Department of Health Informatics and Information Management. Online Student Learning Manual

Transcription

1 Department of Health Informatics and Information Management Online Student Learning Manual

2 I. Welcome to La Tech Online II. Is Distance Education for you? III. HIM Faculty and Staff Information IV. Getting Started - Admissions - Financial Aid - Tuition - Transfer Credits - Technical Requirements - Registration - BOSS - - LA Tech Student ID - Racing Form V. Course Delivery - Course Formats - Moodle - Participation - Textbooks - Testing - Proctors - Format of Examination - Grading - Course Evaluation VI. Student Support Services - Technology support - Admissions/Registration - Financial Aid - Library Resources - Advising VII. University Rules and Procedures - Dropping a Course - Resigning from the University - GPA Requirements - Academic Probation - Academic Suspension - Readmission from Suspension VIII. HIM Policies and Procedures - HIM Grading Policy - Updating Contact Information - Professional Practice/Clinicals - Graduation Appendix A: Example of Academic Calendar Appendix B: Drop Form Appendix C: Proctor Approval Form Appendix D: Resignation Card Appendix E: Curriculum Sheet Table of Contents:

3 Welcome to La Tech Online It is the goal of Louisiana Tech University to provide superior online education in a convenient and student-friendly format. We strive to make online learning efficient and affordable while maintaining the high standard of academics that has made Louisiana Tech University an educational leader. The progressive instructors and professors who lead our online courses are motivated to reach each individual student wherever he or she may be. Louisiana Tech faculty and staff are committed to the success of every student, regardless of location. We welcome you to our online educational environment and we hope you find this experience enjoyable and rewarding. Is Distance Education for you? Learning online is a convenient alternative to traditional classroom education. Although online learning is attractive to many who wish to pursue an education while working or maintaining a busy lifestyle, this type of education requires dedication. Time management and self-discipline are key for a successful online learning experience. Individuals who require substantial one on one guidance or personal interactions with their peers, may find online learning to be difficult. Another key to preparing for online education is to ascertain that you have the appropriate technology as required as well as high speed Internet connections. Familiarity with common software applications and Internet use is recommended as it will help facilitate an easier transition from the classroom to the online environment. Although students are not required to come to the classroom, course participation is still required. Your individual professor will identify their requirements for class participation which may include online discussions, submission of assignments, and/or virtual classroom attendance. In courses where lectures are recorded, it is the student s responsibility to watch the lectures as they are posted. Communication with your professor is vital in order to establish a rapport as well as to ask questions and get clarification. It is the online student s responsibility to contact their professor when issues or circumstances arise which interfere with their ability to maintain their studies, just as classroom students would contact their instructor if such events occurred. The Health Informatics and Information Management department has taken great strides to ensure that all coursework can be completed online. This means students from anywhere can obtain our online degree without ever coming to campus. Our curriculum will allow any student to sit and successful pass the RHIA exam.

4 Dr. Angela Kennedy HIIA Department Head and Professor Jan Fuller Associate Professor Dr. Prerna Dua HIM Master s Program Director [email protected] Kim Theodos Associate Professor [email protected] Michelle Martin Associate Professor [email protected] Arpan Gurjar Instructor and Technology Coordinator [email protected] Dr. Varadraj Gurupur Assistant Professor [email protected] Deborah Sanders Administrative Assistant [email protected] Contact Information for HIM Faculty and Staff

