Q. | What is the Electronic Campus? |
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The Electronic Campus is gaining a reputation as the nation's most successful marketplace of distance learning courses, programs and services. With hundreds of colleges and universities offering thousands of accredited courses and nearly 400 degree programs, the Electronic Campus is the place to start for distance learning. Courses and programs are offered in a variety of disciplines and at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Among the fields represented are business, education, computer science and nursing.
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Q. | Who can visit this campus? |
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Anyone with Internet access can visit hundreds of the South's best colleges and universities in a single afternoon. Anywhere in the world, people can visit the Electronic Campus at www.electroniccampus.org and enroll in courses offered by many of the best colleges and universities in 16 states. The Electronic Campus gives students the freedom to choose courses they want to take and the colleges or universities at which they would like to take them. Potential students search the Electronic Campus for courses that will meet their needs. They then can move, with the click of a computer mouse, to the websites of the colleges or universities that are offering the courses and can find information about enrollment, credit transfer, scholarships and student services.
The Electronic Campus is beneficial to people who want to obtain a degree, gain new job skills or add to their job skills, and its flexibility enables them to take courses wherever and whenever convenient for them. A student enrolled in courses through the Electronic Campus never worries about finding a parking space on campus.
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Q. | What does the Electronic Campus help me do? |
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The Electronic Campus brings college programs and courses from across the South as close as your computer. You can:
- Search by college or university, discipline, level, and state for more detailed information, including course descriptions and how the programs and courses are delivered.
- Learn about educational opportunities
- Identify programs and courses that are available electronically
- Select the campuses and/or e-learning opportunities that best match your needs and characteristics
- Plan to meet the admission requirements for these campuses or e-learning opportunities
- Apply online for admission
- Understand financial aid eligibility and opportunities
- Apply online for financial aid
- Select an educational program as part of career planning
- Establish direct communications between yourself and campuses
- Research and enroll in e-learning opportunities through the hundreds of participating colleges and universities from the 16 member states
The Electronic Campus will connect you to the sponsoring accredited college or university that will provide you with detailed information about:
- Admissions
- Credit transfer
- How programs and courses are delivered
- Financial aid
- Prerequisites and other enrollment matters
- Refunds
- Registration
- Tuition and fees
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Q. | Are credits earned through participating Electronic Campus colleges and universities valid? |
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All courses and programs are offered by accredited colleges and universities in the SREB states and meet the Principles of Good Practice developed by the Electronic Campus.
Visit the Transferring Academic Credit page for more information.
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Q. | What is the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus? |
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Building on the nearly 30 year history and success of SREB's Academic Common Market (ACM) program, the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus (ACM/EC) provides a similar benefit to residents of all 16 SREB states-in-state tuition. Both programs provide students with the opportunity to pursue selected degree programs that are not available in their home state from an institution in another SREB state at in-state tuition rates. Programs in the ACM require the student to physically relocate to the out-of-state campus. The ACM/EC provides the opportunity to pursue students via e-learning. States and students alike enjoy significant savings through the program. States do not have to provide costly, specialized programs that are available to their residents through the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus initiative, and students who enroll in other states' programs do not have to pay the higher tuition rates usually charged to out-of-state students. Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus waivers of out-of-state tuition are available only if certain conditions are met:
- No public college or university in the student's home state (state of residence) offers a degree program in his or her chosen field of study
- The program is available in another SREB state that participates in the ACM/EC.
- The program is available through distance learning.
- The student meets admissions requirements of the college or university that offers the program.
- The student is certified as a resident of his or her home state.
The number of programs constantly changes. Participating states select eligible programs to offer to students in other states, and they determine which programs they will make available for their own residents. All programs have been reviewed for inclusion in the Electronic Campus. They must meet the Principles of Good Practice and SREB and state standards for quality.
Effective June 1, 2004 and for a period of one year the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus program will conduct a pilot effort wherein states may make available in the Academic Common Market/Electronic Campus distance-delivered associate degree programs.
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Q. | How do I register for a course in the Electronic Campus? |
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The first step in registering for any course offered in our catalog is to contact the institution offering the course. The course contact information is listed with the course information and the name of the institution is linked to the institution's contact information.
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Q. | Do I have to apply for admission to the institution? |
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You will find the answer to this question on the course or program description page. Whether you need to apply for admission will vary and depend on several factors.
- Are you planning on taking several courses from this institution or just one?
- Does the new institution offer special student registration for those interested in only taking a couple of courses (up to 12 hours) and not completely transferring to the new institution?
- What are the rules of your home institution?
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Q. | What is the cost to take a distance-learning course? |
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The institution that offers the course determines the tuition cost. The course for each course or program is listed on the course description page. Most courses charge out-of-state tuition if you are not a resident of the offering institution's state. SREB has promoted among participating colleges and universities the establishment of a single tuition rate-electronic tuition rate-and courses available at the single rate are designated with an "E" in the cost column.
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Q. | Are these courses transferable? |
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Credits earned in programs and courses offered through the Electronic Campus are transferable. The acceptance of credits and the use of credits for program requirements are governed by the college or university to which the credits are being transferred. You should consult the college or university for specific policies about credit transfer. All programs and courses have been reviewed by the participating colleges and universities against a common standard, the Principles of Good Practice, developed by the Electronic Campus. The Electronic Campus does not control the policies and procedures of individual colleges or universities, but it does require participating colleges and universities to provide prospective students with information on enrollment and tuition.
