Frequently Asked QuestionsEducation in the twenty-first century is changing rapidly. The Internet expands our opportunities for personal and professional growth and no where is that more evident than in education. Cloud Online delivers those expanded opportunities to your home, workplace or where ever you choose. Of course, along with these profound changes come many questions. The Frequently Asked Questions page answers the most common questions students have when considering Internet-based courses and degree completion programs. Simply use the question links below as shortcuts or browse them all as you scroll through the page content. If your questions are not answered on this page, please submit an Inquiry. Our response will be sent back to you by e-mail. Questions:
1. Is the material covered in the Internet class different from the on-campus class? No. It is the delivery mode and rate at which students progress through the course that differ. Our instructors use the same textbooks, cover the same content, and hold students accountable for the same competencies. Some students complete a course in the traditional 16-week term, others complete in less than 10 weeks and others take a little longer than the traditional 16 weeks. 2. Will I miss anything in my education by taking an Internet class? Yes and no. You will miss the day to day campus life and the social interaction you get from going to school with other people. You might also miss some class discussions that are often worthwhile, but instructors try to replace that interaction with e-mail and chat discussions. Worse, you will miss standing in line a half a day to register for classes and pay for books and tuition. You will miss dining in our cafeteria. But you will not miss the important stuff: a good education. The reason is that each Online course is aligned with the on-campus course so you can count on the on-campus and Online versions being equivalent. Moreover, each Online course must be competencies-based so you get a road map for success. 3. What if I need help in the class? All of the Online courses offer a multiple ways of obtaining help. The primary mode of contact used by students is e-mail. Contact may be made with either the instructor or the assigned Peer Tutor who is competent in the course content and familiar with the Online course structure. Responses typically are made the same day. Instructors will provide you information about how to contact them and how to make contact with our Peer Tutors. Keep in mind that our instructors require weekly contact with students as a matter of providing you with a progress report and keeping you motivated toward attaining your educational goals. However, the frequency and type of contact beyond the regular weekly contact varies according to individual student needs. Telephone contact is common. Check the instructor's contact information as well as the Peer Tutor contact information. Some instructors post their home phone numbers and reasonable contact hours. If you contact an instructor who is not at their desk, be sure to leave a voice-mail message in which you clearly identify yourself and how to get in touch with you. The last method is becoming more frequent. Students are using the Discussion Board associated with each class to assist one another and to establish Online friendships. What is neat about the discussion board is that the conversation is archived so even if you get in on a conversation late you can look back at previous parts of the discussion. 4. Will there be others in the class with me? Yes, you will most likely have classmates and you can communicate with them using the built in communications features of our course delivery system. Most of our classes are open enrollment - open exit. That means you may begin a course at any time during the academic year instead of only beginning at the start of each semester or term. You also have up to 12 months to complete most courses though you need to be aware that taking longer than the traditional 16 week semester block of time could have an impact on any financial aid you may wish to use. 5. Is there a regular meeting time for class? The typical Cloud Online course does not have a regular meeting time in order to be flexible for a diverse population of students whose work and family obligations don't permit a regular schedule. This means students set and then work according to their own schedules. This necessarily means students must use self-discipline to complete the required 25% of course competencies by a term-specific date and complete the course within 12 months of their official enrollment date. Students need to be aware that federal financial aid and some other funding sources require students to complete a class within 15 weeks else incur the loss of funding and(or) probationary status. Open-enrollment students may be called upon to participate in live chat-based discussions or drop in on a 'guest lecturer' and so require participation at a specified time and day. Your instructors will inform you of any such requirements. Otherwise, a regular meeting time is not expected. Cloud Online will begin offering concurrent enrollment course sections in the Fall of 2003. Courses offered to qualified high school students for concurrent credit enrollment will have a regular meeting time so that class facilitators can monitor their progress per the wishes of school administrators. Such students will progress through a course as a cohort group on a regular term basis according to a specific timeline. Those course sections will be identified as such. 6. Must I ever come to campus? None of our current listings require students to come to campus. It is conceivable that some of our future courses involving laboratory work may require a few days on campus to complete a set of lab activities. Unfortunately, if evidence of academic dishonesty challenges the authenticity of a student's work, the student may be required to complete all previous and(or) remaining work on campus or at some other site where the student's work is proctored to assure its authenticity. Suffice it to say that instances of cheating have expensive consequences. But if you would ever like to come to campus for a visit, we will be most pleased to introduce you to the greatest faculty and staff in Kansas. 7. What if I don't like the class? Cloud Online has a liberal "drop" policy. A student may drop a class without a grade penalty within the first fourteen (14) weeks of study with Day Number One beginning the day the notification of official enrollment was issued by e-mail. Most students know within the first few days if they will like a class or not. If a student doesn't like a class, all she or he need do is transmit an e-mail stating the intent to Academic Advisement center. Full to partial refunds for tuition and fees are available during a defined period of time, so you will want to review our Refunds guidelines. 8. How do I ask questions of the instructor or peer tutor? Cloud Online students prefer to post questions by e-mail because they typically do their coursework outside of regular working hours, usually late in the evenings and weekends. However, some students opt to arrange for a telephone call using an e-mail message. OnLins students are strongly encouraged to visit the course FAQ section if the instructor provides one. In fact, some instructors incorporate it into the first lesson in order to emphasize the importance of the section in answering questions immediately. After all, why wait over the weekend for an answer if it's already available? 