Online Program Information

• Online Program Registration
• Changes in Enrollment
• Online Program Guidelines

Online Program Registration

Who May Enroll in UIU Online courses?

• Individuals interested in flexible course schedules, nontraditional instruction and personal and professional enrichment.
• New, returning and currently enrolled UIU students.
• High school students in good academic standing.

Online courses are available for enrollment in any of the six sessions offered each year.

Admission to UIU is not required to enroll in online courses. Enrollment in an online course(s) does not constitute admission to UIU.

Registration Process

New students must register with their admissions counselor. All returning Upper Iowa University students register through myUIU, Upper Iowa University’s online portal. Access to myUIU is on the University website at my.uiu.edu/ics. Step-by-step instructions for course registration are listed on the Academics tab under the Student Help portlet. All students are issued a username and password during the admissions process.

Tuition and any course-related fees are due at the time of registration or by the Wednesday prior to the start of the class. Payment may be made through the myUIU portal in a secure environment.

Registration begins approximately six weeks before the start of each session. Students are strongly encouraged to register early as capacity is limited in all classes.

Session start dates are published on Academic Calendar . No registrations will be accepted after the published last day to register for the session.

Auditing a course is not an available option in the Online Program.

Military Tuition Assistance: Active-duty Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve personnel must register through the ArmyIgnitED portal. All other military personnel using military tuition assistance (MTA) will have their education officer approve the class and submit the completed TA form to an academic advisor. All military tuition assistance forms must be received before the first day of the session. Forms may be scanned and emailed to the student’s advisor. Students who need assistance applying for Military Tuition Assistance, should contact their respective education office.

Employee Tuition Assistance: If a student is receiving tuition assistance, a voucher approved by Upper Iowa University must accompany any portion of the payment for which the student is responsible. Contact an academic advisor for more details.

Online Delivery and Schedule

The goal of Upper Iowa University is to offer its curriculum on a schedule that allows students to take courses and continue their careers. The schedule is available online at uiu.edu/online-program.

Online Program Changes in Registration (Drop Procedures)

A student may drop a class at any time during the registration period and up to midnight on the last day prior to the first day of the session.

Changes in Enrollment

Online Refund Policy and Course Withdrawal

If a student decides to withdraw from the University before the end of a semester or session, the student’s charges, financial aid, tuition assistance, and/or veteran benefits could be affected. All students should consult with the Business Office and Financial Aid Office to understand the financial impact of withdrawing prior to initiating the withdrawal process.

Tuition adjustments are independent from academic and financial aid deadlines. Tuition will be adjusted based on the percentages listed in the table below for the weeks completed in the eight-week enrollment period. The student’s last date of attendance is the official withdrawal date that will be used when calculating a refund.

For students from Wisconsin, Maryland, Georgia, Oregon or Arizona, state laws apply. Wisconsin students and Military Tuition Assistance (TA) students refer to Graduation and Beyond .

Session-long course refund schedule

Semester-long course refund schedule

Upper Iowa University is required to use a pro rata schedule to determine the amount of Title IV aid the student has earned at the time of withdrawal. If financial aid funds have been released to the student because of a credit balance on the student’s account at Upper Iowa University, the student may be required to repay some or all of the amount released to the student. This policy is subject to federal regulations. Contact the Financial Aid Office for details.

Withdrawing from a course in progress may result in significant student account charges. Consult an academic advisor before withdrawing. For more information on financial aid implications, visit uiu.edu/withdraw-financial.

Validation of Enrollment/Non-Attendance

Enrollment for each online course must be validated by at­tending class (attended by discussion post, reply to a post, quiz completion or assignment submission) during the first seven days of the session. Failure to validate enrollment will result in a grade of NA (never attended) and removal from the course. An NA will be recorded on the student’s transcript and financial aid funding may be affected.

Withdrawal

If a student wishes to withdraw from an active course, the student must complete a course withdrawal form available through myUIU and submit the form to coursewithdrawals@uiu.edu prior to the published last day to drop a class, which is the last day of the fifth week of an eight-week session or last day of the fourth week in a six-week session. A grade of W will be recorded on the transcript. Informing the course faculty member is not sufficient notice for a drop or withdrawal. A withdrawal calculation will be performed for any Title IV student who ceases attendance from the University during the semester. This includes those requesting a leave of absence.

Administrative Withdrawal

During weeks one through six of an eight-week session, students who have not yet posted (attended by discussion post, reply to a post, quiz completion or assignment submission) for 14 consecu­tive days will be administratively withdrawn from the course. A grade of AW will be recorded in the student’s permanent record. Students who post in week 5 or after will not be administra­tively withdrawn.

During weeks one through five of a six-week session, students who have not yet posted (attended) for 14 consecutive days will be administratively withdrawn from the course. A grade of AW will be recorded in the student’s permanent record. Students who post in week 4 or after will not be administratively with­drawn.

Administrative withdrawal will affect financial aid funding. If financial aid funds have been released to the student because of a credit balance on the student’s account at Upper Iowa Univer­sity, then the student may be required to repay some or all of the amount released to the student. This policy is subject to federal regulations. Contact the Financial Aid Office for details.

Online Program Guidelines

Course Attendance and Participation

The Online Program course week begins on Monday and ends the following Sunday, except in weeks 6 or 8 when the last day is Thursday. Students will be given access to their classroom the first day of the course.

A student is expected to actively participate and contribute to the learning experience in the course at least four of each seven day academic week. Participation means providing substantive comments, questions and contributions that advance the learning process for the student and other learners in the course.

Attainment of the minimum expected participation is repre­sentative of an average learner. Participation in excess of the minimum is expected of superior learners. For grading purposes, the faculty member will determine the number and quality of postings for participation. If the student actively participates in the course, the student should not have an attendance issue.

If a student does not meet the minimum attendance requirement (attended by discussion post, reply to a post, quiz completion, or assignment submission) for 14 consecutive days, the student will receive an AW for the course which may affect financial aid funds for payment of the course. Financial aid and tuition adjustments will be calculated based on the day the student last posted to the online classroom. Merely logging into the online classroom website is not considered a posting for attendance or participation purposes.

Collaborative Learning

Online courses may incorporate one or more collaborative learning assignments that utilize “virtual teaming.” In collabora­tive assignments, a group of students works on and submits an assignment as a team. In general all members of the group will earn the same grade on the assignment. If the faculty member determines that one or more group members did not do a fair share of the assignment, those students may receive a lower grade. Some faculty members assign the members of groups while others allow students to self-select their group. A faculty member’s policy on this will be included in the course syllabus or online classroom.

Technical Requirements

It is UIU’s goal to make the student’s learning experience the best it can be. One way to achieve this goal is to ensure that cer­tain essential tools are available when the student accesses their web-based course. Information related to technical requirements for the Upper Iowa University learning management system, uiuLearn, can be found under the browser information section on the uiuLearn Student Tutorials page.

Learning Management System

UIU utilizes D2L Brightspace learning management system (LMS). UIU has branded the LMS with the name uiuLearn. All students who enroll in online classes are expected to complete the student orientation tutorial and have appropriate knowledge to use the system effectively. The system is supported by a 24/7 helpdesk chat as well as via email and phone at helpdesk@d2l.com or 877-325-7778.