Facilitator Information

Jim Foote
[email protected] (University of Phoenix)
[email protected] (Personal)
661-621-3734 (PDT)

Facilitator Availability
Monday thru Friday I am typically available from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time most days. During those times, I usually check my e-mail daily. On Saturdays, I
tend to be online only occasionally during the day, and I typically try to reserve Sunday for my family. If these times are not convenient for you, please let me know
and I will try to accommodate your schedule if possible. I provide you with these times to make it easier to communicate with me, and not to limit our contact. Please
do not use my private email address unless the UOPX e-mail servers are down as I don’t check it every day. Send me a private note through the classroom for all
personal conversation, and please call only after you have used that avenue first as I travel a lot and don’t always check personal voice messages when I’m on the
road. You may leave a message, but I will only return a call if I cannot otherwise respond to your question in your IF. I want you to know that, should you need to
contact me outside the above time frames, please do so.
For emergencies, when you are not able to gain access to messages in the New Classroom (NC), please send a message to my personal email address. In the event a third
party needs to contact me, please direct them to my contact information listed under “facilitator information.” No third party should use your login credentials to
gain access to the classroom, and that includes spouses and family.
Late Assignments
See the UOPX Policy Link for additional information on the Attendance Policy, UOPX Student Tech Support, Expectations, and other guidelines established by UOPX.
Late assignments receive a 10% deduction for each day they are late if assignments are not posted by 11:59 p.m. M.S.T. on the day they are due. Assignments more than 4
days late will not be accepted. Technological issues are not considered valid grounds for late assignment submission, and a ticket number from technical support is not
an automatic excuse. In the event of a University of Phoenix server outage, students should submit assignments to the instructor and when systems are restored, submit
those assignments according to syllabus instructions. Unless an Incomplete Grade has been granted, learner assignments submitted after the last day of class will not
be accepted.
For those students who read my Instructor Policies I offer a 1-1-1 Grace Period. One time during the course I will allow One paper to be One day late with no penalty.
The only requirement is the student send me a personal note, before the paper is due, requesting the 1-1-1 Grace Period. No excuses necessary. This is offered only
once per student for the class, is designed for that “emergency”, and only applies to Individual Written Assignments upon prior request. Once it is requested it is
used, even if the paper ends up being submitted on time. It is not an insurance policy; it’s more like a get-out-of-jail free card, so wait till you’re sure you need
it before requesting. It does not apply to Team Assignments, to anything due in the last week of the class, or if requested after the assignment due date. Additional
days late will carry the standard penalty, 2 days = 20%, 3 days = 30%, 4 days = 40%. I do not announce this policy in class sessions, so this is the only place
students will see it.
In case of duplications of assignment posting, including Learning Team assignments, I will accept the last one posted as “final” unless otherwise informed by the
individual or team members. If you do repost an assignment, change the file name so it clearly differs from the original. If any assignment is resubmitted for any
reason after the due date it will be considered late, and if it is posted after the end date of the class it will not be accepted.
Disclaimer: This late policy does not apply to the Minute Paper due in Week 1, or to the individual peer review. As a caution, after you have posted each assignment to
your Assignment Section, go back and ensure it is there. If you cannot see it, I cannot either and it will be considered late when finally posted.
Learning Teams
University of Phoenix students are expected to work effectively in diverse groups and teams to achieve tasks. They must collaborate and function well in team settings
as both leaders and followers. They should respect human diversity and behave in a tolerant manner toward colleagues and peers.
This class has a heavy Learning Team participation agenda, 30% of your overall grade is Team-based, and other than Week 1 there is Team activity all weeks. Team
assignments in this class will be completed in Learning Teams of three to six students, and each member will be graded on their participation in the overall team
effort. Collaboration counts.
Learning Team Assignments: I will assign students to a learning team based on the order that each student responds and checks into in the Main Classroom the first
week. Please see your Individual Forum (IF) for your assigned teams by the end of the first week. Please be advised that, while it is rare, I may reassign team members
during the course if a team membership falls below the minimum.
If you experience difficulties working with your team, you are expected to resolve them within the team if possible. However, please feel free to contact me for
guidance if you have concerns in this area. Because Learning Team projects are outcome-based, all members of your Learning Team will generally earn the same grade for
Learning Team projects; however, I reserve the right to report different grades for different Learning Team members if I see a substantial imbalance in individual
contribution. I recommend all team members review the Team video’s available in the Learning Team Tool Kit located on the Library page.
It is expected that you will actively participate with your learning team and contribute to the team discussions by, a) contributing original work that is accepted and
used by the team with proof of originality, b) participating in the project from assignment organizing through meaningful final review of the team project for
submission, and c) ensuring to your team that your contributions are your original work and properly quoted, cited, and referenced.
Note: It is not acceptable for a LT member to write only the introductory paragraph and/or the conclusion to a LT paper. One possible exception to this is if the team
chooses to permit the Team Lead for that week to complete those tasks along with their other duties. Otherwise all LT members must demonstrate viable research and
quality work relative to the integral portions (the “meat”) of any LT assignment. I expect the final submission of all team written assignments to be a seamless,
cohesive, cogent, and comprehensive document that is error-free (including citations and references). Please be advised that, unless otherwise noted, no paper in this
course can earn an “A” if it is not APA compliant – and that includes formatting as well as citations and references. There is a Sample APA paper in the Library, as
well as a template on our home page that is worthy of review.
A Learning Team Charter is due Day 3 of Week 2 and I will include some Highly Recommended Guidelines for your team to consider in my Announcements. Learning Teams
should provide a brief summary of any communication held outside the forum. Therefore, if you hold conference calls, work in a real-time chat room, or get together
outside the New Classroom (NC) environment in another way, please post a log, transcript, or summary in the appropriate Learning Team forum. Further, do not use any of
these supplementary communication tools unless everyone on your Team agrees to the method and to the schedule. If you have questions, contact me. Any team member that
fails to agree to the final team charter may not participate in team activities until they do so and the charter is reposted, if necessary.
This class does use the Learning Team Peer Evaluation process. Evaluations are expected for the team assignment in Week 5 and must be on the Peer Evaluation Form. If
you choose to do your final week team evaluation as a word document or an e-mail, points will deducted. I do not expect a team evaluation on other team works Please
see the instructions in the weekly sections of the Syllabus for more information. I do consider team evaluations in grading and while I do not interact with a team, I
do monitor team activity. So please refrain from posting notes to me in the Team Forum, send me a private note instead. The assignment late policy does not apply to
Learning Team Evaluation posting; they are due as noted in the syllabus and have no point value if posted late. Evaluation forms are available in the Library under
“Learning Team Toolkit”.
Grading Scale

Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F
Percentage 95+ 90-94 87-89 84-86 80-83 77-79 74-76 70-73 67-69 64-66 60-63 <60

Participation Grading _______________________

GUIDELINES: Participation is very important online. You will be expected to participate on a minimum of 3 days during the active week in several different discussions,
and to contribute at least EIGHT substantive discussion messages each week. This is a required part of your grade, and both the number of days and number of posts to
the minimum level are included in the weekly calculation. Responses must be posted within the timeframe of the Schools Time zone, “draft” or “saved” posts will not be
considered a part of participation and must be final posted to receive credit.

Participation consists of notes you send in response to both my Discussion Starter Questions and your peers and apply to the active week’s Learning Activities Only,
unless otherwise noted. This generally means the substantive messages you send as replies to messages from your classmates and me in any of the required discussion
areas is potentially eligible for meeting participation requirements.

I realize that often there is some short dialogue that accompanies any threaded discussion and often it’s agreeing or commenting about what has already been said.
Those are typically short two or three sentence comments, and while they are a natural part of the online learning modality, they will not count as substantive posts.
Participation consists of substantive posts you send to the initial DQ or in response to others. Questions or responses posted outside the Learning Activities do not
count as participation.

Green S = Substantive; all substantive participation are marked with this icon. If you see an S next to your message, you will know the facilitator deemed your post as
substantive. Participation posts that add relevant ideas or analysis to the discussion and help move the conversation forward will earn this mark. Only you can see the
marks next to your posts. You will not see the marks next to other participants’ posts. All applicable messages will be marked by the facilitator within a 24-48 hour
period.

