Hannibal-LaGrange
College Online College
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What programs are offered now and what programs are planned for the future?
2. Where do I get information about financial aid?
3. How
do I apply for online courses?
4. How will I be advised?
5. How do I register for a course?
6. Where do I get information about payments for my online courses?
7. What are the minimum hardware/software requirements for success in an online course?
8. How do I log onto my online course(s)?
9. What is the time frame that I am required to log
into my course(s)?
10. If I register for a course and then decide not to take it or to complete it, how
do I drop the
course and what is the refund policy?
11. Will I have face to face meetings with my professor?
12. How
many sessions will I have in my course?
13. How will
I take tests? Are they open book or on campus?
14. Will I
have meetings involving all the students in my class?
15. Will
there be a tutorial or instruction regarding use of the electronic
library?
16. Will I need to be self-directed in order to succeed in online learning?
17. How do I get help for technical assistance for the online course?
18. Tips
for Being a Successful Online Learner
Need additional/general information?
Email: HLGonline@HLG.edu
1. What programs are
offered now and what programs are planned for the future?
Currently HLG offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program for Registered Nurses. The BSN program consists of major courses, support courses, and electives. Most of our online courses are 3-credit hour courses that are taken in an eight-week term.
2. Where do I get information
about financial aid?
For more information about aid go to http://www.hlg.edu/Admiss/financialaid.php. The Financial Aid Office
can also be contacted by calling 573-629-3279
3. How do I apply
for online courses?
If you have not previously applied to and been accepted as a student, an online application
is available here.
.
4. How will I be
advised?
Initial advisement will be
carried out by the Director of Online Programs, Carol Bunch. You will later be assigned
a faculty advisor in your selected program. Advising will be done by
email and/or telephone. You can contact Carol Bunch by email at cbunch@hlg.edu or by phone at 573-629-3107.
5. How do I
register for a course?
The HLG Online
Coordinator will assist you in registering for courses. To start the
course registration process, simply contact:
Caroll Bunch
Director of Online Programs
cbunch@hlg.edu
573-629-3107
6. Where do I get information about payments for my online
courses?
Tuition for HLG Online is $319 per credit
hour. Hannibal-LaGrange College makes available a payment plan called
FACTS which can be accessed on the Financial Aid Page. The payment agreement must
be signed and returned to complete registration. Any amount due from the
student, for which Hannibal-LaGrange has not received verification of a third
party payment source, must be paid prior to the start of the second class
period.
7. What are
the minimum hardware/software requirements for success in an online course?
You probably will not experience problems taking your online course if your computer was purchased in the last 3 years. The minimum recommended hardware and software requirements for a computer (both PC and Mac) are:
Hardware and Software |
PC |
Mac |
Operating System |
Windows 2000 or higher |
Mac OS 8.0 |
Memory |
256 MB |
256 MB |
CPU |
500 MHz or higher |
Power Mac G3 or higher |
Free Disk Space |
10 MB or more |
10 MB or more |
Browser |
Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Netscape Navigator 7.1 or higher, Mozilla 1.4 or higher |
Netscape Navigator 7.1 or higher, Mozilla 1.4 or higher. |
Browser Settings |
JavaScript enabled
Popup blockers disabled Cookies enabled |
JavaScript enabled
Popup blockers disabled Cookies enabled |
Productivity Software |
MS Office or viewers |
MS Office or viewers |
Internet Connection |
56K modem (DSL recommended) |
56K modem (DSL recommended) |
Other |
Sound card and speakers (microphone and webcam recommended) |
Sound card and speakers (microphone and webcam recommended) |
Regardless, you will need to make sure the computer you’ll be using is prepared for class. To prepare your computer, you will need to: get the latest downloads, remove spyware, and set your browser.
8. How do I log onto my online course(s)?
The HLG Online Coordinator monitors and obtains the
registered online student list. Once the student registers an online course, an
email is sent with the student's username and password.
9. What is the
time frame that I am required to log into my course(s)?
Online
courses require attendance at any scheduled chat times, participation in
discussion threads, and submission of all assignments and evaluations according
to the schedule in the syllabus.
The deadline for registering for a
course is prior to the beginning of the second week of the course. Students who do not log into
their course(s) prior to the second official week and who have NOT previously
notified the professor of their absence will be automatically dropped from the
course.
10. If I register for a course and then decide not to take
it or to complete it, how do I drop the course and what is the refund policy?