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Q. | Can I take any course I want? |
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Yes, if you meet recognized general requirements (e.g. have a high school diploma or GED to take an undergraduate level course and a bachelor's degree to take a graduate level course) and meet any prerequisite requirements. You would not, for example, be allowed to take an advanced course if you had no earlier coursework, say to take an advanced accounting course if you have not taken introductory accounting. If you are trying to complete a degree program, you need to make sure your home institution will accept the credit and that the course will meet whatever requirement you are seeking to fulfill.
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Q. | Can students with disabilities take distance learning courses? |
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Students with disabilities can definitely take distance learning courses. Requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities or limitations should be made prior to the date of the program or activity for which it is needed. Please do so as early as possible prior to the program or activity so that proper arrangements can be made. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the program coordinator or the office giving the program. Requests are kept confidential.
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Q. | What kind of equipment do I need to take online courses? |
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The technology requirement of the online course will depend on the nature of the course. Please refer to the institution's website for the detailed information on technology requirement. For example, a higher grade of computer will be needed for a graphic arts course when compared to that needed for a writing course.
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Q. | Do online courses limit the number of students who can enroll? |
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Like a traditional classroom, online courses typically have a limited number of seats. It is important for you to enroll as soon as possible to maximize your chances of getting into your chosen course before it fills up. Often courses fill up before the registration period is complete-don't assume that because there is still time left to register for a given semester, there are still openings in all courses.
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Q. | What does it mean to be a student in an online course? |
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In many ways, taking an online course is like taking a face-to-face course. Both feature individual assignments and cooperative group projects, and both require you to take exams to show that you are learning the course material. The instructor and students interact via e-mail and web pages.
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Q. | How do you participate in an online course? |
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Discussion: You will be asked to spend time participating in online discussions with the instructor and the other students. These discussions, in which you will respond to other students' comments, play a central role in the learning experiences. Students who might find raising their hand in an in-class discussion difficult, find it easier in an online course to participate in discussions.
Team projects: You may also be asked to participate in team projects. Team members will rely on you to participate and contribute to the projects.
Homework: You will be expected to do the same amount of homework you might do in a face-to-face class. You are responsible for keeping up with the workload so that you can be an active participant in online discussions.
An online course is a unique opportunity to meld your individual learning pace and style with a structured course timeline.
Unlike the situation in most face-to-face courses, where you attend class, listen to lectures, and perhaps not play an active role in discussion, the assignments in the online courses require your participation. Keeping up with reading and other homework is very important. It will be harder for you to contribute meaningful, timely comments to the online discussions if you fall behind. By setting aside specific times each week for engaging in course participation activities you can stay on top of the course work.
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Q. | How often will I need to be online? |
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A good rule of thumb is to log on at least daily to check announcements and review online materials. How long you need to remain online depends on the activities for that session.
Check each course schedule to see when certain assignments are due, when discussions are held, and when projects begin and end. Each course offers its own explicit schedules. Your presence in the course will be apparent when you participate in discussions and do online assignments. It is crucial that you keep up to date by reading all lecture materials and posted comments before interacting online.
The following lists illustrate examples of tasks you will conduct online and off-line:
Online tasks:
- finding and printing assignments and lecture notes
- reading or downloading online resources such as library materials & websites
- e-mail interaction with professor
- online discussion groups or e-mail exchange with other enrolled students
Off-line tasks:
- reading assignments, textbooks, articles, etc.
- working on problems
- synthesizing materials and crafting outlines
- writing papers (that can be attached to e-mail upon completion)
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Q. | How do I take exams in an online course? |
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Most instructors post tests online, but some use paper-and-pencil testing. Contact the institution that provides the online course for more information. You may be required to have an exam "proctored," i.e. taken at a location at a specific time with an individual monitoring your exam-your instructor will inform you of any such requirement and procedures for securing a proctor.
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Q. | Is an online course like a correspondence course? |
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No. Some institutions have online courses that are like correspondence courses in that the student has a year to complete the work and works independently. However, most of the institutions try to capture the excitement and learning environment of a face-to-face classroom in the online course. Most institutions require student-to-student and student-to-professor interaction, and those requirements impose upon our students a need to work on a regular schedule.
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Q. | Are there tips for succeeding in online courses? |
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Although online courses are asynchronous (i.e. people are not online at the same time), there are deadlines. You will need to e-mail individual assignments on time.
You will need to add to discussions and reply to other students' comments.
Are there "rules" for participating in an online course?
Please see "Online Etiquette" and check with the professor administering your course for any special institutional rules.
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Q. | What is SREB? |
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The Southern Regional Education Board is the nation's oldest compact for education. Its programs are designed to improve K-12 education and higher education in its 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Need more information?
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If you have other questions or need clarification, please visit the Electronic Campus at www.electroniccampus.org or send e-mail to electroniccampus@sreb.org You may call the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta at (404) 875-9211; ask to speak to someone associated with the Electronic Campus.
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