5 Getting Started Admissions At Louisiana Tech, we operate on the Quarter system. This means, there are 3, 10 week Quarters (Fall, Winter and Spring). Additionally classes are offered in various Summer Session formats during the Summer months. Each academic department will vary in availability of the courses offered online each Quarter. New students may be admitted to begin classes in Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer, providing various opportunities to begin learning. The admissions process for online students is the same as classroom students. All admissions policies and procedures are applicable to online students. Admission requirements, procedures, and information can be found at Once a student is admitted to the University and chooses a degree program, their information is then sent to the appropriate department. Upon receipt of student information, a departmental advisor will be assigned to each student. Financial Aid Financial Aid for online education will be handled in the same manner as traditional students. Students can contact the financial aid office at or via the web at Many questions can be answered by referencing the website of the Financial Aid department. Any questions regarding loans, grants or scholarships should be addressed to the financial aid office. Tuition Tuition costs can be found on the admission website. No out of state tuition is charged for online students not residing in Louisiana. Therefore, even out of state students will pay in state tuition with the additional online learning fee. An online learning fee of $100 per credit hour will be added in addition to normal tuition for all W85 classified classes. This fee is used to support delivery of online courses as well as to acquire advanced technology to be used in our courses. More information regarding tuition and fees can be obtained from the admissions website and office. Transfer Credits Individuals who wish to transfer credits from coursework completed at another university or college should indicate this while completing the admissions requirements. Transfer of credits will be determined by the department in which the course would be taken. For General Education Coursework taken in Louisiana, students may reference the Board of Regents Articulation Guidehttp:// Approval to take courses at another university or college for transfer credit should be sought before courses are taken. Please discuss this with your departmental advisor. More information can be obtained at

6 Technical Requirements Proper technology components are critical for success in the online learning environment. Use the following list of technology requirements as a guide for determining if upgrades are needed before you begin an online degree program. Minimum Computer Requirements o Core i3/i5/i7 Processors o 2 GB recommended [4 GB Recommended] o High Speed Broadband Connection (Avoid Cellphone Wireless Cards and Avoid Satellite Internet such as Wildblue) o CD-RW/DVD-ROM Drive o 80 GB Hard Drive o Sound Card o Monitor Minimum Software Requirements o Windows Vista with SP2/Windows 7/Windows 8 o Microsoft Office 2010/2013 (Students may qualify for a discounted full version) o Adobe Flash Reader o Adobe Reader o Windows Media Player [Latest Edition] o A valid address (A La Tech will be provided after fees are paid and can be used as long as student is active). The student s Tech is used for all correspondence through the university; therefore students should check this account regularly. High speed internet connection is required in order to view classes, take online examinations and submit assignments. If you are using an Internet connection other than DSL or cable, please discuss this with the department technology coordinator to ensure you have the ability to watch Tegrity lectures and access course materials. Relying on library computers will not suffice for online students. If you are purchasing a new computer, please contact the technology coordinator and he/she will be able to help you with the latest specifications. Registration Once a student is admitted to the University and has indicated a degree program, they will be contacted by an individual in that department. A department advisor will be assigned and will work with the student to create a customized plan of study. The advisor may contact the student via or telephone to obtain information. The student will also be assigned a B.O.S.S. User Id and password, a Louisiana Tech Student ID number and their La Tech address. These will be sent to the student by mail. B.O.S.S., the Bulldog Online Student System is an online registration program which also includes critical dates for registration, academic calendars, and the schedule of classes (Racing Form). Final grades can be accessed via B.O.S.S. at the end of each Quarter. Fee payment may also be arranged through B.O.S.S. Currently, students can only register for online classes through B.O.S.S. if the course does not require a special permission signature. All online HIIM courses require a special permission signature. If a permission signature is required, registration is handled through the department office. is the main page for B.O.S.S. and the Student login page can be accessed through this page. After the department advisor has determined the student s class schedule, the schedule is given to the department secretary, who is responsible for submitting this list to the Registrar s office. The student is then registered for their courses. If a student fails to pay fees by the date indicated, their classes will be purged (dropped) and they will be unable to take courses for that Quarter.

