Academic Experience

Active learning with technology: bringing students, faculty, and information together

You will be joining a community of people devoted to creating and sharing information-activities that can be enhanced by information technology. Finding answers to the following questions can help you understand how technology is used to support learning and collaboration in your areas of interest or possible major(s).

• Coursework-in and out of class
• Support services
• Looking toward graduation and a career
• Managing your personal information
• Conducting business
• Privacy, security, and usage rules
• Accessing computer services
• Connecting with others
• Fees and expenses
• Technical support
• Other services

How does the campus use technology to enhance teaching, learning, and access to information in your areas of interest? Examples include online syllabi, Web–based discussion groups and project teams, and electronic portfolios.  Online courses offer syllabi, discussion groups, course email, etc., and some on-campus courses also utilize Web support pages.

Is there technology in the classrooms? Yes, in some classrooms.

Will you use technology to collaborate with other students in both your introductory and advanced courses? Yes.

Does the school give credit for courses taken online from other institutions and sources of instruction? Yes, as long as the institution is appropriately accredited and the student has not reached the maximum number of transfer hours (42).

Does the school have multimedia labs you can use to work on projects? Is there help available? Yes, a computer lab (located adjacent to library on campus) with some support provided by lab assistants.  In addition, the library has computers for student and community use.

Are library collections and resources-such as catalogs, research databases, special collections, course reserves, full–text electronic journals, books, and streaming media-available online and accessible off–campus? We have many services available to both on campus and distance learners through the Darton Library, via distance learning modules, and through cooperation between our Library, the University System of Georgia, and regional and national InterLibrary Loan systems.

Our catalog GIL - GALILEO Interconnected Libraries is available without restriction to anyone wanting to search our collection at https://gil.darton.edu/.  Registered library patrons may check their account information via the “Access my GIL account” link at https://gil.darton.edu/ and even renew books on a limited basis.  

Our research databases are available through GALILEO (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online) and links via GALILEO for databases we pay for separately.  Off-campus access is available to currently enrolled/employed students, faculty, and staff via password through the “Access my GIL account” link at https://gil.darton.edu/.   GALILEO provides access to multiple information resources, including secured access to licensed products. Participating institutions may access over 100 databases indexing thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. Over 2000 journal titles are provided in full-text. Other resources include encyclopedias, business directories, and government publications (http://www.usg.edu/galileo/about/).

Our students have access to full text Netlibrary books via GALILEO and GIL links, and students may create accounts for later use of Netlibrary books from off campus.  Local Darton College students must come on campus to register to view Netlibrary eBooks but students who live at a distance (we will check) may email research@darton.edu or caryl.nemajovsky@darton.edu to be registered to read Netlibrary eBooks (http://www.darton.edu/%7Edclib/Online_Research.php ).

Streaming media is available through cooperation with Instructional Technology and Distance Learning at computers in the library and online through distance learning modules.

Although GIL has a course reserves interface, much of the effort to input each course, add the actual material, link materials to courses and departments and update the information according to copyright restrictions every semester would be redundant as faculty have chosen to post much of their supplementary information via individual course distance learning modules. In cases where online supplements were unavailable for students outside our local service area we have worked with the instructor to ensure that the student received the material either via fax, mail or in certain cases with an instructor bringing the material (in a timely manner) during a regularly scheduled site visit to a branch site.

For any student needing material not held at the Darton Library we have an excellent InterLibrary Loan system with a few options.  One option is GIL Express: students who search the catalog for a book and don’t find one on their preferred subject at Darton may search the Universal Catalog (catalog of the University System of Georgia (USG) Libraries) and request a book via GIL Express. GIL Express allows students, faculty and staff access to all eligible circulating material at all USG libraries through both an on site (walk up) requesting service and a remote requesting service (http://gilexpress.usg.edu/).  Students may also use our regular InterLibrary Loan for both books and journal articles.  Online forms for InterLibrary Loan are linked from http://itdl3.darton.edu/library/FormsList.htm together with other forms for various Library business.  For Darton College distance learning students who do not attend any on-campus courses and who reside outside the Darton College service area, the Library will fax or mail materials to remote locations from the Library collection.

The Darton Library does not have a particular set of special collections of such value or significance as to merit online exhibition at this time.  If we receive donations of future collections efforts will be made to include funding in the plans to enhance a special collection through online exhibition.

What technology resources and help are available to students with special needs?  Darton Library provides various technology resources and help to students with special needs.  The Library maintains a CCTV for visually impaired students. An adaptive computer with JAWS for Windows, a scanner, and other adaptive software is also available for students in the Library.  Library web pages are available in an alternative text only version.  Library staff work in cooperation with Disability Services to personally assist students with special needs.  Decisions to purchase or lease major items of Library technology are made in collaboration with students with special needs.  For example, when making our decision on a recent high end copier/printer system lease we consulted with a student with special needs who makes frequent use of Library services; asking her to review the product information and test out the equipment to her satisfaction before giving the final approval.

