sure to refer to your recipient by the name or title they prefer to go by.  It is considerate to pay attention to the way people sign their emails so that you can refer to them by the name, nickname, or title they prefer.

• To increase the chance of your emails being read, as well as showing respect for your recipient’s time, be clear and concise in both the subject line as well as the body of your email.

• Before clicking send, consider the tone of your message.  The use of ALL CAPS can indicate that you are angry or SHOUTING.   Emoticons [:)] can often be used to ensure the tone of your message is accurately received.

• Conversely, be patient and forgiving of others when you receive online communications, as the tone and meaning can often be misinterpreted.

Class Assignments, Forums and E-mails:

• If you quote from a source, be sure to use quotation marks and provide the original author's name and the work from which the quotation is taken. When paraphrasing, use your own understanding of the work and give credit to the original author by citing name and source of the idea.  You should also be sure to check your course syllabus about the proper guidelines to follow for correctly citing your work. It is not acceptable for you to present the work or ideas of others as your own.

• Within your courses, be sure that you understand the intent and purpose of academic discussions in order to avoid using language of an intolerant, violent or inappropriate nature.  Also, as a student of SCC, you are under no duress to provide information of a personal or confidential nature (such as gender, religious preference, sexual orientation, etc.) within the setting of a course.  If you are unclear of the boundaries of a particular assignment, refer to the supporting documents such as a grading rubric, or contact your instructor for clarification before posting.

• Consider your audience when posting to discussion boards, sending emails, or participating in a chat room discussion. You should communicate as if you were sitting in a traditional classroom. Remember: The online classroom is a more formal environment than public forums, texting or social media you may be accustomed to using.

• Always read over what you are going to post or send at least once, just as you would proofread a paper you submit.  Remember, once you submit your work, discussion, or email, you cannot retract or change what you have written, and in some cases, your participation may be recorded.

• When posting to discussion forums, make sure you clarify to which post you are responding.  If your response is longer than three or four lines, break it up into paragraphs to make it easier to read.  Also, remember to check-in often. It is easy to fall behind and miss important posts by both instructors and students.

• Within your online classes, you have an email account through Moodle. You are generally encouraged to contact your instructor through the use of their Moodle email account in the course.  Your instructor will specify his or her expectations in their syllabus, but students are generally expected to regularly check email and respond to messages within 24-48 hours.  Within your Moodle email, you may set your preferences to receive notification of Moodle email messages to an external account.

• Check your course email often--this is usually the most popular method for the instructor to communicate with you.

• Again, address your instructors and classmates according to their preferences. Take a cue from the syllabus or communications from others. If you are unsure how to address an individual, err on the side of caution and address individuals formally until otherwise prompted (i.e. Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Dr. Smith).