Hello ALL WebCT Instructors,

This email applies to all instructors using WebCT for the upcoming WINTER 2005 Term.

You received an email a few weeks ago from Distance Learning about planning for Winter Term.  I have to do the same thing, because, as you know, "new" WebCT courses are actually RESTORED from backup files of EXISTING WebCT courses.  Knowing the existing course FILENAME is up utmost importance. (The filename is black text, to the right of the class title in your list of courses you see after you login to myWebCT.)

Therefore, in order to begin this task, I will need all instructors to complete the online form located at:

http://teach.lanecc.edu/webct

I will create your "new" Winter Term class within 24 hours and put it under the WINTER 2005 WebCT Class Category.  From that point on, you must be sure to be making changes, such as the information page, to that NEW class, not the old one you've been working on.  (Hopefully, if all goes well and the new class looks okay to you, you'll email me and let me continue to "clean house" by deleting that old course from the system.)

IMPORTANT CHANGE

Starting Winter 2005 Term, we will use the students' L# as their WebCT login ID AND initial password.  This should insure everyone has a unique login with no conflicts whatsoever.  (We will no longer use the last name, first two initials format.)

Students will be prompted to change their password upon first login, and as always, students may forget their passwords.  REMEMBER, as instructor, YOU can (and should) reset the passwords of the students in your WebCT classes.

Follow these easy steps:

Login to MyWebCT
Choose the appropriate course
Click -> Control Panel
Click -> Manage Course
***TRICKY PART HERE***
Click -> Manage Students (this link "looks" like a simple title, but is actually a link)
Click the student name you want
Click -> Change Password

If, for some unexplainable reason, these steps don't work, send ALL of the relevant student data (First, Last name, L#) as well as the class FILENAME to webct@lanecc.edu.  All requests for ANY TECHNICAL WebCT-related matter should be emailed to webct@lanecc.edu.

BANNER TO WEBCT REGISTRATION

After I have created all Winter Term classes, I will email you again to submit another brief online form to insure that students are automatically added to your WebCT courses.  This extra step is necessary since we don't know what the FILENAME of your new Winter Term class is yet.  Once created, you will submit THAT FILENAME and the CRN's of your classes using an online form.  Only that process will assure that students are properly added to you WebCT classes.

Beginning on the FRIDAY before the start of the term, automatic Banner to WebCT registration will take place.  Inform your students of this on your class information pages.  Students will not be able to login to their classes until that day.

The registration will take place once every 24 hours.  If you have a student that adds the class late, they will have to wait 24 hours until they can log into your class.  This process will continue each day for the first two weeks of the term.

That is all for now.


Joe Escobar
Faculty Webmaster
http://teach.lanecc.edu