Frequently Asked Questions
Who should I call if I need assistance or need to talk with someone?
How do I register for a course?
What is the cost of my online course?
Where do I get information about scholarships and financial aid?
Who do I contact about questions relating to payments or invoices?
What are the minimum hardware/software requirements for success in an online course?
Where do I get information about my books for the course?
How do I get an email account and password for the online course(s)?
How do I drop an online course? Can I get a refund?
Will I have face-to-face meetings with my professor?
How many sessions will I have in my course?
What if I miss three weeks before I complete a lesson?
How will I take tests? Are they open book or on campus?
How many tests will accompany my course?
Will I have meetings involving all the students in my class?
If I submit my assignment on Monday, when will I get a response from my professor?
Will I need to be self-directed in order to succeed in online learning?
How do I get help if I cannot access my online course?
Tips for Being a Successful Online Learner
I am not a resident of the State of Kentucky. Is there additional information I need to be aware of?
1. Who should I call if I need assistance or need to talk with someone?
Contact Holly Horsley at 270. 686. 4354 or at buonline@brescia.edu
2. How do I register for a course?
Once you have applied and been accepted to Brescia University you are ready to register. If you have not applied yet please complete our free online application form. You will also need to request official copies of ALL of your college/university transcript(s) and have them sent directly from the schools you attended to Brescia University. Students who have some college credits are not required to submit high school transcripts.
Please have all official transcripts mailed to the Admissions Office at the following address:
Brescia University
Office of Admissions
717 Frederica St.
Owensboro, KY 42301
Upon acceptance: contact your online academic advisor.
3. What is the cost of my online course?
Tuition rates for BUonline can be found HERE.
4. Where do I get information about scholarships and financial aid?
For more information about financial aid click here or contact our Financial Aid office by phone at 270-686-4253 or by email: financial.aid@brescia.edu.
5. Who do I contact about questions relating to payments or invoices?
Contact our Cashier’s Office by phone 270-686-4238 or by email: cashier@brescia.edu.
Any amount due from the student, for which Brescia has not received verification of a third party payment source, must be paid prior to the start of the second class period.
7. What are the minimum hardware/software requirements for success in an online course?
Minimum hardware and software requirements for successfully accessing a web-based course are as follows:
Personal computer (PC): Pentium II, 64 MB RAM
Operating System – Windows 2000 or higher
Memory - 256 MB
CPU - 500 MHz or higher
Free Disk Space - 10 MB or more
Browser - Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Netscape Navigator 7.1 or higher, Mozilla 1.4 or higher
Browser Settings – JavaScript enabled, Popup blockers disabled, Cookies enabled
Productivity Software - MS Office or viewers
Internet Connection - 56K modem (DSL recommended)
Other – Sound card and speakers
Virus Protection (strongly recommended)
Microphone and Webcam
Macintosh computer (MAC): Apple Power Macintosh computer, 64MB RAMOperating System – Mac OS 8.0
Memory – 256 MB
CPU – Power Mac G3 or higher
Free Disk Space – 10 MB or more
Browser - Netscape Navigator 7.1 or higher, Mozilla 1.4 or higher.
Browser Settings – JavaScript enabled, Popup blockers disabled, Cookies enabled
Productivity Software – MS Office or viewers
Internet Connection – 56K modem (DSL recommended)
Other – Sound card and speakers
Virus Protection (strongly recommended)
Microphone and Webcam
8. Where do I get information about my books for the course?
Brescia University has partnered with MBS Online Bookstore so you can order all of your books online for the best value. You can go to MBS Brescia Bookstore by clicking here.
If you are receiving Financial Aid to pay for your books, you will need to contact the cashier’s office at cashier@brescia.edu or by phone at: 270-686-4238.
If you have any questions about the process or you cannot find the book you need, please contact the Brescia University Bookstore at: 270-686-4255.
9. How do I get an email account and password for the online course(s)?
A Brescia email address must be used for all online classes. This address is automatically set up for all students as soon as they have registered for their class(es). Students are notified by mail or email once the account is established with login, password, and instructions for accessing the Brescia email account. Beginning approximately 2-3 weeks before the start day of classes, students will be emailed information about accessing their online class including a username, password, and access information.
10. How do I drop an online course? Can I get a refund?
To drop a course:
There is only one way for you to drop: You must officially notify the Registrar in writing via email. To receive a full refund, the class must be dropped prior to the first class meeting and the student cannot log onto the site. The student must email the Brescia University Registrar at registrar@brescia.edu and the email must be recieved BEFORE midnight EST/EDT on Sunday prior to the first day of class.
