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| Topics in this Student Guide | |
MS Office (Word, PPT, Excel & Outlook), Academic version, $129 |
|
| Enrolling in an online course | |
Glossary
| 100% Online Course | A course taught on Blackboard with no requirements for on campus meeting. |
| Acrobat Reader | Software that allows you to read .pdf (portable document format) files. It is a free download at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html |
| Blackboard (Bb) | The online teaching software used at CCSNH. Web address: http://www.CCSNH.blackboard.com |
| Bb Initial Password | Your initial password is the last six digits of your college ID or social security number. To change your initial password to one you prefer: login in Blackboard > My Institution page > Personal Information > Change Password |
| Bb Password | The letters and/or numbers necessary to access your online Bb course site. |
| Bb Username | The first initial of your first name and your last name (all lowercase, no spaces) and the last five digits of your college ID or social security number – example: jkerry12345 |
| Consortium Agreement | An agreement, generated from the home college financial aid office, authorizing payment of tuition and fees to the host college. A federal requirement for financial aid students taking an online course at a host college that is not their home college. |
| Financial Aid | Grants, loans, scholarships and college work-study may be available to students who have matriculated into a degree program and are enrolled on at least a half time basis. For information, call the Financial Aid office on the campus where you want to enroll. |
| Home College | The college campus that admits the student to a program (matriculated student). |
| Host College | The college campus that delivers the online course and employs the faculty. |
| Matriculated: | A student who has formally applied and been accepted into a degree or certificate program by the Admissions Office. |
| Non-matriculated | Individuals who have not been formally admitted to a CCSNH college or program. |
A filename extension meaning portable document format – all .pdf documents can be viewed by anyone with Acrobat Reader on their computer - a free download (need to do once only) at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html |
|
| Registration | The enrollment process |
| Rich text format (.rtf) | Word documents can be saved as rich text format to allow viewing with any version of Word or other word processing programs. |
Online courses place more responsibility for learning on you and will challenge your self-discipline, motivation and your ability to not procrastinate. To understand the unique expectations associated
with being an online learner, please review the websites below:
What makes a Successful Online Student?
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/StudentProfile.asp
Self-Evaluation for Potential Online Students
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/selfEval.asp
To ensure your expectations and skills match the unique qualities of online learning, you need to be
computer literate and to have basic keyboard (typing) skills.
See Computer Literacy 101 at http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/
If you are not computer literate, please consider taking an introduction to computers course
(such as CIS110) before attempting a 100% online course.
An Email account is required
Click http://mail.yahoo.com to set up a free and reliable email account
If you have done the steps above and feel confident in your computer skills and your overall ability to be successful in an online course, we encourage you to enroll.
Preventing Student-Faculty Contact Problems
Lack of timely contact between Student and Instructor is the most frequent problem in 100% online courses.
Consequently, after registering for a course, please email your Instructor the following
7 items of information:
Example:
- Name: Amber Fields
- Email: amberfields@yahoo.com
- Home phone: 603.666.7878
- Work phone: 603.526.6000 X222
- Course name: Native American Studies
- Course catalog number: AN210ZZ
- Course CRN number: 12954
The Online Courses schedule at http://www.ccsnh.edu, "Online Learning", includes
course names, numbers and Instructor email addresses.
course and establishes a means of contact between you both.
Technology Requirements for Blackboard
| Platform | Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP or MacOS9 or MacOSX (10) |
| Hardware | 64 MB of RAM (128 MB is highly recommended and is essential if you have Windows XP) and 1 Gigabyte of free disk space |
| Software | Microsoft Word (MS Office which includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook is highly recommended. The academic version costs $129 at Staples or Best Buy.) Office XP requires 128 Megabytes of RAM memory on your computer. Acrobat Reader (free – download to your hard drive once only) http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html |
| Browser | Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher or Netscape version 4.78 or higher To determine which version of Internet Explorer:
If your Internet Explorer is not at least version 5.5:
|
| Modem | 56K or higher |
| Other | JavaScript and Cookies must be enabled (they are usually enabled by default) |
Enrolling in an Online Course (Registration)
A list of 100% online courses is published on the CCSNH system Web page
http://www.ccsnh.edu , Online Learning, usually one to two months prior to open registration.
