eCollege Procedures
Revised 10-25-07

INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT

Instructor Request for eCollege Assistance

• Email online@tamu-commerce.edu or call 903.886.5511.
• Instructional Technology Team will respond to your email within a 24-hour response time.

TRAINING REQUESTS

Instructor Request for eCollege Orientation/Training

• Email online@tamu-commerce.edu

• A graduate assistant (GA) may accompany the instructor to training sessions. We are unable to train a GA/TA without the instructor present.

New eCollege Instructor - Request to Teach an Online or Web-Enhanced Course

• Request to Teach an Online Course
1. Contact your Department Head to list course on the online course schedule.
2. Complete the Standard Agreement Form and obtain appropriate signatures as noted on the form.  A copy of the form may be retrieved at: http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/itde/Standard_Agreement_Form.asp. Return form to the Instructional Technology & Distance Education office.
3. Arrange an eCollege Orientation session (if the instructor has not taught an eCollege course at TAMU-C previously) by contacting online@tamu-commerce.edu.
• Request to Teach a Web-Enhanced Course
1. Arrange an eCollege Orientation session by contacting online@tamu-commerce.edu.
2. Complete the “Course Copy Request Form” found at http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/itde/ecollegeCopyRequest.asp?menu=eCollege

COURSE COPY

Instructor Request to Copy a Course (Online or Web-Enhanced)

• Note “Copying of Online Courses” or “Copying Web-Enhanced Courses” sections of this document.
• Complete “Course Copy Request Form” found at http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/itde
• Complete request form a minimum of one week prior to need of course.

SEMESTER START-UP PROCEDURES

Copying of Online Courses

A ‘Blackout Week’ will be scheduled prior to the start of the new term(s) in order for the Instructional Technology team to copy online courses for the new term.
2007-2008 Blackout Week Schedule: (Note: Dependent on when course offerings are posted on the University web page.)

Term	Blackout Week
Fall, 2007	07/30/07 – 08/03/07
Winter Mini, 2008 & Spring 2008	12/03/07 – 12/07/07
May Mini 2008 & Summer I 2008	04/21/08 – 04/25/08
Summer II 2008 and August Mini 2008	06/23/08 – 06/27/08

Course modifications made by faculty during the ‘blackout week’ will need to be made by faculty to the newly copied course(s) as well.
Faculty will be notified of the ‘blackout week’ the week prior to the ‘blackout week’ occurring. An email will be sent to online course faculty when course copies are completed.

Course Copy Protocol: 

Courses will be copied for all online (i.e. 01W, 02W, etc) courses as listed in the online course offerings on the Texas A&M University-Commerce web page.

Courses listed with the instructor as ‘staff’ will not be copied until official notification is received from the department head or is updated on the University web page.
Courses to be copied for the Fall and Spring terms will be copied from one term to another as per the following examples. NOTE: Faculty must email online@tamu-commerce.edu prior to the ‘blackout period’ for that term if an exception to this copy format is requested.
Fall 2007 to Spring 2008
Spring 2008 to Fall 2008
Fall 2007 to Fall 2008 (If course is only taught in the Fall term)
Spring 2008 to Spring 2009 (If course is only taught in the Spring term)

Courses to be copied for May Mini, Summer I, Summer II, August Mini, and Winter Mini terms will be copied from one term to another as per the following examples: NOTE: Faculty must email online@tamu-commerce.edu prior to the ‘blackout period’ for that term if an exception to this copy format is requested.

            May Mini 2007 to May Mini 2008
            August Mini 2007 to August Mini 2008
            Winter Mini 2008 to Winter Mini 2009
            Summer I 2007 to Summer II 2007
            Summer II 2007 to Summer I 2008
If the assigned professor has not taught the course previously, the new course will be created by copying the eCollege 15-week template.

Copying of Web-Enhanced Courses

1. Complete the online “eCollege Course Copy Request Form” found at http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/itde/ecollegeCopyRequest.asp?menu=eCollege  
2. Complete request form a minimum of one week prior to need of course.

Borrowing Content from Another Professor

A professor requesting that his course be created by copying the content of another professor’s course, must do the following:

1. Complete the course copy form found at http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/itde/ecollegeCopyRequest.asp?menu=eCollege
2. Provide email approval to the Instructional Technology team at online@tamu-commerce.edu from the professor who originally developed the course content and/or the department head.

COURSE EVALUATIONS (online courses only)

Formative and Summative Evaluations will be administered through eCollege.  For additional information please e-mail
online@tamu-commerce.edu  

Note:

1. Formative and Summative evaluation reports are provided to the instructor and department head following the close of the evaluation periods.
2. Course evaluations by students are mandatory—students must complete when accessing course at the time of the scheduled course evaluation.

COURSE ADMINISTRATION

Dropping a Student

If a student wishes to drop your online class the student should e-mail you asking to drop your course. You should reply back to the student granting permission for the drop and "cc" or forward the student request and your permission to the Office of the Registrar at: dropcourse@tamu-commerce.edu  The Office of the Registrar will process the drop.

Processing an Incomplete

Your online course is available for student access for 2 weeks after the close of each semester. Should you choose to grant a student an incomplete for an online course, you will need to work with the student through e-mail, snail mail, phone dialogue or any other means outside eCollege you choose. Students will not be re-entered into eCollege for the completion of the course.