If you register for a course
and then decide to withdraw from it, you will need to send an email to the
Registrar dthomason@hlg.edu and also the
course instructor saying that you wish to drop the course. If the email message
is received by the Registrar prior to the beginning of the second week of the
course, the course will be removed from your transcript and you will receive a
100% refund of tuition paid (minus an administration fee of $50). If the message
to drop is received during the second week of class, you will receive a 90%
refund, during the third week a 50% refund, and during the fourth week, a 25%
refund. Any course dropped from the second through the fourth week will have a
transcript notation of “W” (withdrew). Any course dropped from the fifth through
the sixth week will receive notations of either “WP” (withdrew while passing) or
“WF” (withdrew while failing).
There is no refund for courses
dropped after the fourth week of the eight-week term.
(NOTE: Each new week begins at
8:00 a.m. CST on each succeeding Monday morning.)
11. Will I have face
to face meetings with my professor?
No. Contacts will occur through email, the chat rooms, and discussion board within
the course.
12. How many sessions will I have in my course?
Most courses are
organized with weekly chat sessions that require all students to be online with
the instructor at the same time (synchronous) as well as discussion postings and
other elements that can be done at times chosen by each student (asynchronous).
In an eight week course you can expect at least 8 synchronous sessions.
13. How will I take tests? Are they open book or on campus?
Some tests may be
given, but courses will usually have a number of graded elements such as papers,
projects, and reports that can be used in evaluating the student’s progress. The
tests that are used will be administered online and instructors will determine
the format.
14. Will I have meetings involving all the students in my
class?
Students will engage
with classmates through the discussion boards within the course. For instance,
the instructor might pose a topic for the weeks discussion and then each student
will be expected to offer his or her views on the topic and respond to each
other by means of postings to a discussion board feature of the course. In some
cases students may be organized into discussion or project groups in which the
interaction will be just with group members instead of the whole class.
15. Will there be a tutorial or instruction regarding use of
the electronic library?
Yes, you will be
required to complete an online tutorial prior to beginning your course.
16. Will I need to be self-directed in order to succeed
in online learning?
Yes. The course will
provide structured learning experiences but only your work and effort will
determine how you meet the course’s objectives.
17. How do I get help for technical assistance for the online course?
Contact the Help Center by dialing 1.866.259.4329.
18. Tips for Being a
Successful Online Learner
1.
Be self-motivated and self-disciplined. With
the freedom and flexibility of the online environment comes responsibility. The
online process takes a real commitment and discipline to keep up with the flow
of the process.
2.
Log on to your course every single day...or a
minimum of 3-5 days a week. Once you get into the online system, you will be
eager to see who has commented on your postings and read the feedback of your
instructor and peers. You will also be curious to see who has posted something
new that you can comment on. If you let too many days go by without logging on
to your course discussion group, you will get behind and find it very difficult
to catch up.
3.
Be polite and respectful.Just
because you are anonymous, doesn't mean you should let yourself go. Remember,
you are dealing with real people on the other end. Being polite and respectful
is not only common sense, it is absolutely obligatory for a productive and
supportive online environment. In a positive online environment, you will feel
valued by your instructor, valued by your classmates, and your own work will
have greater value as well.
4.
Be willing and able to commit to 4 to 6 hours per week per course.
5.
Be able to communicate through writing. In the
virtual classroom, nearly all communication is written, so it is critical that
learners feel comfortable in expressing themselves in writing. Be sure to use
the spell check before posting responses.
6.
Be willing to "speak up" if problems arise. Many
of the non-verbal communication mechanisms that instructors use in determining
whether learners are having problems (confusion, frustration, boredom, absence,
etc.) are not possible in the online paradigm. If a learner is experiencing
difficulty on any level (either with the technology or with the course content),
s/he must communicate this immediately. Otherwise the instructor will never
know what is wrong.
7.
Be able to meet the minimum requirements for the program. The
requirements for online are no less than that of any other quality educational
program. The successful learner will view online as a convenient way to receive
their education, not an easier way.
8.
Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process. The
learning process requires the learner to make decisions based on facts as well
as experience. Assimilating information and executing the right decisions
requires critical thought.
9.
Have access to a computer and a modem. The
communication medium is a computer, phone line, and modem; the learner must have
access to the necessary equipment.
10. Be able to think ideas through before responding. Meaningful and quality input into the virtual classroom is an essential part of
the learning process. Time is given in the process to allow for the careful
consideration of responses. The testing and challenging of ideas is encouraged;
you will not always be right, just be prepared to accept a challenge.
11. Be open-minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as
part of the learning process. Introverts as well as extroverts find that online learning requires them to
utilize their experiences. This forum for communication eliminates the visual
barriers that hinder some individuals in expressing themselves. In addition,
the learner is given time to reflect on the information before responding.
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