Registration Form: The registration form for 100% online courses is different from the regular college course registration form.
Please use this form to register with the campus (host campus) that is offering the course(s).
- If you are currently enrolled in a degree, diploma or certificate program
(a matriculated student), please discuss your course selection with your academic advisor to ensure the course will meet graduation requirements for your program.
- If you are enrolling in courses offered at different host campuses, please complete a separate registration form for each course and send each registration form to the host
campus offering the course.
See address/phone information for the different campuses at the back of this guide.
- If you are currently matriculated (formally admitted) in a degree, diploma or certificate
program, it is important to identify your home campus.
- If you are taking an online courses offered by your home college, the grade and
credits will be reflected on your transcript. The grade you receive will be reflected in your cumulative grade point average.
- If you are taking an online course offered by a college that is not offered by one of the campuses of your home college, you will need to complete a transfer form in order to transfer the credits to your home college.
A grade you receive from an online course not offered by your home college will not be
included in your cumulative grade point average.
- Please indicate your payment method on the registration form. If you are receiving
financial aid at your home campus and are enrolling in a course that not being offered by
your home college, it is your responsibility to initiate the Consortium Agreement
with your home college financial aid officer. Payment information is required before you
will be registered for the course.
You may register in person, via phone or fax. If you register by phone, please use your credit
card for payment.
Registration Form for 100% Online Courses
We want you to be a successful online student at CCSNH. Consequently, before enrolling in any
100% online courses, it is important for you to review:
What Makes a Successful Online
Student?
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/StudentProfile.asp
Self Evaluation for Potential
Online Students
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/selfEval.asp
After reviewing the above, if you believe taking a 100% online course is a good fit between you and
the unique elements of 100% online courses, please continue to complete a registration form.
Some courses may have prerequisites that must be met prior to enrolling in a course. These prerequisites may be satisfied by other courses you have taken or by placement testing.
Prerequisites are printed at the end of the course description.
It is the student’s responsibility to provide the host institution documentation of how he/she has
met the course prerequisites at the time of registration.
If the prerequisite is a placement exam such as ASSET or Accuplacer, the student should submit
a copy of the test scores with the registration form. These scores can be obtained from the
admission office on the home campus for matriculated students.
the exam. Placement Exams
Placement exams may be taken at one of the seven campuses. Please call the admission office to request information on testing schedule and fees. Different exams are used by the different
colleges.
Campus |
Phone |
Exam |
White Mountains |
603.752.1113 |
Accuplacer |
River Valley |
603.542.7744 |
Accuplacer |
NHTI |
603.271.7725 |
Call for information |
Lakes Region |
603.524.3207 |
Accuplacer |
Manchester |
603.668.6706 |
Accuplacer |
Nashua |
603.882.6923 |
Accuplacer |
Great Bay |
603.772.1194 |
Accuplacer |
CCSNH Contact Information
| White Mountains http://www.wmcc.edu/ 2020 Riverside Drive Berlin, NH 03570 800.445.4525, x1314 Fax: 603.752.6335 (attn: Registrar) |
Lakes Region http://www.lrcc.edu/ 379 Belmont Road Laconia, NH 03246 800.357.2992, x719 Fax: 603.524.8084 (attn: Registrar) |
| River Valley http://www.rivervalley.edu 1 College Drive Claremont, NH 03743 800.837.0658, x2207 or x2233 Fax: 603.543.1844 (attn: Registrar) |
Nashua http://www.nashuacc.edu/ 505 Amherst Street Nashua, NH 03063 603.882.6923, x1556 Fax: 603.882.8690 (attn: Registrar) |
| Manchester http://www.manchestercommunitycollege.edu/ 1066 Front Street Manchester, NH 03102-8518 800.924.3445, x318 Fax: 603.668.2997 (attn: Registrar) |
Great Bay http://www.greatbay.edu 277 Portsmouth Avenue Stratham, NH 03885-2297 800.522.1194, x326 Fax: 603.772.1198 (attn: Registrar) |
| NHTI http://www.nhti.edu 31 College Drive Concord, NH 03301-7412 603.271.7122 Fax: 603.271.7139 (attn: Community Education) |
CCSNH System and host college academic policies apply to students registering for online courses.
