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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsStudent
Guide
Policies and Procedures for Distance Education
Office of Distance Education
Dakota State University
201A Karl E. Mundt Library
Madison, SD 57042-1799
(605) 256-5049
800-641-4309
Fax: (605) 256-5208
Email: dsuinfo@pluto.dsu.edu
Table Of Contents
A.
Registration
for a Course
B. Course
Payment
C. Procurement
of Course Materials
D. Access
to Course Information
E. Drop
and Refund Policy
F. Library
Resources and Services
G. OWL
Online Writing Lab
H. Proctoring
of Examinations
I. Mid-term
Grades
J. Administration
of SOS
K. Final
Grades and Transcripts
L. Advising
M. How
a Distance Education Course Works
A. Registration for a Course
Distance Students are encouraged to register for distance education courses on the web-based registration form at www.courses.dsu.edu/disted/register.htm. Registrations can be taken over the phone, toll free at 800-641-4309, by fax at 605-256-5208, or in person at the Office of Distance Education or at Enrollment Services in Heston Hall.
No student will be allowed to continue in a course unless officially registered, whether for college credit or as an auditor, by deadlines specified in the academic calendar and posted on the Distance Education web site. Students must meet course prerequisites.
DSU students will register for distance education courses through the pre-registration process currently in place. DSU campus students must have written permission from the instructor to register for the course. Students who are probation or are conditional admits to the University are restricted from taking online courses.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsB. Course Payment
Payment of tuition and fees is required by the established due date (which in
most cases is the first day of the semester). Any student whose payment is not
received by the established due date will have his or her course(s) canceled.
Students registering during the drop/add period must pay tuition and fees upon
receipt of the statement. A secure server for credit card payment from the
registration form is available and in place.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsC. Procurement of Course Materials
Students may order their materials from the DSU Bookstore from their Web site: http://www.dsubookstore.com
or from the link on the Distance Education website. A secure server is in
place for credit card transactions. Orders can also be made by phone at
800-641-4309 or (605) 256-5238 and fax (605) 256-7127. The following information
is needed to complete an order for texts and materials:
Course Name
CRN number of the course
Title of the Book
Author
ISBN
Edition
Publisher
Student Name
Ship to Address
Credit Card Number (Visa, MasterCard, Discover)
Credit Card expiration date
A shipping and handling charge of $5 for one book, $2.50 for each additional in the same shipment is added . An additional 6% sales tax is added for South Dakota residents.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsD. Access to Course Information
Upon receipt of the official class roster, the instructor will contact the
students by e-mail. Instructors will provide the students with the information
to access the course. If the instructor has not contacted the student
within 48 hours of the course start date, please contact the Office of Distance
Education at 800-641-4309 or dsuinfo@pluto.dsu.edu
to determine the problem.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsE. Drop and Refund Policy
Class Schedule Changes
A student may request necessary class changes only during the scheduled drop/add session indicated in the academic calendar and posted on the Distance Education Web site. The class change is official only after the completed drop/add form is approved by the Registrar. A distance student can email the Office of Distance Education with the request to drop/add in place of a form. Until notification is received, the instructor considers the student is registered for the original course.
Full tuition and fees refund is made for courses officially dropped during the drop/add period. Drops made after the late registration period are considered class withdrawals.
Class Withdrawal
Refund for Dropped Course - A student receives a 100% refund of tuition and fees for dropped courses within the drop/add period as outlined in the university class schedule per term. Any course during a standard semester which is less time than the standard semester shall be treated as a non-standard semester course for refund purposes. No refund shall be provided for courses dropped after that time by other than administrative action. Courses offered during summer school session are considered non-standard courses. The refund schedule for non-standard terms of enrollment is outlined in the class schedule of that term.
Students withdrawing from school must follow the procedure in the next section.
Withdrawal from the University
To withdraw from all online courses for a term is to withdraw from the
University. The Office of Distance Education must be contacted in order to
initiate a student withdrawal and to notify the appropriate instructors and
offices and process the withdrawal. Effective
date of the withdrawal is the date the request is initiated.
Failure to officially withdraw results in failing grades in all
courses and forfeiture of any possible refund. Failure to officially
withdraw can also impact Federal financial aid eligibility. Additionally,
a student is considered withdrawn during a term if classes have begun and the
university had administratively withdrawn a student for reasons such as
non-payment of tuition, disciplinary sanctions, etc.
Student Refund Policy
Dakota State University tuition and fees refunds are made in accordance with the
South Dakota Board of Regents Policy for all students and Federal Title IV
Regulations for first-time students receiving Federal financial aid.
