Students enrolled in English 120 Online will be using a website, a comprehensive Course Management System called Blackboard, that delivers online courses. The system contains not only lessons, or "lectures," but also communication tools like chat, electronic discussion forums, and student presentation features within the course to make the online environment more interactive.

Assignments will be posted on the class website and students will complete work by e-mailing the instructor by the posted deadline, by participating in live chats with the instructor and with classmates and by posting messages on the class discussion board. No campus visits are required.

English 120 is a demanding class. Students should be prepared to dedicate a minimum of 6 hours a week to the class. (Taking English 120 in the summer is even more demanding. Summer sessions offer accelerated courses. Students are expected to complete the course--a course which would normally take 18 weeks to finish during a regular semester--in about 6 weeks. This type of workload generally requires that summer students dedicate approximately 15 to 18 hours a week to their English class.)

The online English 120 class contains the same content as a face-to-face class, but students do need to make a few adjustments in order to be successful in an online class. Online learning requires much more independence than traditional classroom learning. Students must learn to take control, to be very organized, and they will have to motivate themselves to meet all of the deadlines.

Please click on the links at the bottom of this page to determine if online learning suits your needs.

Important Announcements:

• This course may be taken for C/NC or for a grade. If students choose to take the class for Credit/No Credit they must submit their request to the instructor in writing via e-mail before the deadline published in the schedule of classes. Students should also keep a copy of their request for their own records.
• Students must pass English 98--Fundamentals of Composition I or earn an appropriate score on the COM placement test in order to be eligible for English 120. Proof of eligibility must be submitted to the instructor during the first week of classes or you may be dropped from the class.

In order to take English 120, students must have the prerequisites fulfilled. Students are eligible if they have:

• placement test scores from another college revealing placement in English 120 (or the equivalent at another college); OR
• If a student submits a placement test or as proof, they must also submit a copy of a description of the course from the official course catalogue; OR,
• send an e-mail to the instructor including a URL which leads to the official online catalogue and online course description.
• copies of transcripts showing that a student has taken English 98 (or the equivalent at another college)
• If a student submits transcripts or as proof, they must also submit a copy of a description of the course from the official course catalogue; OR,
• send an e-mail to the instructor including a URL which leads to the official online catalogue and online course description. OR,

Please keep in mind that instructors cannot "waive" course prerequisites. If students have not met prerequisites for a particular course, but believe they have grounds for challenging those prerequisites, they should contact the Challenge Office and Sue Scott in Counseling at x7431.

Students officially enrolled in the course are required to e-mail the instructor at ingrid.kelly@marin.edu  before 6 PM  on the first official day of the term so that the instructor can send information on how to access the online class site. Please include your full name and your COM student ID. If you do not have a COM student ID, please send the last FOUR digits of your Social Security number in your e-mail. Your e-mail should verify that you are a student at CoM,  include your full name, identify the title & section # of the class you wish to take, and  include the last FOUR digits of your Social Security number/Student ID in your e-mail.

The instructor will contact students with Login information (Usernames and passwords) on the first official day of the term. If you are officially enrolled and you do NOT receive an e-mail from the instructor explaining how to login to the class site before 6 pm on the first official day of the term, you should e-mail the instructor immediately AND leave a voice mail message with your name, phone #, and section # by calling (415) 485-9611.

If you are on the waitlist or if you are attempting to add the course, you are required to e-mail the instructor as soon as possible for further instructions. Please verify that you are a student at CoM,  include your full name, the title & section # of the class you wish to add,  and the last FOUR digits of your Social Security number/Student ID in your e-mail.

If you have a Spam Blocker on your email, please add the email address: ingrid.kelly@marin.edu  to your list or you may miss important messages and announcements.

Students should purchase their books before the first day of the semester. Please click on the syllabus link below for a list of the required textbooks for the class. Students may purchase their books online by visiting: http://amazon.com, or a similar online textbook site, or students may buy the books at the COM campus.

Consult the Schedule of Classes and visit  http://www.marin.edu/admissions/  for more information on how to register for classes .