FISHER ONLINE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

SOFTWARE/COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Microsoft Word 2000 or higher and a CD-ROM drive (for some courses) are required in order to successfully complete your studies. For more detailed information on your course, log into your course and read your "Course Information." For those students taking AA223/4, CS101, CS125, CS315 or CS241 this term, the full MS Office XP or 2003 Suite (Word, Excel, Access and Power Point) or higher is required! If you do not have the required software, you can purchase it through www.gradware.com, and from numerous computer stores, or you can find a computer that has the appropriate software (library, friend, school, work, etc.)

TEXTBOOKS: If you have not yet ordered your textbooks, please go to our online bookstore at https://www.fisherbookstore.com (opens in new window). Your textbooks will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering.

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR ONLINE OR BLENDED COURSE:

• Click on "Student Tools", then "Manual" in the course - these are your technical instructions! This is particularly important if you need help with "Digital Dropbox," "Edit Homepage," or "E-mail."
• Keep in constant contact with your instructor with e-mails or course assignment submissions each week. It is important to keep up with your readings and homework since it can be easy to fall behind if too much time has elapsed. A lack of communication, through e-mails and course assignments, may be interpreted as a "lack of attendance," and you will receive a warning e-mail from our office. If your instructor does not hear from you or receive timely assignments and quizzes, he or she may contact the Fisher Online office and ask us to call you.
• Make certain to sign your name on all e-mails.
• If you do not take the final exam on time, the instructor will assign you a "0," as final grades are due within three days after the end of the course. Please note: Your grades are posted each week in the "Student Tools/Student Grades" section of your course to help you track your progress.
• Expect to spend the same amount of time on this course as you would on any classroom-based course - about 5 to 6 hours per week. Remember: These online courses are not easier; they are just a lot more convenient, and you take the responsibility to complete all work in a timely manner.
• Be certain to complete all the readings and assignments and turn them in on the appropriate assigned dates. All courses have a "Discussion Forum" area, and you must read all the directions concerning assignments, requirements and rules.

WITHDRAWALS (8 WEEK DCE COURSES ONLY):

• Important! Please note that you have until Friday at 4:00pm during the first week of each term to withdraw from the course without owing tuition (this is a bonus that most colleges do not offer to you). You must e-mail me by that time. Be certain to contact Susan Dyer at 866-309-6539 (toll-free) or sdyer@fisher.edu, if you need to withdraw for any reason. College policy for the Online Programs gives you this liberal time frame to look at the course, and decide if you will be successful working in this computer-based environment. 50% of your tuition will be due if you withdraw after Friday, but before Monday at midnight of the second week. We do, of course, hope that you stay and enjoy the courses!
• If you do need to withdraw from a course, at any later time, please make certain that you contact us immediately so an appropriate grade can be assigned and you are taken out of the course. We highly recommend that you contact your instructor, and the Online Registrar. Remember: after Monday of the second week, full tuition is charged. You may receive an "F" grade if you just stop doing the work and do not formally withdraw 10 days before the end of the term.

PLAGIARISM: IMPORTANT INFORMATION - READ THIS!!!!! There has been a tremendous increase in students "plagiarizing" information off web sites! Every instructor has detailed information how to scan your essays and term papers to see if you have taken ANY information off these well-known web sites - your documents can be very easily checked by all your instructors!! Do your own work or you will be caught and withdrawn from your course immediately! Instructors caught 9 students over the past two terms and all were withdrawn. Do not take this chance with your education!!!

Please remember that we at Fisher Online are here to help and support you in any way possible. Please feel free to contact us if we may be of any assistance to you or if we may answer any of your questions. Have a super academic semester and enjoy your online courses!

CONTACT INFORMATION:
PHONE: 866.309.6539
FAX: 508.695.4604
OFFICE HOURS: Mon-Thurs (EST) 9:00am-8:30pm EST, Fridays 9:00am-4:30pm, & Saturday-Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm
E-MAIL: E-mail anytime! (We check e-mails periodically during evenings and on weekends!)

Susan Dyer, Registrar
sdyer@fisher.edu

Ray Berthelette, Technical Specialist
rberthelette@fisher.edu

Mike Wall, Recruitment and Enrollment Manager
mwall@fisher.edu

Melissa Benson, Online Office Coordinator
mbenson@fisher.edu

Chris Wenger, Director of Online Education
cwenger@fisher.edu

Janet Harrington, Vice President of Continuing Education & Distance Learning
jharrington@fisher.edu