Purple U = Un-substantive; all un-substantive posts are marked with this icon. This mark is used if he message brief or social in nature. Also a message that is
primarily “I agree” or “Good job,” the U may apply. This marker is not designed to discourage students from sending short, supportive messages to their peers. The U
merely makes the distinction between substantive or un-substantive participation posts.

So what is a Substantive Post?
For any post to be considered “Substantive,” it should do a mixture of the following:
…add value to the discussion and avoid simply repeating, agreeing with, or answering yes or no to other posts. It is a good idea to reference the literature to support
what you say in order to enhance the value of everyone’s learning as well as the value of your post.
…challenge people – – anyone in class, including yourself, by asking and then answering, key questions relevant to the topic of your substantive post.
…answer other people’s questions by including information from the literature to support what you’re saying.
…exemplify the point with real-life events whenever possible. Coupling your experience with outside references (to support what you’re saying) is recommended for posts
you desire to be counted as “Substantive.”
…be relevant to the course content and objectives (always).
…include peer-reviewed reference/s if necessary to support your statements.
…don’t succumb to the idea that lots of verbiage will count as substantive. You could post two pages of cut & paste with full documentation, but if it does not relate
or add value to the topic it won’t count.
Do keep your thread comments in the active week as there is enough reading without going back to past weeks discussion threads. If you feel compelled to respond to a
past weeks thread, please do so but it will not be counted in the current weeks’ participation as past-weeks grading will have been closed.
Discussion Starter Questions _________________________________________
Discussion Starter Question responses are counted as part of the class participation requirement. Generally a clear and well thought-out initial DQ response will
typically be around 200 ~ 300 words, and are expected to be thorough, thoughtful, and demonstrate your understanding of the question objectives. The number of words
expected is not a lot but they need to reflect your thoughts rather than cut & paste from the readings. Always cite references, and whenever possible please try to
relate the course content to real-world applications from your life or work experience.
Starter questions are based on the readings from the weeks topics so DO complete the weekly readings before responding to them. Make sure your responses fully address
all parts of the question(s). DQ responses that are primarily cut & paste or otherwise un-substantive will be marked “U”. Remember to respond to all parts of the
question, there is no “partial credit”, it’s all or nothing.
Final Week Requirements
The final week is dedicated to completing the final Team and Individual assignments. This does not mean however that participation is not required and scored; it is,
and the school tracks participation so continue to respond to the discussion questions as in other weeks. As with other weeks a minimum of 8 substantial postings over
3 days minimum is required for full participation.
Written Assignment Expectations

You will notice that other than the Minute Paper in Week 1 and the LT peer evaluation, ALL Individual Written Assignments in this class are due on Day 6 of the week,
which is SUNDAY. Team assignments are due on Day 7, which is Monday. Also, worthwhile to note is that I grade from the specifics in the assignments, so pay attention
to detail.

