The following guidelines relate to the administrative steps required by every instructor teaching a course at a distance. Please read and/or print the information relevant to your delivery method; and if you have any questions or feel that there is something missing, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Common forms required by you are provided in a blank format in the event that you misplace those sent in your confirmation packet. In all instances, these forms are in a pdf or Microsoft Word format and may be filled out electronically, printed, and sent to the appropriate person (instructions are on each form).
Before teaching a distance course, you are required to meet with —or a Distance Education manager or coordinator she designates—for a new distance education instructor orientation session. At this meeting you will learn information specific to teaching at a distance, including how to contact your students, access your permission numbers online, process administrative drops, etc. This mandatory meeting is conducted in person for those instructors living in or around Boise and via live chat or telephone for those living outside the area.
A copy of your current vitae or resume is required to be on file in the Distance Education office. Please provide a copy to us at the time of your orientation meeting -OR- email a copy to Sandy Howell at . Please forward a current copy when changes are made.
Before your class begins, we make every effort to ensure that your contact information is correct both on our website and in our files in the event that we or students need to communicate with you throughout the semester. We will send you a confirmation form that can be used to change your mailing address, telephone number(s), and/or email address(es). It is important that you contact us immediately with any changes. New information can be sent to Sandy Howell at .
We provide students with public contact information (office phone, email address, office location) for you unless you tell us otherwise. Please check your contact information at www.boisestate.edu/distance/offerings/instructors.shtml and notify about any corrections.
We want to offer the most accurate course information possible on the Distance Education website. As the instructor you are the most familiar with your class content and student requirements. Unless you are teaching a Special Topics class that requires a course description not in the Boise State Catalog or have requirements outside those typical of distance classes, your course page will contain general information about the course and its delivery method (Internet, Videoconferencing, etc.).
All Distance Education courses are integrated into the general body of the current Schedule of Classes for fall, spring, and summer semesters. Introductory distance delivery method paragraphs are available toward the front of the schedule. Please look at both the introductory paragraphs for your course delivery method and the individual course listing. Distance Education courses are identified by delivery method: Internet, Telecourse, or Video Conferencing and have a four-digit section number in the 4000–4600 range. If you have suggestions for the introductory paragraphs or concerns about your course listing, please contact Betty Miller at . Though the information is already published, it can and should be changed in BroncoWeb for students registering online. Making changes in the current semester helps us ensure that subsequent schedules contain accurate information.
It is imperative that we have a copy of your course syllabus for the official course file for each distance education class you are teaching every semester. If you need copies made for and distributed to students, please allow at least two weeks to process your request. We prefer to receive your syllabus electronically. Please email your syllabus to as soon as you have it available.
We strongly encourage you to post your syllabus and other course documents on Blackboard for all delivery methods. Students are becoming more familiar with Blackboard as more instructors use it to deliver information. Making your syllabus available in this way helps ensure that students have ready access to it whenever they need the information.
Book orders may be processed through your academic department administrative staff or online by you at the BSU Bookstore site.
Book order problems should be resolved through the person you placed the order with: your department or directly with the Bookstore. in Distance Education Department can also assist.
Students may order textbooks in a number of ways: in-person at the BSU or a site bookstore, by phone at 208-426-BOOK, or by secure online ordering from the Boise State Bookstore.
The class roster available to you through BroncoWeb is the official list of enrolled students. It is updated in real time and is accurate as of the time it is accessed.
All grades are submitted online.
If you have any problems using the online grading system, please contact BroncoWeb immediately.
Please submit all grades on or before the deadline.
If you are teaching a course within a shortened session (1st 8-week, 2nd 8-week, etc.), grades must be submitted no later than five days following the last day of the session.
If you are teaching a regular 16-week class (10 weeks in the summer), your grades are due by the date indicated in the Academic Calendar located at http://registrar.boisestate.edu/calendars.htm. Please make sure your grades are submitted on time.
As the instructor, you may enter a grade of I (for incomplete) if all of the following conditions are present:
A contract for completing the class should be created by you in collaboration with the student.
The contract:
The final decision to assign an incomplete grade rests with the Instructor. The student must be informed that he or she cannot remove the incomplete by re-enrolling in the class during the next semester.
Select the grade of I (for incomplete) from the dropdown menu in the BroncoWeb Grade Roster. The student will receive an email notification that he or she has “Registrar To Do Items” on BroncoWeb. This notification will say exactly what you have written on the grade roster.
Distance courses are evaluated the first time they are offered by an instructor and usually once per year thereafter.
