Distance Learning

Taking some or all of your classes in a distance learning format (online, web-assisted, or hybrid) may allow you to overcome some of the obstacles that prevent you from taking a seated/traditional class. For example, you may need to work a full-time job or stay at home with children while pursuing your degree at Isothermal Community College. Workloads for distance learning courses are comparable to traditional courses, but the delivery method utilizes a variety of technologies in an online environment.

Students enrolling in a program to take distance learning courses must first complete the admissions requirements for the program. Once the admissions steps are complete, you then complete the registration process for the distance learning course. In order to facilitate the registration process, make sure you meet all of the requirements to be an online student at Isothermal Community College. Please review the list of technical requirements, a link from this web page. These are considered basic skills required to be successful in a distance learning course. In some courses, specific technology is required to complete the course work. Contact the course instructor to identify technology needs in the course, such as specific products and versions.

After registering for the distance learning course, your instructor will make the course material available to you in Moodle on the first day of the semester. If course materials are not available on the first day of the semester, you should contact your instructor immediately (by email or some other method). If you do not hear from your instructor within 24 hours, you should contact the Help Desk at 828-395-1437.

Students enrolled in Distance Learning courses must complete the mandatory course enrollment activity on the first day of the term. Failure to complete the mandatory course enrollment activity could result in removal from the course.

State Authorization

State Authorization is a legal issue dealing with a college's adherence to state requirements for colleges to secure authorization to offer instruction in that state. Compliance with individual state requirements is now part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Amended 2010. Institutions offering distance education courses or programs must provide current and prospective students with the contact information for filing complaints with the college, its accrediting agency, and with state agencies that handle complaints in the students' state of residence. In compliance with state and federal regulations, Isothermal Community College is working towards state authorization in states where its students are residing.

Isothermal Community College is a participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements and through this participation is authorized to offer online courses to residents of SARA-member states and territories.

The states and territories listed blow are not currently members of NC-SARA, and their residents are not eligible to take online courses from Isothermal Community College: California and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

Consumer Information and Student Complaints

Licensure Disclosure

Certain Isothermal Community College academic programs prepare students to sit for applicable licensure and/or certification examinations in North Carolina. In order to comply with U.S.Department of Education regulations regarding distance education and professional licensure, Isothermal Community College is required to make the following disclosure with respect to professional licensure or certification outside the state of North Carolina.

Students should contact the respective department at Isothermal Community College to discuss program enrollment and professional licensure options. Visit the Professional Licenses page for the contact information for Isothermal Community College programs which can lead to licensure.

If you are considering a program at Isothermal Community College that leads to licensure and/or certification and you do not live in North Carolina, please contact the prospective program of interest to make sure that it will fulfill the state, in which you plan to practice, requirements before beginning the program.

Directory of State Authorization and Lead Contacts

Professional Licensure Board Contacts by State

Student Grievance Procedure for In-State and Out-of-State Students

Students residing outside the State of North Carolina while taking online courses from Isothermal Community College who desire to resolve an academic grievance or complaint should first follow Isothermal Community College's Student Complaint Process.

Isothermal Community College desires to resolve all student complaints and concerns in a timely, fair, and amicable manner. Students who desire to resolve a complaint should follow the Complaint Procedure, as outlined in the Written Student Complaint Policy. This policy and procedure applies to all students, regardless of their state of residency.

Sandra Lackner, Dean of Students
Address: PO Box 804 Spindale, NC 28160
Email: slackner@isothermal.edu
Telephone: 828-395-1429

If the complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the grievance procedure at Isothermal Community College, the individual may file a complaint with their state of residence. In North Carolina, the University of North Carolina System Office (UNC-System Office) is the agency which handles such complaints. The Student Complaint Policy and the Student Complaint Form is found at the UNC-System Office Post-Secondary Education Complaints website. Please review their policy, print and complete the form, and mail it to:

North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
c/o Student Complaints
University of North Carolina System Office
910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688
Phone: 919-962-4450
Website: North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints
Email: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu

Students not residing in North Carolina and enrolled in a North Carolina institution that operates under SARA North Carolina may submit complaints to the state portal agency, North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), only after completing the Isothermal Community College complaint process. SARA North Carolina's Complaint Process and Complaint Form may be found on the SARA North Carolina website.

SARA North Carolina
North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority
PO Box 14103
Research Triangle Part, NC 27709
Phone: 855-SARA-1-NC (855-727-2162)
Phone: 919-549-8614 ext. 4667
Email: information@saranc.org
Website: www.saranc.org

For students residing outside of North Carolina, each SARA Member state has a liaison office. If an issue cannot be resolved through the grievance procedure, a student who resides outside the state of North Carolina may file a complaint with their state of residence.

Isothermal Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Isothermal Community College.

Additional Costs and Requirements Associated with Online Courses

If you are taking an online course, please read the following information concerning additional fees and requirements students may encounter.

Distance Learning/Identification Fee:

Isothermal Community College does not charge a separate distance learning/identification fee to students.

Test Proctor Costs – Isothermal students taking Isothermal courses and testing at the Isothermal campus:

Isothermal Community College does not charge its students a fee for proctoring tests associated with Isothermal Community College courses.

Test Proctor Costs – Isothermal students taking Isothermal courses and testing at another location:

If a student must take a proctored exam and wishes to test at a non-Isothermal site, the student is responsible for finding an acceptable testing site and obtaining approval from their instructor. Additionally, any fees charged by the remote proctoring site is the responsibility of the student and these costs vary based upon the students’ chosen proctoring sites’ practices.

Additional Supplies Required:

Some assignments require students to have a microphone and/or webcam to complete. Most laptops come with these pre-installed, but if your computer does not have them pre-installed, webcams and microphones are available at most office supply stores and others that carry computers and/or computer supplies. (NOTE: If you are using a webcam, check that it has an integrated microphone before purchasing one separately.)

Distance Learning