What is Distance Education?                                                                       

Is Distance Education for me?

What do I need to participate in Distance Education?

How do I get my books?

Will I be required to show up at a specific location at any time for an on-line class?

How do I register for Distance Education Courses?

Are On-Line courses transcripted differently than campus courses?

Can you send me a print copy of the catalog?

How do I use the library?

As a distance education student, am I eligible for financial aid?

Do I need a DSU identification card?

What is Distance Education? Distance Education is teaching and learning offered to students in remote locations, including their homes. Courses may be delivered synchronously or asynchronously. The term synchronous means that the instructor and student are using the course delivery system at the same time and can communicate with each other. This is frequently accomplished using chat room tools. The course delivery system at DSU is Blackboard. The term asynchronous means that the instructor and student access the course delivery system at different times. The student may work on the course at a time best suited to his/her schedule. Email is the primary tool used for instructor-student communication. The distance education student, in general, has more freedom and more responsibility. The instructor's role is more of a guide at a distance and less of an authority figure on a stage.

Is Distance Education for me? ►Are you a good manager of time? Can you balance your time among work, family, and courses? ►Are you self motivated? Are you motivated to complete the course or the degree? ►Are you self directed? Can you take the materials provided by the instructor and learn from them or do you need a leader? ►Are you comfortable expressing yourself using e-mail, phone, and chat rooms or do you require face-to-face meetings with the instructor and other students? ►Do you possess strong written communications skills? ►Flexibility is the key in distance education. The "my time, my place" concept.

What do I need to participate in Distance Education? For participating in on-line learning, you will need a fairly modern computer (a pentium 2 or better is preferred) with a cd-rom drive, a dependable connection to the internet (preferably faster than a dial up connection- you can use dial up connections, but you will be happier with dsl or cable access especially when downloading large files), a word processing program, an email account. Some courses may have more specific software requirements. You will learn about these by communicating with the particular department.

How do I get my books? DSU's Bookstore is managed by Follet Book Company. Books may be purchased at www.dlsu.bkstr.com or by contacting the bookstore at 662-846-4641.

Will I be required to show up at a specific location at any time for an on-line class? The definition of on-line courses at DSU says that there will be no scheduled class meetings. The instructor may require proctored tests which may be taken at most any college testing center. All you need to do is communicate with the instructor and have your wishes for proctoring approved. Instructors may require a meeting with the student on an arranged basis.

How do I register for Distance Education Courses? Complete a graduate or undergraduate application. Send your high school and/or college transcripts to the Office of Admissions.

Are On-Line courses transcripted differently than campus courses? No, your transcript will not identify courses as traditional, on-line, hybrid, ect. . All course work is transcripted the same.

Can you send me a print copy of the catalog? We do not publish print copies of the catalog anymore. All of our courses and programs are described in detail in the Web-based catalog. Click here to go to the catalog.

How do I use the library? As a DSU distance education student you will have access to the Roberts-Laforge Library. For general information or to use the resources in the library, please visit the library's main website.

As a distance education student, am I eligible for financial aid? Yes, distance education students are under the same guidelines as traditional students. Click on the following links for information: Tuition and Fees How do I apply for financial aid Financial aid types Satisfactory academic progress requirements Mid-year transfer student information Printable financial aid forms

Do I need a DSU indentification card? The DSU Okra Card is the official identification card for students, faculty and staff. Although not required for distance education students, it may be used as an on campus library card. While distance education students are not automatically issued a DSU Okra Card, they are available from the Student Business Services Office located in Kent Wyatt Hall.

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