CATALOG - University of Maryland University College

All UMUC students must therefore ensurethat they have some type of Internetaccess. This access may be through useof a UMUC computer lab, university orpublic library, or other readily availablesource if the student does not have homeaccess. However, it should be regularlyavailable and the student must have acurrent e-mail address.All students currently enrolled at UMUC areeligible for a university computer accounton the UNIX system Polaris. The computeraccount provides students an e-mailaddress and access to many text-basedservices such as Internet newsgroups,mailing lists, and programming languages.This computer account remains active aslong as the student is registered for classesat UMUC.Taking Online ClassesBefore registering for an online course, studentsmay want to consider the following:1. Online students need to be prepared towrite extensively, because nearly allcommunication is written. Online studentsneed strong English reading andwriting skills.2. Online students need to be competent inthe use of computers and commonlyused software programs.3. Since WebTycho is asynchronous andstudents are expected to be active participantsonline, students are encouragedto log in frequently to check whathas transpired in their online classroom(in lieu of classroom meetings).4. Online students need disciplined workhabits, effective time management skills,and the ability to work both alone andcollaboratively.Technical RequirementsNote: Minimum technical requirementsare subject to change. Current informationabout technical requirements is availableonline at www.umuc.edu/grad/online/techreq.shtml. Students are responsiblefor their own phone line and Internetaccess costs.Technical requirements for studentstaking graduate courses include■ A PC running Windows 2000 orWindows XP operating system■ A compatible Web browser(Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher;Netscape 7.2 or higher)■ A connection to the Internet(broadband preferred)■ An e-mail account■ A sound card with speakers orheadphones and a microphone■ Sun Java VM(can be downloaded for free)■ Virus protection software(updated regularly)■ Control of the desktop to allowsoftware downloadsSome academic programs may have additionaltechnical requirements.Mandatory Course EvaluationsUMUC uses student feedback to makedecisions about future courses. The onlineevaluation is required to ensure completeinformation from every student. Individualresponses are kept confidential. The evaluationnotice for online courses will appearon the class screen about 21 days beforethe end of the session. Students haveapproximately one week to complete theevaluation before access to the ClassMenu is locked. If students do not open thefile and either respond to the questions orclick on “no response,” they are “lockedout” of the Class Menu until they completethe evaluation. After completing the evaluation,access to the classroom resumes.7