Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students
- What does the Student Point Totals page on this website tell me?
- What do I bring to class each week?
- I am not very good at math. Will I do well?
- What about extra credit work?
- I added the class after the first week of classes? What should I do?
- What shall I do if I am falling behind? What if my personal life has changes? Do I qualify for an Incomplete Grade?
- What if I decide not to take this course and stop showing up to class?
- May I attend any session of either your Kentfield or IVC accounting class?
- I am not yet enrolled in the class. Can I continue to attend class? When does my add code expire and what happens if I don't add by that date? Do you check enrollment? What if I am having trouble enrolling in the class? Can I continue the class?
- I am having trouble reading and understanding the textbook. Any ideas?
- Is it difficult to get a good grade in this class?
- Do you teach any accounting or spreadsheet software programs in this class?
- How do I contact you outside of class/office hours? When will you get back to me?
- Can I bring a guest (spouse, child, translator, etc.) to class with me?
- Are there any Student Support Services available to me?
- I am a special needs student that will require accommodation. How do I obtain that accommodation?
- I will have a number of issues that may come up during the semester - job demands, child care, pregnancy, transportation, vacation, religious practices, illness, class attendance problems, fragrance sensitivities, allergies, hearing, visual and distractability problems, language barriers, physical disabilities, discomfort in sitting, etc. How can I let you know how to help me?
- I need to know whether this course will give me the knowledge that I need for my job or to obtain a job or certificate. Where can I review what will be covered in the course? How can I communicate to you why I am taking this course and what I need out of this course?
- What if I am very sick?
- Are there any special rules for the classroom or computer labs? Anything that I should know about the classroom or the campus?
- Under what circumstances is an Incomplete issued?
What does the Student Point Totals page on this website tell me?
To access this site, you must be officially enrolled in the class, and I
must have received notification from the college showing your enrollment and
student id number (starts with M00).
Key in your student ID. The display will tell you your point totals, enrollment status, points per
assignment, and the number of missing assignments, and a final grade at the end of the course.
Use the Student Point Totals page to keep track of your point total for the course, and to
assure yourself that I have posted all the work that you have submitted, and that you have turned
in all work.
The website is not updated daily or in real-time. I update it twice a month.
What do I bring to class each week?
See the Textbook/Materials page of this website.
I am not very good at math. Will I do well?
Yes. We will only be adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. I try to use small numbers in
classroom examples.
What about extra credit work?
Extra credit is given in the form of one closed-book, in-class, paper test
given on the last day of class. The total points possible for this test is
20 points. To study for the test, look at the "Extra Credit Exam" page of this
website during the last 5-6 weeks of the course.
I added the class after the first week of classes? What should I do?
First, get an introduction to how the class works by staying after class with me.
We cover a chapter a week in this course, so it is necessary that you catch up as soon as possible.
Submission of your work is subject to the same deadlines and grace-period as other students,
with one exception: you have 1 additional week of grace period for your Chapter 1 classwork only.
To catch up: Submit your online quiz by the due date, and your missing work (except for Chapter
1) by two weeks after the due date listed on the syllabus. If you cannot do this, plan on taking the
extra credit exam near the end of the course.
Remember that if you have missed a class in one of my sections, you can always make it up by
attending class in my other section, See the Syllabus page on this website to see what each class
will be covering. Also, the first two chapter's lecture notes (audio) are available online on this
website if attending class is not possible.
What shall I do if I am falling behind? What if my personal life has changes? Do I qualify for an Incomplete Grade?
First, contact me if you need any extra tutoring or help with the subject. I
am available during office hours, as well as a limited amount of time by phone and email.
If an unforeseen event/emergency comes up, and you have already completed a significant
portion of the class, come to me and I will give you an Incomplete. An Incomplete will show up as
an I on your grade report, and will require that you make up the remaining work by the
end of the next regular semester.
Do not show up in the last weeks of class hoping to get an extension of time
to complete homework, quizzes, etc. or additional extra credit work (other
than what is offered) in order to pass the class.
What if I decide not to take this course and stop showing up to class?
Be sure to officially drop this class by the required due dates (see
Important Dates to Add, Drop page of this website). You cannot count on me to drop you. If you
fail to drop this class and do not complete the course, you will receive an F.
Occasionally, a student will enroll in the class for other purposes (to meet financial aid
requirements, to keep visa). If the student does not regularly attend the class, and is likely to fail,
I reserve the right to drop the student from the class.
May I attend any session of either your Kentfield or IVC accounting class?
Yes! Please feel free to attend any session of either class. You do not need to be enrolled in the
that particular class to attend. Many students find it helpful to attend the other accounting class
meeting when they need to catch up, or perhaps schedule a night/day off from their regular class.
The syllabus for both Kentfield and IVC show the work we will be doing in each class session, so
that you can better plan. As a rule of thumb, a Saturday class meeting covers two IVC class
meetings.
Look at Class Location and Hours on this website for time/directions to either class.
I am not yet enrolled in the class. Can I continue to attend class? When does my add code expire and what happens if I don't add by that date? Do you check enrollment? What if I am having trouble enrolling in the class? Can I continue the class?
You will be given an opportunity to attend class for one week, during which you must get an add
code and add the course by the first meeting of the second week. If your enrollment does not
show on my class listing, you will be asked to leave the class until you are enrolled.
