Academics
Distance and Online Education
Great Commission University provides for-credit courses ranging in difficulty and workload via the Internet. These online classes bridge time and space by allowing students to participate in learning experience with fellow learners around the world. With a computer and an Internet connection, students are able to follow the quarter-long course schedule at any time of day through our course websites. Websites provide access to all course materials, interactive exercises and discussions, and multimedia resources.
▶How It Works
Great Commission University faculty and staff strive to ensure the superior quality of distance education course materials, assignments, exercises and exams, which can be found on the University websites. Using email and online bulletin boards, students can interact and collaborate with their instructors and fellow students.
Participation and interaction are major components of every class at Great Commission University, especially our online courses. Some required readings may be found through the University Library’s digital system, while others may be purchased from online vendors, such as Amazon.com. Some courses may include a required weekly conference call or voice chat.
Registered students, have the option of attending lectures when they are given on campus, or watching them online. In some cases, courses are available online only. Students who take distance education courses online complete the same coursework as students who take the courses on campus. Therefore, students may use credits earned via distance education to complete requirements for many of Great Commission University’s degree programs.
The following policies and procedures apply to distance education students:
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary computer hardware and software, Internet access, and streaming video software available to them such that they are able to view the course lectures throughout the term. Students should review the technical requirements before they register for a course. Students must also ensure that they have any course-specific software needed to complete course assignments.
- Recorded lectures for the distance education courses are available only to registered students; lectures are password protected. Recorded lectures are not available to any students after the end of the quarter.
- In distance education courses that have in-class hour, midterm, and final examinations, students must make arrangements through the Academic Dean to take their examinations in absentia. Students with questions about this procedure should contact the Academic Dean.
Online/Hybrid Learning
Great Commission University offers both online and hybrid courses that can be taken by students to fulfill their degree requirements at our school. Online courses may be taken by either online or resident students. Hybrid courses may be taken by resident students only. Online and hybrid courses have the same course descriptions and student learning objectives as their resident-only equivalents. Both course types are explained further in detail below.
Curricular and learning resources are shared between both program types, residential, and distance education.
Online Classes
Great Commission University offers a number of online-only courses through the school’s online classroom. Both online and resident students are eligible to take online courses to fulfill their degree requirements. The vast majority of the class activity will take place online, including tools such as video conferencing, online lectures, forums, chat rooms, online tests and quizzes, and electronically submitted coursework. Course content can be accessed 24/7 at the student’s convenience, but the student is responsible for keeping up with the curriculum throughout the quarter. Most course material will be available electronically, but students will typically still need to purchase a physical textbook for online courses.
Note that regardless of the number of credit hours awarded for a course, only 3 credit hours from online courses may be applied toward an F-1 student’s full-time status requirement. Online courses alone do not count towards the fulfillment of any residency or on-site requirements.
Hybrid Courses
For today’s students at Great Commission University having an online classroom containing learning resources, tracking the progress through course work, recording grades, and enabling interaction with fellow students regardless of time and place and thus supporting effective learning is the standard for any course offered, on-site or online. Instead of using the existence of an online classroom to label a course “online” or “hybrid” Great Commission University, therefore, uses the simultaneous existence of an on-campus component and an integral distance education component of any class as the decisive marker for being a hybrid course.
Great Commission University distinguishes two general types of hybrid instruction: 1) remote teacher, 2) remote student or classroom. Regardless of type, an on-campus student enrolling in a hybrid course is sure to have a regular onsite component where attendance is tracked and face-to-face instruction/discussion is provided. An online student enrolling in a hybrid class, on the other hand, can be sure all activities and resources necessary for participation and for learning to happen in the course are available at a distance to him or her.
F-1 students participating in hybrid courses can have the full credit hours applied toward the full-time status requirement.
Proctoring
All for-credit distance education courses at Great Commission University require proctored final examinations. Midterm exams are strongly recommended to be proctored while tests/quizzes should be designed so that proctoring is unnecessary. Great Commission University allows two forms of proctoring:
i) Onsite Proctoring
Online students may name a person onsite to proctor the exam upon the University’s approval. Proctors are required to complete a signed Proctor Agreement Form prior to the first exam being administered.
Great Commission University reserves the right to verify a proctor’s identity, require additional proof of eligibility, or require the selection of a different proctor. The proctor should provide the identity of the student based on a photo ID, sign for the student to have undergone a proper exam according to the requirements given in the online classroom and write a report about anomalies when necessary.
ii) Online Proctoring
Instructors/faculty may require online students to utilize ProctorU, an online proctoring service that uses a webcam and microphone. The examination would be set up in the ProctorU system by the instructor/faculty accordingly. Students are responsible for any costs associated with using an online proctoring service. Such costs must be brought to the students’ attention at the time of registration for the course.
Acceptable forms of photo ID for proctoring:
- Valid U.S. passport book or passport card
- Valid U.S. military photo ID card for active duty, reserve, or retired personnel
- Valid foreign passport
- Valid state-issued Driver License or photo ID
The Information Technology Support Center at Great Commission University consistently researches on the latest and emerging technologies and practices that are effective in verifying student identification. This policy and related practices will be reviewed annually for continued alignment with the appropriate federal regulations and policies and revised as necessary.
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Great Commission University serves the global church by educating mission leaders to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
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