How do Sponsored Education Classes Work?

Taking a class via Sponsored Education at Michigan Tech

It's a lot like taking a class on campus--only different. Like any Michigan Tech student, you need to sign up for classes, attend classes, turn in homework, and take exams, but how you go about all this requires a bit more effort on everyone's part.

Enrolling in a program and signing up for classes

Before you can take a class, you need to be enrolled in a program. Enrolling in a program usually requires that you be admitted to the University as an undergraduate student. Before you can be admitted, you must apply to Michigan Tech by sending in an application form, along with the application fee, and having the required transcripts sent to the University. If you meet all the criteria, you'll be accepted for admittance.

Once you have been admitted, you can register for courses by filling out a registration form and sending or faxing it in to us.

How do the classes work?

Most Michigan Tech sponsored education classes are videotape delayed: you watch a tape of an oncampus class a week or two after it was taped. Because most distance learning classes meet once a week for three hours, you'll ususally watch three class sessions' (one class week's) worth of taped class in each class meeting. You'll be given any course notes or assignments your professor has sent along.

Some courses are videostreamed<: delivered via the internet, but this option is not available for all distance learning courses.

All distance-learning courses also have web pages (using WebCT) with much of the course material available online.

So where do you watch the class videotapes? That depends on where you are located and on your site coordinator.

What is a site coordinator?

Your site coordinator is the person or organization that acts as the go-between between Michigan Tech and you. Because a successful distance learning experience relies on a healthy collaboration between all players (student, corporate partner, university), the site coordinator's role is key as well as quite diverse. Your site coordinator is responsible for everything from registering you for courses, collecting and distributing course materials, proctoring exams, and making sure university and corporate policies are followed by all concerned.

Thus, all course material (videotapes, homework, exams) is sent to your site coordinator, and your site coordinator collects and sends back all your homework and exams. Any questions or concerns you have about the administration of the course, you can take to your site coordinator.

More about homework

Homework assignments are usually due a week after you are given the assignment. Your professor may hand out a written assignment, give it verbally on the vidoetape, or post it on the course WebCT page. On the day the homework is due, your site coordinator will collect it and mail it back to your professor. Solutions to the homework will be posted on the web page the next day. No late homework is allowed. Your corrected homework will be sent back to your site coordinator in about a week and a half.

More about WebCT

WebCT is the course management tool Michigan Tech uses for distributing course information. The WebCT web page for your course may have lecture notes, homework assignments and solutions, or an online conference or chat area. You can also check your grades for the course.

Click here for more information about WebCT

How do you take exams?

To take any exams, you just come to class as usual. Your site coordinator will hand out the exam and stay and collect the exams when the allotted time is up. After the exam, you'll watch the rest of the weeks' classes. Your exam will be sent back to your site coordinator in about a week and a half's time. No late exams are allowed, but you may take an exam early.