Refund for Complete Withdrawal from the University
q The South Dakota Board of Regents Refund Policy determines the refund calculation used for any student withdrawing from the university during the first sixty percent of the term.
q Students who withdraw, drop out, or are expelled from the institution within the drop/add period of the term receive a 100% refund of tuition and fees.
q Students who withdraw, drop out, or are expelled from the institution after the seventh instructional class day of a standard term of enrollment for which they are assessed may be entitled to a refund as set forth herein.
q Students who withdraw after sixty percent of the term has been completed receive no refunds.
Students Who Do Not Receive Federal Title IV Financial Aid -
Students who do not receive Federal Title IV financial aid and withdraw from a university may be entitled to a refund of tuition and fees and institutional charges calculated through sixty percent of an enrollment period. The refund shall be determined by computing the percentage of an enrollment period remaining after the date of withdrawal times the tuition and fees and institutional fees originally assessed the student. Dates of withdrawal will be determined in the same manner as is done for students receiving Title IV federal financial aid. At no time will refunds be awarded after the 60% point of the enrollment period.
2. Students Who Receive Federal Financial Aid - The U. S. Department of Education requires all institutions to use the Return of (Federal) Title IV Funds Regulation as our policy used in calculating refunds for students who receive Federal Title IV student financial aid withdrawing from school during the first sixty percent of the term. Title IV funds refers to the federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and includes the following programs: Federal Stafford Loan, Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Grants and other Title IV Assistance.
A student’s withdrawal date is 1). When the student began the withdrawal process or officially notified DSU of intent to withdraw by contacting the Office of Distance Education; or 2). The Office of Distance Education becomes officially aware the student ceased attendance without providing written notification to the university because of illness, grievous personal loss, other such circumstances beyond the student’s control, the date on which the university determines is related to that circumstance; or 3). The date the student fails to meet the terms of a repayment agreement while maintaining his or her eligibility for Federal funds; or 4). The midpoint of the period for a student who leaves without notifying DSU; or 5). The date on which a student begins an academic leave of absence (DSU does not have academic leaves of absence) or 6). At DSU’s option, the student’s last documented date of academically-related activity.
Return of Title IV Funds is based on “earned” and “unearned” financial aid as related to the period of time the student is enrolled. Institutional charges comprise the amounts that had been assessed (paid or unpaid) and are not used in determining the Return of Title IV funds for a withdrawing student. During the first 60% of the period (academic term) a student “earns” Title IV funds and other applicable aid on a per diem prorated manner based on a percentage of the enrolled period by dividing the number of days a student attended by the number of days in the period. Calendar dates are used, except breaks of at least 5 days are excluded from the calculation. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns all aid (100%) for the period.
The “unearned” Title IV funds must be returned to the aid programs. Unearned aid is the amount of disbursed Title IV aid that exceeds the amount of Title IV aid earned based on attendance in the enrollment period. Uncoverable charges are derived from the unearned percentage calculation for the period multiplied by the institutional charges.
Repayment of unearned aid is first paid by any unearned (refunded) institutional charges. The student owes the difference between the total unearned amount and the refunded institutional charges.
Return of (Federal) Title IV funds , by programs disbursed, are allocated in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Stafford Loan. Federal Perkins Loan, PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Grant, other Title IV assistance, other federal sources of aid, other state, institutional, and private aid, and last to the student.
Responsibilities
q DSU is responsible for providing information on the Return of Title IV Funds policy and procedure to students. Procedures for 100% withdrawal from DSU are available in the Office of Student Services which includes steps to exit the university and to document your official withdrawal date. DSU is also responsible to complete calculations of the Return of Title IV Funds for federal financial aid recipients who are withdrawing from DSU and to return any Title IV funds to the respective (Federal) Title IV fund accounts.
q The student is responsible to repay any Title IV funds that the student was determined to be ineligible for via the Return of Title IV funds calculation.
Military Service – Withdrawal Without Penalty
Students required to withdraw from state supported institutions before completing a semester may receive credit or refund privileges if they are regularly enrolled and belong to a military unit called for duty or are drafted and not eligible for deferment, and, the discontinuance of class attendance is on the last practicable day before reporting for duty as determined by the college or university in which they are enrolled. Eligible students who are required to report for military duty not earlier than four 4 calendar weeks prior to the date a semester ends as stated in the official catalog of the institution, or after completion of at least seventy-five per cent 75% of the enrollment period in a non-standard semester course, may, when authorized by the instructor, be given full credit for all courses for which they have an average of “C’ or better. Eligible students who receive credit or an incomplete for any course for which they are enrolled shall not be entitled to any refund of tuition or fees paid. Eligible students who do not receive an incomplete or credit for a course in which they are enrolled shall be entitled to a full refund of tuition and academic fees.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsF. Library Resources and Services
Students are provided easy and timely access to the resources and services of
the Karl E. Mundt Library. Help may
be obtained by sending e-mail to smithr@pluto.dsu.edu
or to kintighr@pluto.dsu.edu, or by
phoning 800-641-4309 (between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, CST) or
605-256-5203, or by faxing (605-256-5208).
