Online Course Orientation and Email for Students

Pre-Course Welcome Letter:

Approximately two weeks before the scheduled course start dates, a pre-course welcome letter will be sent to course registrants. The letter will review computer system and user requirements, provide course text order information, and detail the procedures for obtaining a password to access the course sites to begin orientation activities as discussed below.

Online Orientation:

Course registrants will engage in orientation activities prior to the first class to ensure system and user compatibility.  The orientation for these courses will be self-paced and 24-hour accessible beginning approximately one week prior to the scheduled course start date.  The online orientation addresses courseware instructions, course overview, navigation exercises and practice assignments using the various web-based communication tools and features of the course.  During the orientation, students will:

1. Review the online syllabus, instructional objectives and learning outcomes, unit activities and assignments of the course
2. Try out their web browser to see how it handles the streaming video and audio clips and RealPlayer/PowerPoint presentation segments  
3. Send an e-mail message to the instructor using the course e-mail system
4. Receive an e-mail message in return and reply accordingly
5. Post a message to the class bulletin board and then post a reply for threaded forum discussions
6. Be reminded to purchase the course text and begin reading for the first unit's assignments including the reading reaction essay
7. Participate in a scheduled chat room session (optional)
8. Try out their web browser on designated sites including the SAU Library web site and learn to use the electronic data bases available, especially WilsonSelectPlus and ABIInform FirstSearch full text databases
9. Acquire specific information about the different types of assignments that will be required thereafter on a unit topic basis throughout the course
10. Gain general familiarity with the online environment and navigational layout and structure of the course

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Student Email: 

Students will be enrolled in Blackboard courses with their SAU email address as the default email for the following reasons:

Blackboard instructors and other users must be ensured that email will reach the student

SAU email is dependable and reliable when used in Blackboard, as opposed to other web-based, commercially provided email services.

Students' SAU email address doesn't change, as opposed to commercially provided services which can change at a student's whim. The University cannot keep up with these changes, and therefore provides the student with a dependable address that does not change.

Students should realize that important documents will be sent to them from the business, financial aid, and registrar's offices of SAU to their college email addresses. Students will be held accountable for content sent to this email address by the University, including classwork and assignments sent from Blackboard.

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