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Engaging in disruptive behavior in the classroom is a violation of the Honor Code.  This policy is especially relevant to students participating in satellite courses since an instructor is not physically present in the classroom.

Each student has the right to ask others in the class to be quiet.  If negative behavior continues, please notify the ODU staff in this facility. 

Our classroom etiquette policy is as such:

You are enrolled in a course in which the instructor is not physically present. As a result, there may be a different atmosphere from the more traditional classrooms. The atmosphere, however, should be one in which all students have an opportunity to listen, learn, and participate. To enable such an environment, the following guidelines have been established for all TELETECHNET course classrooms: 

1. Each student is requested to respect the learning needs of all other students. This includes, but is not limited to, maintaining a quiet atmosphere in which to learn.

2. If students are disruptive, their classmates are encouraged to request that they be allowed to hear the instruction and/or presentation taking place within the telecourse. If students continue to be disruptive, their classmates are encouraged to request assistance from their site staff to manage and/or mediate the situation.

3. Disruptive behavior cannot and will not be tolerated. Site staff can and do represent faculty at the TELETECHNET sites and will address inappropriate behavior, if necessary. Violators of the Code of Student Conduct will be brought before the Student Council.

For more information on topics such as process and sanctions, please visit the Honor Council web site.

Visitors in Classrooms

Classes are for students. Neither visitors nor guests are permitted in the classrooms. This includes children. Regardless of how well behaved your children are or how receptive to the idea your classmates may be, it is inappropriate and prohibited to bring children to class.

While we understand that students with children may at times have problems with securing a caretaker while they are in class, we also cannot jeopardize the program's integrity and cannot subject ourselves to the multiple liability issues associated with having children and other visitors in class. Under no circumstances are students to bring children or visitors with them to class. It may not only be distracting to other classmates but also puts the University at risk in the event of injury or harm to the child and/or to other classmates.

Effective August 23, 2004, it is a requirement of all Blackboard courses that you have an Old Dominion University Student Midas account to access Blackboard. If you do not have a Midas account, you can request one at https://midas.odu.edu.   Be prepared to complete the security profile in the event you lose or forget your password in the future. It may take several hours for the information about a new account or password to become active in Blackboard, Therefore, please allow up to 24 hours before reporting any login problems to Customer Service.

If you do not own a computer, you still have access to a computer through Old Dominion's computer labs. If you are a distance learning student at a TELETECHNET site, you also have access to a computer and e-mail capabilities at the site.

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You are responsible for information contained in newsletters as well as information posted in the classroom.  Newsletters contain information for all programs.  Announcements are also posted in the classroom to make you aware of upcoming deadlines. 

Paperwork

Please keep up with all paperwork you receive from this office and/or from the main campus in Norfolk.  If you are not sure if something applies to you, ASK! 

Also, students may receive important paperwork from main campus that the site office does not receive.  Please never assume that we will have a copy of whatever you receive in the mail.  Hang on to it.  Also, please either make a copy or let us make a copy for your file in our office.

Generally speaking, all of your paperwork should be routed through our office so that we can keep copies in your site file.  ODU is a large university and sometimes items are lost.  If we have a copy on file in our office, it is easy to fax another copy to campus.  And, we can then support that it was sent in a timely manner.

You can assist in promoting TELETECHNET by telling your friends, family, and co-workers about us. Word of mouth is the best advertising! Also, keep in mind that the Site Director is available to speak to any civic, business, government, industrial, economic development, or other group. No group is too large or too small.

Each student has a mailbox at the SVHEC information Desk.  Your work is placed in your folder as soon as it is received from campus.  Students are responsible for checking their mail boxes. 
 

Required Materials - Textbooks -Course Pak

Old Dominion University Distance Learning is pleased to announce the launch of a new online bookstore, ODU Express, accesible at www.odudlbooks.com, effective April 9, 2007.

With ODU Express,ODU Distance Learning students can:

• Shop for textbooks that match ODU class schedules
• Place orders in a secure online environment any time of day or night
• Count on friendly, knowledgeable customer service

The site will be managed by efollett.com, a division of Follett Higher Education Group, which also manages the bookstore on Old Dominion's main campus in Norfolk, Va.

ODU Express Customer Service Contacts:

Phone: 800.621.4088

E-mail: customerservice@oduexpress.com

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The Computer Resource Center at the SVHEC is located on the second floor in the back hallway.

All ODU students are encouraged to use the computers for typing papers and research projects.  The Internet is a wonderful research tool.  Students who use the computers inappropriately will have their access to the computer lab terminated.  

A new requirement is that you obtain a pass card from the main information desk in the lobby to access the computer resource center.
 