Collegiate papers and memos in this class should always be Microsoft word-processed, double-spaced, and written according to UOPX-approved format. Do not plagiarize
the texts or any other material. Material that is not in your own words must be clearly attributed; if it comes from a written or oral source, you must cite the source
in the body of your text or use an endnote or footnote, which includes PowerPoint® assignments. I expect APA standards to be used, so if you have not refreshed on
those recently then I recommend you do so; the Library has an excellent Sample Paper to review. If you have questions regarding the use of references and citations
then I recommend using the schools generator designed for those; it will generate citations for you if you wish.
Plagiarism, I check every paper through the schools plagiarism checker, including Learning Team assignments. If you submit a paper that is ineligible for grading due
to any of the following, the grade assigned will be reflective of that, and the paper may not be resubmitted for full credit. Assignments falling into the categories
below may not be eligible for grading.
• NOTE: Having less than 80% original material written in your own words (i.e., it contains more than 20% quotes or quotes not properly cited.) Papers not
meeting this criterion may be graded zero, the student will be informed and there may be no re-submission. An AVT may be filed.
• Having previously been submitted for another class or course, or program, or job, or career etc. in full or part, by anyone including yourself. (Recycled
papers)
• More than four days late or after the class end date, unless special arrangements have been made.
• Not legible or readable for any reason, including “corrupted” text file or submitted in format other than a standard MS Word document or PowerPoint®.
• Any assignment file which MS Office cannot open, or which Office reports as having unreadable content is going to earn a grade of zero. Use caution in your
choice of formats.
• Wrong paper submitted, i.e., submitted the Week 2 assignment instead of Week 3, or a draft copy instead of the final version.
• Originality is required in all assignments; a Certificate of Originality is a part of each assignment
• To be graded, all written assignments must be posted to the proper assignments tab, if you have server problems refer to the Academic Policies note from the
first day of class.
• I do not require an Abstract to be submitted with any written work, so don’t use them. If you elect to use an Abstract it will not be included in the word
count for that assignment.
• Failure to submit any of the required elements for that assignment will result in a grade reduction:
• cover page in APA format with your name, date, course name, assignment title, instructor name. Team name if it is a team assignment.
• reference page with proper citations in APA format.
• assignment in APA format (for PowerPoint® submissions, use the style of APA)
Grading Criteria for Papers will be based on:

Written papers are the primary means of communication in accelerated courses (such as UOPX courses). Therefore my evaluation of the success of your learning is
entirely dependent upon your ability to express yourself through the written word. Mechanics, style, and clarity of expression are all important. Good papers are
carefully written and revised; they use the English language correctly. Proofread any paper before you submit it. Use a dictionary and/or spell/grammar checker. I
find that reading papers out loud can often highlight errors that reading silently misses. If I offer corrective feedback in written work, it is expected that feedback
will be implemented in future work. Continuing to present the same errors will result in additional grading penalty.

It is expected that all written work will be as thorough as possible. While you should not exceed the assigned word count on any given assignment, papers that only
minimally meet the objectives of the assignment will receive a low grade. You must demonstrate to me—through your written assignments—that you have learned and
understood the course material.

PLEASE NOTE: Unless otherwise noted in the syllabus, all papers in this course should be written as ‘term papers’ or ‘research papers.’ Your personal opinions and
observations of your workplace(s) are relevant; however, if you quote from sources these comments must be inserted into your ‘research/term’ paper versus being the
primary aspect of your paper. As with ‘research/term’ papers, you MUST include a minimum number of outside Peer-Reviewed references (appropriately cited within the
body of the text as well as appropriately cited in your reference listing at the end of each paper) for individual and learning team papers. Pay attention to the
number of outside (peer-reviewed) references required for each assignment. (see more on peer-reviewed below)

NOTE ON THIRD PERSON: Avoiding 1st person and 2nd person can be a challenge, but academic writing and business writing primarily focus on people and things which are
written about as if they are observed. That’s 3rd person. Keeping that in mind should help writers from straying into 1st person (I, me, my, mine, myself, we, us, our,
ours, ourselves), and 2nd person (you, you are, you’re, your, yours, yourself, yourselves). So don’t use any of those 1st and 2nd person words unless they’re in
quotations. Write your persuasive research paper in 3rd person.

ALL PAPERS SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN APA FORMAT. Assistance with APA can be easily found in the school’s Library. More detailed examples and information can be easily
accessed via the Library Tab on your UOPX Student Web Page. I recommend reviewing the Sample Paper in the school library. PowerPoint assignments should be completed in
the “style” of APA.

Certificate of Originality (CoO)
As you submit each weekly paper, you will be asked to “sign” a CoO prior to submitting the assignment. This is an automatic prompt that you will see when you submit an
assignment.

