Course Regulations
Time Limits
You have 180 days to complete a course enrollment, which begins 14 days after we process your enrollment application. Course enrollment periods that include the OU winter break are afforded an additional 14 days to compensate for the interruption.
While there is no policy limiting how quickly you can complete a course, there are some conditions that can impact your progress. Each course has its own lesson submission requirements that may require sequential lesson submission and instructor feedback. The cycle of lesson submission/instructor feedback may be affected by mail delay, instructor availability and teacher load. Depending on whether you are in an online or print-based course, the amount of time required will vary. Online courses can generally be completed more quickly than print-based courses.
Students with completion deadlines should inform the Center for Independent and Distance Learning at the time of enrollment. We will coordinate with the instructor to determine if the time requirement can be supported. Close and continuous communication during the course completion can insure that all involved are cooperating in achieving short deadlines.
Additionally, you must complete and submit all of your work—lessons and exams—at least three weeks before you need the final grade.
E-mail Communication
Communication and interaction between students and teachers is critical to success in our courses. The primary means for communication with our teachers and staff is through the use of e-mail.
All students who enroll at OU High School are assigned an OU email address. This email can be accessed via the Web or can be set to forward to your existing email account. Our staff will also use this e-mail address to communicate important information to you.
Click here for instructions and a demonstration video on setting up your OU e-mail account.
Lesson Submission: Print Courses
Our courses are designed to provide the greatest educational benefit if you submit one lesson at a time in sequential order and check the feedback from each lesson before submitting the next one or attempting an examination.
When we receive your lesson, it is recorded on your student record and sent to your instructor for grading. When the instructor returns it to us, we record your grade and return the lesson to you. Never send your lesson directly to your instructor. Lessons may be sent by mail, fax, e-mail or hand-delivered.
A student may submit two lessons for re-grading without charge. A fee will be charged for additional lessons submitted for re-grading.
Students enrolled in online courses are required to contact Student Services prior to submitting lessons for re-grading so the assignment can be reset.
Mailing Lessons Submit your completed lessons in the lesson envelopes provided in your enrollment packet. Be sure to include an assignment cover sheet with each submitted assignment. Lessons cannot be processed unless the information on the assignment cover sheet is complete.
Always make copies of your completed assignments before you submit them. Assignments don't get lost in the mail very often, but if yours should get lost, an extra copy will prevent your having to redo the assignment. Be sure to pay enough postage; we pay return postage.
Faxing Lessons If you prefer, you may also submit your lessons by fax, provided they do not require supplementary materials. Be sure to include the assignment cover sheet in your fax. If you would like faxed lessons returned by fax rather than by mail, there will be an additional fee. Please notify Student Services if you intend to submit lessons by fax. Please fax lessons to 405-325-7687.
E-Mailing Lessons You may also submit your lessons by e-mail, provided they do not require supplementary materials. Be sure to include the information on the assignment cover sheet in your e-mail. Some lessons are not suitable for e-mail. Please check with Student Services before submitting lessons by e-mail. Please submit e-mail lessons to cidl-lesson@ou.edu.
Hand-delivered Lessons Submit your completed lessons in the lesson envelopes provided in your enrollment packet. Be sure to include an assignment cover sheet with each submitted assignment. Lessons cannot be processed unless the information on the assignment cover sheet is complete. CIDL is located at 1600 Jenkins, Norman, OK 73072-6507. CIDL is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Lesson Submission: Online Courses
Once enrolled in an online course you will be assigned an OU email address. You need to regularly check this e-mail account or forward it to an existing account that you use on a regular basis. E-mail is used for announcements and other notifications concerning our online courses.
You will complete your online course through the course management system Desire2Learn (D2L) using the log in information provided to you by our office.
In an online course most of your assignments will be in the form of online quizzes which you will complete in D2L. Some assignments will be submitted using the online drop box. Instructions for submitting a drop box assignment are included in the course syllabus.
Click here for instructions and a demonstration videos on taking quizes and submitting drop-box assignments in D2L.
Tests & Proctors
All courses require proctored exams. A proctor is someone in the student's area who will be available to supervise the student while taking exams.
If you are near the Norman area, you can take your exams at the Center for Independent and Distance Learning. The Center is open for examinations Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Call (405) 325-1921 to schedule an appointment. A photo ID is required to take your exams.
In many areas, a local college or university testing center can be used. In the absence of a testing center, students must identify a proctor other than their course tutors, parents or family members. Acceptable choices for a proctor include:
- A person currently employed as an educator (elementary, secondary or post-secondary teacher, a counselor, administrator or extension educator).
- Head librarians and your local clergy.
