Note: this year’s application deadline is one month earlier than it has been in the past, so be sure to get your application in before it is due!

We know that most online students can’t come to a campus to attend a scholarship workshop, and also that the majority of our students are attending PCC remotely right now due to the continued COVID-19 campus closure. The PCC Foundation has put together a variety of helpful online resources for PCC students to use as they prepare to apply for scholarships for the coming school year. Check them out below!

• Apply Now!
• Get Scholarship Help
  • Attend a scholarship workshop
  • Get help online: Scholarship Application Guide

Questions? Email scholarships@pcc.edu or call 971-722-4385.

By and large, though, the majority of the 402 students who responded feel like their instructors are effectively establishing expectations for coursework, participation, and deadlines. Specifically 288 students (71.6%) affirmed that they understood what was expected of them in their online and remote classes. While most students simply indicated they had a good grasp of their course expectations by saying “yes”, some students took the opportunity to highlight some things their instructors or doing well or identifying what would make course expectations even clearer:

Yes. Our instructor does a great job outlining the expectations in a clear manner. He also sends reminders when the due date is approaching for assignments.

Generally, but that’s not to say I don’t have to dig for it.  There is no consistency between classes on how the shells are formatted.  I think the homepage of the shell should be updated each week with a summary of what the week will hold – front and center, first thing I see, tell me what’s happening this week.  Then go into content for lectures, discussions for discussion posts, assignments for assignments etc etc.

Yes, though I wish that each class had a formal way to touch base each week on what the focus is for the week, either an email from the instructor or under content for that week.

For the 45 students (11.2%)  who indicated that they do not have a clear idea of what is expected in their classes, the most of the feedback was regarding course organization. This primarily included disorganized or hard to navigate Brightspace shells and lack of clarity about due dates (both of these were also top themes from the first installment of this series). Here are some direct quotes from students:

No. Every class puts their assignments or course expectations in different places. It’s really confusing and I’ve missed due dates on assignments that have been up since the beginning of the term because of location factors.

No. The assignments are not consistent. We have a mini quiz due tomorrow and it still is not posted for us to start. Exams and homework cover material with aspects he has not covered. The professor does not answer emails so it is impossible to speak with him unless you speak in front of the whole class during lecture.

69 students (17.2%)  stated that they sometimes feel like they know what is expected of them in their classes. These responses contained a combination of students who only sometimes knew what is expected throughout the term within a single class, as well as students who had some classes where expectations were evident and others where they were not.

Sometimes, but not always. With the classes I have this term, I’m finding that some of the syllabi could use some updating and it would be helpful if there was at least one video example of the instructor demonstrating the commonly used standards that they expect, just to make sure that they are clearly communicated.

Depends on class. One class the instructor doesn’t bother to use D2L or record anything. [There is] no way to track grades let alone know what chapter to read. In another class the instructor uses D2L a little too well. That class suffers from being organized into obscurity. In another class the instructor clearly has issues with technology. They will tell you to read something that was never posted or give an assignment that opens on Monday of a week that’s due that night which means you’ve got that day to go through the entirety of the week’s lessons in a single day.

Most of the time — sometimes the information is spread out across 3-5 different places. (Usually Course Content, Syllabus, Announcements, Course Description, Assignments, Course Calendar etc.) And they don’t always match up. Then sometimes unexpected due dates are announced in the discussion boards retroactively (example- in the discussion topic description for this week, there might be an announcement saying, “Please post a 3 page rough draft by Sunday night of the previous week in this discussion board” but it’s so unusual to look a whole week ahead to see what next week’s discussion post says, so how could we know to do that until this week comes?

Based on all of the feedback students gave when they answered this question, here are some of the suggestions students provided most frequently:

• Have all due dates in one location and make sure the dates are updated to match the current term’s calendar. If due dates are in more than one location, make sure they match and that all locations get updated if a date changes.
• Post weekly summaries about what will be happening in class, including regular reminders about deadlines and other milestones throughout the term.
• Ensure all content that will be needed for tests, quizzes, papers, and projects is available in Brightspace.
• Group and name content in a way that makes sense for the structure of your class so students can easily find what they are looking for.
• Have assignments available and unlocked multiple days prior to their due dates.
• Provide information about how much time a student should expect to spend on an assignment.
• Use video content to demonstrate complicated concepts (this can be something you made yourself, got from the textbook publisher, or found on YouTube).

The feedback provided around this question also reminded me of a post made earlier this year by our Course Development Program Manager Rondi Schei entitled Organizing Content for Student Success. If you are seeking some additional strategies to improve your course organization as we head into Winter term, I highly recommend taking a look at Rondi’s suggestions.

Our students want to know what they need to do to appropriately engage with their course content so they can meet course expectations. We hope that this student feedback will help all faculty find some additional ways to refine your courses  so students know exactly what to do and when they need to do it.

What campus resources are currently available to students?