If a student decides to drop a course, she/he must follow the established procedure of the host institution.
Student should request a copy of the Student Handbook from the host campus. At some campus websites, the student handbook is online.
Academic forms to add/drop a course is available at http://www.ccsnh.edu , Online Learning,
or the form can be faxed to you or mailed by calling the Registrar’s Office at the campus offering
the course.
Grade Appeal Process
Each individual college has a documented grade appeal process which applies equally to online or classroom based students. This information may be obtained from the host institution
academic office.
Transfer of Credits
Matriculated students enrolled in 100% online courses THAT WAS NOT OFFERED BY THEIR HOME COLLEGE by need to follow the existing System and College policies for transfer of credits. Students should refer to the policy printed in the home campus Student Handbooks and/or College catalog.
Students must earn at least a minimum grade of C for the course to transfer.
It is recommended that students consult with an academic advisor prior to taking online courses
to be assured that the course is appropriate to meet graduation requirements. Students should
follow the transfer process at their home campus. There is no fee for transcript requests sent
between system colleges.
IMPORTANT STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY – TRANSFER OF CREDITS: At the conclusion of the online
course, matriculated students should request that an official transcript be sent to their home campus, attention Registrar, so that a transfer of credits can be completed. Credits will not be automatically transferred unless the student initiates the transfer process.
Non-matriculated students will have an official transcript at the host college campus offering the course(s). Students should follow the college policy for requesting transfer of credits to another institution.
It is highly recommended that non-matriculated students interested in admission to one of the CCSNH colleges apply for admission to their program of choice as soon as possible. Students who complete courses as a non-matriculated student may find that not all of the online courses can be applied towards a specific degree, diploma or certificate. TextbooksYour textbooks will be available at the host campus bookstore. You may visit the campus to purchase your text(s) or call and have them shipped to you. The Campus Bookstore is an independent vendor that is under contract by the NH Community Technical College System.
A percentage of your bookstore fees are returned to the host campus to support student activities.
Bookstore hours vary from campus to campus. Please call in advance to ask when bookstore is open.
Bookstores |
|
White Mountains |
603.752.1060 |
River Valley |
603.543.0988 |
Lakes Region |
603.524.0697 |
Manchester |
603.622.9941 |
Nashua |
603.880.7083 |
NHTI |
603.224.8231 |
Great Bay |
603.778.6218 |
- Please review information at http://www.ccsnh.edu , Online Learning area
- If you already have a username and have forgotten your password:
- Click on the “Forgot your Password?” link on the Login page
- You will get an email immediately with instructions for creating a new password
- If you do not get an email in a few minutes, the address stored your Bb personal profile is not accurate, then you need to ask the Instructor to reset your password.
