You will not be able to access your online classes until the first day of the semester, August 13, 2008, Charlotte time. To officially begin a course you must complete an icebreaker assignment. For many courses the icebreaker is the posting of a short autobiography on the course Forum. For all online courses, the icebreaker assignment must be submitted by the eighth day of the semester. You will find details about your icebreaker assignment in the syllabus for your course.

The best way to communicate with your instructor is by using the "Contact Instructor" link on your course homepage. For responses click on the Inbox link on the first line of your course homepage.

Logon to your My Courses screen. Select Profile. Review the information and be sure that it is all correct. On the screen are links which you may use to change your password and your e-mail address. A valid e-mail address is a requirement for all online courses. Updating your e-mail address will assist communication with your instructor as well as giving the system a place to send your password if you forget it.

We recommend using the latest version of Internet Explorer. Download Internet Explorer at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx.

You can be dropped as a No-Show for failing to complete the ice-breaker assignment during the first week of the semester. Moreover, missing 20% of the course work could result in your being dropped from the class with a grade of "W."

The instructor of your course can reinstate a No-Show not later than the Census Date on the Academic Calendar. Reinstatement is on a space available basis only. An instructor also may reinstate a student who the instructor has dropped with a W grade.

What If I Need More Time To Finish A Course?