Welcome to South University’s Plus Program! South University created the Plus Program to provide its campus-based students with the option to take online courses alongside traditional campus courses. The flexibility of taking online courses can help students better manage hectic family, work and school schedules. Regardless of whether a South University course is presented in a traditional classroom or on your campus, the quality of the course and qualifications of the faculty are the same. There are however some inherent differences taking a class online and on campus:

• In an online class you may be with other students from your campus, but most often you will be with students from other South University campuses or fully enrolled with South University Online.

• South University’s online classes are accelerated and most are presented in 5-1/2 weeks, half the time of most traditional 11 week terms. Although online courses are shorter, they are not easier!

• Most, but not all online classes utilize digital textbooks which can be easily accessed from your online classroom and downloaded to your personal computer. For these classes you do not need to purchase traditional textbooks.

• While you are enrolled in online course, you will have access to special online resources and tools to help familiarize you with the online classroom and position you to be a successful student.

• You will enter your classroom through your student portal with a computer. You will need to meet all of the hardware, software and internet requirements.

If you have any questions about the Plus Program, please contact one of the two designated Plus Leads on your campus.

South University Plus Program

2012

Learn about how an online course works.

NEW TO THE PLUS PROGRAM?

CLASSES ARE ASYNCHRONOUS

Students log-in to their classes on a

regular basis, without regard to their

physical location or time of day. All a

student needs is access to the Internet

and their specified computer hardware

and software.

CLASSES ARE INTERACTIVE

The process is not passive! Students

engage not only with the lecture

materials, assignments and readings,

but also with each other, through

focused, facilitated discussions.

The focus is placed on student

participation, which is an integral

part of the learning process, so

understanding how participation

works and the posting process is an

important component for student

success.

CLASSES ARE LEARNER-CENTERED

Students develop their own

capabilities and talents using many

informational sources, including

lectures, readings, life experience,

projects, and group discussions.

Instructors add to the learning process

by directing discussions, addressing

student questions, providing their

industry experience, and providing

feedback to create a great learning

environment for each student.

IMPORTANT COURSE SCHEDULE INFORMATION

As you prepare for your classes, be sure to take note of the first and last day of the online course session(s). Some 5-1/2 week online course sessions do not align with ground class sessions and some overlap with each other.

• If you have registered for course sessions that overlap, especially online courses presented in a 5-1/2 week accelerated format, please be sure to plan ahead and set aside enough time to complete required readings and assignments in a timely manner as outlined in your classroom.

• When registering for classes, keep in mind that prerequisite courses must be successfully completed prior to taking a class with that prerequisite.

• Be sure to familiarize yourself with the South University attendance policy for online classes.

• On the Classes section of your portal, you will find classes listed that are active in the current session. Use the arrows to the right and left of the current session to view the names of classes you have taken in previous sessions or are registered to take in the future. You will be able to access your online classroom at 12:01am MT on the first day of your online class session.

• *Within 24 hours of registering for an online course, you will be able to access the Online Class Resources link through your student portal.

ONLINE CLASS RESOURCES LINK

Within 24 hours of registering in an online class, you will have access to the Online Class Resources link located under the My Classes section of your student portal. Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the information and tools available on the Online Class Resources link! From this link you can access:

• Classroom Orientation Video - This video is an orientation to navigating your online classrooms. This tool can be used by all Plus students, but it is especially important for students who are new to online courses to watch this video.

• Tutoring Services - Tutoring services in a variety of subject areas are available to you while you are registered in online courses. You can easily access these free tutoring services from the On-Demand Tutoring link as soon as you set up a login and password.

• Online Course Catalog - This catalog lists course descriptions and online course material requirements approximately one month before class begins. It also includes information about whether a course will utilize digital texts via Digital Bookshelf or whether you will need to purchase your course materials from the campus bookstore.

• Student Reference Tools - Student tutorials, guides and Frequently Asked Questions are posted here. These reference tools include the Digital Bookshelf page, which will be especially important if you are registered in an online class that will be using Digital Bookshelf.

Screen Shot: Online Class Resources link

DIGITAL BOOKS

You may be among the majority of students who will be taking online classes and accessing your textbooks (and other course materials) through Digital Bookshelf. This advanced electronic textbook reader enables most students to access their online course materials directly from their online classrooms or from their personal computers. The Digital Bookshelf page on the Online Class Resources link includes lots of helpful reference tools. Below are some recommendations to get started:

• First, determine if you are registered for an online course that will provide course materials through Digital Bookshelf. You can do this by reviewing the Course Textbook for the upcoming online course session on the Digital Bookshelf page or by contacting your Plus Lead.

• If you are in a course that will use Digital Bookshelf, review the video tutorial. Take a few moments to page through the user guide to get acquainted with the detailed information available to you.

• As soon as you can log into your online classroom (the first day the online class session begins), you can access your digital text. You will want to have the Digital Bookshelf User Guide handy. It will walk you through the necessary steps to:

– Access your digital text for the first time

– Create a Digital Bookshelf account

After you’ve created your account, you will want to save your username and password. Keep in mind that every time you take an online course that uses Digital Bookshelf, you must first access your digital texts from the online classroom.

• After you have successfully created your Digital Bookshelf account and accessed your digital text, you will want to get familiar with how to:

– Download your digital texts to your personal computer – Use all of the highlighting, note-taking and search features

The Digital Bookshelf User Guide will be a very important tool to help you.

Screen Shot: Digital Bookshelf Page

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

South University students have access to live technical assistance 7 days a week from 7am to midnight ET. If you have an issue related to online classrooms (eCollege) or the Digital Bookshelf outside of these hours, you will be prompted and transferred to a representative who can assist you with those applications. You will need only one phone number (1-866-848-5515) to reach personalized assistance. If you have non-technical questions related to your online courses, you should contact the Plus Lead on your campus.

ACCESSING ONLINE COURSES AND RESOURCESFROM THE STUDENT PORTAL

From the My Classes section of your student portal, you can access:

1. The Online Class Resources link (within 24 hours of registering in an online class),2. Individual online classrooms (on the first day the online class session begins), and;3. The Access My Campus Classes icon, where all of your online courses and learning centers

are listed.

#1. From the OnlineClass Resources linkyou can access Digital Bookshelf information, free tutoring services, and an online classroomorientation.

#2. From this link, you will be able to directly enter your online class-room on the first day of the online class session.

#3. From the Go to Campus Classes link, you can access your fully online classes, applicable learning centers and eCompanion for ground courses.