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Distance Education/Online Education @ UTHSC
Access to Student Services as a Distance Education Student
Whether students are taking part in field placement requirements, taking courses at another UT campus location, or are enrolled in an online program, UTHSC works to ensure access to support services that will help them achieve their academic goals. While following necessary and sufficient practices to ensure privacy, access to student support services is provided without regard to geography or mode of delivery. For more information, see the UTHSC Bulletin.
Access to Student Services for Distance Education Students
- One Stop Shop: All students can access the services of the One Stop Shop via phone, Skype videoconferencing, or email at onestop@uthsc.edu. Information on enrollment related services can also be accessed through the One Stop Shop website. The One Stop Shop provides a centralized source for information related to Financial Aid, Bursar and Registrar functions such as (but not limited to) financial aid awarding, transcript and degree verification requests, setting up direct deposit, questions related to student health insurance, Banner login issues, and self-service registration concerns.
- Financial Aid: All students can access Financial Aid services through weblinks, or by communicating with appropriate staff using email, phone, videoconferencing through Adobe Connect and/or Skype. Financial Literacy sessions are provided face-to-face at regular intervals in Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga with a video archive of live presentations available to all students regardless of geographic location. Students with additional questions can set up appointments by email, phone, video-conferencing through Adobe Connect and Skype.
- Bursar: Bills are delivered to students on a secured web site provided by the online servicer TouchNet. Distance education students access their bills electronically through this system using the self-service function of Banner (the UTHSC Student Information System) that links to TouchNet.
- Registrar: All students register for courses online using the self-service function of Banner using a secure login and password.
Access to Student and Academic Support Services
Online students have access to the same academic and student support services offered to traditional students as outlined below:
One Stop Shop: http://www.uthsc.edu/oss; 901-448-7703 (CST)
Health and Behavioral Health Services: Online students may utilize services found at http://www.uthsc.edu/univheal/.
Behavioral health services are available through UTHSC Behavioral Health Urgent Care: 901-448-5064.
ITS Help and Blackboard (BB) support: The University’s HELP DESK may be assessed by phone: 901-448-2222; Toll-free:1-800-413-7830; Fax:901-448-8199 or http://www.uthsc.edu/helpdesk/; BB Support http://courses.uthsc.edu/
Library services: Online students use the same library services offered to traditional students. Students may visit the library for an orientation. http://library.uthsc.edu/
Disability Services: Online students may use the same disability services offered to traditional students. http://www.uthsc.edu/sassi/
Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion (SASSI): Tutoring sessions and academic coaching for students that qualify and for those experiencing academic difficulties or need remediation are available through video-conferencing for students located outside of the Memphis community http://www.uthsc.edu/sassi/
College of Dentistry
SUPPORT FOR ONLINE STUDENTS
Communication Practices for Online Courses and Directed Practice Experiences
Email is the primary mode of communication for instructor and student interactions. Email, web-conferences, and phone conference are the primary modes of communication for instructor and students enrolled in online courses. Email is conducted using the official UTHSC email system. Courses that are taught online provide course instruction through a Blackboard Platform managed by UTHSC. To ensure online privacy, students must use their unique login and NetID to access their email accounts and the Blackboard site. Student’s personal information is not shared with anyone outside of the college unless specified by the student in accordance with all FERPA guidelines. Students can only access courses in which they are enrolled. Within the Blackboard course site, students access the course syllabus, link to campus resources, and access course assignments including readings, recorded lectures, videostreaming, tests and assessments, grades and other classroom materials. Students participate in discussion boards and chats through Blackboard. Students submit assignments and email faculty through the Blackboard system. Additional modes of communication among faculty and students include Adobe Connect and video chat.
Directed practice experiences are scheduled to be in proximity to the student’s residence. Each student is expected to maintain regular communication with the course director during practice experiences.
College of Graduate Health Sciences
DISTANCE EDUCATION AND ONLINE INSTRUCTION
All distance education/online instruction communication will take place through BlackboardTM, UTHSC email, UTHSC websites, UTHSC video conferencing, and other UTHSC-supported educational technologies. Students and instructors may communicate by these means for one-on-one or group discussions, dissemination of course materials, and testing services. Students will also have web, phone, and special needs access to academic and support services (Registrar, Bursar, SASSI, Financial Aid), health and behavioral health services, IT support services, and the library.
