Department of Sociology and Social Work

How do I do this Virtual College stuff?

Is distance learning right for you?

Welcome to the Sociology and Social Work Department. Since you are here, it is safe to assume that you are interested in pursuing our sociology degree online (the social work degree cannot be completed online). However, in case you are still unsure about this whole web-based learning experience, here is a link to FHSU's Virtual College that will provide you with an overview of distance learning: How to Start.

Here are some links that show the courses that we teach: Sociology Courses and Social Work Courses. (The social work (BSW) degree cannot be completed online.) Click here for a list our for a document outlining the BA Degree in Sociology: BA degree program.

The Basics

A majority of the courses taught through the Virtual College by Sociology and Social Work Department faculty members use Blackboard technology. We have found that this system is very user-friendly, from both faculty and student perspectives. So, as one of our students, you must know how to logon onto and navigate around in Blackboard (see below). In addition, student must have an active email account (see below), and have the materials for the course before the semester begins (see below, too!).

Our faculty work very hard to provide as much information as possible in their syllabi to help you feel comfortable about your distance learning experience and to get through the course in the time allowed. Generic syllabi (with emphasis on GENERIC - i.e., not intended for actual use during a specific semester) are also presented here: Generic Syllabi. Check out the generic syllabi now, but be sure to read the semester-specific syllabus for your class once the semester begins. Depending upon your professor, your semester-specific syllabus might be provided in .pdf format in a link on the relevant Blackboard site, within the web pages of the site itself, and/or in an email sent to you. We have tried telepathy with limited success. However, most of the semester-specific syllabi will not be ready until just before the semester begins - just like in a real class! So, read those syllabi when you have access to them!

Generally students who have enrolled and paid their fees will have access to their on-line course one week prior to the beginning of the semester or term. Late enrollments might have access one day prior to the semester beginning. (Enrolling after the semester has ended makes no sense, so don't even try.) It is often the case that your professor has limited control as to when late enrollments are added to his or her Blackboard site. It generally takes 24 hours between the time the registar's office enrolls a student in a course and the time that the student's name is available for the professor to add the student to his or her site.

Some instructors send out welcome letters, while others provide a welcome announcement in the Blackboard site for the course. (Still others are grouchy and might not welcome you.) Students are expected to to be ready to begin the course on the first day of the semester. Students are expected to review the syllabus for their particular course (as soon as it is available) and follow the instructions therein.

Distance learning students often do not realize the organizational challenges involved in making a distance learning course a success - for both the student and the professor. One of several keys to success is the existence of a class structure that is followed and an explicit schedule for the completion of tasks. Each student has the obligation to follow the schedule in the current course syllabus. If you do not follow the timeline identified in the course syllabus (or adjusted by an announcement by the course instructor), please expect a penalty. Hey, don't say we did not warn you!

So, what the heck is Blackboard?

Blackboard is simply a means for faculty to organize their classes on the Web. To use Blackboard, you will need to have a 4.5 or higher Netscape browser or a 5.0 or higher Internet Explorer browser. Both of these can be downloaded from the Internet at no cost to the student. (Although, since you reading this, you probably already have one of these programs. DUH!)

To logon to Blackboard, point your browser to http://blackboard.fhsu.edu/ on the Web (notice the address does not contain www). You can also simply click on the link on FHSU's main Web page: http://www.fhsu.edu/ (and look for "Blackboard" about half way down on the left side of the screen).

Once you are at the FHSU Blackboard site, hit the Login button and then type in your USERNAME and PASSWORD. Your username is most likely your first initial, middle initial, and last name (e.g., mswalker) -- if this doesn't work, try first initial underscore and last name (e.g., m_walker). Your password is most likely the last four digits of your social security number. Here is my social security number...... (oh... like I am that stupid).

After login, click on the relevant course title (in the upper right hand corner), and you are in your course!

Trouble with login? If you cannot login right away - don't panic! If the semester has not yet begun, you might simply have not been added to the course site yet. If you added the course after the semester has begun, then it usually takes 24-hours before you added to the site. However, if you are sure that you should be on the site, contact your instructor via email: Sociology and Social Work faculty. (Remember, the BSW program is not offered through the Virtual College, although some social work instructors do offer online courses.)

Have you recently changed your name? If you have changed your name (i.e., recently married, divorced, or running from the law) and your new name is different from that which is listed in the registrar's office, it is important that you inform the registrar so your records can be updated. In addition, let your instructor know! Your instructors use the registrar's official roster to update their on-line class rosters. So, if names do not match, a student may be deleted from the site inappropriately and accidentally! I have done this myself - so help us out, all of you newly married, newly unmarried, and/or fugitives.

Don't like your password? You can change your password once you have accessed Blackboard. To do so, hit the Student Tools button on the main page, and then click on Personal Information and then Edit Personal Information. Click on the link Change Password.

Email

Email? Email, schmemail!

Oh... not so fast bucko! Your instructors will likely do most of their corresponding with you via email. Therefore, it is important that you have and use an email account.

Every Fort Hays State University student (including Virtual College students) receive a "Scatcat" email account from the university. If you feel that you will be changing email providers soon and/or often, or if your email provider places limits on the amount of email that you can receive, we advise you to use your Scatcat email account. We know that it ain't quite as mondo, rad, sweeeet, awesome, cool, groovy, hip, neato, or the bees knees (that should cover about everyone) as your Hotmail or Yahoo account - but it is handy for classes.

Please read!! Most often, email will be sent to you from within the Blackboard system. This means that the email address listed in Blackboard will be the address to which email will be sent. Logical, eh? This means, however, that you must make sure that the email address in Blackboard is up to date.

The default email address in Blackboard is your Scatcat email address. You can change the email address listed in the Blackboard, however. To do so, hit the Student Tools button on the main page, then click on Personal Information and then Edit Personal Information. You will see a window next to "Email:". Simply change the address there.

Another option is to have email that is sent to your Scatcat account forwarded to another email address (such as Hotmail or Yahoo). To link your Scatcat email address with another provider, point your web browser to http://www.fhsu.edu/ctc/helpdesk/forwardscatcat.shtml and follow the instructions.

Please read also!! If you are sending email, please reference the course number (e.g., SOC 362 CA) in the subject line of the email, and put your full name somewhere inside of the email. We cannot respond to you if we do not know who you are. Strange, we know. We have enlisted internet fairies to help match emails and students -- but you know how lazy fairies are! It is really more bother than it is worth. Stupid, lazy fairies! For having magical powers you would think this would be so easy. But noooooo.... So, help us out by placing your name and the appropriate course number(s) in your emails!

Materials

Materials? Materials? We don't need no stinking materials!

Well... yes you do. Before the semester begins, please contact the FHSU bookstore for your materials (which could be books, tapes, CDs, packets o' material, sandwiches, - whatever is listed in the current syllabus for the course). Please call 1-877-387-7448 or logon to http://fhsu.bkstore.com and click on the Textbooks tab and then follow the instructions.

One more thing!

Distance learning, especially over the Web, can be frustrating from time to time. Students often feel as though they are alone, floundering in a sea of course work without a life jacket. Please know that we are here to help! We have all completed online course safety class (I even scored 100%!) and have worked very hard to make each syllabus and website very user-friendly and easy to understand. The best advice we have is to read the course syllabus and Blackboard site thoroughly, and complete assignments on time. This will help every student keep their ships upright!

Oh... wait... did I mention that the sociology program is offered online but not the social work program? If not, then... the sociology program is offered online but not the social work program. If you have any questions, please contact us at the number below.