Can the library deliver documents to you electronically, either via e–mail, file transfer, or through Web posting? Is there a cost associated with that service?  As explained above, the Darton Library has an exceptional InterLibrary Loan system.  Most of the materials are sent via mail or fax at this time although the turn-around time is excellent.  For books and articles within the University System of Georgia coming into the Library the turn-around time can be as little as 2-3 days. Furthermore, our students are becoming even more enamored of the immediate gratification of full-text articles from our databases. 

With limited personnel and funding, use of a high maintenance system such as Ariel for emailing articles is something we periodically try but is not a priority over spending resources on more immediate needs.  The personal service our far flung distance learning students receive with document delivery via fax, mail, email at times and personal contact from instructors (for book needs) has typically elicited favorable comments. 

We have reciprocal agreements with many institutions and bear the cost of regular InterLibrary Loan in terms of personnel and shipping through our own budget with some expenses for GIL Express coming from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.  The only time students are asked to pay for InterLibrary Loan is if we need to request material available only at an institution that charges us.  At that time students may opt to pay or decide to find an alternative article if possible from an institution that doesn’t charge.

What kind of help does the library provide for research assistance, and when is the help available?  In person contact is available during Library business hours (http://www.darton.edu/~dclib/libraryhours.php)

During the regular semester business hours are: Monday-Thursday 7:30 AM-9:00 PM, Friday 7:30 AM-5:00 PM, Saturday CLOSED, Sunday 2:00 PM-6:00 PM.  Arrangements are made for classes scheduled outside of normal business hours.

The Library provides group research assistance in the form of classes for general orientation and classes tailored to specific assignments.  Classes are generally led by a librarian with the assistance of the instructor.  Although most classes are in the library (sometimes the classroom) with the students using computers and the librarian leading the class with a computer station with a computer and projector, we have filmed these instruction sessions for use both immediate and later via TV classes and for dissemination to remote sites on enhanced CD ROMs.  We are open to collaboration with instruction on library orientation via online means but usually run into a time and scheduling crunch with instructors and limited library personnel.

The Library also provides one-on-one research assistance in person and via phone, email and a form for Ask a Reference Question at http://online.darton.edu/library/RefRequestIntro.htm. 

Many basic questions are answered through the Library web pages based at http://www.darton.edu/~dclib/index.php  which include an online version of the print handout we often use in orientations at http://www.darton.edu/%7Edclib/Online_Research.php and links to Library Orientation & Online Info at http://www.darton.edu/~dclib/LibraryOrientation.php. We also offer some basic orientations online via PowerPoint at http://www.darton.edu/~dclib/PowerpointList.php including 2 sessions which correspond to assignments for the Library project of the COOR 0199 course.

Does the campus offer general or profession–specific training programs that will ensure you are fluent in current information technologies when you graduate? The Business Division offers a course entitled Fundamentals of Computer Applications (CISM 2201) which provides students a basic level of computer applications literacy to include hardware and software.  This course is an elective option for many majors.

Administrative Experience

Taking care of business online

Your campus experience will include some time spent taking care of practical matters, such as registering for classes, requesting transcripts, and paying tuition. Find out which transactions and the services that support them can be handled online and at a distance.

What personal information can you view online—your contact information, grades, degree progress, financial status, or other information? Students can view their contact information, current classes, week at a glance calendar, registration view fee assessment, account summary by term, view final grades, view unofficial academic transcript, degree evaluation, and Regents test results.

Can you update any of this information online yourself? No, updating or changing records requires the student contact the Records Office at the college (except for changing the PIN number and security question to access aforementioned information).

Which of the following can you do online?

• Check admissions status Yes.
• Pay bills Yes.
• Apply for and view financial aid awards Yes.
• Register for, add, and drop courses Yes.
• Learn course grades Yes.
• View and print unofficial transcripts Yes.
• Check progress toward completion of degree requirements Yes.

What campus and community services are covered by debit–card, smart–card, or one–card systems? The Cavalier Card can be used for printing services in the library and computer lab as well as for purchases at the Darton Bookstore, SUBWAY, Cavalier Grill, and Cavalier Café.

Is the school catalog-including course descriptions, degree requirements, academic policies, and the semester/term schedule of classes-available on the Web? Yes, the Darton College catalog is posted on the Web site (www.darton.edu) in its entirety as a PDF file.

What security and privacy policies are in place to protect student information? The Registrar ensures that FERPA is strictly followed, student ID numbers are used instead of SSNs in all communications, and student information is accessible but password protected.

How does the campus educate students and protect them from identity theft?  The college maintains a Web support page with sites about personal and campus safety issues including identity theft.

How does the campus notify students of their rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)? Darton College notifies students of their rights under the FERPA by printing a notification of confidentiality of student records in the college catalog (hardcopy and electronic version).