- To update your Bb email address:
My Institution page > Tools > Personal Information > Update email address > Submit
- To change to a password you prefer:
My Institution > Tools > Personal Information > Change Password > Submit
- To edit your user profile:
My Institution > Tools > Personal Information > Edit Personal Information > Submit
- To make your information available in the Bb online user directory:
My Institution > Tools > Personal Information > Set Privacy Options > select information you want to make available to other CCSNH Blackboard users > Submit
- To see your available Bb user directory information:
My Institution > Tools > User Directory > enter your last name > Ok
- To find any course after you have logged into Blackboard:
Courses page > Enter a course name or number or Faculty name in the Course Search box > Click Go
- Technology needed for using Blackboard
| Platform | Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP or MacOS9 or MacOSX (10) |
| Hardware | 64 MB of RAM (128 MB is highly recommended and is essential if you have Windows XP) and 1 Gigabyte of free disk space |
| Software | Microsoft Word (MS Office which includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook is highly recommended. The academic version costs $129 at Staples or Best Buy.) Office XP requires 128 Megabytes of RAM memory on your computer. Acrobat Reader (free – download to your hard drive once only) http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html |
| Browser | Internet Explorer version 5.5 or higher or Netscape version 4.78 or higher To determine which version of Internet Explorer:
If your Internet Explorer is not at least version 5.5:
|
| Modem | 56K or higher |
| Other | JavaScript and Cookies must be enabled (they are usually enabled by default) |
10. Rich Text Format
- Save your documents in Rich Text Format (.rtf), before sending to your Instructor via the digital drop box, to overcome the problem of different word processing software and different versions of the same word processing software
- When you save a Word document, select “Save As” > See drop down menu at bottom of screen called “Save as Type” > Select “Rich Text Format (.rtf)” > Click Save button to the right.
11. Virus protection
To avoid virus disasters, buy a copy of Norton SystemWorks http://www.symantec.com/sabu/sysworks/basic/
- Set to update virus definitions automatically
- It is a small investment to avoid big computer problems (such as a crashing hard drive and loss of all your files).
12. To add a document (file) to your digital drop box:
- Student Tools button >
- Digital Drop Box >
- Add File button >
- Browse to the file you want >
- Click on the specific file name >
- Click the Open button >
- Submit > Ok
- Your document is now stored in the digital drop box but NOT SENT to the Instructor
- Send File button >
- Select the specific file from the drop down box >
- Submit > Ok > Ok
14. To submit a document (file) directly to your Instructor:
- Student Tools button >
- Digital Drop Box >
- Send File button >
- Select a file from the drop down box or Browse to the file location >
- Double click on the file you want to send OR select the file with one click and click the Open button below >
- Submit > Ok > Ok
- http://www.CCSNH.blackboard.com
- Enter your username
- Enter your password
- Click on your course name
- Click the Student Tools (or Tools) button
- Click Student Manual and look over quickly or search for question topics you might have
- Email your Instructor with any questions and ask him/her to post answer to the online discussion board so all students in the course can see question and answers to technology issues
- Some Instructors create a “Technology Café” area in the online discussion board for students to post questions and for the Instructor or other students to post answers. It also serves as a place where commonly asked Bb and technology questions and answers can be stored.
If you are still having a Blackboard problem, please email Paul Ambrose at pambrose@ccsnh.edu.
Financial AidFinancial aid is available for online matriculated students who meet the eligibility requirements. Your eligibility is determined by your home institution. If you have not applied for financial aid, you will need to complete the Federal financial aid application form which can be found at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.
Matriculated students who are receiving financial aid or who have applied for financial aid and are registering for online courses at a host institution should contact the financial aid officer at the home campus. A Consortium Agreement must be initiated at your home institution before tuition and fees can be paid to the host institution.
When an Online Course is not Offered by your Home College:
You will need to do the following:
You are a matriculated student receiving financial aid:
- Before registering for an online course contact the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the head of your academic department (example: Nursing) to make sure that the course meets graduation requirements.
- If you are relying on financial aid to fund the course, a Consortium Agreement must be completed.
- Consortium Agreements forms are available at the Financial Aid office and the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs at your home institution
- Upon receipt of the Consortium Agreement with the proper signatures, financial aid funds will be transferred to the other (host) institution.
- A copy of the completed Consortium Agreement must accompany your registration form. If you call in your registration, it will not be accepted unless you indicate that you have completed the agreement.
A Consortium Agreement is not required if the course is offered at your College’s alternate campus (i.e. White Mountains/Lakes Region, Manchester/Great Bay, River Valley, Nashua).
