Distance
Learning Student Manual
Introduction
Two very important points to keep in mind
Applying for Admission
to I.A.U. from Off-Campus
Placement Testing
for Distance Learning Students
Orientation
Financial Aid
Registering for Classes
Academic Advisement
Changing Your Address
Obtaining an e-mail
Account
Ordering Textbooks
Paying Tuition and
Registration Fees
Distance Learning
Packet
Contacting Your
Mentor
Distance Learning
Office
Definition of Distance
Learning at I.A.U.
I.A.U.’s current
efforts in distance learning include
Counseling
Study Skills
Computer Access
Library Access
Student Code of
Conduct
Distance Learning
Courses
Distance Learning
Mentors
How to be an Internet
Student
Open Computer Labs
How to be a Telecourse
Student
Evaluating Your
Courses
Using WebCT
Distance Learning
Delivery Fees
Introduction
We
are delighted you have registered for a Distance Learning
Course. We hope you will feel an important part of I.A.U.’s
community of learners even though you may be located
many miles from our campuses. We also hope that by offering
you courses that give you a little more flexibility
that we have made it possible for you to add lifelong
learning to your already, very busy schedule.
This
Distance Learning Student Orientation Handbook is designed
to help you make an easy transition to learning away
from our campus.
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Two
very important points to keep in mind:
Learning
through distance learning courses takes just as much
time and effort as learning through an on-campus course!
Distance
learning courses are always open. Please contact your
mentor if you have any question about options available.
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Applying
for Admission to I.A.U. from Off-Campus
Please
request and complete an Admissions Application available
from this address and phone number:
I.A.U.'s
International Admissions Office
2710 Broadway
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10025
or call (212) 465-3434
Application
form on line
Return
the Admissions Application to the Admissions Office.
Related
Links:
http://www.iauniversity.net
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Placement
Testing for Distance Learning Students
Students
needing placement testing at a distance must contact
I.A.U.’s Testing Services Office by phone at (212)
465-3434 or fax at (734) 448-8254. You may also contact
the Testing Services Office at this website: www.iauniversity.net
Once
distance testing is approved, the student must locate
an accredited testing site in his or her area. The student
must then call I.A.U. Testing Services and provide information
about the testing site, the testing administrator, and
the phone number. I.A.U.’s Testing Services staff
will contact the testing site and the individual accepting
the responsibility for administering the placement test.
The
off-site testing center will return the placement exam
to I.A.U.’s Testing Services, who will grade the
test and upload the information into I.A.U.’s
Banner system. I.A.U. Testing Services will mail the
test results to the distance learning student and provide
the student additional information via Internet, phone,
or fax.
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Orientation
New
students who have never attended a college or university
in the United States are required to follow an orientation
session before registering. Transfer and returning students
are strongly encouraged to attend.
Call
(212) 465-3434 to arrange to have an orientation brochure
sent to you. Or send an e-mail message to Emy Jones.
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Financial
Aid
Financial
aid is available for distance learning courses.
You
can send specific questions to the Financial Aid Office
at this e-mail address: iauni@iauniversity.net.
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Registering
for Classes
Once
you have been admitted to I.A.U., you can register for
classes through the I.A.U.’s student telephone
registration system. The system is available Monday
through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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Academic
Advisement
Distance
learning students use counseling and academic advising
to help ensure their success in distance learning courses.
Advisement
is recommended for all students prior to registration.
Students needing information about course selection
and/or program requirements may obtain advisement by
calling the Secretary of General Coordination
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Changing
Your Address
As
a distance learning student, you will be receiving numerous
mailings from I.A.U.’s Distance Learning Office
and from your mentor through the mail. The first time
your mentor contacts you may be to send you a syllabus
before the term begins by mail. Therefore, it is critically
important that I.A.U. have your current address, phone
number, and e-mail address.
To
change your address, send your new address in a letter
to this address:
Office
of the Registrar
Records
InterAmerican University
246 W. 38th St.
10th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Please
be sure that I.A.U. has your current telephone number
and address. Otherwise you will miss an important packet
of information about your Distance Learning experience
at I.A.U..
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Obtaining
an e-mail Account
Many
of the courses at I.A.U. require or strongly advise
that you have an e-mail account and access to the Internet.
If
you already have Internet service at home, you are ready
to go. If you do not already have an e-mail account,
you can open a free e-mail account. Your e-mail account
will give you the ability to send and receive e-mail
from any computer as well as participate in online discussions.
To
obtain a free e-mail account for students who have paid
their registration fee and/or tuition, please visit
this website:
E-mail
Account Signup: http://www.email.com
or http://www.collegeclub.com
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Ordering Textbooks
You
may purchase textbooks through the I.A.U. Bookstore
by phone, fax, or mail. You can also contact the I.A.U.
