Welcome to everyone participating in the Conflict Resolution internet
course.  I'm Vince Parrillo and I handle the course website and the Forum
dialog pages that your students will use.

First, I'd like you to visit the course website at this URL address:

        http://www.wilpaterson.edu/~irt/courses/soc399/

Note to those of you who were part of the course last year:  This is a
slightly different URL address than last time.  Please use this one or you
will be getting outdated material.

I need to know which institutions are participating this year so that I
can update that part of the course home page.  Also, we need to know
via the Partners' listserv what level of active participation your
students will take in this course.  That is, which of you will be doing
the full course content and having your students work with others on the
final project?  Which of you will have students do reports on the
international conflicts as we move along?  Which of you are using the
course as a supplement and what will you have your students do?

All students will use the Forum link to "talk" to each other.
Would you please have your students post an introductory paragraph
about themselves on the Forum pages?  This is a very helpful action
for all students, as it gives them their first real sense of participation
in a learning activity outside their classroom and campus.  If your
semester has started, please do it now or, if not, please make this a
first action by your students as soon as your semester starts.

This is a relatively easy process.  Here are the steps (you may want
to print this out to tell your students):

1.  Go to the course web site at
        http://www.wilpaterson.edu/~irt/courses/soc399/

2.  Scroll down a bit and click on "Forum"

3.  Under "Getting Started with Forums" click on "Introductions"

4.  Read whatever messages are posted, then click on
     "Post new messages in this thread"

5.  Enter name, e-mail address, and "Introductions" as subject, and
     give introductory paragraph in the message section.

6.  I recommend you use the preview button first to double-check
     for typos and content, before hitting the post button.  You want
     to make a good first impression.

One important guideline about using Forum.   Tell you students
ALWAYS to use the Forum buttons (such as "back") and NOT the
Netscape/Explorer buttons (such as "back").  Otherwise, you may
freeze the Forum page and not be able to access it further or post
a message.

That's all there is to it!  These pages will be used subsequently for
discussions, reports, and the final project, so this is a good way for
your students to get comfortable with this form of communication.

You should encourage them to check the Forum page at least once
a week, more often if they can, and post comments/reports, or
whatever you assign.

In another message that I'll probably send out today, I'll offer some
teaching suggestions that have worked in previous years that some
of us will utilize this time.  You are free to use them, adapt them, or
not use them at all.  Also, we welcome your suggestions as well.
All of us are always receptive to new ideas and ways to improve
the course.

I look forward to working with all of you in this exciting way of
teaching and professional growth.

                                        Vince Parrillo