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Good morning students and welcome to BCS 102! My name is Tara Hathcock and I'm going to be working with you to explore the different health science programs available to you as a BCS student. Some fun facts about me: I'm a radiologic technologist by education and spent 16 years working in direct patient care for Mercy Radiology. I have been with OTC for 5 years and in that time, I've worked in Academic Affairs, as an anatomy instructor, and now as the Director of Student Success for Health Sciences. I'm very excited to work with you as you begin exploring possible careers.

Some things to expect from this class:

1) Each module is set up exactly the same way and contains reading assignments, videos to watch, and assignments to complete for points. Each assignment is indented so you can identify them easily. You can complete these assignments by clicking the assignment link in the weekly module.

2) I have a very generous late policy. All assignments have due dates, which I suggest you stick to, but you may turn in all work due in the 1st 4 weeks of class by mid-term and all work in the 2nd 4 weeks of class by end-of-semester for no point deduction. The cut-off dates are included in the syllabus. After the mid-term/end-of-semester deadlines, no work will be accepted. Since this is a very lenient late policy, there are no exceptions.

3) OTC requires a proctored assignment for all online classes as a way to verify student identity. You will find your proctored assignment in the module for week 3. Please note: this assignment MUST BE COMPLETED for you to be eligible to pass the class and is the only assignment I will accept after the grace period. However, if you submit the proctored assignment after the grace period you will not receive points for it.

4) I love to talk to my students. Please feel free to email or drop by and chat if you have any questions. I'm here to help you.

5) We do take a couple of tests in this class, but all tests are graded on completion, not correct answers. The Focus 2 and Career Coach assessments are designed to measure your personality and skills and can help guide you toward a career that fits your individual strengths. I strongly recommend you discuss these results with your college navigator.

6) I encourage you to take full advantage of this class by taking the assignments seriously. We will be exploring healthcare programs and careers as well as non-healthcare programs and careers. Take this opportunity to discover options you never knew existed.

Several of your assignments require making an appointment and meeting with someone, either in-person or virtually. A good rule of thumb - identify these assignments and make an appt as quickly as possible. Late exceptions will not be made because appts are full or because you waited until the week of to schedule. This is an exercise in planning and preparedness - take full advantage of it!