Following is information that we hope you’ll find helpful as you set up, administer, and conduct your courses online. Here you’ll find information that should help you navigate getting started with the Department of Continuing Education (a.k.a. CCDE):
· Human Resource Issues
o Initial connection with Continuing Education
o Ann Holt (HR Paperwork)
o Liz McPhee (Paychecks)
· Technical Set-up/Support for WebCT
o Bhavesh Shah (course shell/passwords)
o Eileen McMahon (content)
o Summer WebCT workshops
o Technical Support
· Navigating WISER
o WISER overview
o Log-in Instructions
· Information to share with students
· Helpful Cross-departmental Contact Information
· After Kitty Galaitsis gives the OK for you to teach an online course for the first time, you will need to submit a resume and two letters fo recommendation to Wanda Willard.
Contact: Wanda.Willard@umb.edu
Human Resource Paperwork Packet
Contact: Ann Holt – Continuing Education
(617)287-7909 – Office: W-2-203
· You should check in with Ann to ascertain the status of your human resources paperwork. This will not be sent to you until Ann gets the all clear that your course has enough students and is sure to run. All of this paperwork will need to have been completed and processed before you will be able to obtain the necessary log in information and passwords to set up and start your course. For new instructors, this is a Catch-22; See Bhavesh in technical support (below) for a workaround.
· IMPORTANT: Included within your HR paperwork is an I-9 form that is customarily filled out in-person with human resources. We understand this is impractical (and in some cases impossible) for distance instructors. Off-site instructors must fill out their portion of the form and attach a CLEAR, color copy of two forms of the appropriate identification as indicated on the I-9 form (i.e. driver’s license, passport, Social Security card). Once the form has been returned to human resources, the identification will need to be verified by a UMASS faculty member (i.e. Peter Taylor, Nina Greenwald) who is personally acquainted with you and can verify your identification.
Contact: Liz McPhee (Graduate College of Education)
Elizabeth.mcphee@umb.edu
· Bi-weekly paychecks are delivered to Liz McPhee in the Graduate College of Education on the appropriate Fridays. You may pick them up in person or make arrangements with Liz to have them forwarded to your home address. If you have completed the direct deposit paperwork in your human resources packet, then you may want to arrange with Liz to have your paystubs forwarded to your home address.
Contact: Katharine Galatasis
617.287.7918
Course Shell/Passwords
Contact: Bhavesh Shah
Bhavesh is in charge of setting up the course shell for Web CT and will also assign you a user name and password to get in to Web CT. In the period before you get your initial contract, and a UMB email address, Bhavesh can set up a course shell that you can work with to get started until you have been processed and have been assigned standard log in access. Please note that Bhavesh is no longer responsible for content issues.
Content/Training for Online Instruction [SUMMER 06]
Contact: Eileen McMahon
Eileen can provide you with information and training materials to get you started on Web CT. She will help with all content issues and ongoing technical support throughout the semester.
Contact: Raymond Melcher, Christian Pulver, Bob Risse
Raymond.Melcher@umb.edu, Christian.pulver@umb.edu; robert.risse@umb.edu
The WebCT team will be hosting workshops this summer to help Online Instructors get up to speed with Web CT Vista. The current offerings are a 50 minute orientation and 3 two hour workshops; these will be held throughout the summer. The entire program can be completed in a single day or two half days. Please contact Raymond, Christian, Bob ASAP to sign up for a convenient session if you are interested.
The primary help desk service is provided by an external contractor with expertise in supporting both Prometheus and WebCT. This help desk is available 24 hours a day; 7 days a week.
The secondary help desk service is provided by UMB staff. This help desk is available during normal university hours.
WISER is UMASS Boston’s enhanced web-based self service system where students, faculty and staff can access information and utilize online features. Using WISER, students can update and maintain their personal, academic and financial information at the University. Faculty can search the Course Catalog and Schedule of Classes, access class rosters and permission numbers, enter grades, and view and print degree audits for advising purposes.
Please Note: While you may obtain your class lists in Wiser, as well as the assigned email addresses for your students, you may have some initial problems contacting them as they may not be aware yet that they are receiving crucial information in their UMASS email account. You can try and obtain their original contact information from their registration forms by contacting Joan Reynolds, Registrar at either 617.287.7910 or joan.Reynolds@umb.edu.
LOG-IN Instructions
To start with WISER, go to www.wiser.umb.edu
Next, click on faculty self-service
To obtain Log in information, you can access the ID Lookup Tool
There you will input three pieces of personal information
Your start-up password will always be: The first letter of your last name (Capitalized), the second letter of your last name (lowercase), followed by your birthday in the MMDDYYYY format.
Information to Share with Students
Once you’ve logged in to WISER and you have generated a list of your registered students, they may have some questions about the necessary technical preparations for online courses including:
· UMASS Boston Student Email Account Information
o Obtaining email address & password information
· Web CT Vista Overview
o Logging in to Web CT Vista
o Learning about Web CT Vista
o Java Software
o Browser/plug-ins
o Technical Support
Starting this semester, all UMASS Boston campus communications will be sent to your UMB student e-mail address. Students in face-to-face courses on campus may obtain their email address and password information at Customer Service in the Quinn Administration Building. Distance students can obtain this information by calling Customer Service via telephone at 617.287.4000 between the hours of 7AM – 10 PM EST. Note: Your UMB email address and password are completely separate from your WISER username and password you will need to log in to Web CT.