9. How long does it take to complete the class? All Open-Entry courses with the exception of Introduction to Sociology allow up to 12 months to complete the course. Within the 12-month time frame, a student must complete 25% of the course competencies by a term-specific date that will be identified in the notification of official enrollment. So, there are upper limits. Most students structure their completion plans to conclude the course within 15 to 16 weeks, the equivalent of a regular semester. We recommend not prolonging completion because the more days passing between interaction with the course content, the more likely a student will have to devote substantial time to reviewing before making additional progress because information will have been forgotten. Some students have reported devoting many more hours than they thought necessary because they had long gaps in their progress. Other students accelerate their progress and so complete the course in 10 weeks or less. Students planning to enroll in the current section of Introduction to Sociology need to adjust their academic plans to allow for it beginning and ending with the first days and last days of the Fall and Spring terms. 10. Can I finish before others in the class? Yes, all but one of our regular courses is Open-Entry. The one course, Introduction to Sociology runs begins and concludes with the regular Fall and Spring terms but students may complete the course before the last day if their schedules permit. There will be a section of this course available on an Open-Entry basis in the future. 11. Will my college transcript indicate that I took the class via Cloud Online? No. The reason there is no differentiation in the transcript is that Cloud Online course requirements and competencies are identical to the on-campus and community education courses bearing the same name and catalog ID. So, there is no reason to differentiate when there is no difference. Moreover, Cloud Online was the first in Kansas to obtain accreditation for its Online degree program. Be assured that Cloud Online courses are fully accredited by our federally recognized regional accreditation agency - North Central. 12. What equipment do I need? The basics include computer (Mac or PC), an up to date Internet browser, a valid e-mail account, and an Internet connection meeting our minimum technology standards. If you plan to enroll in any of the algebra series courses, the courseware only offers a PC client. So, you'll need access to a PC to complete assignments and assessments in those courses. Some courses utilize specific software -- Computer Applications for example. Use the links associated with the Catalog ID number to the left of each course title located on our Online Course page to access course information and instructor contact information to investigate any additional course technology requirements. 13. Can I take more than one class at a time? Yes. You may be enrolled in up to 6 credit hours (2 3-credit courses) of Cloud Online courses at a time. As you complete one, enroll in another to maintain steady progress in your program of study. If you are taking on-campus, community education or ITV distance learning courses, the 6 credit hour cap for Cloud Online courses still applies. 14. Can I transfer classes to other schools? Transfer of courses to other institutions is determined by the institution to which you want to transfer courses. We encourage you to contact the school to which you want to transfer courses and then work closely with that school and one of our Academic Advisors to assure a smooth transfer. Submitting an Online enrollment form presumes the student has adequately investigated the transfer of the selected courses. Keep in mind that because one institution accepts a course, another may not if you change your mind about which school you will ultimately seek a degree or certificate. Also keep in mind that some institutions will ask whether or not any of the courses on your transcript were Internet-based as if such courses were somehow less rigorous. We understand their concern because there are degree mills operating out there. Until such time as law makers make it financially unfavorable for degree mills to operate, institutions will ask about Internet courses. Some students don't tell the transfer institution how a course was delivered. We prefer that you check out transfer restrictions prior to enrolling so that you don't have to wrestle with you conscience if the question is asked. 15. Can I use classes I've taken from other schools toward my degree at Cloud? That depends on the course and its competencies. If the course descriptions match though names differ and the institution from which the course is being transferred is accredited by the applicable federally recognized regional accreditation agency, then the answer will likely be yes. Students intent upon obtaining a degree from Cloud County Community College must complete their final 12 credit hours with us unless the student needs a course we are unable to provide for some reason. In this instance, we'll work with the student in locating an equivalent course comparable in its competencies and expectations. It's imperative students work closely with an Academic Advisor if a degree or certificate is sought in order to assure all requirements are met. 16. What is the cost of tuition and fees? Cloud Online Tuition & Fees*
* Does not include variable textbook costs. Tuition and fees are subject to change. 17. How do I know if Online Learning is for me? Not all students are successful in Cloud Online courses because of the emphasis on self-paced learning substantial reading and independent study. Though our instructors gladly help students make a completion plan fitting students goals and also communicate with students frequently in order to encourage progress, there are some student attributes that characterize students who are not successful. These attributes include the following items. If any of these describe you we recommend a conference with an Academic Advisor.
18. What methods may I use to pay tuition and fees and textbook costs? Cloud Online offers an array of payment methods. Use the Payment Options link in the Cloud Online Shortcuts drop-down menu in the upper right corner of this page. If after exploring your options you have unanswered questions please suse the specific contact links included in each page devoted to an option. 19. Where and how do I purchase textbooks and other course materials? You may opt to purchase textbooks through the college bookstore or some other source. All you need to do is indicate your intent on the Cloud Online enrollment form for each course you select. If you wish to purchase textbooks from another source, use the Catalog ID links associated with each course listed on the Course List page to retrieve text information and instructor contact information.Textbook costs vary considerably from class to class. We attempt to provide you the least costly, used textbooks unless you state a preference for new textbooks. If you prefer new textbooks, be sure to let our Bookstore staff know.Some courses require the purchase of instructional materials that may include but are not limited to course specific software and lab activity materials. Be sure to investigate course descriptions using the Catalog ID links associated with each course listed on the Course List page to retrieve information about required materials and instructor contact information. Pricing of textbooks and course materials are subject to change without notice. 20. How do I get started? Use this link to jump to the Cloud Online page, where you will find a walk-through. If you have never been admitted to Cloud County Community College, begin with the Admissions process. If you are a current or past student, begin with the Enrollment process. |
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| Geary County | Dickinson County | Cloud Online Classes |  |
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| 2221 Campus Drive P.O. Box 1002 Concordia, Kansas 66901 | (785) 243-1435 | 1-800-729-5101 Copyright ©1999-2007, Cloud County Community College. All rights reserved. Site Map |
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