Web-Centered Classes - Instructor (FAQ)

Significant revisions to this document are being completed for the Fall 2007 semester. Please see your dean for 10% reporting details for Fall 2007. keough

How do I know who is in my class?

Census reports will be submitted for all courses within the first month of the semester.

How do we base our 10% census reports? Revised 8/14/07

Census reporting for distance learning courses will be based on a 10% date method.

Web-Centered Courses:
Students registered for web-centered courses demonstrate attendance by completing at least one recorded activity/assignment by the course census (10%) date. The completed assignment must be documented in the grade book for the course. This reported on the census roster by writing the first date that each student submits an assignment.

Hybrid Courses:
Students registered for hybrid courses demonstrate attendance by completing at least one assignment or attending at least one face-to-face class meeting by the course census (10%) date. The completed assignment and/or class attendance must be documented in the grade book for the course. This reported on the census roster by writing the first date that each student submits an assignment or attends a class meeting.

Any assigned activity that is documented in the grade book may be used to meet this requirement. Examples include tests, quizzes, discussion board postings, ice-breaker activities, essay responses, projects, etc. Whatever the activity, it is essential that it be documented in the grade book. Example: The census date for an online course is August 28. Sam completes the first course assignment (a quiz) on August 21. The instructor should write “8/21” on the census report as Sam’s first date of recorded activity.

Early in the semester you will be asked to report any registered student who has not yet attended your class.

Submit your 'NA' list to:

Melody Lawrence, Financial Aid Director
Southwestern Community College
(828) 586-4091, ext. 224
(800) 447-4091, ext. 224

FAX: (828) 586-3129

e-mail: mlawrence@southwesterncc.edu

Include in your 'NA' report the Course Name/Prefix and Section and the Name and SS# of each 'NA' student.

If the student's financial aid award is held, the student will ask you to contact the Financial Aid Office to verify that they have now attended.

If, at the time of the Financial Aid Officer's request for the 10% census date, an enrolled student has not submitted a first assignment, that student is 'NA' (Never Attended).

You will report that student as 'NA' to the financial aid office.

Note 1: The 'NA' report is used solely to verify the student's financial aid award and has no direct bearing on the student's grade. If the student continues to be 'NA', you will report that student as 'NA' on the final grade roster.

Note 2: It is important that an NA grade not be turned in at the end of the semester on the grade report for a student that was not reported as NA to the Financial Aid Office at the beginning of the semester. That can cause an overpayment of financial aid.

Remember, just because a student has been reported as NA for financial aid purposes, does not mean that the student may not enter the course later and earn a letter grade. If a student never does enter the class, report that student as NA on the Final Grade Roster.

What do I do with the "10-day Deferment Roster"
item added: 10/25/02

Use your "10-day Deferment Roster" as your official class roster. It will reflect the drop/adds processed at that point. Do not return this roster to the registrar. Use this roster to confirm that you have correctly reported your NA students to the FA office. If you see the name of an added student who has not yet attended, contact the Financial Aid office and tell them the newly added student has not yet attended.

Remember, just because a student has been reported as NA for financial aid purposes, does not mean that the student may not enter the course later and earn a letter grade. If a student never does enter the class, report that student as NA on the Final Grade Roster.

Establishing student enrollment/census requirements is independent of your class syllabus. A student who does not turn in an assignment until after your assigned due date is bound by the instructor's policies as outlined in the class syllabus.

However, you should have a first assignment due within the first week of the semester so you can quickly establish 'NA's. This is especially important for students who rely on financial Aid so not to have their award delayed.

Instructors may not drop/withdraw students from their class. It is the student's responsibility to initiate the drop/withdrawal procedure. In a traditional seat-based class, this is done by the student coming to the campus and getting signatures from the instructor and the advisor. However, in the case of a distance learning course, coming to campus may not be possible. If that is the case, an e-mail initiated by the student and sent to the instructor, an advisor, or a divisonal administrator, on or before the official withdrawl date, will be enough to initiate the withdrawal of the student from the class. If a student sends an e-mail to the instructor indicating the student wants to withdraw from the class, the instructor will forward the original e-mail request to any of the above parties who can fill out the paperwork for the withdrawal procedure.

Instructors need to provide 'NA' or "last date of contact" for each student who initiates official withdrawal from the class. The "last date of contact" is the last date on which the student has performed any task, submitted any assignment, or responded to any instructor initiated/course related request.

A: When the student has competed the official withdrawal process from a (WC), (OH) or (HY) class, the registrar will notify the instructor, via email, that the withdrawal is complete.

Removing an officially withdrawn student from the Bb user list is NOT advisable. Doing so makes it impossible for the auditor to later verify the FTE claim for that student who has been removed from the Bb class website. An instructor may, however, modify the student's "user access" in the Bb website from "available" to "unavailable" within the course from which the student officially withdrew.

"...They [instructors] would have to submit hardcopy of their records to be archived or archive them on a cd to be given to you, Linda or Christy so that I can review at audit." .... Rich Garrett