- Military personnel and their family members may use base or unit education officers, chaplains or superior commissioned officers.
- Embassy or consulate officials or other approved non-family members (for families living overseas).
All proctors must be approved by the Center for Independent and Distance Learning. If you are unable to arrange for an exam proctor under the conditions listed above, please contact us for help. The Center for Independent and Distance Learning reserves the right to reject any proposed exam proctor.
All exams must be supervised by a proctor. Exams must be taken in consecutive order. You must finish and send in the required lessons before you take an exam.
When we receive your Exam Request Form we mail the test to your proctor, provided we have received all of the necessary lessons. However, it is not your proctor's responsibility to remind you to take the exams. You will be charged a fee for resending the exam. Please contact CIDL at (405) 325-1921, (800) 942-5702 or click here for details.
It is not the test proctor's responsibility to schedule tests. It is your responsibility to schedule an appointment with your test proctor to take a test. A photo ID is required to take tests.
Course grades are based heavily on the results of supervised tests. The Center for Independent and Distance Learning has a no re-test policy. In order to make the best grade, you should take each test as soon as possible after you have received your graded lessons. If you are working on a deadline, you do not have to wait for the graded lessons to take a test. However, no test will be graded until all the lessons prior to it have been received in this office. To receive a grade for this course, you must do all of the assignments and take all of the tests.
Your test proctor will return paper tests to us for grading in the special envelope provided. As your tests are received, they are recorded on your student record and sent to the instructor for grading. Tests are never returned to you. Instead, you receive a grade card from your instructor after your test is graded.
For online courses tests will be taken in D2L. You need to complete an exam request form located in D2L to request passwords be sent to your test proctor. The proctor, who will then make the test available to you. Before you take your test it is a good thing to make sure the location you are taking the test at can access D2L.
If you want to review a test you must notify CIDL and your test proctor. The center will mail a copy of your test to your test proctor to review the exam. The exam will then be returned back to the Center for Independent and Distance Learning by the proctor. You cannot copy any part of the test, write down any answers or take any notes.
If you are reviewing an online test your test proctor will need to contact the center once you arrive so the test can be open for review. The test proctor needs to then notify the center when you have reviewed the test so we can close it. Again, you cannot copy any part of the test, write down any answers or take any notes.
Financial Aid
The Center for Independent and Distance Learning (CIDL) has no funds or arrangements for financial aid. OU students should contact OU's Office of Financial Aid at (405) 325-4521 for information concerning assistance. OU students who need full-time student status to qualify for financial aid should note that CIDL independent study courses do not contribute to the credit-hour load for any given semester, because they have a 180-day enrollment period. For example, if you enroll in nine hours on campus in the fall semester and also enroll in a three-hour CIDL course, you are still considered to be enrolled in only nine hours and are therefore not officially a full-time student.
However, we do offer semester-based, online college courses that do count as hours towards full-time status and also are eligible for financial aid. Click here for more information.
Grades
The University of Oklahoma uses a 4.0 grade scale (A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0.0). Course study guides will outline lesson and exam grading criteria for each course. A grade of "AW" will be assigned for all courses that are not completed before expiration of the enrollment if the student has not previously withdrawn.
Credit toward Degrees
In general, OU students may earn up to 30 credit hours through independent study or testing out.
Transcripts
Once you complete the course, your record is forwarded to Continuing Education Registration and Records, where it is added to your transcript. If you are an OU student, your course credit will automatically be entered in the university system. If you are not an OU student, or if you need your transcript forwarded to another college or university, contact Continuing Education Registration and Records, 1700 Asp, B-1, Norman, OK 73072-6400 or call (405) 325-1021.
Extensions
One 90-day extension can be granted if an application for extension and an extension fee are submitted. Course extension requests must be submitted prior to your course expiration date. Extension payments can be made by check, money order or credit card. All extensions must be in writing. The 90-day extension starts on the expiration date of your course. Please contact CIDL at (405) 325-1921, (800) 942-5702 or see http://cidl.ou.edu/docs/extension.cfm for instructions and forms.
Withdrawals
All withdrawals from the Center for Distance and Learning courses must be in writing. If you withdraw from a course within 30 days your start date, you will receive a 100% refund on tuition and books, less grading fees and shipping/handling. No refunds will be given for books with missing pages, books we no longer use, or for books returned soiled, marked or damaged. Audiocassette and CD-ROM sets must be complete and not damaged. Withdrawals submitted after all course examinations have been taken by the student will not be processed.
Where kits are used with a course, special refund conditions are explained in the course descriptions. No refund applies after the 30-day period. Please allow six to eight weeks for the university to process your refund. Please contact CIDL at (405) 325-1921, (800) 942-5702 or see http://cidl.ou.edu/docs/withdrawal.cfm for details and forms.
