Dear Teleweb Student:

Welcome to U.S. History I!

I am Dan Rezny, your instructor for the course.  I am here to guide and direct you through the course and to answer your questions about the assigned material.  My office is SSB 1104A and I can be reached at 636-922-8497 or at drezny@stchas.edu.

This is a teleweb course.  Teleweb courses combine weekly readings and online activities such as web exercises and online discussions with video programming.  Distance courses such as this one are the equivalent of on-campus courses in terms of quality, workload and expectations.  They are designed for convenience, but they are not easier or less challenging. Students must take control of their own learning and be disciplined and self-motivating in order to succeed. 

Online courses require students to express themselves through writing.  This type of format does not allow for body language or instant verbal clarification like typical face to face communication.  Therefore students must be comfortable writing and reading.   All quizzes and exams will be completed online using WebCT/Blackboard and all written assignments must be submitted via WebCT/Blackboard.  For that reason this course requires that students have regular access to a computer with internet accessibility and be comfortable with basic computer functions.  There is no on-campus orientation for this course so it is essential that you familiarize yourself with WebCT/Blackboard.  To learn about some of the features visit the WebCT getting started guide at: http://www.stchas.edu/library/webctstudentguide/gettingstarted.shtml
 
You must obtain and read the textbook, The American Promise: A History of the United States, Vol. I: To 1877, 3rd edition by Roark, Johnson, et al. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005) and the Telecourse Guide for Shaping America, 2nd edition by Alfers, Kenneth G. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005).  The DVD video segments for the course are also required and are available at the SCC library. 
All textbooks and DVDs are essential for successful completion of this course.
Call the Distance Learning Office at 636-922-8470 if you have any questions about the course, now or during the semester. The office will forward messages to me. Or you may call me at the office number listed above. You may also access information about distance learning courses at: www.stchas.edu/distance

DISTANCE LEARNING TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
For technical support, contact the help desk at 636-922-8555 or e-mail - scchelpdesk@stchas.edu

ENJOY SHAPING AMERICA
Sincerely,

Daniel J. Rezny