An enrollment check will be made each class for the first half of the semester.
YOUR ADD CODE EXPIRES ON THE LAST DAY TO ADD ONLINE. YOU MUST USE THE ADD CODE TO
ADD THE COURSE ONLINE BY THAT DATE OR YOU WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LENGTHY
PETITION PROCESS TO ADD THE COURSE AND MAY BE DENIED. Consult the Important Dates to
Add, Drop page of this website and look for the last day to add the class. I strongly encourage you
to add before those deadlines.
Occasionally, there are circumstances in which a student is petitioning. Meet with me and let me
know what your circumstances are, and be prepared to show me proof of the petition process and
the name of the counselor you are working with so that I can verify.
I am having trouble reading and understanding the textbook. Any ideas?
The textbook can be demanding, but my lectures make the concepts easy to
understand, so plan on attending class regularly.
Another book that is short, understandable, and to the point is "Financial Accounting As A Second
Language" by David P. Weiner (published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. ISBN #978-0-470-04388-
2). I have found it very helpful.
A Chapter Outline is available on this website for short, to-the-point, information. A Power
Point presentation is available for each chapter on this website. Accounting Tutorials are available
on this website. On the introductory pages of the textbook is an explanation of helpful study
aids. Review the glossary of accounting terms at the end of every chapter. Finally, take
the quiz in the introduction of the text - "How Do I Learn Best" - assess your
learning style, and follow your Learning Style chart located on the following two pages.
Is it difficult to get a good grade in this class?
No. We work on classwork problems together in class and, if we have
time, homework problems, also. This really helps! I am available for lots of
help. Your job is to simply come to class prepared, take the quizzes, and
turn in your work on time. WIth that you should be very successful!
Do you teach any accounting or spreadsheet software programs in this class?
Not as a rule. Occasionally, I will show some classwork problems in Excel and discuss formatting
and formulas.
How do I contact you outside of class/office hours? When will you get back to me?
The Teacher page of this website has all the information needed to contact me. I prefer that you
contact me by email, rather than cell phone, as I pick up my email messages far more frequently. I
strive for a 24-48 hour response time.
Can I bring a guest (spouse, child, translator, etc.) to class with me?
No. College policy prohibits persons, other than those currently enrolled, to attend class.
Are there any Student Support Services available to me?
For a complete list and description of Student Support Services, including the Tutoring and Learning
Center which offers FREE drop-in peer tutoring, please go to:
http://www.marin.edu/student_services/index.htm
I am a special needs student that will require accommodation. How do I obtain that accommodation?
If you need accommodation for documented special needs, you should consult with Disability
Services at 415-257-0187. They will inform me of your accommodation. In addition, let me know of
your needs in advance by completing the "How Can I Help You" Questionnaire on this website.
I will have a number of issues that may come up during the semester - job demands, child care, pregnancy, transportation, vacation, religious practices, illness, class attendance problems, fragrance sensitivities, allergies, hearing, visual and distractability problems, language barriers, physical disabilities, discomfort in sitting, etc. How can I let you know how to help me?
On this website is a questionnaire "How May I Help You" that lets me know any difficulties that you
may have during the course of the semester. Please answer the questionnaire so that I may best
know how to serve you.
I need to know whether this course will give me the knowledge that I need for my job or to obtain a job or certificate. Where can I review what will be covered in the course? How can I communicate to you why I am taking this course and what I need out of this course?
Consult the About This Course section of this website. Also, answer the questionnaire "How May I
Help You" on this website.
What if I am very sick?
Please contact me as soon as possible via phone or email so that we can strategize how best to
proceed with completion of the course.
Are there any special rules for the classroom or computer labs? Anything that I should know about the classroom or the campus?
While classrooms usually have a "No Food/Drink Policy", my class sections coincide with needed
mealtimes, coffee breaks, etc. So I allow food/drink as long as you pick up after yourself,
disposing of wrappers, cups, etc. in the trash.
I encourage group work, conversation, and building bonds with other students in my class.
Sometimes the class can become so active that others have difficulty hearing the lecture. Please
monitor yourself so that your conversations do not become a distraction to others.
Coming late to class is not a problem for me, but it might be for you as you might miss doing
assigned classwork. Coming to class late and copying another's work that you missed is
DISHONEST and no credit will be given for your work.
At any time, you may leave the class for a break or for the duration. You do not need to tell me
the reason. You are adults with busy lives, and more pressing matters than an accounting class.
The BC105 classroom and computer lab (Kentfield campus) can be cold in the mornings until the
ancient heating system has time to warm up. Dress warmly.
Always remember to pay for parking. The campus police regularly patrol for cars without
permits/parking passes.
The computer labs have strict policies on computer usage, printer usage, food/drink and
accessibility by enrolled students only. Please adhere to them. DO NOT USE THE COMPUTER LABS
TO PRINT OUT MY COURSE MATERIALS IN EXCESS OF FOUR PAGES. Lab privileges for the entire
class may be revoked as the outcome by the lab custodian.
Under what circumstances is an Incomplete issued?
Incompletes are only issued for an unforeseeable emergency or a justifiable reason occurring at the end of the term.
A student who requests an incomplete under these terms should submit a letter for my consideration
communicating to me the unforeseeable emergency or justifiable circumstance. The letter should have
verifiable documentation from the student explaining the emergency or other justifiable circumstance.