How does the campus manage e–mail spam and spyware? The IT department filters all incoming email through servers running “Spamassassin” for spam filtering and “Clamav” for anti-virus blocking.  All email with a “Spamassassin” rating of 5 or more is flagged as possible spam and sent to the intended recipient for their review.  If the email was a false positive, the end user has the choice of opening the original email. The Faculty/Staff email system is also running “Mcafee” Exchange Shield which creates a second layer of protection against viruses.  This system also supports spam filtering and is being evaluated as an alternative to “Spamassassin”.

Spyware has become one of the most prevalent nuisances on corporate and enterprise networks.  This has lead the computer industry to categorize spyware as a threat equal to viruses.  The Darton College Network has several centrally managed and maintained servers that update and maintain “Mcafee” antivirus and “Microsoft Windows” patches on all of the computers on campus.  This guarantees the workstations are protected from known viruses and spyware.  In addition, all workstations are connected to a “Windows” domain, where specific security standards are pushed out that can protect systems from spyware.

Student Life

Enriching your extracurricular experiences with technology

Whether you will be a full– or part–time student, living on campus or commuting, the school's social, extracurricular, and career services activities will be an important part of your educational experience. Find out about the technology tools that facilitate different communities on campus, allowing for communication, personal development, and getting together (in person and virtually).

What public access for computing is available to students? Examples include computing labs, cyber cafés, residence hall computers, and wireless access.   Students have access to computers via computer lab, library computers, cyber café in Cavalier Arena, and wireless.

Does the institution provide institutional e–mail accounts for all students and use e–mail as an official medium of communication? Yes.

Does the institution provide and support electronic space for personal student Web pages? No.

Is network bandwidth limited for peer-to-peer software, gaming, Web cams, or other programs requiring high levels of network services? Yes.

Is there a campus code of behavior about using computer resources? Yes.

Does the campus have policies addressing peer–to–peer file sharing, computer viruses, and copyright violations? Yes.

Is contact information for students, faculty, and staff readily accessible electronically? Yes.

Are there Web sites for student organizations and clubs? Yes, MyDC contains sites for student organizations and clubs.

Does the campus make online communities available (for example, forums, bulletin boards, and so forth)? Yes, groups are available within the MyDC portal.

What technology–supported career–planning services are available to students? Computer guidance, online resume building, online job search assistance through GeorgiaHire and MonsterTrak, online portfolios through Georgia Career Information Systems where students can build their resumes, track interest, and be transferred to job search sites, online workshops and presentations to assist with career guidance are available

Services and Fees

What you pay for and what you get

There is a strong connection between the quality of technology services and the associated costs. There is also a wide variation in the ways campuses charge for these services. To evaluate the benefits you will receive and to compare costs, you'll need answers to these questions.

What, if any, technology fee is charged by the campus? What does it cover? The fee is $48 and covers the maintenance and upkeep of campus technology.

Will you be required to purchase your own computer? Yes

Does the campus make computing and network access financially accessible? Is special student pricing offered for computers and peripheral equipment? Darton has negotiated Dell faculty/staff/student discounts for hardware and software.

What hardware and software standards, if any, does the campus require, recommend, and/or support? Darton currently supports Windows XP and Office 2003, but will upgrade to Vista and Office 2007 soon.

What kinds of support services (help desk, training, troubleshooting) are provided by the campus, and when are they available? The OIT Helpdesk is open during regular campus hours. The Helpdesk can troubleshoot student computer connections to the network during normal business hours while ITDL provides more support to students.

Does the campus have a plan for keeping its hardware and software current, and if so, what is the replacement cycle? Darton is on a three year replacement cycle for computer classrooms and critical user computers. Others are on an as needed basis.

If you bring your own computer to school, what kind of technical support can you expect from the campus? OIT checks general setup only for students and assist them with getting their computer access to Darton's wireless network.

How does the campus support printing for students, and is there a charge for this service? The Library and computer lab offer printing for a fee (.10 for black and white and .25 for color copies).

Does the campus provide wireless network coverage? If so, how much of the campus has wireless connectivity? Yes, all classroom and administration buildings have wireless network coverage with bleed over to the outside. There are plans for mesh wireless outside soon.

What security measures are provided by the institution's IT department and what will be the student's responsibility (for example, antivirus software)? The institution provides antivirus to institution owned computers only.  Students are responsible for their own antivirus. If they become infected, their access will be disabled until they can prove to us their computer has been disinfected and is running with current antivirus protection.

Does the campus include the cost of technical accessories (for example, a technology-enabled note-taking pen that provides an interface to a CMS) in its technology fee, or are students required to purchase these items separately? No.

Does the campus support the purchase and use of e-textbooks? Do the baseline hardware and software standards support this technology? No, the campus does not support the purchase and use of e-textbooks because they are not very user-friendly.  Typically, access to e-textbooks is given only for one semester per fee charged.  In addition, only select pages can be downloaded as opposed to chapters or the entire textbook.