Money questions
ATM questions
Course-related Questions
Library questions
Academic questions
Technology Related
FAQ - ANSWERS
Administrative :
What do I do to register for a course?
Complete instructions can be found at:
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/howtoapply.htm
under the heading Registering for an Early Intervention course.
top
What do I need to do to add or
drop a class?
Beginning on the first day of classes each semester, there is a
five-day period during which a student can add or drop a course,
change divisions of a course, or change credit status. Courses can
be dropped prior to and during the official add-and-drop period. Use
the add-drop form available at:
http://www.umaine.edu/graduate/forms.htm
Failure to properly drop a course may result in tuition charges for
which the student will be responsible. Students should also contact
the instructor of the course to inform her of the reason for
dropping a course.
However, for the summer semester, the University has instituted a
new policy as of summer semester 2005. May Term and Summer Session
drops for full refunds must be made on the first day of class by
calling the Office of Continuing and Distance Education/Summer
Session at 207/581-3142 or by visiting their office at 122 Chadbourne Hall. No refunds are processed after attending the first
class.
top
Can I apply to the
graduate school online?
Instructions on how to do so can be found at:
http://www.umaine.edu/graduate/onlineap.htm
top
What’s the
CAS?
CAS stands for Certificate of Advanced Study. A master’s degree in a
field of study related to early intervention is required for
admission to the CAS. The CAS provides a cohesive program of
professional development in the field of early intervention beyond
the master’s degree. The CAS is typically from 39 to 46 credit
hours.
top
How many
credits can I bring into my master’s?
For the answer to this question, refer to:
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/starting/howtoapply.htm
and scroll down to "Applying to Graduate School".
top
Can I change my mind and go from the
endorsement option to the
master’s degree?
Yes, you can do this by contacting your advisor to inform her of
your intentions. It is best to make this decision before you’ve
taken 12 credits in the EI graduate specialization or registered for
three semesters. Visit this web site to get more details about these
two options
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/starting/isitright.htm
top
How do I apply for
Endorsement from the state (Teacher of Young
Children with Disabilities Birth to School-Age Five)?
Students may make application for the endorsement at any time on
their own. However, if they wait until they have completed all
requirements for the endorsement option or upon completion of the
master’s degree or CAS program, the student’s advisor will write a
letter to the appropriate official at the Maine Department of
Education (MDOE) recommending the student for the endorsement.
Program completion for endorsement option students includes all
required coursework and a portfolio documenting achievement of
program competencies. In addition, applicants are required to submit
the following to MDOE:
$50 fee, check payable to: Treasurer State of Maine
Copies of transcripts for all coursework (undergraduate, as well
graduate). Unofficial, legible copies of transcripts are generally
acceptable.
Fingerprints. The MDOE web site states the following:
You may receive an evaluation for a certificate before having your
fingerprints taken. However, prior to being issued any type of Maine
certification, you must have your fingerprints taken through a
process approved by the Maine Department of Education. Information
regarding general fingerprint sites in Maine is available at
http://www.informe.org/cgi-bin/doe/fingerprint.pl
or by calling the Certification Office. For an approved process for
having fingerprints taken outside of Maine, please call the
Certification Office for a fingerprint package.
Complete the required application. Students can go to the following
web address to request an application:
ftp://ftp.state.me.us/pub/sos/cec/rcn/apa/05/071/071c115.doc
or call (207) 624-6603. When you visit this link, a document will
download. Search for “Teacher of Young Children with Disabilities
Birth to School-Age Five”.
Send all of the above to:
Nancy Ibarguen, Coordinator
Department of Education
Certification Office
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023
top
What is a
MaineCard?
The MaineCard is the University of Maine ID. Eligible and valid
cardholders are full or part time students, faculty and staff. It
has many functions and can be used at various areas across campus.
It will give you access to the dining commons, let you into your
residence hall, and it even serves as a debit card.
top
Do I
need a MaineCard to get class readings off the library’s web
site?
No. To access class readings, follow the instructions located at:
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/download.htm
top
Do I need a MaineCard to use
ERIC or other library databases?