Note: If you wish to forward e-mail received in your course mail box to another email address, you may do this at http://webmail.umb.edu/
Upon registering for your on-line course(s), a Web CT Vista account was created for you. If you are familiar with Web CT Vista, you may go directly to http://boston.umassonline.net and log in using your WISER username and password.
Logging in to Web CT Vista
Upon registration, your WISER username and password was mailed to you. If you do not have this letter on-hand to look up your log in information, you may do so online by going to: https://www.umassadmin.net/isis/id_lookup/ and following the directions there. Note: Do not log in to WISER en route to visiting Web CT Vista. These sites are not linked.
Once you have obtained your WISER username and password, you may log directly into Web CT Vista at http://boston.umassonline.net.
Note: It will take one business day after registration before you can access your account.
For WebCT you will need to change your password when you first log in. Be sure to enter a secret question/answer. If you forget your user name or password you can only use the “Forgot your WebCT password” link on the Boston UMassOnline log in page if you have previously provided this information.
Learning About Web CT Vista
For a quick start guide and other information about the WebCT Vista learning management system visit http://www.lms.umb.edu/webct_students.htm
Java Software
- Java software is required for WebCT Vista to run properly.
- Installation instructions are available for both Windows and Macintosh at http://www.lms.umb.edu/Java.htm
Browser/plug-ins
Remember that some links to some files within your course require you to have specific software installed. If you don't have a full version of the software, most often, there are free viewers available. For example '.doc' requires MSWord Viewer, '.ppt' requires PowerPoint Viewer, '.xls' requires Excel Viewer, '.pdf' requires Acrobat Reader etc. Links to download plug-ins are available at: http://www.lms.umb.edu/webct_tech_specs.htm
Please click on the "Check Browser” link located in the top right corner of you’re my UMassOnline page to be sure that you are using a supported web browser and that it is set up correctly every time you log in to WebCT Vista.
Technical Support and Password Help
Periodically you can expect to receive email from your instructor, from support@umassonline.net , bostonsupport@umassonline.net and if you are taking and umb.centra@umb.edu. If you have spam blocking enabled on your email client please be sure to disable it or include these addresses in your address book. Throughout the semester, if you have technical questions about using the software, please see the Technical Support information area on the login page (http://www.boston.umassonline.net) – this includes an e-mail address, phone number and chat link all available 24x7. MAC users please note that only OS 10.1 and 10.2 are supported. OS 10.4 (Tiger) is not supported by our current Vista release. Safari 1.3 and 2.0 are also not supported.
Peter J. Taylor, Coordinator: CCT Certificates Peter.taylor@umb.edu
Kristen Bennett, Admin: Creative Thinking Certificate Kristen.bennett@umb.edu
Department of Continuing Education
Galatasis, Katherine 617.287.7918 Katharine.galatasis@umb.edu
Holt, Ann 617.287.7909 ann.holt@umb.edu
Reynolds, Joan 617.287.7910 joan.reynolds@umb.edu
Learning Management Systems Contact Info (Web CT and Prometheus)
Judy Boggess Director of Educational Technology and Learning Commons
Healey Library 4/ 4009 617-287-5271 judy.boggess@umb.edu
Theresa Nelson-Miller LMS Administrator
Healey Library LL/034 617-287-5208 theresa.miller@umb.edu
Bhavesh Shah LMS Administrator
Healey Library LL/034 617-287-7924 bhavesh.shah@umb.edu
Katherine Ananis LMS Administrator
Healey Library LL/054 617-287-5264 katherine.ananis@umb.edu
Instructional Support:Training
Ray Melcher Project Management/Lead Trainer
Healey Library LL/064 617-287-5963 raymond.melcher@umb.edu
Bob Risse Trainer
Healey Library LL/064 617-287-5983 robert.risse@umb.edu
Christian Pulver Trainer
Wheatley Hall 6/113 617-287-6734 christian.pulver@umb.edu
Harriet Wilt Educational Technologist
Healey Library LL/063 617-287-5964 harriet.wilt@umb.edu
Eileen McMahon Instructional Designer/trainer
Healey Library LL/021 617-287-3998 eileen.mcmahon@umb.edu
Instructional Support:Consulting:
Eileen McMahon Supervisor(see above)
Consultants are in the GRC Lab:
Healey Library 5/026 617-287-5272
Stephan Hufsmith LMS Consultant
Ergest Xheblati LMS Consultant
Kaushik Narayanan LMS Consultant
Technical Support:
The primary help desk service is provided by an external contractor with expertise in supporting both Prometheus and WebCT. This help desk is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Primary help desk (24/7) 800-569-6505 bostonsupport@umassonline.net
Primary help desk also has a live chat feature. The link is on the login page at boston.umassonline.net
The secondary help desk service is provided by UMB staff. This help desk is available during normal university hours.
Secondary help desk 617-287-5220 help@umb.edu
WebCT Spring 2006
Request an account http://www.lms.umb.edu/webct_account_req.htm