Are the off-campus courses any different from
the on-campus courses?
Appalachian faculty offer the same courses in off-campus
programming as are offered on campus. The only differences
between the two are location of the classroom and the
cohort nature of the off-campus program.
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What is a cohort?
The term “cohort” is
used to describe a group of students seeking the same educational
goal who begin a program of study together and proceed
term-by-term in a lock-step fashion to acquire the necessary
courses. Because the cohort’s program progressively
builds on previous terms, a student must begin when the
cohort is initiated and continue to take the prescribed
schedule of courses in order to complete the required program
of study.
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How are off-campus academic programs chosen?
Academic programs are chosen to
be placed at the community college sites according to the
expressed educational needs of those individuals residing
within those geographic areas. Typically, surveys or individual
inquiries provide the best means for Appalachian and the
community colleges composing the Appalachian Learning Alliance
to assess the educational needs. (“Appalachian Learning
Alliance” is the name given the cooperative educational
efforts of Appalachian State University and ten community
colleges in northwestern NC.)
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At the undergraduate level does Appalachian
offer a full four-year program off campus?
Both the part-time and full-time off-campus undergraduate programs will offer only the upper-division (i.e.,
junior and senior years) courses. The community colleges are well equipped to take
care of the lower-division (i.e., freshman and sophomore
years) course needs. Appalachian and the community colleges
within the Appalachian Learning Alliance work together
in providing information about what courses to take at
the community college and what courses will be delivered by Appalachian. In general, we recommend that a student
take the college transfer program courses through the
community college (i.e., those courses leading to the
AA or AS degree) prior to the beginning date of Appalachian's
off-campus program.
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How can a student obtain a list of exactly what courses
need to be taken in order to enter a certain program?
The listing of Undergraduate
Programs will enable you to review the courses that
are included in the program of study for each particular
major. The Office of Extension and Distance Education
is happy to assist in reviewing your transcripts in order
to provide more details about what courses may be needed.
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What if an undergraduate student cannot get all of the preliminary
courses completed before the off-campus program begins?
Appalachian does allow concurrent enrollment in off-campus
programs at the undergraduate level (i.e., enrollment
in Appalachian plus another institution during the same
term). A student must bear in mind that Appalachian's
courses will generally take 2 nights per week, so there
will be limited possibilities for taking other classes
during evening hours only. Additionally, certain Appalachian
courses have pre-requisites; therefore, a student must
take care in ensuring that pre-requisite courses are completed
by the proper term.
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What about courses taken many years ago? Will
there be a problem transferring that credit?
Generally, there isn't a problem at the core curriculum
level except when course content has changed considerably.
For example, if a computer course were taken in excess
of 10 years ago Appalachian will probably not be able
to transfer the course because there have been such drastic
changes in the course content. Upper-division courses
taken in excess of 10 year ago must be reviewed by the
respective academic department. (The upper-division
courses in excess of 10 years old are less likely to transfer.)
What
about courses taken on the quarter system?
Courses taken on the quarter system at an accredited institution
are considered for transfer. Basically, for every 3 quarter
hours we issue 2 semester hours' credit.
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Can veterans gain course credit for their military experience?
Yes, 8 semester hours are generally
granted (6 hours for military science and 2 hours of physical
education), and there could be more depending on the completion
of certain military schools. The Veterans Affairs Coordinator
in Student Financial Aid (828-262-2190) can help determine
what paperwork must be submitted to have the credit entered
on the Appalachian record.
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What are the admission requirements?
The off-campus programs follow Appalachian’s regular
admission requirements (though some, such as the RN-BSN program may have additional admission requirements). Those are:
- Student must have at least a 2.0 cumulative gpa on all transferable coursework attempted within the
last three years prior to enrollment
- Student
must be eligible to return to the last institution attended
(i.e., not have any suspension or criminal issues)
- If the student is less than 24 years of age at the
time s/he intends to enter Appalachian’s program,
the student must meet the UNC minimum admissions requirements
(either through the high school work or the previous
college work). Because the
off-campus programs stipulate that the student submit
at least 30 semester hours of transferable work in order
to begin, the SAT or ACT is not required.