Bookstore at this e-mail address:
http://interamericanuniversity.vstorelibrary.com
Note:
Some distance learning courses use textbooks that are
different from the textbooks used by the on-campus courses.
Please check your syllabus for the correct textbook
your distance learning course will need.
When you ask for help at the Bookstore, please mention
that you are looking for a textbook for a distance learning
course.
When
you register for a distance learning course, the Distance
Learning Office will send you a packet of information.
Included in that packet is a Textbook Order form. You
can mail or fax the Textbook Order form to these addresses:
By
Mail:
I.A.U.
Bookstore
246 W. 38th St.
10th Floor
New York, NY 10018
By
Fax:
(734)
448-8254
By
Phone:
(212)
465-3434
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Paying
Tuition and Registration Fees
You
can pay your tuition and fees by mail. Your Student
Schedule and Fees Statement, which will be sent to you
after you register, states the amount of tuition you
owe. Please pay the exact amount show on your statement.
Distance
learning students enrolled in telecourses, Internet
courses, dual courses, and correspondence courses receive
ten (10) days from the date they register for classes
to pay tuition and registration fees to I.A.U.’s
Cashier’s Office. Check the Course Schedule to
determine which courses are telecourses, Internet, or
correspondence courses. Telecourses are indicated by
a "T," Internet courses by "I,"
dual courses by "D," and correspondence courses
by "C."
If
you fail to pay the exact amount of your tuition within
the ten days, you may be disenrolled from your courses.
Checks
and money orders must be payable to I.A.U. for the exact
amount and must include the student's ID number.
Providing
distance learning students with ten days to pay tuition
does not set aside a very important date—the last
date to drop a class and receive a tuition refund. The
last date to drop a class and still receive a tuition
refund is the tenth day of the term. If you drop a class
after the tenth day of the term, you will not receive
a tuition refund. Your status will be shown as "withdrawn"
from the class, and the class will show on your I.A.U.
academic transcript.
A
Tuition Payment form is included in the packet you receive
from I.A.U.'s Distance Learning Office when you register
for a distance learning course.
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Distance
Learning Packet
After
you have registered for a distance learning course,
you will receive a packet of information from I.A.U.’s
Distance Learning Office. The packet may contain the
following items:
•
Cover Letter
• Course Syllabus
• Your Student Schedule and Fee Statement
• Student Contact Sheet
• Tuition Payment form
• Book Order form
• Questions and Answers about Distance
Learning
• Telecourse rental form (included only
for students enrolled in telecourses)
• How to obtain a I.A.U. E-mail Account
• How Can You Be a Good Distance Learning
Student
Some
packets will contain the additional following information:
•
Audiotapes
• Videotapes
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Contacting
Your Mentor
Your
mentor will always contact you to answer your specific
questions about your course.
If your mentor has been unable to contact you, you must
contact your mentor. You can find your mentor’s
email address or phone number by checking these sources:
•
the Student Contact sheet, which is included in your
Distance Learning packet or
• the Distance Learning Catalog
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Distance
Learning Office
I.A.U.’s
Distance Learning Office is located within the Office
for International Coordination
The
Distance Learning Office works with the following people:
•
with faculty to prepare distance learning courses
• with Registration to schedule distance
learning courses
• with students who want to learn more
about distance learning courses
• with TAL-NET, and Cable One to schedule
telecourses
Please
contact Marisol Espaillat by phone at (212) 465-3434
or by e-mail at iauni@iauniversity.net for more information
about learning at a distance.
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Definition
of Distance Learning at I.A.U.
Distance
learning at I.A.U. involves educational and instructional
activities designed to overcome barriers of time or
space in support of I.A.U.’s missions and goals.
Instruction by distance learning has developed into
a "preferred alternative" for many people
and provided access to individuals who seek education
and training. Distance learning is an effective means
of facilitating learning, especially suited to reach
a number of busy people who wish to increase their knowledge
and skills without giving up their jobs, leaving home,
or losing income.
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I.A.U.’s
current efforts in distance learning include:
•
Telecourses televised on KNME-TV
• Correspondence study
• Video instruction
• Teleconferencing
• Cablecast of the Teach and Learn Network
(TALNet)
• Internet access
• Courses provided in the electronic classroom
• Dual courses that combine telecourses
with Internet discussions
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Counseling
Successful
distance learning students use counseling and academic
advising to help ensure their success in distance learning
courses.
Staffed
by Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), Licensed
Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC), and support
personnel, I.A.U. Counseling Services is dedicated to
providing all students with quality services. All information
resulting from counseling is held in strict confidence.
