DR JACK'S LOFT©2008
 A Student-Oriented Website
INTRODUCTION
Getting the most out of Dr Jack's website is not complicated and the student will find all the information one needs to be academically successful. What is not found is the dedication and work to implement that success. Getting onto The Loft is easy and there are two main ways: (You obviously know one way because you are on it already!)
1. type on your computer www.personal.kent.edu/~jvazzana  or
2. address the Kent web site at www.eliv.kent.edu then click on Current Students, Class Supplements  and Dr Jack's Loft - you are there.
(One of these methods may be more convenient.)
     If you do not have a  PC, Kent State has many computer places where you can work. The school and Loft are here to help students be successful. Learn to use The Loft as a convenient tool and click on often as it is updated frequently - sometimes several times daily. Because The Loft is an extension of the classroom, Dr Jack's classes are never cancelled. If there is bad weather or other problems, The Loft has triggers converting it into Distance Education. So, if the situation arises whereby there may be a class cancellation, check out The Loft to see if it is going into its Distance Education mode for your class. Remember, this is only for Dr Jack's classes - what other instructors do is their business.
GENERAL FEATURES OF THE DIRECTORY
     When you do get on the Loft there are important things to know. The first two hyperlinks are Biography and Dr Jack's Rules. The biography is a short historical background in education and experience in teaching. That is all. There is no stuffy "vita", expanded work history and/or publications nor personal aggrandizements to bore the student. Dr Jack's Rules are a satire on the minimum wage system which he obviously does not like. That is his personal agenda and it ends there. (But do not get him started about it in class!)
  The Directory has several broad sections:
     Academic Aids has pages whereby the student is informed of the thinking that defines social science and how they should approach its pedagogy. There are articles on the philosophy of grading and guidelines for mothers who occasionally have to bring their children to school. Alternative life style students are addressed as well as how to politically maneuver in the academic situation. Students with special needs are there and many other pages with useful topics as how to take exams, doing research and independent study. Students have found that the advice carries over to other classes for a successful school experience.
     Points for Progress is a student shout-out about the things they wish to talk about. Students are permitted to submit all forms of topics for publication and, if so, their comments are kept anonymous. There are interesting debates on extra credit to drugs. It is worthwhile to drop in and see what is going on in the mind's of other students.
ASSIGNMENTS
Current Assignments is the most important page on the web site. Each class has a page on which the daily assignments, readings, material for future lectures and a synopsis of what happened in the most recent class. The pages are updated after each class meeting to keep everything fresh. Each class has exams advertised an ample time ahead with Intro classes having specific exam material to be studied. Higher level classes have exam questions published a week or two before the actual exam. In these classes, the student has an opportunity to re-write their paper to upgrade their performance. In addition, students are given the option to either write a paper or take the exam in class at the specified time - usually they write the paper. In the Intro class, grade distributions are published so the student can see where they stand in relation to others as a guideline to their overall performance. Dr Jack has NO pop quizzes that may embarrass or confuse students. Often the Assignments page will clarify something that was not covered in class or Dr Jack may just downright apologize for a classroom faux pas.
OTHER IMPORTANT PAGES
The bottom third of The Loft's index page has Topic Pix, Syllabi and The Survival Manual.

     Topic Pix are photographs of sociological import. Students find them of interest as well as the quality of the photography. Be advised that Dr Jack sometimes roams the campus for pictorial material to place on the web site. Why not? It is your school and your web site - should you not be on it? The Loft is argumentatively the largest and most comprehensive web site for instructor-students in higher education. It has approximately 38 pages and over 300 pictures. The Loft also originates right here in East Liverpool.
     Syllabi are the second most important area in The Loft. Here are found the rules and texts for the classes. The suggested texts have ISBN numbers if the student wishes to purchase on the internet. (This is advised with the current price of new books.) Syllabi have important university dates and other information as exam times and places. Cheating is not discussed in the syllabi, but it is considered a challenge to Dr Jack and, of course, if you are caught the exam will be taken and you will be asked to leave the room immediately. Your grade will be an "F" for that exam and entrance back into class will be discussed and evaluated by administration. One Intro class of Fall 07 had some students suspected of cheating, but it was done in such an amateur way that it did not effect the poor grade they eventually earned on their own! (They thought I did not know! I suppose the moral is that cheaters fail themselves and it shows up in their grades.) Nevertheless, be aware that Dr Jack does roam the exam room looking for "suspicious behaviour". Cell phones are not permitted in class - especially during exams. This is general Kent State University policy. In addition, Dr Jack will commandeer any cell phone laying on a desk, seat, floor or in the open. The phone will be taken to the front of the room and may be repossessed when the exam is over and paper handed in. There is no penalty for this. Then too:
 A. Dr Jack does NOT give extra credit in any class.
B. Make-up exams are to be discussed between the student and Dr Jack within two weeks following the exam.
     The Survival Manual is a detailed discussion of what is expected of the student in terms of form, style and attitude in writing term papers. All papers in Dr Jack's classes are science writing and most students find this of some difficulty because they have not been trained to write objectively in this area. On the other hand, students who learn the form find it pragmatically useful, especially when they enter the job market and are asked to submit evaluations and reports. Read the Survival Manual carefully and get acquainted with the "never evers" and two forms of scientific presentation.

DENOUNMENT

     Well, that is it for now, but there is much more to know. Just keep in mind that many have said that if you really know what is in The Loft, then there is no reason for not making an "A". Moreover, The Loft is on the world wide web (most academic web sites are not) and, as such, you can be anywhere in the world, have access to a computer and still be up-to-date with your classes! Actually, it is not all that simple, but the fundamental theory about making good grades remains true - there is no substitute for hard work!
Dr Jack