7 It is sometimes necessary to register for classes after the Quarter has begun. The departmental secretary will communicate with the Registrar s office concerning adding students to online courses after the Quarter has begun. The normal drop/add period ends on the third class day and no students can be added to a class after the ninth day of class. Racing Form The Racing Form is the list of courses offered each Quarter. This form will be available online before early advising each Quarter. Please refer to the Louisiana Tech website at for the newest versions of the Racing Form. Schedule of classes can also be accessed via B.O.S.S. Most online courses can be identified by the section numbers of 084 or W85. Course Delivery Course Formats Although each course is unique in content and may differ in delivery format, Moodle Course Management system will be the base platform for all online courses. Students will receive their Moodle User ID and password when they are admitted to the University. Each course will have a unique Moodle page where the instructor can post announcements, lectures, files and/or grades. Students are encouraged to become familiar with Moodle since it will be used in all online courses. Students will receive more instructions regarding the use of Moodle in each specific course syllabus. The login page for Moodle is Each course will require different participation and have various methods of evaluation. Where some courses require participation in student discussion boards, others will rely heavily on submission of assignments or objective examinations. All specifics will be explained in the course syllabi and will be subject to the instructor s discretion. Textbooks required for courses are available for purchase through the Louisiana Tech Bookstore. To see the list of required textbooks for each course and to order textbooks, go to It is important to order textbooks as soon as possible to ensure timely delivery. Testing Formal examinations are an integral part of many courses. Some instructors elect to use a Proctor for administration of examinations. A proctor is an individual who will give examinations to the student and is responsible for submission of those exams to the Distance Education Coordinator. Proctors may be assigned according to location, preference, or availability. If you would like to nominate a proctor, please see Appendix C for the Proctor Approval form. This form must be submitted by the student within the first week of the Quarter in order for approval to be obtained before the first exam. The department s distance education coordinator reserves the right to approve or reject such requests. Any inquiries regarding proctors should be addressed to the Louisiana Tech University Testing Center. All proctored exams go through the Louisiana Tech Testing Center. Professors will give the student the date window of the examination along with instructions regarding materials allowed, date the exam is due, method of taking the exam and time limits. This is usually a window of 3 business days. All communications regarding proctors, test dates and methods should be addressed to the Louisiana Tech University Testing Center. Requests for date extensions and specific content questions will be addressed to the professor of the course. According to the University Honor Code, using any materials other than those allowed by the professor constitutes cheating and disciplinary measures will be taken accordingly. Please be prepared to produce a picture ID for your proctor s verification upon request. If the student is not able to take the examination within the given period of time, the student should contact the professor immediately and explain the circumstances. Each individual faculty member reserves

8 the right to approve or disapprove deadline extensions. Please make sure you communicate with your professor in a timely manner to ensure ample time for review. After the student completes the exam, the proctor will be responsible for following instructions regarding returning the exam to the Louisiana Tech Testing Center. Proctors may prefer to fax, or mail paper examinations. Electronic exams will require computer access. Testing format will be decided by the course instructor and may vary from course to course. Grading Examinations and assignments will be graded in a timely manner. All grades will be posted via Moodle. Final grades are available via B.O.S.S. under Unofficial Transcript or Grades. Please see the Louisiana Tech Catalog for instructions regarding appealing grades and requesting Incomplete grades ( I grades). The catalog can be found on the Tech website at Course Evaluation Near the end of the Quarter, each student will have the opportunity to evaluate the course as well as the instructor. This evaluation will be conducted through Moodle. We encourage each student to use this tool in order to give feedback to the University, the department, and as well as the professor. We value your comments and suggestions and hope you will provide us an opportunity to improve our online educational environment. The Louisiana Tech University Health Informatics and Information Management Department wants to help every student in our program to achieve what they are looking for in their education.