We use a standard Extended Studies evaluation unless your academic department chair requests that a specific department form be used instead. We conduct evaluations for all courses currently using Blackboard in some capacity through a separate Blackboard course site. Therefore, will need to receive any special course evaluation form early in the semester in order to convert it to an electronic format.
Using either the typical Extended Studies course evaluation or the specific one forwarded by the department, we set up a separate course site, load the evaluation, request that Blackboard support load the students into the site. Then will send out an email to notify the instructor and the students that the evaluation is available. We also ask that instructors make an announcement in the regular course site to let students know about the evaluation. Once the evaluation is closed, compiles the results.
For those site-based courses not using Blackboard, a hard copy evaluation form will be distributed to the students during the last week of classes. Again, we prefer to use Blackboard for all course evaluations.
Three copies of the evaluation will be made: (a) one copy for the instructor, (b) one copy for the academic department chair, and (c) one copy that is reviewed by the Distance Education Director and retained in the official course file.
Distance Education students will often try to access instructors via email. It is best when responses to student inquiries come from a Boise State University email account. You may request a Boise State email account through your department chair or administrative staff. When approved, your request for an account can be filled out online at http://oit.boisestate.edu/accountrequest/.
GroupWise email accounts can be accessed remotely using any Web browser at http://apps.boisestate.edu/. Sign in using your BroncoWeb user name (usually your complete first and last name with no spaces), and the same password you use to login to Blackboard.
Six-digit permission numbers are used to override class capacity, override class requisites, and validate conditional registrations. Usually, twenty each of “Y” (used to override everything, INCLUDING class capacity) and “N” (used to override everything EXCEPT class capacity) numbers are assigned to every course offered at Boise State University. Faculty members—adjunct and full-time—have access to their own permission numbers in BroncoWeb. Issuing permission numbers for any reason is at the discretion of the department chair and instructor. If you run out of numbers and need more generated for a distance education course, contact the Distance Education Coordinator, (208.426.5622).
When students call Extended Studies for permission numbers, we refer them to the instructor and/or the academic department (usually an assistant) directly. Otherwise, the Distance Education staff would require written permission from you before we can issue a permission number. If you experience a problem or need help, contact the Distance Education Coordinator, (208.426.5622.
Permission numbers are located in your BroncoWeb account. Once you have logged in, select Faculty/Staff/Advisors then Permission Numbers.
According to Boise State University Policy 4190, (cited in the catalog and also available online at www.boisestate.edu/policy/policy_docs/4190_FacultyInitiatedWithdrawal.pdf), faculty members may administratively drop students from a course for:
Nonattendance that can lead to a faculty-initiated drop is defined as failure to attend the first class session of a class that meets once weekly, or failure to attend the first two sessions of a class that meets twice weekly. Since online classes meet asynchronously rather than at scheduled times, it is important to clarify how that policy applies to your course. Please make sure, therefore, that both your syllabus and initial email clearly state:
We strongly encourage faculty to drop students who have not logged in during the first week. It is usually in the best interest of both the absent student and the class.
You may fill in a Faculty Initiated Drop Form using Adobe Acrobat Reader: (http://registrar.boisestate.edu/Forms/facdrop.pdf). This can be sent directly to the Registrar's office for processing or—for Distance Education courses only—printed and faxed to Sandy Howell in Extended Studies at 208.426.3467. The deadline to administratively drop students is usually four working days after classes begin (Friday if classes begin on a Monday, Monday if classes begin on a Tuesday, etc.). The Academic Calendar provides the exact deadline date: http://registrar.boisestate.edu/academic-calendar.shtml. If you are experiencing a problem, can help you.
After the course schedule has been submitted for printing, any changes to a course set-up must be approved through the normal channels. This approval is obtained through a Schedule Change Request Form (sometimes called pink slip), filled out electronically and submitted online by your department, with a copy e-mailed to or faxed to 208.426.3467. Schedule changes might include any of the following:
Please Note: the Distance Education Coordinator is responsible for many aspects of the schedule setup and Schedule Change form processing. Department chairs or faculty members will be contacted directly if more information as needed. The Distance Education Coordinator is Betty Miller— or 208.426.5622.
Class capacity (cap) is set with direction from the academic department chair and instructor. If you find that you would like to increase your class capacity, please request that a Schedule Change Request Form be submitted by your department chair. If this is your first time teaching a distance education class, we advise that you keep your class cap set at around 20 or 25. If you find you can handle more of a student load during the following semester, please let your chair know so that he/she can make a cap change during the course set-up process.