Matriculated students at colleges outside the CCSNH System should follow the financial aid policies and procedures of their home college. You must initiate the Consortium Agreement at the college to which you have been admitted.
Library ResourcesOnline students may access library resources at each of the seven CCSNH campuses.
Please contact the campus library when you are registered through the link below to access the CCSNH online catalog, EBSCO host electronic journals/newspapers/reports and other available services.
Library Websites |
|
| White Mountains | http://www.wmcc.edu/services/lib/ |
| River Valley | http://www.rivervalley.edu/library.html |
| NHTI | http://www.nhti.edu/library/ |
| Lakes Region | http://www.lrcc.edu/library/ |
| Manchester | http://www.manchestercommunitycollege.edu/Library/Default.aspx |
| Nashua | http://www.nashuacc.edu/library.html |
| Great Bay | http://www.greatbay.edu/?pg=lrc |
Experienced library staff are available to assist students with online research, use of the Internet and obtaining materials through Interlibrary Loan. GOOGLE is an excellent search engine: http://www.google.com. Select ‘Web” for text or ‘Images’ for pictures
Instructional ServicesA variety of instructional services are provided on each of the seven CCSNH campuses.
- academic and career support
- computer labs
- computer assisted instruction
- peer and faculty tutoring
- ESL services
- services for students with documented disabilities
Faculty and staff also provide workshop on study skills, time management, and note taking.
Matriculated students are encouraged to locate these services on their home campus. Non-matriculated students are encouraged to visit their local CCSNH campus.
Online students may contact a staff member by email, voice mail or by stopping by the learning center. Call the main campus and ask for this information.
Disability Services
Each college within the Community College System recognizes the needs of students with disabilities.
Each campus provides reasonable accommodations for student with documented disabilities to ensure equal access and educational opportunities. The disability coordinator on each campus is available to assist students with special needs. Medical, psychological, and/or educational documentation is required for use of these services. Confidentiality of this documentation is strictly enforced. Matriculated students access this service through their home campus.
It is the responsibility of the student to contact the learning disability coordinator to request these services.Sexual Harassment
The Community College System is committed to providing a work and learning environment free of sexual discrimination and sexual harassment. In accordance with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1872, CCSNH System does not tolerate sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment is defined as an unwelcome sexual advance(s) or request(s) for sexual favors by a member of the college community when the assailant uses, threatens to use, or implies that submission to or rejection of such conduct will have an impact on employment or academic decision affecting the victim.
It also includes other verbal or physical conduct related to sex when such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering in an individual’s performance at work or study by creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive environment in which to work or learn. Sexual harassment also includes any deliberate, repeated, or unsolicited oral or written comment, statement, anecdote, gesture, or physical conduct of sexual nature that is offensive and unwelcome.
Anyone who is a victim of sexual harassment should report the incident to the Vice President of Student Affairs on the home or host campus. Sexual harassment policies are printed in the Student Handbooks on each CCSNH campus.
All policies above are equally applicable to misuse of technology tools such as email, Blackboard, online discussion boards, etc. to sexually harass or discriminate against any student, faculty or staff associated with the Community College System.
Drop Form for 100% Online Courses
Please consult with your Advisor before dropping a course since it may affect your Financial Aid, Veteran’s Benefits and/or student status.
In order to qualify for a 100% refund:
- Complete the Drop Form and deliver it to the Registrar’s Office at the college offering the course by date for 100% refunds for the current term as defined by the college offering the 100% online course.
- To ensure the Registrar has this document by the final day for 100% refunds, deliver this completed form to the Registrar in person.
- If you have to mail it, send it by U.S. mail and get a signature guarantee so you can verify the date it was delivered to the Registrar.
©2005-2008 Community College System
Distance Education
26 College Drive
Concord, NH 03301
pambrose@ccsnh.edu
ssabol@ccsnh.edu