Books, Buy Back Policy & Replacements
The Center for Independent and Distance Learning will repurchase books under certain conditions. The course must be current and the textbooks must be in good condition. Please contact the Bookstore Manager at 405-325-1921, toll-free at 800-942-5702 or by e-mail at cidl@ou.edu before returning the books. The repurchase price can be as high as one half of the price that you originally paid for the text. CIDL is not responsible for books that do not reach our office. Any outstanding balance with the Bursar's Office will be deducted from the repurchase price. Refunds may take five or six weeks.
We cannot buy back workbooks with missing pages, books we no longer use, or books returned soiled, marked, or damaged. We will usually buy back for one half of the original price CDs that are purchased separately from the textbook(s), provided they aren't damaged in any way and the set is complete. Where kits are used with a course, special conditions exist.
If you need replacement material for study guides, videotapes/CDs, or photocopies of lessons, contact Student Services. You must pay a processing fee plus the cost of the material.
Academic Misconduct
Students enrolled in CIDL university courses through OU are subject to the Off-Campus Academic Misconduct Procedures policy of the Office of the Provost. Download a complete copy of the policy in Adobe PDF format. The Provost's general-information Web site on integrity and academic misconduct is http://www.ou.edu/provost/integrity/.
Profane, vulgar, or threatening language or actions directed at a teacher, other staff members, or another student will not be tolerated.
Access and use of technology for communication and completion of courses through the Center for Independent and Distance Learning imposes certain responsibilities and obligations on the part of the student enrolled in the course. Appropriate use is ethical and honest, and demonstrates respect for physical and intellectual property, including system security protocols.
Students, teachers, and other personnel at the Center for Independent and Distance Learning have a right to privacy and are protected by this policy from intimidation, harassment, and unwarranted annoyance from any other user.
When enrolling in the Center for Independent and Distance Learning, students accept the terms of this policy. Any violation of this policy could result in a student's dismissal from the Center for Independent and Distance Learning courses.
Appeals
Any student who would like to appeal a grade please follow the "Academic Appeals Policy" outlined in the University of Oklahoma Student Code.
Suspensions
University of Oklahoma students on academic suspension must have the approval of the dean of their college before enrolling in Independent Study courses.
Equal Access
This institution, in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aide and educational services.
Disability Accommodation
The University of Oklahoma is committed to the goal of achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for students with disabilities. Consistent with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Oklahoma ensures that no "qualified individual with a disability" will be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination solely on the basis of disability under any program or activity offered by The University of Oklahoma. If you require accommodation on the basis of a disability, please contact our office to discuss documentation requirements and reasonable academic accommodation.
Disability Documentation
In general, documentation of disability should be reasonably current and include:
- A diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of current diagnostic evaluation, and date of the original diagnosis;
- A description of the diagnostic criteria used;
- A description of the diagnostic current functional impact of the disability;
- Treatment, medications, and assistive devices currently prescribed or in use;
- A description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time; and
- The credential of the diagnosing professional(s).
Veterans
Under GI Bill rules of eligibility, the Veterans Administration will
reimburse you for the amount of your enrollment after you have paid the
university. The VA does not pay for books. If you plan to seek VA
assistance, contact the VA Regional Office in Muskogee, Oklahoma, or
call toll-free at 800-827-1000. Veterans enrolled at a college or
university other than OU must include a parent school letter from their
institution of record verifying that each course they wish to enroll in
is a degree requirement or a bona fide elective.
VA Vocational Rehabilitation
Students wishing to use vocational rehabilitation funds for courses
should make arrangements with their local rehabilitation counselor
before enrolling and provide a letter stating how much of the fee
Vocational Rehabilitation will pay.
Address/Name Change
Notify the Student Services of changes in name or address. Changes may be submitted by mail, fax, or e-mail to cidl@ou.edu. Please include your Sooner ID#, previous name/address, and current name/address. Official documentation must accompany requests for name changes. Please contact CIDL at (405) 325-1921, (800) 942-5702 or see http://cidl.ou.edu/docs/ for details and forms.
Note: OU Students will still need to update their information for campus using the Address Change form. If you need to change your name, you need to complete an Application for
Change of Name from the OU Academic Records office, 1000 Asp Avenue room 330, Norman OK�� 73019; 405-325-4147.
Contact Information Enrollment
Office hours: 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays
(Note: These hours may vary during holidays)
Testing
Office hours: 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays
(Note: These hours may vary during holidays)
Note: Policies and procedures listed are subject to change without notice.
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