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What are the tuition costs and are significant increases
expected in the future?
Current costs are shown at Tuition
and Fees. Because UNC schools are funded by
State monies, exact tuition and fees for the upcoming
year are usually not available until the summer preceding
the fall term. According to our current information, we
anticipate modest increases in the costs from year to
year.
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What about textbooks?
Students entering in their first term of an off-campus
cohort are sent information about how textbooks may be
obtained. After the first term, the online Schedule
of Off-Campus Classes provides the ISBN numbers for
all textbooks for each cohort so that students may ensure
they are acquiring the correct books. Appalachian’s
University Bookstore stocks all of the books and serves
as a resource for textbook acquisition.
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What about advising?
Each cohort has an Academic
Coordinator who serves in an advising role for the
students within the group. Every degree-seeking
student is given a checksheet within the first term of their off-campus cohort,
and it is important that each person refer to the checksheet
and take needed courses accordingly. The Office
of Extension and Distance Education can help if there
are questions about what lower-division courses should
be taken.
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How does a student know which off-campus
courses to take, and how does s/he register for them?
The off-campus programs are in a lock-step sequence,
meaning that Appalachian offers only certain prescribed
courses per term to the cohort and those courses are sometimes
pre-requisites for later terms' courses. Should a student
miss a term within the given cohort, it is their responsibility
to make up the course(s) missed--and that may mean coming
to Appalachian's main campus to acquire the course(s).
It is important to note that ALL of the Appalachian courses
to be delivered at a certain site are offered only one
time. The Office of Extension and Distance Education takes
care of informing students about registration. The first
registration for a site-based cohort will be completed
face-to-face.
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What about honors distinctions?
Most of the programs have honors organizations which
a student who has earned a certain grade point average
may be invited to join. Additionally, the distinction
of “graduation with honors” (i.e., summa cum
laude, magna cum laude, cum laude) is bestowed on those
who have earned at least 48 semester hours through Appalachian
and have distinguished gpa's. Only students who
are enrolled full time (in graded courses) with Appalachian
are eligible to be listed on the Dean's List; therefore,
cohort members are generally not eligible because their
programs provide for only half-time enrollment in Appalachian
courses.
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What about graduation?
Majors require at least 122 semester
hours (some stipulate 128 semester hours) for graduation.
A student who is well aware of their progress as a result
of advisement will know when they'll be graduating. At
the beginning of an undergraduate student's last term,
graduation information is mailed to them. Appalachian's
graduation ceremonies are held on campus in May and December
of each year.
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What if a student must drop a course or withdraw from school?
If there is a change in enrollment the student must notify
the Office of Extension and Distance Education immediately.
The student may e-mail their cohort Program
Manager, write them, or call them at 800/355-4084.
Information regarding withdrawal and the refund policy
is available at the beginning of each online Schedule
of Off-Campus Courses.
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What if a student must repeat a course?
Courses within a cohort are offered only once, so if
a student needs to repeat a course on-campus enrollment
may be the only alternative. Be aware that there are different
charges for on-campus courses. And, if a student is registered
for more than 4 semester hours for the term, with at least
a portion of the credit through on-campus enrollment,
an immunization record must be presented and the student
must meet the immunization requirements as specified by
the State of North
Carolina. Any student planning to repeat a course must
review the University
Repeat Policy.
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Can a student accelerate finishing the undergraduate
degree by attending both on- and off-campus courses?
Because the off-campus programs have carefully constructed schedules to ensure program requirements are met at timely intervals, the University has not
sought to combine programs for enrollment both on and
off campus. Past experience indicates that considerable
confusion usually results from the combination of on-
and off-campus courses; therefore, the University does
not condone the practice except in instances where students
are advised to do so. We recommend that if a person
wishes to complete degree requirements as quickly as possible
s/he should enroll as a full-time student on Appalachian's
main campus, where sections of courses appear on a more frequently recurring basis.
