Kevin Parker

Campus Closure Numbers:

• Pocatello: 282-3936
• Idaho Falls: 282-7825

The upload site is http://classweb.cob.isu.edu/.

For guidelines on accessing the site click here.

FERPA regulations discourage sending student grades by email unless the student clearly indicates their awareness that email is not secure. Notification of grades via email is permissible since the student must authenticate using an ID and password.

To make it a little easier for you, I set up a Grade Request Form at http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/9JT2Wdh851tUVRb.

Please use the form whenever you want me to send you a grade.

Because a good letter of recommendation is very time consuming, and because I have been stretched too thin in recent semesters, I will be able to provide recommendation letters for only the most exceptional students for the near future.

A letter of recommendation is not a right, but rather something that a student may earn through academic performance and demonstration of excellent work ethic and good character. Just because a student requests a letter of recommendation does not mean that he or she will get one. Here are some requirements before I will write a letter:

• Do I know your name?
• Have you ever spoken to me outside of class?
• Did you receive a grade of 'B' or higher in my courses?
• Have you taken more than one course with me?

If you answer "no" to any of the above questions, chances are that I will turn down your request. You want a letter from a professor who can write a letter that includes specifics about your personal characteristics or accomplishments rather than vague generalities.

Since I get so many requests for letters I ask each student to write a draft letter that I can then edit. That insures that I cover the information that the student wants covered, and also means a little less time and work for me! So in order for me to provide you with a letter of recommendation, you must meet the requirements above and you must provide me with a draft letter that I can use as a basis. Use this link as a guideline.

Be sure to follow up. The absent minded professor is more than just a cliche. I'm very busy and may forget to write your letter. Don't be afraid to check in periodically to see if the recommendation has been sent. But don't be a nag.

Once I've provided a letter please keep the following in mind:

• Say thank you! Write a thank-you email note.
• Keep me posted! Let me know if you get the job, the internship, or the spot in graduate school.

Oh, and don't forget that your professors are on nine month contracts. We don't get paid during the summer months, so our "free" time really is FREE! You should be especially grateful for letters of recommendation that are written for you over the summer months, and don't expect immediate turnaround times.

Assignments will be graded using Firefox, or some other standards-compliant browser.

You can download Firefox here.

Do you know what is involved in teaching? What are your professors' responsibilities? Do you even know what a PhD is? My blog contains some reflections on what your teachers are dong when they are not standing in front of the classroom so that you know what we're up to. The writing is an ongoing process and I haven't had time to update it recently, but you can visit it at http://drkevinparker.blogspot.com/.

Sometimes CIS@ISU even tweets, but not all that often. In fact, not in years. Click the image to follow.

Click the image to follow CIS@ISU on RSS. But again, we don't have time to say much at all.