Distance Education FAQ

Distance Education FAQs

Enrollment & Adding Courses

Online Readiness: Should I take an online course?

Take the Online Readiness Quiz.

Find Courses: Where can I find online and hybrid course listings?

For course descriptions and methods of delivery, refer to the current class schedule.

Time On-campus: Do I have to come to campus any time?

Required meetings are listed in the Cypress College Class Schedule. You should contact your instructor if any additional meetings are required.

Enroll: How do I enroll in online and hybrid classes?

Enrolling in online classes is the same procedure as enrolling in on campus classes at Cypress College. Please visit the Registration Information page and refer to the Schedule of Classes for current offerings.

Add Codes: MyGateway is telling me I need an Add Authorization Code. What do I do?

Once classes have started or when a class is closed, students must contact the instructor of the course they are interested in taking for an add authorization code.

Enrollment Process: What happens once I'm enrolled?

Once you are enrolled, your instructor will contact you no later than the week before the class begins about the requirements and timeline of the course.

Email Set up: How will my instructor contact me?

Distance learning instructors need your valid email address before the class begins because they usually send emails prior to the start of the semester. Before you register:

Update your current email address in MyGateway before registering for the course.
Add @cypresscollege.edu to your email service. For successful electronic communication with Cypress College, be sure @cypresscollege.edu is a secure site (or on your white list, trusted list, etc.) in your email program.

Coursesite Access: How soon can I access my Blackboard course site after I register for the class in MyGateway?

Blackboard is updated for class enrollments three times a day. If you sign up for the class during the day, you should be enrolled in Blackboard that evening. If you register for the class in MyGateway in the evening, you should be registered in Blackboard the next day.

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Your Online Classroom

Blackboard Address: What is the Internet address for Blackboard?

http://cypresscollege.blackboard.com

Username: What is my Blackboard username?

Your student ID number, NOT your Social Security number, including the @ sign and any preceding zeros. There must be eight digits, in addition to the @ sign. Note: Be sure that there is no space included at the end of the username. This sometimes happens when the ID number is copied and pasted. Blackboard will see the space and then will not recognize the username.

Password: What is my password?

The same password used to log in to MyGateway at the time you registered for the course.

Password: I forgot my Blackboard password, what can I do?

There is a link on the Blackboard site where you can obtain a new password. However, you must have a working email address in Blackboard. The email address in Blackboard is the same address you have entered in MyGateway. You should check that email address for updates from the Blackboard site. If that address is no longer functioning, contact your instructor to have them reset your password.

Reset Password: What are the Reset Password instructions for Blackboard?

At the Blackboard login page: Click on the link Forgot your password?
Enter the user information under Section 2, Email Address Option. An email will be sent to the email address you have posted in myGateway. It will contain a link to the Change Password area of the Blackboard site and you can then enter your own password. (You must enter your legal first name (as it appears in MyGateway) for the reset to work.)

Publisher Access Codes: My instructor uses a publisher's course site, how do I obtain an access code?

You must contact your instructor for this code.

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Textbooks & Computer Labs

Textbooks: How do I buy textbooks for online classes?

The Cypress College Bookstore has all books required by all Cypress College classes. You can purchase your books online or in person.

Campus Labs: Are there computers on campus I can use for my distance education course?

On campus computers for online and hybrid student use are available in the Learning Resource Center in the first floor of the LLRC building. You may also find the other labs on campus useful to your online and hybrid work.

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Attendance & General Policies

Attendance: How does attendance work in an online/hybrid course?

An absence may be identified as "a missed assignment," "a missed assignment series," or "inactivity in the course site as evidenced by Blackboard's tracking statistics." It is up to each instructor to decide which system to use. It is also the instructor's responsibility to specify in the written syllabus what constitutes "a missed assignment," "a missed assignment series," or "inactivity in the course site as evidenced by Blackboard's tracking statistics." Contact your instructor if you have any questions.

Drop Policy: What is the drop policy?

In the case where a class is taught entirely online, instructors may drop students who have not been in contact with the instructor by the end of the first day of classes for that semester or short-term classes. While an instructor may drop a student who has poor attendance, it is the student's responsibility to officially drop the class.

Netiquette: What are the do's and don'ts of online communication?

For a guide to the do's and don'ts of online communication please refer to the Albion Netiquette Home Page and Learn The Net's Netiquette Basics.

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Hardware & Software

Hardware Requirements: What are the hardware requirements for taking an online or hybrid course?

For a list of hardware and software requirements please see the Distance Education Computer Requirements page.

Browser Requirements: Which browser should I use for Blackboard?

For best results use Firefox 2 or 3 on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Internet Explorer 8 is not currently supported by Blackboard.

PC Issues: Why can't I see everything on the course site on my PC?

Your computer must have the settings and programs that might be used by the Blackboard Learning System correctly loaded. These are listed in the Distance Education Computer Requirements page.

Apple Issues: Why can't I see everything on the course site on my Mac?

Mac users should not use Internet Explorer. The browser that works best is Firefox. You may download Firefox for free.

Microsoft Office: Where can I get a cheap copy?

The Foundation for California Community Colleges is offering a discounted student version of the Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 software. Quite a good deal! Students must verify enrollment in Cypress College, instructions are on the site. Visit JourneyEd.com or call 1-800-874-9001.

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