Online Student Privacy Policy

Student Conduct

Technological Responsibilities
As part of their online course experience, students should practice technological responsibility. Students should:

  •  have a back-up plan in place in case of computer difficulties or loss of internet service.
  • avoid using "technical problems" as an excuse for late work.
  • search online for solutions to error messages or other difficulties before contacting the HelpDesk.

Communication and Netiquette

  • Students and faculty should communicate respectfully and professionally. Inappropriate language or behavior may result in disciplinary action and/or expulsion.
  • Writing Expectations -- Students should
    •  use standard English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
    • proofread all work before submitting it.
    • avoid acronyms, emoticons, and abbreviations such as "u" for "you," "B4" for "before," and so on.

Student Privacy

Identity Protection

  • All course participants will be issued a username and password. Students are prohibited from sharing this information for any reason, including allowing others to access course materials.
  • Students must fill out the online consent form available on the E&H website. This form allows students to indicate how and when the College may release personal information. (To inform faculty of Family Education Rights and Policies Act [FERPA] rights and obligations, the College will distribute the Information Release Policy and offer presentations at faculty meetings.)
  • To verify that the registered student is the same person who completes the coursework, the College will periodically check student IDs.
  • Students may also be asked to present identification in the following circumstances:
    • Campus visits
    • Face-to-face classes
    • Video conferences with instructors

Data Protection
All distance education courses are housed and conducted in Moodle, our learning management system. To ensure the security of the student database, the College uses eThink, a cloud-based security system. Backups of student accounts and work are performed daily.

Institutionally, College software administrators enroll online students using data from our student information system. Faculty track student grades through Moodle. Students may access only courses in which they are enrolled and may view only their own grades.

Participation and Attendance

Attendance Requirements
Just as in traditional classes, professors of online courses often require attendance. Individual instructor requirements will vary, but faculty are required to record students' log-ins at least twice a week. Online students will register their attendance digitally by logging onto the course management system.

Academic Integrity
Distance education students are required to sign and abide by the same academic honesty statement as traditional students. To ensure academic integrity, Emory & Henry College uses Respondus, a secure browser application, and Respondus Monitor, a tool that allows faculty to observe students via webcam. Moodle also offers additional features such as password-protected tests and random-ordered questions.

To indicate their acceptance of the honor code, online students will sign the academic honesty statement in the Orientation for Online Learners course.

Academic Honesty

Identity Checks
To ensure that the enrolled student is the one who actually takes the course, the College has instituted the following identity checks:

  • First check: when students enroll and register
  • Second check: when students attend face-to-face sessions with faculty or attend on-campus events. (If a class does not require a face-to-face meeting, faculty will be expected to verify a student's identity through a web conference.)