How to get Help when you need it

For course questions

Ask your Instructor. You will be able to contact your instructor through the university’s email system and/or via the Message system (like an internal email messaging system) that is inside the LMS.

In addition, your instructor is likely to have Office hours virtually that you can request or attend to ask questions and get assistance. Check your syllabus for Office hours information.

For technical questions

Reach out to your school’s Technical Support team or Technology Help Center. Most institutions offer Technical Support that you can contact via phone, email, chat, or even Webinar system (Zoom). Again, check your syllabi and course site for information about getting help for technology issues.

For general questions about your program, course schedule, tuition, registration, etc.

Many schools will provide a “one point of contact” person at the school who can help you with a variety of general questions about things like the course schedule, registration, tuition & billing, and financial aid. The person may be called a program manager, program coordinator, or department or administrative assistant. If your school has a point of contact person you can go to for assistance, you will usually hear about or from that person soon after admission or during the application process. This person may be your “go to” person for help and if your school or program provides you with such a person, you can often ask them a question and they can direct to the correct person you should connect with for help.

For academic questions

Depending on the nature of your academic question, you can contact the following people or units for assistance.

  • Your academic advisor: Your school will have assigned you an academic or program advisor that will help you with deciding your courses each term, understanding the requirements of your major, and other academic concerns. Reach out to him or her for help when you need it. That is what they’re there for—to help you make sense of the academic requirements and processes at your school.
  • Your university library: All schools make Library resources available to their online students. Besides being able to check out electronic resources like books, articles, and journals, you may also find video tutorials and manuals about how to conduct research online, how to write for specific style formats like APA and MLA, and how to properly cite sources and avoid plagiarism. Your university’s library will have posted all of this information on their website. [See links below in section V.]
  • Your university Learning Resource Center and Writing Center for strategies + tutoring: If you would like help refining your writing, your school may have a Learning Resource Center or Writing Center that can assist online students in improving their writing. Ask your academic/program advisor and review the school website for more information.