• Virtual Help – In MyPCC, the Help tab is now . Students can use this tab to reach out to a variety of student services via phone, email, online form, or Zoom.
• Counseling Services – Counseling is providing virtual support via individual sessions, group counseling, and workshops.
• Tutoring  – Each campus-based Student Learning Center has shifted to provide virtual tutoring. All students are also welcome to use the eTutoring platform.
• Accessible Ed & Disability Resources – Counselors in Accessible Ed & Disability Resources continue to support students over the phone and through video chat, and are working to adjust accommodations for students that may have different needs for remote classes than in-person classes.

What resources are available for students who need technological assistance?

• Student Guide  – PCC developed a student guide to help students who are Adjusting to Remote Learning.
• Virtual Backpack – Although students are not required to complete the Start Guide for Online Learners for remote courses, the content will help prepare students for success in the new online environment.
• Technology Support – Students should contact the Student Help Desk for assistance with D2L Brightspace, Zoom, or Google Apps.
• Resource Center – All enrolled students get added to the Online Student Resource Center in D2L Brightspace. The OSRC includes discussion forums for students to use for connecting with their peers and seeking support from our staff, as well as D2L tutorials and practice activities.
• Technology Access – Students can review options for internet service providers on the COVID-19 Resources page. If a student does not have access to wi-fi or a computer at home, they can also complete the to request assistance from PCC.
• Online Training – Free is available from the Goodwill Community Foundation.

What community resources and funding assistance are available for students?

• Emergency Funds – Thanks to regularly available funding and a generous allocation of funds from the PCC Foundation, students can apply for emergency funding through PCC.
• Community Resources – A list of community resources is available on the COVID-19 webpage.
• Food Assistance – Students who meet the income qualification should apply for SNAP benefits to help them access food. Some students who receive SNAP benefits may also qualify for the STEP program, which can provide assistance for tuition/fees, books, and tools for school.

Who should I inform if I am concerned about a student?

• CARE Reporting – Anyone can submit a CARE Report to express concern about a student’s well-being and safety. After submitting the report, the CARE Team reaches out to the student to check in and get them connected to appropriate resources to provide support as needed. If you are ever unsure about how to approach a situation, you can always contact the Student Conduct and Retention Coordinators.
• Classroom Issues – The coordinators can also assist faculty with classroom management and behavior clarification concerns.

What can students do to get ready for the year?

• Guide to First Term – The Panther Tracks: Guide to Your First Term has great content, including lists of how students can set themselves up for success heading into the first week, at midterm, and at the end of the term.
• Academic Advising – Encourage students to make an appointment with an Academic Advisor to discuss course plans for future terms and how they fit within their larger career and academic goals. Students can request assistance by filling out the .
• Tutoring – It’s never too early for students to seek tutoring! Students can still take advantage of virtual tutoring from our campus tutors or eTutoring.

Want to share these resources with your department/division? Download a PDF of this post that also includes information about the student services available through Online Learning!

We know that most online students can’t come to a campus to attend a scholarship workshop. To help get scholarship information to our online learners, we put together a detailed video with staff from the PCC Foundation. The video covers subjects like how to fill out the application, write your essays, and request your references.

If you are looking for specific information about the application process, follow the links below to jump into a particular topic.

If you still need more scholarship information after watching this video, you can check out the online Scholarship Application Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions about Express Advising

What is Express Advising?

Express Advising is the Online Learning version of the drop-ins offered at our on-campus Advising Centers. Instead of stopping at an Advising Center, online learners can call Online Advising and get the same kind of quick help over the phone. Express Advising is a good fit for students who have questions that can be resolved in a 5-10 minute conversation.

How does Express Advising work?

The Online Advising team conducts Express Advising over the phone at 971-722-9656 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.

During Express Advising hours, callers get directed to a menu where they have the choice to set up an appointment (Option 1) or speak directly with an advisor (Option 2). After selecting Option 2, the student will have the ability to enter their G-number. The advisor will verify their G-number once the student is connected.

If an advisor is already on the phone with a student, any other callers get placed on hold and put in a queue. The advisor will answer the calls in the queue in the order they are received. Students on hold will also have the option of leaving their phone number for the advisor to call back at their earliest availability.

Outside of Express Advising hours, students can still call 971-722-9656 to schedule an advising appointment via the Student Help Desk.

Who is Express Advising for?

Express Advising is available for any fully-online student (with the exception of students who are taking online Community Education courses or who are enrolled in a Career-Technical program). This includes students who are completing a fully-online transfer degree (AAOT, AS, ASOT-B) or an Associate of General Studies.

If a student is taking any in-person classes, they should contact a campus Advising Center.

When should a student schedule an appointment instead?

Although many advising topics can be effectively covered in a short 10-minute conversation, some still require a phone appointment. Online Advising requires appointments for the following:

• placement holds
• financial aid time frame extensions and consortium agreements
• academic standing issues (academic probation learning contracts, midterm checks, suspension re-entry)
• veterans holds
• long-range academic planning

Phone appointments are also a good fit for students who are new to college or who have complicated questions.

For any of these topics, schedule an appointment through the Student Help Desk at 971-722-9565. Phone appointments are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 7:00 pm. Please note that Online Learning does not offer same-day appointments.