Old Dominion University Student Email Account Information

All students are issued an Old Dominion University email account upon admission to the University. Administrative and other offices may send important mail to this address. You must activate your account in order to use it. Please click on the following link for student email account activation. All ODU students must have an  ODU e-mail account.  ODU administration and instructors will only communicate with you via ODU email accounts.  Do not use any other email account.

While we strongly encourage all students to establish an Old Dominion University E-mail account, some faculty members now require it. Students should activate an E-mail account once they have registered for classes.

Once activated, the system will provide your USER ID. E-mail address and password on the screen. Be sure to write down your email and student UIN  information.  You will be surprised how many people forget this information.  Activation is immediate for mail purposes, but may require 24 to 72 hours for access to resources on other servers (e.g., Blackboard, FSCS-explained below). Note that you may forward this E-mail account to the account you use regularly so that you do not have to check your Old Dominion E-mail account. This may be more convenient for you.

It is especially important for students to activate their E-mail accounts if they have instructors using Faculty/Student Communication System (FSCS) or Blackboard. Students must have an Old Dominion E-mail account to access these accounts as they are required to enter their Old Dominion E-mail user name and password. Please keep in mind that there may be a few days lag between the time a student requests an account and when it is loaded into other databases such as Blackboard.

Students at sites who have problems activating their accounts should contact their site staff. Students not at sites should contact their campus representative. Or, if you wish, please call OCCS Customer Service at 1-877-348-6503.

Orientation to the VHCC Library is recommended for all ODU students.  VHCC provides many wonderful research tools for students to use. The Library has orientation sessions during the first two weeks of the semester.

ODU students also have access to the ODU library through the Internet.  Journals and magazines which are not on file at VHCC may be available through ODU

The ODU library has a new web page.  The page includes instructions on how to access electronic databases from your home computer.  Check it out at www.lib.odu.edu.

Students are held individually responsible for information contained in the University catalog.  Please read the catalog and comply with University regulations.  Catalogs are available in the site office and online.

 We serve as our students’ first contact for financial aid, advising, registration, etc.  It would be very easy for something to “slip through the cracks” if you are not diligent about your education.  We are here to serve you in any way that we can; however, the one person with the primary responsibility for the successful completion of your education is you!

All students are required by the University to take and pass an Exit Exam.  The purpose of the Exit Exam is to ensure that all ODU graduates can write on a college level.  All students must register for the Exit Exam prior to the exam date.  Check with the site office for the registration deadlines.  Take the Exit Exam as soon as you have passed the WSPT so that you do not have the stress of taking the exam during your final semester.  The exam is offered the third Saturday of every month, excluding December. You must register approximately two weeks prior to the examination date. Registration deadlines are posted on the office bulletin board. DO NOT wait until your last semester to take this exam!

The Exit Examination of Writing Proficiency (EEWP) is a three-hour writing test that is a requirement for graduation from ODU. You are eligible to take this exam when you have completed 58 semester hours, passed the WSPT, and satisfactorily completed or have transfer credit for freshman composition.

If you do not pass the Exit Exam on your first try, the site office has a videotape and workbook on writing available for your use.  The University provides writing tutorial services on the web.  Visit the web site at http://www.odu.edu/~wts

If you are having difficulty passing the Exit Exam and you would like to hire a tutor, the site office has names of tutors who are available.
 

The purpose of the proctors is to maintain academic honesty.    Proctors take the place of instructors and they monitor student behavior during exams just as the instructor would if he or she were present.

All tests/exams must be taken during the class time on the date assigned by the instructor.  If you are sick or must miss an exam, arrangements must be made with the instructor to take a makeup.  The instructor must contact site personnel by e-mail or voice-mail giving permission for a student to take an exam at a earlier or later date/time. If we are not notified by the instructor, you will NOT be allowed to take the test at a earlier or later time. (Please remember that some instructors do not grant permission to take a make up exam! Read your syllabus carefully!).  Please don’t ask us to change your testing time until you have permission from your instructor.

If you show up late to take a test, you will only be given the remainder of the class period to finish if we have the instructor's permission to allow you into the test.  Be on time.  We can only guarantee that a proctor will be available for the scheduled class time.

 If you receive financial aid from ODU, you must fill out a Consortium Agreement and Enrollment Form for each semester.  The forms must be filled out regardless of whether you are taking classes at VHCC.  Graduate students are not required to do this, however you should email the financial aid office to have this requirement updated on your requirements..  YOU are responsible for making sure that the forms are filled out and returned by the deadline.    No financial aid will be released until the forms are completed and on-file in Norfolk. 

Please DO NOT send tuition payment
to the Old Dominion Office at SVHEC. 
All tuition payments must be sent to:

Office of Finance, ODU
P. O. Box 2058
Norfolk, VA  23501-2058

(No overnight or express deliveries are accepted at this address. Note: do not use this address for anything other than tuition payments!)

Attention: Students graduating

                  within the next year

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