9 Student Support Services From time to time, we understand that online students will need assistance in various areas. We encourage students to utilize the online information resources available such as websites and helpdesks to answer questions. Although many questions and issues can be resolved by simply visiting the proper website, it is common for students to need personal contact with a helpful individual in that particular department. We have attempted to identify the individuals who can help with specific issues, and hope to streamline the troubleshooting process: Technology support Moodle Issues CITDL Help Desk [email protected] and BOSS La Tech Computing Center [email protected] Tegrity, HIM Software Issues HIIM Technology Coordinator Arpan Gurjar [email protected] Admissions/Registration Admissions/Transfer LATECH-1 or [email protected] Plan of Study Deadlines and Registration Requirements Academic Calendar, Enrollment Verification, Racing Form Transcripts Departmental Advisor HIIM Department Secretary Deborah Sanders [email protected] La Tech Registrar [email protected] La Tech Registrar Financial Aid, Grants, Loans Fee Payments, Fee Schedule Financial Aid La Tech Financial Aid [email protected] La Tech Comptroller *Note* It is the student s responsibility to ensure proper documentation and communication with the financial aid office. Your departmental advisor nor the secretary can answer specific questions regarding loans, grants, or scholarships.

10 Library Resources Each online student has access to the vast online resources available through the Prescott Memorial Library. Using your La Tech ID number and password (default password is the student s Date of Birth), students are able to log in via the library website at and access the online database. The following website addresses technical issues you may experience when using online library resources Students can also speak to library staff via the Internet through the library home page. Advising At Louisiana Tech, each student is assigned a faculty advisor from their academic department. The advising relationship is something that is integral to the success of the student. For existing students, advising occurs approximately 3 weeks before the end of the quarter. Online students are advised a week before on campus classes to ensure placement in courses. Students can view the classes they have been registered for through B.O.S.S. Advisors will evaluate the student s plan of study and recommend an appropriate schedule for the subsequent Quarters. Online advising can be accomplished via telephone or e- mail according to student and advisor preferences. For new students, an advisor may call you once you are officially admitted to the University. It may be the beginning of the Quarter in which you are to begin studies before you can be advised for scheduling of classes. University Rules and Procedures Dropping a Course If a student wishes to drop or resign from a course after the Quarter has begun, they must contact their advisor and submit a Drop Form (Appendix B). Students should initiate this transaction before the established drop date (can be found on the Quarterly Academic Calendar) It is the student s responsibility to be familiar with this date and to indicate their wishes prior to the drop date. Drops within the first 3 days of the Quarter are without penalty and do not appear on the student s transcript. Because of the limited number of offerings, students should consider the impact of dropping courses on their expected graduation date. Dropping a class assigns a W as a grade and no credit is earned, therefore the class must be taken again. Students who do not drop the class before the drop date will not be able to drop the class for a W grade and will have to remain in the course for the entire Quarter. Only in special cases involving medical emergencies or other inadvertent circumstances will drops be approved after the drop date. These requests are subject to approval by the College Dean. Please contact your instructor first if you feel you must drop a course. Resigning from the University If a student wishes to drop all of their courses for a Quarter, they will officially resign from the University. In order to resign from the University and drop all courses, the student must obtain a Resignation Card (Appendix D), and indicate their intentions to the secretary of the department. The secretary will secure all required signatures and send the card to the Registrar. For information concerning tuition refund, see the fee schedule for the appropriate Quarter at The Fee Refund Policy will indicate amount available for refund according to withdrawal date. If a student fails to properly resign from the University, they will receive an F in all courses. If a student resigns during the first 7 weeks of the Quarter, a W will be assigned as the grade for the course, as if the student dropped it. Any student who officially resigns from the University and wishes to readmit to the University will be required to reapply for admission. Any admission fees and deadlines will be applicable.