You will need a MaineCard or library courtesy card to access the
library’s databases. Currently, it is recommended that all students
come to UMaine’s campus at Orono and get a Maine card. Please visit
the MaineCard’s website (http://www.umaine.edu/mainecard/) for
their hours.
Check here for further instructions on how to access and use library
resources.
top
How can I get a MaineCard if I cannot come to Orono?
If it is not possible for you to get a MaineCard, you can request a
courtesy card which will offer a temporary solution (1 year) by
filling out the form located at:
http://www.unet.maine.edu/Library_Services/arf/libcardform.html
top
What is
WebDSIS, and how can I use it to find out if I have
successfully added or dropped a course, to check my grades, my
student billing information, etc?
WebDSIS is a Distributed
Student Information System available on the web, designed to help
you easily access your academic and course information. It is
located at:
https://beech.unet.maine.edu/dsis/pls/menu.logon_scrn
You can find information such as term schedule and grades, your
financial aid or student billing information, what courses you are
registered for, what courses you have taken, when, and what grades
you received. To log-in to WebDSIS, your ID is your Social Security
number, and your PIN is your birth-date, unless you have changed
your PIN.
top
Where can I get a copy of the University of Maine’s academic year
calendar?
Visit this link:
http://studentrecords.umaine.edu/, then click on
Academic Calendar.
top
How can I find out about
housing for Summer Institutes?
People interested in on-campus housing options can contact:
University of Maine Housing Office
207/581-4580
e-mail: housing@umerl.maine.edu
web address:
http://www.umerl.maine.edu/housing/
For those interested in looking into other housing options in the
area, the following is a list of hotels in the Orono and Bangor
area. We make no endorsement of the price or quality.
- Highlawn Bed and Breakfast/Orono 866-2272
- University Inn/Orono 866-4921
- Black Bear/Orono 866-7120
- Comfort Inn/Bangor 942-7899
- Hampton Inn/Bangor 990-4400
- Country Inn/Bangor 800/244-3961
There is also a housing options conference folder in the TOP folders
area for those interested in finding others in the group looking for
roommates, to decrease housing expenses.
top
What do I need to do if I decide to take a
semester off?
All students who intend to take a semester or more off must notify
their advisor of their intention. The student will then be placed on
in-active status. The student should also contact the advisor once
he is ready to resume study so that he can be placed on active
status again and be considered for financial assistance through the
TOP grant. If a student takes a complete year off, he must re-apply
for funding through TOP. For example, if a student took a class in
the spring of 2002 and then didn’t take another class for summer and
fall of 2002 or spring of 2003, he would receive a letter informing
him to re-apply for funding through TOP. Any time off short of this
complete year, as described, would NOT necessitate re-application
for funding through TOP.
A graduate student who has been admitted on a part-time basis is
required to enroll and register at least once every 12 months from
the time of first registration in the Graduate School until the
completion date of all requirements for the graduate degree.
If a student is admitted into the graduate school in the summer, and
she is not intending to take a course that summer, she needs to
defer enrollment until the semester she begins.
Students who have been admitted to a degree program (e.g., M.Ed.,
CAS) as full-time students and who will not be taking classes for a
semester or longer must complete an On-Leave Request form and submit
the form and a $5.00 fee to the Graduate School. The form can be
obtained from the Graduate School and is also available on-line at
http://www.umaine.edu/graduate/forms.htm. Failure to be officially
on-leave results in broken enrollment, and the student must apply
for readmission to finish her degree. The time spent officially
on-leave does not count in the time-limits for earning degrees.
Students may not register as graduate students while on leave.
Non-degree students and students who have not yet been admitted to a
degree program do not have to complete the on-leave form.
top
Can I take a course from
another university and apply it to my
program here?
Yes. This is a discussion you should have with your advisor very
early in your program. There are several criteria we look at when
deciding if a course can be substituted for one that is currently
being offered.
*The course should be less than 5 years old.
*It should relate directly to the material that will be covered in
the course for which you wish to substitute. This is often the
hardest criteria to meet. For example, a student has taken a course
entitled "Working with Families" and wants to substitute that course
for "Fostering Partnerships in Early Intervention." While working
with families is a large part of that course, so is consultation,
effective communication, teams, meetings, and a host of other
topics. One of the ways the instructor can determine if the class
can be substituted is to look at the syllabus and textbook(s).
