BAIN MUSC 726G
Geometrical Music Theory

Blended Course Information

The boilerplate language in this document is recommended by the
University of South Carolina's Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE).

About the Blended Course Format 

This course is being offered as a blended course. Much of the work in this course will occur online in Blackboard. Online activities and in-class activities are designed to build on each other. Active participation in class and completion of the online activities in a timely manner are all critical to success in this course. The learning modules in Blackboard are organized into weekly assignments/activities that include links to digital videos, recordings, podcasts, radio broadcasts, scores, analyses, exercises, CAI software, quizzes, etc. This course meets face-to-face two imes per week (Mondays//Wednesdays). The typical activities in the face-to-face classroom include lecture, interacting with your instructor and classmates, open question and answer sessions, group listening exercises and analytical discussions, review sessions, exams, and student presentations. Assigned activities are completed asynchronously by students in lieu of a Friday meeting. 

Attendance

This course will follow the university's attendance policy which is available online at:

Attendance will be taken at every face-to-face (f2f) meeting and the posted in Blackboard. It is the student's responsibility to sign the daily attendance sheet and check the Blackboard record for accuracy. Attendance is subject to the university's "5% Rule," and the instructor may exact a one letter-graded penalty if the student exceeds this threshold.

Course Communication

I will be communicating with you regarding grades and assignments. If you need to get in touch with me, the best method is via email. My email address is available in Blackboard. Generally, I will reply to emails within one business day and will provide feedback on assignments within 72 hours.

If you are having trouble with this course or its material, you should contact me in person, or via email, to discuss the issues. I am always happy to help you.

Announcements will be posted to this course on a regular basis. If there is any other information I think is important, I will send it to your email address you have in Blackboard. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email account works properly in order to receive email.

Below is how you check your email address in Blackboard:

• Access blackboard.sc.edu
• Click your name on the main Blackboard navigation panel on the left
• Review your email address. By default, Blackboard uses your university-issued email address

Your email address in Blackboard coincides with your preferred university email. If you are unsure of your preferred email, check your account (myaccount.sc.edu). For more information on setting your preferred university email, please see the How To Change Your Primary University Email Address (https://scprod.service-now.com/sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0011464) Knowledge Base article.

Links to assignments, activities, quizzes, rubrics, etc. are located on Blackboard. To participate in learning activities and complete assignments, you will need to have:

• Access to a working computer that has a current operating system with updates installed, plus speakers or headphones;
• Reliable Internet access and a USC email account;
• A current Internet browser that is compatible with Blackboard (Google Chrome is the recommended browser for Blackboard); 
• Microsoft Word as your word processing program; and
• Reliable data storage for your work, such as a USB drive or Office365 OneDrive cloud storage.

If your computer does not have Microsoft Word, Office 365 ProPlus package is available to you free of charge and allows you to install Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access on up to 5 PCs or Macs and Office apps on other mobile devices including tablets. Office 365 also includes unlimited cloud storage on OneDrive. To download Office 365 ProPlus, log into your student (University) email through a web browser, choose Settings (top right corner), and select software. If you have further questions or need help with the software, please contact the Service Desk.

Minimum Technical Skills Needed 

Minimum technical skills are needed in this course. Most course work will be completed and submitted in Blackboard. Therefore, you must have consistent and reliable access to a computer and the Internet. The minimum technical skills you have include the ability to:

• Organize and save electronic files;
• Use of USC email and attached files;
• Check email and Blackboard daily;
• Download and upload documents;
• Locate information with a browser; and
• Use Blackboard.

Technical Support 

If you have problems with your computer, technology, IT-related questions, support, including Blackboard, please contact the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) Service Desk at (803) 777-1800 or submit an online request through the Self-Service Portal or visit the Carolina Tech Zone. The Service Desk is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Eastern Time). If you are located in the Columbia, SC area, the Thomas Cooper Library at USC has computers for you to use in case you encounter computer issues/problems. If you are not located in the Columbia, SC area, most regional campuses and public libraries have computers for public use.

Reference

USC, Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE), Syllabus Templates. Available online at: <https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/cte/teaching_resources/syllabus_templates/>.