11 GPA Requirements All students should remain in good standing with the University, which requires a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Any student who fails to remain in good standing will be placed on Academic Probation. Academic Probation Undergraduate students will be placed on academic probation whenever their cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) are 10 or more quality points below a 2.0 average. To determine this, multiply the cumulative hours attempted by two. If the answer is 10 or more quality points greater than the actual cumulative quality points earned, students are placed on probation. Example: Student attempts 40 semester hours and earns 71 quality points. Multiply 40 x 2 = 80: subtract 71 from 80 = 9; student is not on probation because 9 is less than 10. Once on academic probation, a student will remain on probation (as long as each quarter average is at least 2.0) until the cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is achieved. Once a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is achieved, a student will be cleared of academic probation and placed in academic good standing. Academic Suspension Undergraduate students on academic probation will be suspended at the conclusion of any quarter, including summer, in which they fail to earn a GPA of at least 2.0. First-time freshmen will not be suspended prior to the completion of three quarters of enrollment. The period for the first suspension will be for one quarter. All subsequent suspensions will be for one calendar year. A student on academic suspension from Louisiana Tech University may not enroll in another university within the University of Louisiana System, but may enroll in a community college. Credits earned under these conditions may be accepted for a degree at the suspending institution provided grades of C or higher are earned in each of the courses to be transferred. Readmission from Suspension Appeal for reinstatement after academic suspension may be made to the student's academic dean or to the Director of Basic and Career Studies, as appropriate. Appeals must be accomplished by noon on the day of General Registration/Fee Payment. If approved, the dean notifies the University Registrar and the reinstated student s registration status is activated. Reinstated students will be continued on academic probation. HIM Policies and Procedures HIM Grading Policy It is the requirement of the HIM department that all students make a C or better in ALL courses in order to satisfy curriculum requirements. Any student who does not make a C or better in any course must repeat that course in order to improve their grade and move on in the HIIM curriculum. The Health Informatics and Information Management Department is all based on a 7 point grading scale. Updating contact information It is vital for online students to make certain their contact information is up to date at all times. This includes home phone number, address, cell phone numbers, and alternative address. Please make sure that you make any changes known to the Registrar s office as well as your academic unit. See the Registrar website at for more information on how to change contact information for the University. It is also important for information to be up to date in the academic department in which you are enrolled. Please contact the HIIM Office at to make changes known.

12 Professional Practice/Clinicals Health Informatics and Information Management students are required to complete a Quarter of professional practice prior to graduation. This involves the student performing HIIM tasks in healthcare facilities during normal work hours. The purpose of professional practice is to provide hands on experiences for students to learn in real world situations. In order to begin the professional practice portion of the curriculum, ALL coursework must be complete. This means a C or better must be recorded for ALL courses, both HIIM as well as General Education Requirements. The Professional Practice portion of the curriculum is now offered during all quarters: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Also, the faculty committee will convene before each student begins the clinical portion of the curriculum. This committee is comprised of HIIM professors. The purpose of this committee is to evaluate the effectiveness and potential of each student in a professional environment. The faculty committee reserves the right to prevent a student from entering professional practice based on their evaluation of the student. We expect professional behavior and a respectful attitude of all our students, thus such behavior is expected at clinical sites. Once approved, the professional practice coordinator will contact the student prior to the Quarter they are to begin to discuss sites. Health Information Administration students will be required to complete 6 weeks of professional practice. As an accreditation requirement, students cannot be paid for the work performed during professional practice. Further information regarding professional practice requirements can be obtained through your departmental advisor or the professional practice coordinator. Graduation All coursework and professional practice credits must be earned in good standing in order to graduate. Any student who does not possess at least a 2.0 GPA will not be allowed to graduate. Commencement ceremonies are held every Quarter to commemorate success of graduates. Online students are welcome to attend the commencement ceremony at the end of the last Quarter they attend Louisiana Tech. Please contact the HIIM office for information regarding registering for graduation as well as purchasing graduation attire. This should be done at the beginning of the final Quarter in order for administration to be aware of attending graduates. If a student fails to register by the deadline, they will not graduate that Quarter. Any online student who does not wish to attend commencement should contact the HIIM office for information on how to obtain your diploma.