Students can take the Introduction to Educational Research and the
Statistical Methods course at USM. Again, students should speak with
their advisor if they are considering this option.
top
What should I do if I take a
course at USM?
If you take a course at USM or any other UM System campus, such as
the Introduction to Educational Research or Statistical Methods
course, you should send an e-mail to Susan Russell, informing her of
your intentions and include the cost of the textbook for the course.
The grant will reimburse for the textbooks for those courses as well
as pay tuition. You should include your advisor on that e-mail to
Mrs. Russell. You will also need to obtain the Study Away from the Graduate School at UMaine. This form is not available online.
You must contact the Graduate School and ask for the form. Upon
completion of the course, you must submit a request to USM for that
grade to be transferred to your transcripts at the University of
Maine. Call the USM registrar and follow the directions on the
telephone menu.
top
Money questions:
What do I do when I get my tuition bill?
Once you have registered for your classes, you should receive a
registration confirmation in the mail from the Graduate School. The
confirmation is just for your information and you don't need to do
anything, unless the registration is incorrect, in which case you
should call the Graduate School. When you receive your first tuition
bill from the Bursar's Office, you should receive other information
with it. In the envelope should be an account information card for
third party billing. This card MUST be returned to the Bursar's
Office to notify them that someone else (Center for Community
Inclusion and Disability Studies) is paying for your tuition and
fees. You should complete the card as soon as possible and send it
to the Bursar's Office to avoid late fees being charged to your
account. If they have received this card and you have noted the
Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (Susan
Russell, 581-1381) is paying your tuition, they will code your
account so that no late fees are charged. If you don't receive an
account information card with your bill, please send the top part of
the bill in, and write the third party billing information on the
back.
top
What do I need to do to be
reimbursed for books?
Purchase your books, either from the University Bookstore or via a
dealer on the Internet. Money will automatically be deposited in
your university account for the books required for each course,
several weeks after the course has started. Each new student will
have the cost of the current APA manual added once, as you will need
this book for Graduate School. You can check your account and make
sure the book fee deposit money went through by the end of the
semester. To access money from your account, you can go in to the
Bursar’s office, or call to request a check.
top
ATM questions
How do I reach the instructors when I can't get into the building at
my ATM site?
Walk around the building and knock to see if you can get someone’s
attention. Often, it is a janitor who is responsible for letting
students in and he may be in another part of the building. You may
also call the instructor in Orono at the number for the UMaine ATM
room. That number is 581-2482.
top
How are
ATM sites chosen?
Four ATM sites are available for each course with one of the sites
reserved for Orono. To reach the most students across the state, a
site in southern, central, and downeast Maine are often chosen.
Because northern Maine is so remote, a site is chosen there if we
know a student needs the course. A student traveling from northern
Maine to the closed location, which would be Orono, would be much
farther than a student traveling from the southern tip of Maine to
our chosen southern site. At different times, we will experiment
with choosing other sites if a course has been taught several times
in several locations. This is done to ascertain interest in an area.
The instructors inform the ATM coordinator from 6 months to a year
in advance of their choices but must wait to hear if the sites have
been confirmed. There are several reasons for this. One, most sites
are in high schools and contacts are unavailable during the summer
months. Two, this is still a new system to many in the state and
policies are worked out as we go along. Just because a local high
school is an ATM site doesn’t mean that we could use it, for the
reasons we’ve listed. Also, there is usually a cost involved in
using a high school as an ATM site and that has to be factored into
the equation.
top
Course-related Questions
Is there a specific sequence for the courses?
Yes. You can visit this link
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/courses/default.htm
to become familiar with the courses. A listing of prerequisites for
each course is listed after an individual course. It is recommended
that students take SEI 501, 502 and 507 before taking any other
courses.
top
How do I find out about
required textbooks, and where do I get them
from?
To find the answers to these book-related questions, visit:
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/starting/firstday.htm
and look under the topic "Textbooks".
top
Can I
order them from the bookstore and have them sent to my home?
