To: Students enrolled in the Psychology Online course (Introductory or Developmental)

From: Dr. Sonia Ochroch

Psychology is a very interesting area of study. I have taught psychology at CCP for many years and have enjoyed it immensely. During the past few years, I have developed and taught all my psychology courses online. If this is the first time that you are taking a course online, please familiarize yourself with all aspects of this exciting way of learning. If anything is unclear or doesn't work correctly, please do not hesitate to contact me. Use WebStudy® Mail exclusively. If you have some unusual reason why you cannot use WebStudy® mail, then you may e-mail me at sochroch@ccp.edu. DO NOT PHONE. I AM NOT ON CAMPUS AND YOUR MESSAGES WILL GO UNANSWERED. CONTACT IS BY WEBSTUDY MAIL ONLY REGARDING COURSE MATTERS or by regular email for "emergencies" when you are unable to login to WebStudy to use WebStudy mail.

You may not be able to access WebStudy® prior to the date that the online courses officially begin. (See Distance Education Web site Calendar http://www.ccp.edu/site/de/important_dates.php for official dates.) However you can also go to my website at: http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/sochroch/ where you will find the syllabus, including the book we will be using for this course. The book can be purchased in the College Bookstore or online.

If your login does not work by the first day of class, send an e-mail with the course number (CRN), your name and J-number to Ms. Vaishali Sharma coordinator for student support at vsharma@ccp.edu. The Director of Distance Education is Peter Margolis. You would normally not ever contact him, but if you need to, his email is pmargolis@ccp.edu.

Help with WebStudy is available from WebStudy. Just click the Help button at the bottom of the WebStudy screen and look for the answer in the help files, or send an email or call WebStudy for phone help with the program. WebStudy has nothing to do with course matters -- only the operation of the program. You contact me about anything course related, such as missing an assignment deadline, or can't get into a quiz because it expired.

Just a few words about achieving success in this course. It is very important to commit to a specific time block for this course. Set aside a minimum of nine to fourteen hours per week for reading, writing, and being online. Log in at least three times per week (four times is recommended) to see if any new assignments have been added or changed, or if there are new posts in the "chit chat forum" to respond to. Your online participation is your "attendance" which will be considered. In addition to specific forum assignments, you can use the "chit chat forum" to share your thoughts and ideas with the entire class. That part seems to be a favorite with students who have taken courses online. Do check to make certain that when you complete your Writing Assignments or Forum Assignments that you scroll down and click on Post It. You should complete each assignment within the week it appears in the timeline in order to receive full credit. I will grade the assignments the week following the week they are due.

Many of you have contacted me to inquire whether there is a way you can get started before the course officially begins. I recommend that you buy the textbook now, and familiarize yourself with the organization and content of the course. You can purchase the text from the CCP bookstore or from Amazon.com. You can download the syllabus and begin reading the text right away. (See Distance Education website for starting dates).

I am excited about teaching this course. I think it will be a great learning experience for all and should be a lot of fun. Look forward to meeting you online!