Counseling Services is committed to providing services
for all persons without regard to sex, race, national
origin.
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Study
Skills
Most
successful distance learning students are self-sufficient,
self-directed learners. They are resourceful and independent
individuals, who can balance family responsibilities,
work duties, and their academic workload by exercising
control and balance in their daily lives.
Successful
distance learners appreciate the flexibility that distance
learning courses offer. Students can watch a telecourse
video or participate in an online class discussion at
their convenience, yet they understand they must devote
the same amount of time or possibly more time to participating
in a distance learning course as they devote to a traditional
course.
Will
you:
•
organize your daily life to schedule time for learning?
•
adhere to a schedule?
•
set a priority for learning?
•
work independently?
•
ask for help when you need it?
•
take responsibility for your learning?
Will you:
•
follow the orientation session?
•
take time to read the syllabus, course schedule, or
class calendar?
•
assemble the course materials your mentor requests?
•
become familiar with all class policies?
•
ask questions when you have them?
•
complete assignments on time?
•
ask for helping managing time if you need it?
•
keep your mentor informed of issues?
•
create a master calendar for the term that shows all
assignments, tests, and reports for all your classes?
•
think about the material as you view or read?
•
schedule frequent, short review sessions?
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Computer
Access
I.A.U.
owns and operates a variety of computer, network and
telecommunication systems, which are provided for the
use of I.A.U.'s students, faculty, staff, and the public
in support of the programs of the Institute and are
to be used for instruction, learning, research, and
administrative use only. All persons using these systems
are responsible for seeing that these systems are used
in an effective, efficient, ethical, and lawful manner.
I.A.U.'s
Technology policy provides guidelines for the use of
individual systems establishes rules and prohibitions
that define acceptable use of these systems. Unacceptable
use is prohibited, and violation of these policies is
grounds for loss of privileges, as well as disciplinary
action as outlined in the I.A.U. Employee Handbook,
Student Handbook, and Supervisors' Procedure Manual
and possible legal sanctions under Federal, State, and
local laws.
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Library
Access
I.A.U.
distance learning students have many learning resources
available to help them with research and class assignments.
On
I.A.U.'s campuses, students have access to these online
databases:
•
EBSCO Host, which offers more than 1500 periodical,
magazine, and journal articles
• First Search, which contains about 60
databases, including ERIC, ABI/Inform, MedNet, and more.
From
anywhere on the Internet, students have access to the
Internet search engines, such as:
•
Yahoo
• Alta Vista
• Metacrawler
Additionally,
your local community probably offers you resources that
will round out the resources I.A.U. offers you. In your
local community, look for these local resources:
•
public libraries
• community college and university libraries
Remember
anyone can publish anything on the World Wide Web. Please
do not use information you find on the World Wide Web
for your class assignments until you have evaluated
that information for its accuracy, authority, and objectivity.
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Student
Code of Conduct
Distance
learning students must read and follow I.A.U.’s
Student Code of Conduct.
You
must respect the your classmates' and mentors' privacy
and the work or comments they produce. All assignments
you submit or tests you take must be your own work unless
your mentor has requested that you work in groups. You
may not submit work that is plagiarized or violates
copyright laws.
It
is also your responsibility to respect copyright protection
of licensed computer software.
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Distance
Learning Courses
You
can find both a current list of the distance learning
courses offered at I.A.U. as well as the list of proposed
distance learning courses for the coming term at this
website: Spring 2000 Distance Learning Courses
http://www.iauniversity.net
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Distance
Learning Mentors
Your
mentor will be immediately assigned upon registration.
He/she will be at your disposal at all times.
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How
to be an Internet Student
Do
you use a computer everyday?. When you have a problem
with your computer, do you have someone you can call
to fix it within 24 hours? Do you use your e-mail program
everyday?. Can you use a search engine like Yahoo or
Alta Vista or WebCrawler to find information on the
'Net'?. Can you send your assignment to your mentor
through an e-mail message with file attachments?. Can
you print web pages from the Internet?. Would you like
to access a bulletin board or pose questions in a chat
room?. You will use a computer, e-mail, and the Internet
everyday if you take an Internet course. You will frequently
sent assignments to your mentor through the Internet
and participate in Internet discussions.
To
successfully complete online courses, you will need
the following:
regular
access to a computer (for MMS 296C, you will need a
multimedia computer with CD-ROM, sound card, and speakers)
at least a 56.4 modem for Internet connection access
to an Internet service provider (ISP) and the World
Wide Web word processing software Netscape 7.0 or higher
or Internet Explorer 7.0 e-mail account
If
students do not have computers at home, they can use
the computers in I.A.U.'s Open Computer Labs.