Each matriculated student at Boise State University is assigned a BroncoMail account upon acceptance to the University. This is a student email account used by faculty and staff to officially communicate with students. Unfortunately, many students are not fully familiar with BroncoMail and do not realize that email is the primary communication tool the University uses. As a result, students forget to log in and check their accounts for months at a time or at all. Please help us educate students on the use of their BroncoMail account by suggesting one or all of the following tips:
It is the responsibility of the instructor to inform the students in their distance classes, especially those classes with online components, of these policies. Please list the following URLs in your syllabus and in a prominent location in your Blackboard course site. The review of these policies could be an assignment.
You are required to provide a link to the student code of conduct in your syllabus, whether you are teaching online or in person. If you are having a conduct problem with a student in your course, you may print and fill out a Conduct Report Form and submit it to the Office of Student Conduct.
Instructors are responsible for ensuring that their distance education classes comply with copyright law. Information about copyright law and distance education is available on General Counsel website, located at www.boisestate.edu/generalcounsel/copyright/.
Students can get information about distance education classes in three different ways:
Distance Education staff members have worked very hard to provide a comprehensive website for students seeking information on our courses, delivery methods, and much more. The website presence we maintain allows us to pull together information specific to distance education programs and present it in one convenient place. Below are a few areas that students might find especially helpful:
Students can search and register for distance education courses on BroncoWeb and will find helpful notes for most course listings. The notes provide information on the delivery method, student requirements, instructions, etc. Students can search for specific distance education courses by choosing the appropriate category under the “Mode of Instruction” (delivery method) drop-down menu.
All distance education courses are integrated into the general body of the current Schedule of Classes for all semesters. Introductory distance delivery method paragraphs are available toward the front of the schedule. Students should watch for the delivery method (Internet, Teleweb, Cable Television, Computer-Based Multimedia, Telecourse, Video Conferencing, or Video Streaming) to determine whether they are looking at a distance education section or not. Some courses also indicate “Electronic Campus” in the location field if they are not site-based.
If you are teaching an Internet or Teleweb course, you are required to have a Boise State email account. You may request a Boise State email account through your department chair or administrative staff. When it is approved, you or department administrative staff can fill out the account request online at http://oit.boisestate.edu/accountrequest/.
You can access your Boise State email account remotely at http://apps.boisestate.edu. You will sign in using the same user name (usually your complete first and last name with no spaces), and password you use to access Blackboard and BroncoWeb.
(Download a text version of the initial email template here.)
(Download this subsection in PDF format)
Faculty members are to initiate contact with students by sending out a “class start-up email.” This initial contact provides you and the University with assurance that students have the correct information to access and start the class.
Retrieve your class roster from either BroncoWeb or Blackboard. If you have not yet accessed your class roster through BroncoWeb or are experiencing difficulty with this, please call the BroncoWeb Helpline for support at 208.426.2932.
Please send the start-up email to the students’ BroncoMail email accounts listed on the class roster no later than the start date for the session in which your class is listed. When students contact us with questions we will refer them to this email in their BroncoMail account.
The initial email contact, which can include a copy of the syllabus, serves many purposes.
The following content areas are recommended (at a minimum). Below each recommendation is an example of what you might include in that section. Information specific to Teleweb courses are indicated by braces: { }. Information that is specific to your course and that will need to be changed before going out to students is contained within parentheses: ( ).
These tasks must be completed no later than (DAY, DATE), by (TIME).
(CLASS NAME) is a (NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS)-credit course, and these tasks are equivalent to the first week’s attendance in a traditional (NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS)-credit lecture class.
This class is not a self-study or online correspondence course. Though you may access Blackboard anytime and complete most of the work asynchronously, this course has (weekly, bi-weekly, ongoing) deadlines and regular participation is mandatory. Each student must complete assignments, tests, quizzes, and all other course requirements by the posted deadlines. (You will also be required to participate at a specified time two times during the course.) If you encounter an unexpected problem not related to coursework, please contact me immediately. Late and/or incomplete assignments or projects are only accepted when prior arrangements have been made.
This course is not easier or less time-consuming than its on-campus equivalent. In fact, because (most, all) of the content for this course must be read, you will likely spend more time than you would in a face-to-face class. It is generally recommended that you set aside 3-4 hours per week per credit hour (9-12 hours for a 3-credit class, for example) for class time and homework. Likewise, learning online takes a different skill set than does learning in a classroom. If you are unsure about your ability to learn online, consider taking the self-assessment survey located at www.boisestate.edu/distance/students/selfscreen.shtml.
