What is ACCESS?
ACCESS is the North Dakota University System virtual university web site. ACCESS operates as a clearing house for North Dakota University System campuses listing courses that they offer through a distance education medium. These courses may be offered over various mediums ranging from correspondence to online and interactive video satellite. For a complete listing of courses click on the CATALOG button.

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Will ACCESS offer course credit, degrees, or certificates?
No. ACCESS itself does not provide instruction; but rather is a compilation of distance education opportunities from various North Dakota colleges and universities. Each of the courses and programs included in the ACCESS catalog is offered under the jurisdiction of one of the North Dakota institutions, which is responsible for all the aspects of its distance education offerings, including the granting of credits and degrees.

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How can I find the courses I want in ACCESS?
Several search capabilities are available to help find courses of interest to you. Currently, you can search for courses by campus, subject, delivery method , or title. To begin a search for courses return to the home page and select CATALOG.

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How do I get additional information on the courses found in the ACCESS catalog?
The North Dakota University System virtual university catalog links directly to the campuses offering each course. Click on CAMPUS to link to a particular campus for more information about the offerings.

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What does it cost to take a course?
The cost for distance learning courses varies among institutions, just as traditional on-campus courses do. You may get cost and other information from the institution offering the course by clicking on one of the campuses listed below.

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Will financial aid be available to students?
Please contact individual campuses for financial aid information. Click on the campus from which you would like financial information.

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How does a student gain admission to take courses?
Information regarding admission for a particular course or program is available from the offering institution; however, the North Dakota University System provides a common undergraduate application form. The electronic version of this form can be found by selecting the button titled Application. To register for a course, students may simply link to the offering institution's web page for registration information. In some cases, you may register online.

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How do I register for a course?
North Dakota University System campuses use a standard registration procedure for admittance. Once you find a course in which you would like to enroll, you can see the links provided to contact the campus directly for admission requirements and registration information.

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When is the application deadline?
Each participating campus established its own application/ registration deadlines. You will need to contact the campus individually for this information.

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What is required to study via distance education?
The courses and programs listed in the ACCESS catalog are offered using various means of technology. In some cases, courses are provided online requiring access to a computer with a modem. Others may require a VCR, access to an interactive video classroom, or other technology. The catalog provides the modes of instruction delivery under each course. Additional information can be obtained from the offering institution. If you are interested in a particular mode of instruction delivery, you may do a search on the mode to determine what is available.

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Why would I want to take a distance education classes?
You may want to take distance education classes if you:

• Want to pursue further education (certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, are in high school and want to earn a college credit.)
• Live in a remote area.
• Work full-time. master's degree or Ph.D.
• Are physically challenged.
• Have a family at home you need to take care of.
• Want to upgrade job skills.
• Are in the military.
• Travel frequently.
• Require flexibility in your schedule
• Are looking to learn from otherwise inaccessible experts.

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What is it like to participate in a distance education class?
Like any educational experience it is important that the learner take an active role in their education. Although you will be physically separated from the instructor, you can interact through the assistance of one of many technologies including computers, instructional television, video, or teleconferencing.

Review the technology required for the course you would like to take. The campus offering the course will provide students with the instructions necessary to use the required technology. There may be an adjustment period while getting started, but the technology soon becomes transparent.

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What do I need to do first?
First of all, review the course catalog to select a course based on your interest and/or academic needs. Review the technology requirements for the selected course and determine the course start and end dates. Contact the campus offering the selected course for admission and registration information.

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What equipment do I need to participate in a distant education course?
This will vary from course to course. Some courses may only require a TV and VCR and a mail address. Others may require email, a phone line, internet access, in addition to a VCR and television. Make sure you get this information for each course you are considering.

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Who will provide student services?
Information regarding Student Services is available from the offering institution. A link is provided to each campus web page to provide this information along with the names of people to contact.

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How do I obtain textbook and library resources?
North Dakota University System provides a computer-based library catalog called the Online Dakota Information Network (ODIN). There are currently 49 libraries that are ODIN members. In addition, ODIN is part of a regional network linking Minnesota and South Dakota libraries.

There is a bookstore on each of the North Dakota University System campuses. You can use the link provided to each campus to find out how to order a textbook.

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How will testing be handled over the Internet?
Testing will vary with distance education courses as does in the traditional classroom. Some courses may require a proctor during tests and others may not. You can find out more information on testing for a particular course by contacting the instructor. .

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How will I know other students aren't cheating?
Options for cheating are not unlike those that exist in the traditional classroom.

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If I travel a lot can I still take these courses?
In many cases traveling would not be a problem, but is dependent on the medium used to deliver the course. Check with the course instructor or read the course requirements prior to registering for a course.

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Can I get a degree through distance education?

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How do I learn to use the software for online courses?
The campus offering an online course had provided a student courseware tutorial. This student tutorial will provide instruction to new students and a chance to review for those who have previously taken online courses. Direct all questions regarding the courseware to the campus offering the course.

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Where do I go for technical and non-technical help?
Most North Dakota University System campuses have provided a help desk to trouble shoot technical problems. All technical and non-technical questions should be directed to the campus offering the course. Click on the campus offering the cousre in order to locate their help desk.

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