Students
must be able to:
•
create, send, and receive e-mail
• use a www browser
• read web pages and follow links
• subscribe to list-servs
• post messages to bulletin boards
• participate in a chatroom
Tips
•
Send your e-mail address to your mentor as soon as possible
• Spend time learning the buttons, icons,
features of your online course before you start the
first assignment
• Create a schedule for reading online,
printing text, participating in online discussions,
completing and submitting assignments
• Do not allow yourself to get behind
• Remember when you put something off until
tomorrow, tomorrow is when your car is guaranteed to
break down, your kids will get sick, or you get unexpected
company
Communicating
with your mentor and classmates in an Internet course
is different from talking to them face-to-face. Since
all we see are the words printed on the screen, we miss
the body language and facial expressions that accompany
the words. We may not know when you are joking. Please
review your comments before you enter them and make
sure the words say what you want to convey. Once your
comments are entered, it may take some time for you
to notice the impact of your comments, and it will take
some time for you to clarify your meaning.
It
is a very good idea to follow "Netiquette"
when you are participating in an online class discussion.
Here are a few good points:
•
Follow the Golden Rule
• Don't type in ALL CAPS--that's called
shouting
• Use "Emoticons"
The
word "emoticon" is a combination of two words--emotion
and icon. They are little "emotion pictures".
Tilt your head to the left and see if you can see a
smiley face here :-)
But
sometimes we get in a hurry and forget the nose and
type :)
Sad
faces are just as easy :-( or :(
Some
people like to wink at you ;-) or ;)
Use
Emphasis
Some folks use asterisks around words you want to *emphasize*,
and we also sometimes use underlines _like this_ to
imply the phrase is underlined.
Use
Emotion Words
Sometimes
it is better yet to just use emotion words and put them
in brackets. If you were talking about my bad hair day,
you might [snicker] or [grin].
Use
a word processor, such as Word, or WordPerfect, or even
Notepad (in your Accessories folder, most likely) to
compose your posting. Get it the way you want, all spell-checked
and everything, then highlight it, (or select all) then
copy it (Control-C) then switch to the browser where
you can see the box where you want to post your message,
then paste it (Control-V). Your words will be there.
This method is for those who want to think about their
message, re-word it, play around with paragraphs, etc.
Additionally,
learn to be efficient with your e-mail. You may have
hundreds of e-mail messages before your course is completed.
Learn to keep your e-mail in separate folders. Contact
the Open Computer Labs for help.
Most
importantly--you must either have or develop
•
finely-tuned time management skills
• independent-learning skills
Related
Links:
Emoticons:
http://w3.I.A.U..cc.nm.us/~chem/email.html
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Open Computer Labs
If
students do not have computers at home, they can use
the computers in I.A.U.'s Open Computer Labs.
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How to be a Telecourse Student
Telecourse
students watch videotapes on certain channels to hear
course material. However, merely watching a television
program is not learning. Watching the videotape is a
part of learning. You must watch the videotapes with
a purpose in mind. You must do something with the information
after you watch the television. Your mentor's syllabus
and your telecourse study guide will help you form a
purpose for watching the videotapes.
Your
mentor may require you to also participate in online
class discussions or come to campus for orientations,
tests, and writing exercises. Your syllabus will tell
what your course requirements are.
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Evaluating
Your Courses
Because
distance learning at I.A.U. is a new initiative, the
mentors and the Distance Learning Office would like
to hear your thoughts about your experience as a distance
learning student. Your thoughts will help I.A.U. improve
the services and courses offered to you through distance
learning. Your input is crucial.
Please
share your thoughts about distance learning courses.
Here are the ways you can.
1.
Toward the end of each term, the Distance Learning Office
will mail out a survey to each distance learning student.
Please fill out the survey and return it to the Distance
Learning Office in the envelope provided. Your answers
will be kept anonymous and will not influence your grade
in your course.
2. Please informally share with us what it was like
for you to be a distance learning student. Talk to the
Distance Learning Office.
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Using
WebCT
Some
of your courses will use WebCT. WebCT stands for World
Wide Web Course Tools. Some mentors use WebCT to post
their syllabi, course calendar, online quizzes and to
conduct online class discussions.
WebCT
courses are password-protected. Your teacher may create
your password and account for you or ask you to create
your own password and account.
For
some tips on getting started with WebCT, click here.
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Distance
Learning Delivery Fees
The
I.A.U. Governing Board has established the following
fees for students enrolling in Distance Learning Courses
effective Spring Term 2003. These fees are charged per
course in addition to regular tuition and fees.
1-4 credit hours: $30 per credit hour per course
5 or more credit hours: $120 per course
These
fees do not apply to courses taught in the Electronic
Classrooms.
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