Full instructions for accessing library information for distance students
are found on the Library’s web site www.departments.dsu.edu/library/distance%20students.htm.
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G. Online Writing Lab (OWL)
The Dakota State University Online Writing Lab (OWL) provides writing
assistance to students and faculty on the DSU campus and to students in remote
locations. The DSU Writing Lab exists only online and is located on the
World Wide Web at http://www.departments.dsu.edu/liberal/OWL.
DSU's OWL efforts are unique because they work with faculty as well as students.
Aided by the OWL Directors Michelle Glaros and Julie Smith, the DSU faculty
works hand-in-hand with the OWL to improve the quality of instruction and
learning on the DSU campus. Most faculty members using writing in their courses
provide copies of their assignments to the OWL so that the tutors can provide
appropriate help to those requesting it. The OWL directors, tutors, and
cooperating faculty meet at least twice a semester.
The OWL is becoming a vital service for DSU's Distance Education courses with
the courses being taught via the Internet. The OWL is adding tutors skilled in
subjects other than writing and hopes to become an online instructional support
service.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsH. Proctoring Examinations
An instructor who plans to use proctored examinations in courses will
e-mail, and/or post on the course Web site, the proctor verification form and
guidelines to the student in advance of the exam. The student is responsible for
obtaining a proctor for exams and for completing the proctor verification form
and returning it to the instructor.
Once the instructor has approved the proctor the examination is sent to the proctor. The student must take the exam in the presence of the proctor. The proctor returns the exam to the instructor for grading.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsI. Mid-term Grades
Distance Education course mid-term grades are processed by the
instructor. Please refer to the
course syllabus for information on course mid-terms.
Students receiving deficient grades (D, F, NC) at mid-term will receive a
grade report mailed to them and a copy sent to their academic advisor.
Students are encouraged to withdraw from the course(s) by the deadline
published in the semester calendar and posted on the Distance Education web
site.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsJ. Administration of Student Opinion Survey
(SOS)
The agreement between the Board of Regents and the Council of Higher
Education requires that students be provided an opportunity to express their
opinion concerning classroom instruction through the Student Opinion Survey.
All students will be asked to complete an electronic version of the Student Opinion Survey (SOS) prior to the end of the semester. Students receive instructions about completing the SOS and about returning the form to the Assessment Office. All surveys remain confidential.
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to Student Guide Table Of ContentsK. Final Grades and Transcripts
An official grade report of the final course grade will be available to the student via telephone. Information on requesting an official transcript is provided on the Distance Education web site.
To request an official DSU transcript: All current and former students of
Dakota State University are entitled to official transcripts of their work at DSU unless the student has an outstanding obligation to the University. Students with outstanding obligations will not be issued official transcripts until that obligation is met. With a written request and signature, students may obtain an official transcript of their academic record at Dakota State University. The charge is $5.00 per transcript. Students may fax official transcript requests, providing MasterCard, Visa, or Discover Card information and with signature to Enrollment Services, Heston Hall, Dakota State University, Madison, SD 57042. The fax number is 605-256-5020.
Up
to Student Guide Table Of ContentsL. Advising
Online advising will help you clarify your academic and career goals, and
which courses you should take to fulfill those goals. Online advising can also
answer questions about the courses that you are currently taking. E-mail your
advising questions to advising@pluto.dsu.edu
and your e-mail will be answered as soon as possible. Online advising can also
be reached by calling 1-800-641-4309 or 605-256-5049 between the hours of 8:00
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Central Time), Monday through Friday.
Up
to Student Guide Table Of ContentsM. How a Distance Education Course Works
Once you have registered and paid for your course, and have obtained
the proper book, you need only to watch your e-mail. The instructor will e-mail
you with instructions and the URL address to the course. .
The course syllabus and other pertinent information will be found on the
course web site. Your main
communication with the instructor will be by e-mail.
Instructors are also available by phone during their online office hours
and can be contacted toll-free at 800-641-4309. Your questions will be answered in a timely manner. Samples
of online courses are available at www.courses.dsu.edu/disted/samplecourses.htm.
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Back to
DSU Student Services
A Survey to Improve Our Course Quality
Spring 2000
The Office of Distance Education would like to collect some information from you to help improve the online courses. Please complete the form once for each course. If you have taken more than one course, please evaluate each of them. All input will remain confidential.
