STUDENT SURVIVAL GUIDE

General Information

 

• Academic calendar and schedules
• Course evaluations
• Library
• Syllabi
• Submitting assignments
• Testing and assessment procedures/requirements
• Tests and exams
• Textbooks and coursepacks  
  
  
   
• Admissions
• Career Management
• Disability Services
• Experiential Learning
• Financial Aid
• Office of Computing and Communications Services
• Office of Finance
• Registrar's Office
• Women's Center

• Blackboard
• Career Management
• Course Evaluation System
• Course Schedules
• Course Syllabi
• Effective Use of PowerPoint in Classroom Tutorial
• Faculty-Student Communication System (FSCS)
• Leo Online
• Online Student Orientation
• PVX Installation Instructions
• Student Email/Netware Accounts
• Technical Assistance
• Video Streaming

The more responsibility you take for

your education, the better off

you will be.  Take charge of your

 education! 

 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.

 Thank you on behalf of our entire staff for you adherence to these simple rules.  If you have a questions, concern or an idea for a better way of doing business please let us know.

Attention: Students graduating

                  within the next year

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Advisors

Although your site director serves as a liaison for you, each student is assigned an advisor on the main campus.  You should become familiar with your academic  advisor.  
 

Appointments

Although our office has an “open door” policy and we encourage students to drop by just to say “Hello” it is to your advantage to call to make an appointment to see the Site Director if you have an issue which needs to be discussed.  Unless you make an appointment, we cannot guarantee we will be available to see you.  Call or email first!  It may be that your problem can be fixed without a trip to the office.  Email really works well.

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Attendance Policy
Attendance Policy for Satellite Courses

You are expected to attend every class unless it is absolutely necessary to miss. Videotapes serve as means for review or as backups in case of the occasional absence. It is NOT permissible for you to take a course solely by videotape - unless, obviously, it is a class that is only offered as a videotaped course or you have received permission from the instructor. Class attendance might be a factor in your course grade, so be sure to check the syllabus.
 

Check Your Dates

Just a reminder, the calendars for Old Dominion,  Virginia Highlands and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) often do not coincide.  Please make sure to check the starting dates as well as dates for holidays and breaks for both institutions.

Schedule Books are available for each semester.  The schedule books contain useful information such as the calendar for the semester and the exam schedule. 
 

Classroom Etiquette
Classroom Etiquette

Simply follow this rule of thumb: do not conduct yourself any differently in a satellite delivered class than you would if the instructor was standing right in front of you.  In other words, would you carry on a conversation with your neighbor?  Would you read a newspaper?  Would you noisily eat potato chips?  Would you make wise cracks at the professor’s comments?  Of course not!  Therefore, do not do it in a satellite class either!

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.  Disruption of class is a conduct code violation.  

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.
Visitors in Class Policy

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Course Evaluations

At the end of each course, you will be given the opportunity to evaluate the course and the professor.  We encourage you to take the evaluation process seriously.  Your evaluation is part of the process used to determine whether an instructor teaches via satellite again.  Do your fellow students a favor and evaluate the course fairly.

Some students have expressed concern about their anonymity at evaluation time.  First, the evaluation forms are all processed together from all the sites, so it is impossible to tell from which site the evaluation originated.  The handwritten responses are retyped by a secretary.  Your grades will be posted before the instructor sees the results of the evaluations. 

As you can see, there are many safe guards built in to the evaluation process to ensure your anonymity.  We hope this eases your concerns and that you will give your professor an honest and accurate evaluation.

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Cover Sheets

Cover sheets must be filled out COMPLETELY each time you turn in anything!  Absolutely, positively, no exceptions to this, ever!  Do not take shortcuts, such as writing in only your last name or abbreviating the name of the course.  Also, you should put your name and University Identification number (UIN #) in the top right corner of every page, in case, the pages become separated.   It is also very important that you record the name of your instructor and course number correctly so that your work will reach the correct person.

Remember, you are but one of hundreds of students who turn in assignments every day.  These are all processed through a central point in the Office of Distance Learning at ODU.  The potential for your assignment getting lost or misrouted will be greatly minimized by your completing the cover sheet accurately and completely every time.  We encourage you to take several copies of the cover sheet home so that you can get your assignments ready to be mailed.

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!)

Make sure that you completely understand the Honor Code and Student Conduct Code!  Failure to do so can do severe damage to your academic career.  You have already signed several documents, such as your application and registration forms, stating you understand and agree to abide by the Honor Code.  The Honor Code is outlined in the Student Handbook.  Student Conduct Code booklets are available in the office and classrooms.

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 in which you have been a student. The atmosphere, however, should be one in which all students have an opportunity to listen, learn, and participate. To enable such an environment, there are established guidelines for the TELETECHNET course classrooms. These guidelines are as follows:

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.

It is impossible for the staff to know everything that is taking place in the classroom.  It is YOUR responsibility to let us know if your instructor changes something on his or her syllabus, changes test or exam dates, etc.  Please keep us informed so that we can ensure you get the necessary materials. 

We do not operate on the Virginia Highlands closing schedule.  The SVHEC does not always close for snow, ice, etc. Please call 619-4318/4319 or the Center 619-4300   to inquire about class cancellations.  Cancellations at the Center will be called by each individual university.
  (Remember:  safety first!)



Identification Cards

Enrolled students are entitled to a student ID card. There is a $12 replacement charge for lost or stolen cards. Please contact Susan Jackson at (276) 619-4319 or email (swjackso@odu.edu or sjackson@swcenter.edu) if you would like an ID card. Please provide your name, social security number and date of birth when requesting an ID card. Photos are not available off campus. Card Center

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.

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. 
 

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.
Activate your Old Dominion University Student Email Account

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 at:

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 48 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. Teletechnet students who have questions for the Library should email those questions to odudist@hotmail.com.

ODU Libraries Distance Learning Services

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. We can only guarantee that a proctor will be available for the scheduled class time.