You may have the textbooks delivered to your home from the
University of Maine bookstore. You’re also welcome to purchase your
textbook via Internet vendors. A listing of some of those vendors is
given in the TOP Student Guide.
top
Is my First Class
user ID different from the password to get class
readings off the library’s website?
YES! To get instructions on the correct password to use for
electronic readings, visit:
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/download.htm
top
What is a
summer institute?
The summer institute format provides an opportunity to take an
intensive one week course to fulfill the lecture requirement. While
in-class time is limited to one week during the summer, readings and
projects for the class will have deadlines that extend beyond the
institute dates.
top
How should I
prepare for a summer institute?
In addition to preparing for this class as you would for others
during the year, as described in What do I need for the First Day of
Class on the TOP web site:
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/starting/firstday.htm
You will want to investigate housing options (see Administrative
Section of this FAQ *anchor back up) for the week. It is strongly
recommended that students read ahead for the institute, to be
prepared.
top
Does USM offer an Introduction to
Educational Research course and,
if so, what is it called?
EDU 600 Research Methods and Techniques is the course USM offers
that is analogous to UMaine's EDS 510. You may sign up for EDU 600,
but you should also read the FAQ
What should I do if I take a course
at USM?
How will I know if a class is
cancelled due to bad weather (snow)?
A recorded message at 581-SNOW (1-800-581-SNOW outside the Bangor
area) is updated by 6 a.m. on mornings when conditions are
questionable.
When there is a possibility of inclement weather, the course
instructors will gather information about weather conditions at all
relevant ATM or class sites via Internet weather sites (e.g.,
weather.com), UM system campuses, and/or from students who attend
those ATM sites. An announcement of cancellation will be made on the
First Class conference by noon that day for weekday evening classes
and by 5:00 pm on the Friday before a Saturday class. Staff at each
CCIDS office (Orono, Augusta, and Windham) will also be alerted that
a class has been cancelled. Students should be aware that since our
classes cover a wide geographic area and weather conditions can vary
across the state, that even though conditions may not be bad in
their own area, hazardous conditions in another area may necessitate
cancellation. Particularly during the winter months, it is important
for students to be aware of this possibility and to check the First
Class conference regularly to find out the status of their class.
top
Library questions
How do I check out materials from the UMaine library?
Learn how you can check out books using your Maine card or other
identification cards, current borrowing policies and loan rules:
http://www.library.umaine.edu/circ/#borrowing If you are off-campus,
you can access books from the University of Maine system by using URSUS to select the book you want, then using the black request
button on the page to bring up an online request form. When you fill
out this form, click on the button “choose your pickup location” to
determine most convenient options.
top
Can I
borrow materials from the Center for Community Inclusion and
Disability Studies Resource Library?
Yes, you can. There are books, magazines, and videos available for
loan, after completely filling out the sign-out slips in the
resource library. If you are interested in specific resource
materials that are not available through the University of Maine
library system, you can e-mail Kerey Fuller on First Class and ask
her to check the Resource Library at CCIDS for these materials. We
can mail out materials to you, and the student is responsible for
mailing the materials back within the designated time period (one
month). You must ask for a specific resource and not make a blanket
request, such as “what do you have on assessing young children with
disabilities?”.
top
Academic questions
Where can I go to get additional help with
writing papers?
You can contact The Writing Center via e-mail (Harvey.Kail@umit.maine.edu)
or phone (581-3829 or 1-877-444-9222). Local and distance writing
support options are available. To find out more about The Writing
Center, visit:
http://www.umaine.edu/wcenter/. Purdue University
has a nice web page that focuses on researching and writing research
papers. There is also information on other types of projects such as
annotated bibliographies. The web address is:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/index.html
There is also some helpful information about spelling, grammar, and
punctuation if you would benefit from a review:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/index.html
top
How do I learn
APA referencing?
If you don’t find everything you need in the APA style guide book,
or want to explore web-based options, you can explore these links
from the UMaine web site:
http://www.library.umaine.edu/virtualref/citations.htm
top
Technology Related
How do I get my e-mail account changed to my new name?