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Must a student own a computer to be in an off-campus program?
A home computer is not required but many students find
it handy. If you are considering purchasing a computer
you may wish to check Academic
Computing Services' recommendations. Computer
labs are, also, available at the community college site.
(Students wishing to use the community college computer
lab should check resources can be arranged on the program
site, as well.
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Must a student know very much about using computers?
A minimum level of computer skills
will be essential to your success as an off-campus student.
If you are uncomfortable with your current level of computer
skills, consider taking an introductory-level computer
course at the community college to boost your skills and
confidence. During the orientation held at the beginning
of each program students are made aware of their University
computer account and given a basic introduction to use
of the account.
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Are there library resources available to off-campus students?
Appalachian’s off-campus
students are entitled to library services and resources
equivalent to those provided for students and faculty in
the traditional campus setting. The University Library’s
Distance Learning Library Services Team is dedicated to
encouraging and facilitating library use among off-campus
students. Resources and services for off-campus students
are described at Distance Learning Library Services.
To access library databases a student must be registered
for the current term. An enrolled student experiencing
difficulties in accessing online library resources may
contact the Office of Extension
and Distance Education for assistance.
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What about the Appalachian Student ID and entitlement to
all student privileges?
All Appalachian students are entitled to the Student ID card. Photos are usually
taken for off-campus students during the program orientation.
(Students who do not have their ID photos taken at an orientation session may have their photos made at the ID Center in Trivette Hall on the main campus.) Off-campus students pay only tuition and the fees for
which they receive services. Those fees associated with
on-campus facilities usage and such areas as Athletics are not charged,
therefore, off-campus students do not pay for the privileges
to use certain facilities (such as the on-campus Quinn
Recreational Center, the on-campus Medical Center, etc.)
or to receive free home athletic event tickets. Off-campus
students DO have the privilege to access the Library.
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What about credit for life experience?
CLEP scores are considered, but
only in subject areas (general CLEP exams are not considered). Some
Appalachian departments, also, offer credit by exam in
certain courses. There is a charge for a credit by exam
testing, so a student needs to be sure to investigate course
content before requesting a proficiency exam.
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How long will it take to finish Appalachian's off-campus
program?
The majority of the off-campus undergraduate programs
average 3 to 4 years in length because only 6-7 semester
hours are typically offered per term. The off-campus part-time programs run
year-round (including summers). The off-campus full-time programs are less likely to have summer course offerings.
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Why are there more part-time offerings off campus?
Many students who enter Appalachian's
off-campus programs have full-time jobs, and it would be
difficult for them to assume full-time study for an extended
period of time. Two courses per term will necessitate some
reshuffling of priorities, but most people find two courses
manageable.
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When should one apply?
Applications for an off-campus cohort are made available
at the time of the information meeting; therefore, individuals
interested in off-campus programs are encouraged to make
the Office of Extension and Distance Education aware of
their interests by calling 800/355-4084 or submitting
the Information Request Form
so that details about upcoming programs may be sent to
them. Generally, application deadlines are set for
each undergraduate program as well as a cap for cohort
enrollment; and, accepted applicants are allowed to enter
the off-campus cohort on a first-come, first-served basis.
Admission notification is usually within 1 month following
submission of a complete application.
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Is financial aid available for students enrolled in off-campus
programs?
Yes, so long as the student has qualified to receive
federal financial aid. Anyone seeking federal financial
assistance should complete the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March
15 (after completing the federal tax return). A student
eligible to receive federal financial aid who must enroll
in classes at both Appalachian and the community college
for a given term (as a part of the program requirements)
can have hours taken at both institutions reported for
financial aid purposes through a Consortium
Agreement.
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