Self-Paced Course FAQs
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The University of Arkansas is phasing out Self-Paced Online Courses. A reduced number of courses is being offered in 2023. The final day to request enrollment will be June 18, 2023.
About My Class(es)
Content for all self-paced courses is posted in Blackboard Learn. There are some courses that use external websites to supplement content presented in Blackboard Learn.
For questions about the content or subject matter of the course, use the contact instructor or email instructor buttons in the menu on the left side of the page in the Blackboard course.
Your enrollment start and end dates were listed on the enrollment confirmation email you received before the course began. You may also reference our Enrollment & Calendar Information page for all pertinent dates related to your enrollment; simply select the date your enrollment began from the drop-down list of session start dates.
As of fall 2016, self-paced course enrollments typically end on a Tuesday. You will have access to your course in Blackboard through 11:59 p.m. central time on the final day of your enrollment. Students who wait until the evening of the final day of their enrollment to take proctored exams should log on to the proctoring service to begin exams by no later than 10 p.m. central time. Students who plan to take exams in the evenings or on weekends should take steps in advance to ensure the link to the exam to be taken appears in their course in Blackboard. If the link does not appear, it is the student’s responsibility to contact Global Campus for assistance during normal business hours. This is especially important for exams in foreign language and economics courses.
Final grade rosters will not be available to instructors until the fifth week of the enrollment session. Students should allow a minimum of two weeks between the time they finish all assignments and exams for a self-paced course and the time they need a final course grade entered on a University of Arkansas transcript. Students who choose to progress quickly through their self-paced courses may not leave sufficient time to received feedback on assignments from their instructors.
To qualify for an enrollment extension, students must 1) complete work in the course through a designated halfway point and 2) formally request an enrollment extension by sending an email to extend@uark.edu from their UARK email accounts. Specific details regarding the halfway point in each course are posted in Blackboard approximately three weeks prior to the end of the initial enrollment period.
Students who enroll in self-paced courses under financial aid/scholarship guidelines are not eligible for enrollment extensions.
Students who send emails to extend@uark.edu to request enrollment extensions receive a reply confirming whether they successfully extended their enrollment. If you have followed the steps outlined in your Blackboard course to qualify for and request an extension by the posted deadline, you will be eligible for an enrollment extension. All students’ Blackboard access to their self-paced courses will be terminated at the end of the initial enrollment period; however, Blackboard access to the courses will be resumed within two business days for students who qualify for an enrollment extension.
Students who enroll in self-paced courses under financial aid/scholarship guidelines are not eligible for enrollment extensions.
Current U of A students may check their grades by logging in to UAConnect. Requests for grade information and official transcripts may be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
If you plan to take self-paced courses exclusively, it is not necessary to apply for formal admission to the University of Arkansas through the Office of Admissions. Effective fall 2016, requests for enrollment may be submitted online by students who do not already have a University of Arkansas email account and by students who have a University of Arkansas email account but whose access to the account has expired. It is at the discretion of the institution to which the courses would be transferred as to whether they will accept self-paced courses for transfer credit, so be sure to check with appropriate officials at your school before pursuing enrollment in self-paced courses.
Academic Standing Hold on U of A Student Account
Yes, students who are not in good academic standing at the U of A may enroll in self-paced courses; however, as of fall 2016, they are limited to being enrolled in no more than six credit hours of self-paced coursework at a time.
Dropping Classes
Deadlines for dropping self-paced courses are posted on our Enrollment & Calendar Information page. Simply select the date your enrollment began (which was confirmed via email before your enrollment began) from the drop-down list of session start dates. Note that there are separate deadlines for dropping without a mark of “W” and dropping with a mark of “W” on the official record.
Send an email from your UARK account to drop@uark.edu. Be sure to include your name, ID number, and the course you wish to drop. The date of the email is used to determine a student’s eligibility to drop and what, if any, mark will be entered on the student’s transcript and what, if any, fee adjustment will be made.
If your initial enrollment period has ended and you’ve successfully extended your enrollment, it’s too late to drop the course. Deadlines for dropping self-paced courses are posted on our Enrollment & Calendar Information page. Simply select the date your enrollment began (which was confirmed via email before your enrollment began) from the drop-down list of session start dates.
Financial Aid, Loans and Scholarships
Possibly.
In most cases, no, self-paced courses do not count toward credit hours attempted for a particular term for hours needed to maintain eligibility for scholarships or financial aid. Self-paced courses count toward a student’s cumulative credit hours attempted and cumulative grade point average, but they do not count toward hours of enrollment in a particular semester or toward grade point average for a particular semester the way more structured classes do.
There are three enrollment sessions available each calendar year in which University of Arkansas degree-seeking students can enroll in self-paced courses and have the courses appear on their class schedules alongside their semester-based courses. Enrolling in this fashion means that the self-paced courses will count toward credit hours attempted for that specific semester, and they will count toward a student’s GPA for that semester. Click here for more details.
No, taking self-paced courses exclusively does not qualify one for loan deferment.
General Help
Call 479-575-6804 or email bbhelp@uark.edu. The help desk hours are posted on the Blackboard Learn login page.
Students are assigned to one of two Academic Records Specialists according to the first letter of the student's last name. All emails regarding self-paced courses must be sent using students' official uark.edu accounts.
Students whose last name begins with A, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, R, X, Y, or Z should contact Ms. Lesa Moyer at lmoyer@uark.edu.
Students whose last name begins with B, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S, T, U, V, or W should contact Ms. Sheila Bowerman at sbowerm@uark.edu.
The Global Campus building is located at 2 E. Center Street in Fayetteville.
Proctored Exams
Proctoring options are outlined on our Proctored Exams information page. Exams can be taken from home, but they must be supervised by a proctor.
- Thorough instructions are posted on our TIPS website.
- When you’re ready to start your exam, visit the UA ProctorU Testing Center website.
- Links to exams are usually located under Taking Exams in the menu on the left side of the page in your Blackboard course. For elementary and intermediate Spanish classes, links to exams may be located within the Lessons menu items.
- Next, make sure you have completed and submitted all of the assignments in Blackboard that are required to unlock access to the exam.
- If you are taking a language course, you may need to complete the Audio Check and/or Homework Quiz before the link to the exam will appear. If you are taking an economics course, there can be a delay between the time you do assignments in Aplia/MindTap and the time those assignments are reflected in Blackboard.
- Finally, make sure all of your assignments have been completely submitted. Occasionally, if students reopen assignments to review them as they study for exams, Blackboard will interpret that assignment as being in progress rather than submitted. If that is the case, resubmit those assignments. Email your assigned academic records specialist or ilearn@uark.edu for additional assistance, if needed.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees for your self-paced course will appear on your University of Arkansas student account within approximately one day of our staff’s administratively enrolling you in the course. Charges are due on the first class day and can be paid online using UAConnect, the University of Arkansas’ student information system.
Deadlines to receive various fee adjustments for dropping self-paced courses are posted on our Enrollment & Calendar Information page. Simply select the date your enrollment began (which was confirmed via email before your enrollment began) from the drop-down list of session start dates.
Yes. The fee is $90 for extending your enrollment in a three credit hour course. The charge will be posted to your student account and can be paid online using UAConnect.
Students who enroll in self-paced courses under financial aid/scholarship guidelines are not eligible for enrollment extensions.