Distance Education
FAQs for Undergraduate Students
Do I need a new user name/account name?
Continuing students will use the same user name and password that you used the previous term.
How do I get a user name/account name?
To determine your account (user) name, please log onto www.sou.edu/studentcomputing. On this screen, click on GET ACCOUNT NAME in the right hand yellow box. This will take you to Student Accounts. Fill out the form and submit. This will give you your account (user) name to access Blackboard.
How do I log onto Blackboard?
To access your Blackboard site, type: http://courses.sou.edu in your web browser – either Netscape or Internet Explorer 5.0 or above.
Click "user login" on the left side. This will produce the dialog box to log into the class. Use your new account (user) name for your user name. Your password has been set to your date of birth (MMDDYY). Click the small “login” button. Please change your password after you login the first time. Click on the Personal Information link in the TOOLS box on your Welcome page. With this tool you can change your password as often as you like, the e-mail account where you prefer to receive Blackboard e-mail, and personal privacy options.
More instructions may be found at https://www.sou.edu/studentpassword.shtml
Once you are in BlackBoard the courses that you are enrolled in will show on the right side of the screen. Click the class that you would like to work on. Once you are in your class, click the buttons along the left side of the screen and spend some time familiarizing yourself with the class content.
Read the Announcements page on your Blackboard for instructions on changing your password, accessing your SOU Groupwise email account, and how to switch your email address to your preferred address.
For all courses, you will be able to access your BlackBoard account the first day of the term.
How do I access my SOU email account (GroupWise)?
To access your SOU email account, go to http://www.sou.edu/anywhere/. On the left hand-side under STUDENTS, click on NetMail WebAccess. Use you new user name and your password is your DOB. You may forward SOU’s email to your preferred email address.
How do I forward my SOU email account to my home/work email address?
If you have another e-mail account you prefer to use, such as Jeffnet or Hotmail, you can forward your SOU student e-mail to that account, so you have it all in the same place. Instructions on setting up mail forwarding are located at http://www.sou.edu/studentcomputing/emailsetup/.
How do I change my password?
Each system (the network/ e-mail, SISWeb, and Blackboard) will require a password. The password for each system must be set separately; changing one does not change the others. If you would like to use the same password for all of the systems you can, but you will have to make it exactly 6 characters in length because this is the requirement for SISWeb. To change your passwords, go to the Student Computing home page http://www.sou.edu/studentcomputing/ and click on the Helpful Link labeled "Change Account Passwords." You must know your current password(s) in order to change it to a new one. If you are a new student your default password is set to your birth date in a MMDDYY format.
What do I do if I can’t log onto Blackboard or use my Email?
It is very important that you are able to access Blackboard and your Groupwise account by the end of the first week of the term. If you have ANY questions or difficulties with Blackboard or your email account, please contact PJ Mau at 1-800-552-5388 or email her at maup@sou.edu. She is in the office from 8am to 5pm and will respond to off hour emails the next day as soon as possible.
How do I order my textbooks?
You may order your books by calling the bookstore at 541.552.6190 or online at www.sou.edu/bookstore. This should be done in advance to ensure that you have your books before the term starts. Distance Learning students will pay shipping and handling but not the $5.00 charge for ordering online.
When is my tuition payment due?
Pay in full at the beginning of the term. Tuition is due upon registration for classes and no later than the end of the first week, April 1.
How do I pay?
Students are encouraged to pay all charges in full at the beginning of the term to avoid late fees or penalties OR……
Use the SOU Revolving Charge Account Plan (RCA). The RCA is a monthly, pay-as-you-go method. If you don't pay in full by the due date, SOU automatically activates the RCA. It is not a credit card, although the terms and conditions are similar:
- Space your payments. Instead of paying in full at the onset of the term, students may pay only the first third of tuition, the first half of residence hall charges, and all other charges. The remainder of the account balance must be paid by the first day of the last month of the term: December 1 for fall, March 1 for winter, and June 1 for spring.
- Pay a fee of $15, charged if tuition and housing are not paid by the required date in any given term.
- Pay a 9% per annum interest.
More information on Student Payments may be found at the Business Services website at: http://www.sou.edu/bus_serv/.
What is the Student Information System (SIS)?
SISWeb is a secure, interactive web application that allows you to easily view your own student data:
Display Grades
Display Transcript
Register for Classes
View Account Information
View Holds
View/Update Address
View Student's Schedule
Make Credit Card Payment
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SISWeb is normally available daily between the hours of 6:30am and 3:30am. SISWeb is unavailable one day a month and other dates periodically for maintenance and/or upgrades. Please read our Privacy Policy thoroughly before logging on to SISWeb. Before making a credit card payment, visit our Debt Management site for important information. For payment policies, payment options, and fee refund information, please visit our Payment Policies site.
How do I use SISWeb?
To log onto SISWeb, go to http://www.sou.edu/sis
You will be asked to provide two things in order to log on to SISWeb. Be prepared to enter the following:
- User ID: Type in your user name you received from the student computing website (usually last name, first initial or some version of this cofiguration). If you are a current student, you may also use your lowercase email account name to log in.
- Personal Identification Number (PIN): Your PIN (password) must be 6 characters exactly. If you have never used your PIN, it is set to your date of birth in the format of MMDDYY. PIN's are case sensitive.
Access to SISWeb may be denied in some circumstances. If access is denied, contact the SOU Registrar's office at 541-552-6600 (press option 2). Access is denied when:
- You are a former, non-registered student who has never used SISWeb. Your online account must be enabled by Registration staff. Students who attended prior to 1990 cannot use SISWeb.
- You have made three unsuccessful login attempts. Three unsuccessful login attempts will disable your SISWeb access.
- You have forgotten your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Note: If you set up a Login Verification Security Question and Answer in SISWeb, then you may press the "Forgot PIN?" button on the SISWeb User Login page. It will ask you the question you set up and if you can answer it correctly, it will let you log in.
In all of the cases above, Registration staff must verify student identity in order to reset PIN's and enable your SISWeb access. There are three ways to do this:
- CALL the SOU Registrar's office at 541-552-6600 between 9:00am and 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. A staff person will ask you detailed questions to verify your identity. Your account will be enabled and your PIN will be reset to your date of birth (MMDDYY). Please be prepared to provide personal details regarding your attendance at SOU to facilitate verification of your identity. Ensure that you identify yourself as a distance learning student and that you CANNOT come to campus to get this done. If you have any difficulties, call PJ Mau at (800) 552-5388.
OR - FAX a written request that your PIN be reset to your date of birth. The fax must include a legible photocopy of your photo ID, your student ID number, and your signature. The Registrar’s fax number is 541-552-6614. Your account will be reset within one working day.
After your PIN is reset to your date of birth, you will be required to change it to a new character PIN (different than your date of birth) when you login for the first time. Carefully follow the instructions on your screen. These procedures ensure that student accounts remain confidential - accessible only by the student.
For security reasons, you are strongly advised to change your PIN as soon as possible.
REMEMBER to press the EXIT button, especially if you are using a public terminal, when you are through. Avoid using the forward/back buttons on your browser unless specifically directed to. To fully utilize SISWeb, please use Netscape Navigator 3.0.4 or higher. Internet Explorer 4.x or Netscape 4.x is preferred. Note: Do not use Netscape 6.x for Macintosh. It has serious problems and does not work with SISWeb.