Distance education students will be required to perform class activities through the secure systems (e.g., BlackboardTM, XythosTM, email) used by the institution. Use of these systems requires a NetID and password. Sharing passwords or misrepresentation of the identity of the individual performing class activities is cause for dismissal. Student privacy is maintained by using the secure system, as only the instructor will have access to secure information. All online courses and activities will be evaluated in the same manner as other courses ( http://grad.uthsc.edu/CourseInfo/CoursEval/index.php?page=CoursEvalInfo ). There are no additional fees for distance education students.
College of Health Professions
Communication Practices for Online Courses
Email, web-conferences, and phone conference are the primary modes of communication for instructor and students enrolled in online courses. Email is conducted using the official UTHSC email system. Courses that are taught online or via a hybrid format provide course instruction through a Blackboard Platform managed by UTHSC. To ensure online privacy, students must use their unique login and NetID to access their email accounts and the Blackboard site. Student’s personal information is not shared with anyone outside of the college unless specified by the student in accordance with all FERPA guidelines. Students can only access courses in which they are enrolled. Within the Blackboard course site, students access the course syllabus, link to campus resources, and access course assignments including readings, recorded lectures, video streaming, tests and assessments, grades and other classroom materials. Students participate in discussion boards and chats through Blackboard. Students submit assignments and email faculty through the Blackboard system. Additional modes of communication among faculty and students include Adobe Connect and video chat.
College of Medicine
DISTANCE EDUCATION
Students on clinical rotations in Knoxville, Chattanooga, or Nashville retain all student access priviledges to the UTHSC website. This provides access to common course materials through the learning management system used by the College of Medicine. Network access also allows students from any COM campus or on elective rotations at other institutions to continue to use the Health Sciences library, ITS help desk, and SASSI. In addition, these entities have robust email, telephone, and in some instances Skype, services for students. University Health Services maintains a UTHSC website with emergency contact information for all students. In addition, the Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville campuses provide on-site health services for rotating students.
College of Nursing
ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND ONLINE INSTRUCTION
Courses that are taught online or via a hybrid format provide course instruction through a Blackboard Platform managed by UTHSC. To ensure privacy, students must use their unique login and ID to access their email accounts and the Blackboard site. Student’s personal information is not shared with anyone outside of the college unless specified by the student in accordance with all FERPA guidelines. Students can only access courses in which they are enrolled. Within the Blackboard course site, students access the course syllabus, link to campus resources, access course assignments including readings, recorded lectures, videostreaming, tests and assessments, grades and other classroom materials. Students participate in discussion boards and chats through Blackboard. Students submit assignments and email faculty through the Blackboard system. Faculty may also interact with students via web-conferencing using Adobe Connect, video chat, and telephone conferences.
College of Pharmacy
DISTANCE EDUCATION AND OFF-CAMPUS INSTRUCTION
The College is committed to providing a quality educational experience for its students regardless of their geographic location or mode of curricular delivery. Students also have access to the full range of support services and resources necessary to successfully complete their education.
The College uses live synchronous two-way interactive video to deliver educational content to its three campuses and has allocated the necessary resources to insuring that a high quality, distance education program is delivered seamlessly without problems. Lectures that are video captured using MediaSiteTM are released within 24-hours to students who wish to review content. The videoconference technology has become an integral part of the College’s communication strategy and is used for faculty advising as well as student organizational and committee meetings. Students use additional technology (MediaSiteTM; SkypeTM; Adobe ConnectTM) to facilitate individual meetings and tutoring sessions. The Blackboard platform provides students access to the course syllabus, link to campus resources, access course assignments including readings, recorded lectures, tests and assessments, grades and other classroom materials. Students may also participate in discussion boards and chats through Blackboard.
Faculty may also interact with students using UTHSC email or via web-conferencing, video chat, or telephone conferences. Policies and procedures are followed to assure that the online privacy of all students is maintained regardless of geographic location. Students must use their unique login and NetID to access their email accounts as well as the Blackboard site.
The College uses computerized wireless examinations that are administered via ExamSoftTM. Although this software is housed on the ExamSoftTM server, UTHSC IT staff insures that the computers are properly imaged and operational. Regardless of campus assignment, IT staff at the UTHSC HelpDesk are available to assist with issues related to software.
Students on clinical rotations retain access privileges to the College and campus websites and continue to have access to the resources noted above.
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