13 Appendix A Example of Academic Calendar Important dates are highlighted for reference. All subsequent academic calendars will be formatted similarly, although specific dates will change. FALL QUARTER 2013 (TERM 141) Jun 1 S International Admissions: applications and transcripts due for all new International Students Aug 1 R Graduate Admissions: applications and transcripts due in Graduate School for all graduate program applicants 1 R Undergraduate Admissions: applications for admission or readmission due in Admissions Office 2 M 1 st Schedule Purge for students who have not confirmed or paid: 5:00 p.m. 3 F Residence Halls open: 9:00 a.m. Sep 2 M LABOR DAY: University Closed 3 T International Student Orientation: 8:30 a.m., Tolliver Hall T Food Service opens, night meal 4 W FALL QUARTER 2013 BEGINS 4 W General Registration/Fee Payment (for all new/readmitted students & those continuing students who did not complete early registration & fee payment): 8:15 am 6:00 pm (KH 207 & KH 103) 4 W Math Placement Exam: 1:00 p.m., GTM W Foreign Language Placement Exam: 3:30 p.m., GTM W 2 nd Schedule Purge for students who have not confirmed or paid:6:00 p.m. 5 R CLASSES BEGIN 5 R Late Registration and Drop/Add begins. 9 M Late Registration ends: last day for Drop/Add and no-grade drops 9 M Textbook Adoption Forms for Winter Qtr 2014 due to Barnes & Noble (M, Wk 2) 2 F Last day to register for Fall graduation. (F, Wk 3) 2 F Deadline for completing I grade work from Spring & Summer (F, Wk 4) Oct 4 F Deadline for faculty submission of I grade changes from Spring & Summer (F, Wk 5) 2 F Last day to drop courses or resign w/ W grades ( F grades after this date). (F, Wk 8) Oct M- Advising, Early Web Registration, Early Schedule Adjustment (Drop/Add), Early Web Fee Payment for Winter Nov 1 5 F Honors Program Students: M, Oct. 28 thru F, Nov 15 Grad Students: M, Oct. 28 thru F, Nov 15 Seniors: T, Oct. 29 thru F, Nov 15 Juniors: R, Oct. 31 thru F, Nov 15 Sophomores: M, Nov 4 thru F, Nov 15 Freshmen: W, Nov 6 thru F, Nov 15 BOSS Hours: See URL: BOSS Self-Help Registration Center (KH 207) Hours: M F: 8:15 am to 12:00 pm/12:30 pm to 4:45 pm 1 st Purge for Winter: F, November 15, 5:00 p.m. 1 T Degree candidate grades due on Faculty BOSS 1 R LAST DAY OF CLASSES 1 R Food Service closes after night meal. 1 F Residence Halls close: 12:00 noon 1 S Fall Commencement Exercises, Thomas Assembly Center: 10:00 a.m. (*) 1 S FALL QUARTER 2013 ENDS 1 M All other grades due on Faculty BOSS 1 T Grades live on Student BOSS R-F THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS: University Closed

14 Appendix B Drop Form

15 Appendix C Proctor Approval Form

16 Appendix D Resignation Card

17 Appendix E: Curriculum Sheet STUDENT CWID# DATE ENTERED GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: ARTS: ART 290/KINE 280/ MUGN 290/SPTH COMPUTER LITERACY: HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT GRADE HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM HIM TOTAL HOURS HIM HIM HIM ENGLISH COMPOSITION: English 101 or English HUMANITIES: History English 210, 211, or English Speech 110/377 3 MATHEMATICS: Math 101 or Math 125 or Stat NATURAL SCIENCES: Biological Science Biological Science Chemistry SOCIAL SCIENCES: Must be from 2 disciplines Psychology Soc. Sc. Blee 3 Soc. Sc. Blee 3 SCH TOTAL HOURS 63 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: TOTAL CURRICULUM HOURS 120 BUSINESS: Mgt Mgt Approved for Graduation: CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE: Head CLS Department Total Hours 9

18 Revised: September 2013