Are online courses for you?
Do you have the self-discipline to be an independent learner? Are your reading and writing skills up to the prerequisite levels required for the course? What is your purpose for taking an online course? If you aren't sure about yourself in some of these areas, your instructor or an advisor can help you clarify objectives and focus your efforts. If you are not sure if an online course is right for you, take the self-assessment quiz,
OASIS (Online Assessment System for Internet Students). Another good place to start is
our Online Learning FAQ. If you have reservations about taking an online course, review our other
course delivery options.
Getting Started Checklist
Register for Class
New Students - If you are enrolling in your first class at SRC or have not been a student here for more than two years, please complete an application in order to update your information in our records before enrolling in courses. Go to the Admissions page to begin.
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PLEASE NOTE: All students taking a course for the first time at SRC need to complete the Canvas Student Orientation before they will have access to their course(s). For more information, please see the
Canvas New Student Orientation page.
Returning Students - If you are currently a student at SRC and enrolled in a program of study, contact your advisor. If you are not enrolled in a program and do not know who your advisor is, please go to the
Admissions page to contact the appropriate campus location for assistance.
Out-of-State Students - Spoon River College is a member of the MHEC State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (M-SARA). This agreement allows for out-of-state students to enroll in distance learning classes at other SARA member institutions. If you wish to enroll in any of our online courses and reside in a state other than Illinois, please review the following link which lists
SARA member institutions by state. If you reside in a state that is not listed, you may not register for an online course. See the
Student Complaint Procedures section below for more information.
Complete the Canvas Student Orientation
Canvas is where you will access your courses via a Learning Management System. It’s important to understand how to navigate, submit assignments, check your grades and use the communication tools. All students taking a course for the first time at SRC need to complete the Canvas Student Orientation before they will have access to their course(s). For more information, please see the
Canvas Student Orientation page.
Acquire your textbook
You can purchase the correct texts and other required materials through the SRC Bookstore. You may purchase texts in person at any SRC location -- Canton, Macomb, Havana and Rushville or
online. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the SRC Bookstore. Charge cards are accepted. Books can be shipped to your home or office, but there is a shipping charge. When purchasing materials, please make the bookstore aware that you are enrolled in distance education courses.
Contact your instructor
Many instructors teaching an online class will send out a welcome email before the course begins. Watch for these communications in your SRC email account. Instructors will not send information to your personal email account so please check your SRC student account regularly. For more information, see
Student Email Instructions.
Technical requirements
See the Technology Requirements page as well as the "Computer/Mobile Requirements for Canvas" section in the online orientation site.
Student Complaint Procedures
Any full or part-time student may submit a
complaint to the Dean of Student Services. The Dean will acknowledge receipt of the complaint, conduct an investigation, and respond to the student in a reasonable amount of time.
Out-of-state online students should follow the same procedure. If the issue is not resolved locally first, out-of-state online students may file a complaint with the Illinois Community College Board at
https://www.iccb.org/students/?page_id=130. In compliance with the Federal Department of Education regulations, Spoon River College provides a list of
State Agencies with contact information for each state.