You must have (daily) access to a computer with the following minimum requirements:
If this is your first time signing into Blackboard, please follow this process:
Blackboard Help
Hours: 8AM-6PM M-Th & 8AM-5PM F
Email: blackboard@boisestate.edu
Phone: 208-426-2583BroncoWeb Help
Hours: 8AM-6PM M-Th & 8AM-5PM F
Email: bweb@boisestate.edu
Phone: 208-426-BWEB (2932)BroncoMail Help
Help Desk Hours: 8AM-5PM M-F
Email: helpdesk@boisestate.edu
Phone: 208-426-4357
Website with instructions and FAQ available 24/7: http://helpdesk.boisestate.edu/students/broncomail/faq.shtmlDistance Education Help
Sandy Howell
Hours 8AM-5PM M-F
Email: showell@boisestate.edu
208-426-4216
As well as a link to the Student Code of Conduct, you are also required to provide a link in your syllabus and/or course site to the Student Online Privacy Notice: http://itc.boisestate.edu/BbSupport/BbDocs/general/PrivacyNotice.htm.
(Download this subsection in PDF format)
In general, students who request testing in areas outside of BSU must do their own research to locate an acceptable proctor. There are qualifications that a proctor must meet and when one is located, the instructor has the discretion to approve or disapprove the proctor and/or the testing environment. Below are guidelines for students when locating an acceptable proctor and testing site.
Note: University academic dishonesty policies apply to all remote proctoring arrangements for BSU students.
If a proctor has agreed to volunteer, that person must be able and willing to furnish certain credentials:
Each instructor has full discretion to allow or refuse any testing arrangement. In some cases the student may need to search for another volunteer and/or location if the instructor is not satisfied.
(Download this subsection in PDF format)
Two resources are available to prepare students for online, hybrid, or web-enhanced classes: an online skill building course with two participation options and an e-learning orientation. Both resources help students develop required skills. You may benefit from these resources as well because you won’t have to devote instructional or personal time to unprepared students who are in need of online learning skills.
When a student is registered in your online course without the necessary computer and Internet literacy skills, first determine if they are completely unprepared or struggling with one aspect of your course. A student struggling with one or two skills may benefit by referral to the self-study option. If a student is completely unprepared to learn online you can recommend or insist that the student drop your class and take the Introduction to e-Learning course in the semester prior to taking your course. If a student does not comply, you can drop them by faculty initiated drop deadline.
The Introduction to e-Learning course is designed to develop knowledge and skills required for success in web-enhanced courses. These include computer literacy, Internet literacy, technology management, organization, and time management. Students can access the course in two versions.
The broadcast schedule is determined by the Idaho Public Broadcast station. We will notify you of the broadcast times as soon as the station informs us of the schedule.
Occasionally there may be a broadcast error. If you or your students become aware of a problem, please notify at 208.426.4216 immediately. If we know about the error shortly after the problem, rebroadcasts may be arranged. When rebroadcasting is not possible, other arrangements will be made. We will notify students about broadcast errors and how we plan to resolve the problem—by phone and by email.
Ted Eisele in Academic Technologies compiles the Videoconferencing testing schedules each semester. Test dates and other information are provided on the Instructor Expectations for Site Facilitators form and returned to Ted Eisele at least one week prior to the beginning of the semester. Any changes to test dates must be submitted to Ted as soon as they are known. Otherwise, proctors may be arranged only to find an empty classroom when they arrive.
If there are issues related to: class/exam cancellations due to illness or otherwise; live classroom assistance; receive site/broadcast difficulties; and emergency processes, contact Ted Eisele at 426-1695.
The broadcast schedule is determined by the Idaho Public Broadcast station. We will notify you of the broadcast times as soon as the station informs us of the schedule.
Occasionally there may be a broadcast error. If you or your students become aware of a problem, please notify at 208.426.4216 immediately. If we know about the error shortly after the problem, rebroadcasts may be arranged. When rebroadcasting is not possible, other arrangements will be made. We will notify students about broadcast errors and how we plan to resolve the problem—by phone and by email.
You will be meeting with students prior to the first broadcast time. As such, YOU will announce the broadcast time at the first class and in your syllabus. Students will receive your syllabus from you at the first class meeting. Remember that your class does not meet during the first week of classes!
The following five documents are kept in each course file in Extended Studies for accreditation purposes. Not all documents are required to be returned by you, so please read through the information carefully.
For accreditation purposes, Extended Studies must have a credential file on all instructors with their most current vitae or resume. Please send a copy to whenever you update your vitae or resume.