GRADING CRITERIA FOR PAPERS:
For most papers, UOPX provides a general rubric. This rubric pinpoints the various areas you are to develop content around on each paper. However, when you develop
content for an assignment ensure that you have reviewed each component (in the course syllabus) which you are to address in the assignment. In this class, grading is
as follows (which may be different than what you see on the general rubric):

(1) Content Development (heaviest weight): The degree to which you thorough develop your content and present your rationale; the degree to which you synthesize
your materials into a cohesive paper; the degree to which you address the nature of the assignment; etc. “Word count” refers to the “meat” of your paper. Your Title
Page and Reference Page(s) do not count toward the total word count required for each assignment. As already noted, Abstracts are not required in this course for any
paper. If you elect to include an abstract, the words in your abstract will not count toward the total word count required for the assignment.)

Ensure that:
• The structure of the paper is clear and easy to follow.
• The paper’s organization emphasizes the central theme or purpose and is directed toward developing the key subcomponents requested of the assignment.
• Ideas flow in a logical sequence.
• The introduction provides sufficient background on the topic and previews major points.
• Paragraph transitions are logical and reinforce the flow of thought throughout the paper.
• The conclusion reviews the major points, without adding additional information.
• The paper covered the topic(s) required in the assignment. (Even well written and well developed papers that do not cover the topic/s assigned will be graded
“0 in this category.”)

(2) Readability/Style: Professional tone/writing style; organization of your presentation; sentence structure; grammar; etc.

• Sentences are complete, clear, and concise.
• Sentences are well constructed, with consistently strong, varied structure.
• Sentence transitions reinforce the flow of thought.
• Words used are precise and unambiguous.
• The tone is appropriate to the content and assignment.
• Spelling is correct. Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed.
• The paper is laid out effectively and uses reader friendly aids (e.g., sections, summaries, table of contents, indices, and appendices), when appropriate.
• Features such as headings and italics aid in the readability of the paper and are not overused.
• Paper is written in third person (unless otherwise instructed).

(3) Mechanics: APA formatting for setting up your paper (margins, spacing, proper subheading format, etc.), proper citations in the body of your paper, proper
reference listing at the end of your paper, etc. (Guidelines and examples of APA can be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association,
Fifth Edition. This is the official APA reference for all UOPX classes.

Ensure that:
• The paper, including citations and the reference page, follows APA guidelines (A tutorial can be found on your student web page under “Center for Writing
Excellence,” then “Tutorials & Guides.”
• The paper utilizes citations and references appropriately.
• The appropriate number of peer-reviewed references are utilized for each paper.
• The paper is neat, with attention given to format requirements (1” margins, double-spacing only throughout your entire paper, etc.). Note: on talking points
attached to PowerPoint® slides, single space only; do not double-space oral talking points, and do not submit a separate sheet for the talking points, put them on the
slide in the space provided..
• The finer details of APA are appropriately included in citations (such as citations for paraphrasing vs. citations for direct quotes, cites with multiple
authors, etc.).
• The finer details of APA are appropriately demonstrated (such as punctuations, the order in which to include the information in a listing, how to include the
date, what’s capitalized and what’s not capitalized, what’s italicized and what’s not italicized, how to include volume and issue numbers, how to include page numbers,
how to list electronic references, etc.).
• Remember to us a common business-like font and color, double space all assignments and spell check. These are always expected as part of any academic
assignment.

The primary individual written assignments in this class are due on Sunday, Learning Team assignments are due on Monday; remember that waiting until the last moment to
post your assignment may incur transmission issues because of the large volume of web activity during those times.

PEER-REVIEWED REFERENCES: A peer reviewed article/journal/source is one that a scholarly reviewer in the subject area of the material has deemed meeting the
editorial standards of the journal, and our library is a good source for them. Peer-reviewed references are most often found in scholarly journal articles, popular
magazine articles, and trade publication articles. In this class your text book(s) are not considered a peer-reviewed article or journal. While I do expect to see the
text(s) used as sources they are not considered peer-reviewed. Our library is an excellent source for peer-reviewed sources. Your weekly papers require the inclusion
of a certain number of peer-reviewed references.

Also to clarify, governmental and company websites, online dictionaries, encyclopedias, any of the “pedia’s” etc., are NOT considered peer-reviewed references. While
you can certainly cite these latter sources in the body of your paper (and then include them in your reference listing), they will not count as ‘peer-reviewed’
references. See the Academic Policies for more detail on Peer-Reviewed references.