Fall 2007
SAKAI

Sakai is an on-line course website that we will use for two purposes:  discussions about course-related matters and access to course readings.  The system automatically enrolled most of the students registered for the course prior to the first day of class, but if the system failed to automatically enroll you, then you will have to enroll yourself. You must have a valid Rutgers computer account in order to enroll and utilize Sakai.  If you do not already have one, you can obtain one by visiting the Rutgers computer services website.  Click on the link on that page for "Creating your account on ICI" and follow the instructions and subsequent links.  Once you have completed the process, you will have a user name and password.  However, you may have to wait twenty-four hours before you can use Sakai, so if you are creating a new account don't wait until the day a Sakai reading is assigned.

To use Sakai, go to the Sakai homepage and log in using your user name and password. If you've never used Sakai before, click on the "Quick Guide for Site Members," which will provide you with an overview of Sakai.  If you've been automatically enrolled in the course site, then the screen you see after log-in (called "My Sakai") should include a tab for this course.  Just click on the tab to get into the course site. There you'll find links to the discussion board and readings (available under "Resources").  Clicking on those links will take you to other parts of the site where you will be able to read and post messages.

The Sakai site is set up to enroll all registered students in the course automatically.  If you do not see a tab for the course when you go the Sakai site, please let me know.

CLASS ELECTRONIC MAILING LIST (A.K.A. LISTSERV)

An electronic mailing list, known as a "listserv," has been established for Criminal Justice in America this semester. Messages sent to the list are automatically sent to all of the people who are subscribed to the list, which means everyone who is officially registered for the course. Thus, whenever someone posts a message to the list, you will receive a copy of that posting in your e-mail account. When you address a message to the list, it will automatically be sent to everyone else on the list.

The purpose of the list is to enable me to communicate with all of the students with a single mailing in the event I need to send an announcement about something, provide discussion questions in preparation for an upcoming class, alert you to an upcoming event or interesting article, etc.  It also provides students with a means of communicating with all others in the class who use the list, although this will be done primarily through the discussion board in Sakai. 

All students registered for a course as of the first day of classes are automatically subscribed to the listserv with the e-mail address you have provided to Rutgers. If that is not the address at which you ordinarily receive e-mail, then you must update your address in the Rutgers system, which will automatically change the address on the list. This happens frequently if you have set up a computer account here but in fact use, say, a Hotmail or AOL address for your e-mail. The university assumes that you receive e-mail at your Rutgers account and thus sends information there. Therefore, you have to give them the correct address. To update your e-mail address (or your physical address, for that matter), simply go to the on-line directory, log in and use the on-line form to make the changes.

If you change your e-mail address at any time during the semester, you should go to the on-line directory and update your entry. That will automatically keep your address on the class list up-to-date.

If you do not have an e-mail address, you can get one automatically from Rutgers. Getting an account set up gives you access not only to e-mail but also to other computing resources at Rutgers and to the Internet. Click here to go to the page that provides information on how to set up an account.

Once you have become a subscriber, you can send messages to the list simply by addressing a message to:  CJ_in_America_F07@rams.rutgers.edu
( note that the address has underscores between the words before the @ sign:  CJ_in_America_F07)

A few points to remember when using the listserv or posting messages to the discussion board in Sakai:

1. Be respectful of the opinions of others and do not use abusive language in any postings. Failure to abide by this guideline may result in your removal from the list and from access to the Sakai discussion board.

2. Do not post personal messages to one another on the discussion board or list. Send such messages directly to the person with whom you wish to communicate.

3. Do not post personal messages to ME via the list or discussion board. If I post an assignment and you are, say, sick and unable to come to class, do not reply to the list to tell me that you won't be able to do the assignment (unless you don't care whether the entire class knows about your personal ailments). Instead, send an e-mail directly to my e-mail address.

4. Make sure that what you post complies with the university's acceptable use policy.