Send an e-mail to the First Class Administrator. Open a message in
First Class and put "administrator" in the TO: box. Explain in the
message that you've had a name change and provide the details. Once
this change has gone through, you MUST contact your advisor and Sue
Russell of the change.
top
What do I do if my
printer does not print the right side of the page
off the TOP website?
If a page prints off the paper, go to your browser's File menu,
select Page Setup, then select "Landscape" for a different printing
view.
top
What do I do if I download a document from an e-mail and my computer
says I don't have the tool to read it?
This usually happens if you have a PC computer since Mac computers
are used by the instructors. Save the attachment to your hard drive
and open your word processing program. From within that program,
open the attachment. If that doesn’t work, contact the person who
sent you the e-mail and ask her to save it in rich text format or
cut and paste the message into an e-mail. Adding the ending .doc to
the name of the file, so a document can be read by PC users, can
also help.
top
Where can I go when I have
computer questions?
If you have visited the TOP web site and still have questions,
contact Kerey Fuller via First Class, or by telephone (581-1363 or
1-800-203-6957). You can also call the Computer Help Center at
581-2506.
top
How can I learn more
about First Class?
You have several options.
Visit the TOP web site for Illustrated explanations:
http://www.ccids.umaine.edu/interedu/gradei/firstclass/default.htm
Visit the TOP conference folder, FirstClass instructions.
Visit IT Help Center’s First Class folder from your First Class
desktop.
top
How can I find out if someone on First Class has opened my e-mail
and/or downloaded the attachment?
Either select the message by highlighting it or open the message. Go
to Message on the Toolbar and select History. You will be able to
determine if your e-mail has been opened and the attachment
downloaded. This only works for messages sent to other First Class
accounts.
top
How do I take a
quiz sent in an e-mail?
Download the quiz to your computer. Use the underline option to
select your correct answer, or type in your response, as
appropriate. SAVE your document as you work and rename it so that
you won’t mistakenly send in the blank quiz instead of the quiz with
your answers. Create an e-mail message to your instructor and attach
the word file/quiz you saved. For instructions on how to add an
attachment to an e-mail message, look up the FirstClass instructions
folder in TOP or on the web site.
top
Who can
get a First Class account?
A FirstClass account is available to all students, faculty and staff
of UMaine.
top
How long will my First Class
account remain active if am no longer
taking courses?
Your FirstClass account will remain active for
approximately 60 days after commencement. You will be sent emails
before graduation regarding Alumni membership and the ability to
retain your FirstClass account after graduation if you so choose.
Directions will be included in these messages.
If you do not use
your account for a period of 100 days, the FirstClass server will
automatically delete your account and all message/files contained
within it. Your deleted account and messages are NOT recoverable. In
order for you to continue to use FirstClass, you will need to visit
the IT Help Center (17 Shibles Hall) to request a new account.
top
What is spam mail and how can I get rid of it?
Spam mail is generally e-mail advertising sent to a mailing list
(very large number of recipients) or newsgroup. Unfortunately, the
spammers in the world have become much more "talented" at what they
do. As soon as e-mail administrators implement methods to filter
spam messages from a system, the spammers find a way to bypass them.
There are a few steps you can take to help prevent your mailbox from
being inundated with spam messages. Here are a few suggestions:
* We strongly encourage you to not enter your First Class e-mail
address on any website. If you need to enter an e-mail address
online, we recommend that you setup a Hotmail, Yahoo or other free
e-mail address to use for this purpose. E-mail addresses entered on
websites often find their way onto mailing lists. This is often the
first step towards receiving spam messages.
* If a spam message offers the option to unsubscribe from the
mailing list, DO NOT select this option. If a spam message includes
a link to a website, DO NOT select the link. Spammers include these
options as a way to detect whether or not an e-mail address is a
viable one. Selecting these options will very likely result in your
address being added to numerous other mailing lists. Unfortunately,
spammers like to share. It is also possible that spammers will use
your e-mail address to send spam messages. This will make it appear
that you sent the spam messages!
* The best thing to do when you receive a spam message is to
immediately delete it.
If you have any other questions about spam mail, please e-mail
"Administrator" or phone the IT Help Center (581-2506).
top