If you have any questions please call the office at 256-5409 or 1-800-641-4309 or email us at dsuinfo@pluto.dsu.edu. We thank you for your time and help.
1. Contact a person qualifying as a suitable proctor and ask him or her to proctor your examination. If the person agrees, arrange a date, time, and place for the exam. You must pay any expenses involved.
2. Complete the information required on the request for examination form on the web page and send it to the Distance Education Office or the instructor.
3. If your proctor is not associated with Dakota State University, please see instructions under “Securing a Suitable Proctor.”
4. Notify this office immediately if you cannot take a scheduled exam.
5. Your selected proctor is instructed to return an exam two weeks after the scheduled date if it has not been taken.
If you are unable to take your examination(s) at a Dakota State location or at the Distance Education Office, you must arrange to have your examination(s) supervised by an appropriate proctor. Verification of the proctor’s position must accompany the request-for-examination form found on the web site. Suitable proctors are listed below.
1. A full-time member of the teaching faculty or an educational administrator of DSU. Faculty members of administrators may also designate other individuals in education as proctor; such designation must be submitted in writing to the Department of Distance Education.
2. For South Dakota residents, a high school superintendent, supervising principal, principal, or an Intermediate Unit administrator whose name appears in the Education Directory of the DSU Department of Education. Please note that only superintendents, principals, and Intermediate Unit administrators are listed in the directory.
3. A member of the teaching faculty or an educational administrator of any regionally accredited institution of higher education. The student must submit a page from the institution’s directory or catalog that lists not only the proctor’s name and title, but also the institution’s name. A photocopy of the catalog or directory page is adequate: the photocopy must show the institution as well as the name and title of the proctor. It is acceptable to submit a letter on official letterhead verifying the position of the designated faculty member or educational administrator. Such documentation must accompany the request-for-examination form. Please do not submit proctor verification with your registration form. Submit verification with your exam-request form only.
4. An elementary or high school teacher, or school librarian, provided you submit a letter on official letterhead from the individual’s principal or superintendent verifying his or her position. A photocopy of a teacher’s certification is not sufficient.
NOTE: Currently employed teachers may not request a fellow teacher to proctor their examinations. Superintendents or principals from the same school district are acceptable (refer to item 2).
5. For students outside the state of South Dakota, any educational administrator holding a position similar to those described above whose name appears in a directory or catalog. You must submit a page showing the proctor’s title, as well as the institution’s name along with the request-for-examination form.
6. A librarian who holds a library science degree may act as a proctor. Submit a letter written by this individual’s supervisor on official letterhead from the library system in which he or she is employed. The letter must include verification of the proctor’s employment, highest degree earned, and job title.
7. For personnel of the Armed Forces, any commissioned officer of higher rank than the student, a base commander, a noncommissioned officer in command of a military post, an educational officer, or a base librarian. A letter must accompany the exam request on official letterhead from the base commander (or an authorized representative) verifying the proctor’s position.
8. An eligible proctor for a 5000-series unit level of a credit-free course for industrial training may be the employee’s immediate supervisor, foreman, manager, or company educational manager.
9. For a supervised high school student enrolled in a high school level course, the assigned supervisor will proctor all of your examinations.
10. For courses requiring a preceptor (or clinical instructor), the preceptor will act as your proctor.
11. Credit-free course examinations may be proctored by anyone described above.
NOTE: Your relatives are not permitted to proctor your examinations.
Dakota
State University
Department of Distance Education
Verification of Proctor Form
Print or type this information Date
COURSE: EXAMINATION:
Student Information: Dakota State degree-CAMPUS
Name_________________________________ Soc. Sec. # ______________
Address - Street __________________________________________________________
City ________________________________ State _________ Zip _________________
Phone number during business hours _________________________________________
Area code number
Proctor Information: (Relatives are not acceptable proctors.)
Name _________________________________ Position/Title _____________________
Educational Institution _____________________________________________________
Business Address - Street ___________________________________________________
City _________________________________ State _________ Zip _________________
Phone number during business hours _________________________________________
Area code Number
(Note: Examinations can be sent only to a business address, not a home address.)
Examination Information:
Address where examination will be taken ______________________________________
Approximate date examination will be taken ___________________________________
Have all required lessons been submitted? _____________________________________
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THE PROCTOR IS NOT RELATED TO ME IN ANYWAY
Signed ___________________________________________________________
(student)
After this form is completed, it should be returned to instructor:
Director, Distance of Distance Education
DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE
Proctor approved by ____________________ Source of Verification ________________
Date exam sent to proctor _________________ Person mailing exams _______________