Instructor Welcome & Contact Information

Welcome!

Welcome to Computer Science 101! I look forward to working with you this semester as we learn how to use Microsoft Office and how it can be used to support data analysis and problem solving.

I will post materials on my instructor website at http://cs101.wvu.edu/phipps for you to watch, read, and work on. You should try to complete the assignments on your own, but if you have questions, please let me know.  I plan to regularly host zoom sessions to assistant with the participations.

It will be very important for you to be self-motivated and disciplined to ensure that you stay on top of your CS101 work. CS101 is a 4-credit hour course and has the workload similar to other 4-credit courses like Calculus. You won't be in the classroom for 4 hours a week, but it's a good idea to set aside time just like if you were. I suggest planning for at least 5 hours per week on this course, although your individual needs may vary.  If you have a question about the course, please contact me. My email address is Robert.phipps@mail.wvu.edu, and I try to respond within 24 hours.

To learn and master the content, we have selected the Exploring Microsoft Office 2016, Comprehensive Editions for Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint as your textbook.  To give you practice with the material, we will give you participation projects that will be due as the semester progresses.  To both allow you to practice and be evaluated in a practical manner with the material, we have selected Pearson's MyLab IT software.  Additionally, you will be assigned 6 Homeworks, and 3 Exams.  

You will need access to your own computer with the Windows version of Microsoft Office installed. If you have a Windows computer, you can install Office 365 by following the instructions at https://wvu.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1976/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=12484. Mac users can also install office, but for the Access section of the course, should plan to use https://virtualapps.wvu.edu 

Please visit the Start Here page for information on how to get started and find all of the course components.

I’m excited to work with you this semester. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

About Your Instructor

My name is Robert Phipps. I've been teaching CS101 on campus and online since 2002.  I have an undergraduate degree from Shepherd University, and a master's degree from West Virginia University.  In addition to teaching CS101, I am a professional technologist for the Eberly College at WVU.  I provide desktop support to many of the units of Eberly.  What that means for me is that I often get to see the practical implications of what I teach in the classroom. 

I live in Fairmont with my wife and my thirteen-year-old You Tube obsessed son (so phone calls after 8 pm make me cranky).  I love to read mystery novels - it's a great break from the doing IT work and teaching.  I especially love Donna Leon's Commassario Brunetti novels, Margaret Maron's Judge Knott series, and Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police books.  The best book I've read lately is George & Elizabeth by Sally Bedell Smith. Lately, I've become interested in live-streaming and video-editing.  I handle the live-stream for St. Francis de Sales and serve as their technology coordinator.  When I'm not deep in a novel, or prying my son loose from his xBox, I'm busy plotting of my next trip to Disney World and avoiding the stairs.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via email (robert.phipps@mail.wvu.edu) or via phone at 304-293-9506. Please don't be shy about asking questions - being able to pose a question means that you're engaged!

I look forward to getting to know all of you.

Contact Information

The best way to contact me is via email, please use your WVU MIX account and include your full name and section number.