To get a refund:
Refer to Withdrawal/Refund Policy in the University Catalog or the Admissions and Finance section of the online catalog.
To receive a full refund, the class must be dropped prior to the first class meeting and the student cannot log onto the site. You must email the Brescia University Registrar at registrar@Brescia.edu and the email must be received BEFORE midnight EST/EDT on the Sunday prior to the first day of class.
11. Will I have face-to-face meetings with my professor?
Contacts will occur through the chat room and discussion board within the course.
12. How many sessions will I have in my course?
It depends on the course in which you are enrolled.
13. What if I miss three weeks before I complete a lesson?
You may be penalized if you do not submit assignments when the professor has indicated they are due.
14.How will I take tests? Are they open book or on campus?
Quizzes and tests are timed. They are automatically submitted when the allotted time has expired. The tests will be administered online and instructors will determine the format.
15. How many tests will accompany my course?
The number of quizzes and tests varies considerably from course to course. Thus the number and type of student assessments depend on the course in which you are enrolled.
16. Will I have meetings involving all the students in my class?
Contacts will occur through the chat room and discussion board within the course.
17. If I submit my assignment on Monday, when will I get a response from my professor?
24 to 48 hours.
18. Will I need to be self-directed in order to succeed in online learning?
Yes.
19. How do I get help if I cannot access my online course?
Contact the Learning House 24/7 Help Center by dialing 1-800-985-9781. Technical assistance is also available through live chat, email support, and password assistance by clicking on the help center icon found at http://bu.learninghouse.com
20. Tips for Being a Successful Online Learner
• Be self-motivated and self-disciplined.
With the freedom and flexibility of the online environment comes responsibility. The online process takes a real commitment and discipline to keep up with the flow of the process.
• Log on to your course every single day,
Or a minimum of 3-5 days a week. Once you get into the online system, you will be eager to see who has commented on your postings and read the feedback of your instructor and peers. You will also be curious to see who has posted something new that you can comment on. If you let too many days go by without logging on to your course discussion group, you will get behind and find it very difficult to catch up.
• Be polite and respectful.
Just because you are anonymous, doesn’t mean you should let yourself go. Remember, you are dealing with real people on the other end. Being polite and respectful is not only common sense, it is absolutely obligatory for a productive and supportive online environment. In a positive online environment, you will feel valued by your instructor, valued by your classmates, and your own work will have greater value as well.
• Be willing and able to commit to 4 to 6 hours of home study per week for a ten week course and double that for a 5 week course.
• Be able to communicate through writing.
In the virtual classroom, nearly all communication is written, so it is critical that learners feel comfortable in expressing themselves in writing. Be sure to use the spell check before posting responses.
• Be willing to “speak up” if problems arise.
Many of the non-verbal communication mechanisms that instructors use in determining whether learners are having problems (confusion, frustration, boredom, absence, etc.) are not possible in the online paradigm. If a learner is experiencing difficulty on any level (either with the technology or with the course content), s/he must communicate this immediately. Otherwise the instructor will never know what is wrong.
• Be able to meet the minimum requirements for the program.
The requirements for online are no less than that of any other quality educational program. The successful learner will view online as a convenient way to receive their education, not an easier way.
• Accept critical thinking and decision making as part of the learning process.
The learning process requires the learner to make decisions based on facts as well as experience. Assimilating information and executing the right decisions requires critical thought.
• Have access to a computer and connections to the WEB.
For most people the communication medium is a computer, phone line, and modem; the learner must have access to the necessary hardware and software as described above.
• Be able to think ideas through before responding.
Meaningful and quality input into the virtual classroom is an essential part of the learning process. Time is given in the process to allow for the careful consideration of responses. The testing and challenging of ideas is encouraged; you will not always be right, just be prepared to accept a challenge.
• Be open-minded about sharing life, work, and educational experiences as part of the learning process.
Introverts as well as extroverts find that online learning requires them to utilize their experiences. This forum for communication eliminates the visual barriers that hinder some individuals in expressing themselves. In addition, the learner is given time to reflect on the information before responding.
• Be self-motivated and self-disciplined.With the freedom and flexibility of the online environment comes responsibility. The online process takes commitment and discipline to keep up with the flow of the process.
21.I am not a resident of the State of Kentucky. Is there additional information I need to be aware of?
• Brescia University’s tuition rate is the same for all students, whether in-state or out-of state.
• In addition to the established “Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct” including Grievance procedures, Brescia University is also subject to investigation of complaints by the Office of Attorney General of the MD Higher Education and Commission for students from the State of Maryland and the State of Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission for students from the State of Georgia.
