On-line courses now
a popular alternative
■ Students who don’t want to
spend their time in lectures
can opt to take classes on-line
By Edward Yuen
Oregon Daily Emerald
Usually, taking a class means at
tending lectures and lab sessions for
most students. But journalism major
Erin Marshall will take a political sci
ence class by sitting in front of a com
puter and learning the material on her
own.
Distance Education courses on-line
are quickly becoming a popular alter
native to normal classes at universities
across the country. The number of Dis
tance Education programs nationwide
has grown 72 percent from 1995 to
1998, according to the Jan. 7 issue of
the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Web classes at the University started
three years ago and are currently of
fered in architecture, astronomy, eco
nomics, geology, linguistics, political
science and physics.
Distance Education program coordi
nator Sandra Gladney said 510 and 342
students registered in the Distance Ed
ucation program in spring and fall
terms of 1999 respectively. According
to the registration information from the
DuckHunt Web site, 365 University
students are enrolled in the program
this term.
Gladney said Web classes allow stu
dents away from the University and
continue their education without inter
ruption. She also said some students in
the MBA program who do not have a
strong background in economics took
Web classes before fall term began.
In addition to economics and politi
cal science classes, the program offers
a new physics class in winter term:
physicists’ view of nature.
Marshall said she hopes to get the
same experience from the on-line
class as in regular lecture class that in
cludes a discussion session once a
week.
Jason Kragt, a sophomore business
major, took an economics class on-line
fall term. He said it was easier for him
to manage his time since he did not
have to spend time at lectures.
However, students enrolled in these
classes still have assignments and ex
aminations for grade evaluation. Glad
ney said the assignments are usually
handed in by e-mail.
Gladney also said the University
has developed a proctoring process for
tests and examinations. Students who
are not in Eugene can take the exami
nations at the Portland Center in
downtown Portland. Students can
also take tests at the Social Science In
structional Lab in Prince Lucien
Campbell Hall, on campus.
Scott Merryman, the graduate teach
ing fellow of the Web micro econom
ics class fall term, said not having lec
tures in the course is the major
difference between regular classes and
Web classes. He said students have to
be self-paced in learning and take the
initiative to learn. In addition, stu
dents can contact the GTF by e-mail or
go to office hours when they have
questions regarding course materials.
Merryman also said students who
are in Web classes may have difficulty
understanding the course materials
without a lecture, and is developing a
set of lecture notes for his Web class.
Financial aid
continued from page 1A
both sides of the debate. Hake added that she
understood how the government could be
concerned with students using financial aid
money for supporting a drug habit.
"Obviously, drugs are bad,” she said. “But
if they don’t get financial aid, what other
choices do they have except to do more
drugs?”
Bryan Calza, a senior international studies
major, said he thinks there are “dozens” of
worse offenses than drug convictions.
Denying aid “perpetuates the cycle,” he
said. “I don’t think drug convictions should
have any bearing on how much financial aid
they receive.”
Under the new rule, students with convic
tions may be ineligible for financial aid for a
certain length of time, based on when they
were convicted.
For example, someone with one convic
tion for possession of illegal drugs before July
1, 1999, could still be eligible for aid, while
someone who had a conviction for sale of il
legal drugs after July 1,1998 wouldn’t be eli
gible until one year after the date of their
conviction.
U.S. Department of Education officials
have received feedback on the rule, particu
larly pertaining to the issue of double pun
ishment, said David Bergeron, chief of poli
cy and budget for the U.S. Department of
Education’s Office of Postsecondary Educa
tion.
“There have been lots of expressions of
concern about the federal law,” he said.
Though departmental workers may have
personal objections to the law, “the de
partment has no flexibility on this issue,”
he said. “It must implement the federal
law.”
Students who are convicted on charges of
possessing or selling drugs can regain their
eligibility for federal financial aid by par
ticipating in a government-recognized drug
rehabilitation program. The program must
include at least two unannounced drug
tests.
Convictions affecting
financial assistance
Students who have prior illegal drug convictions
for the following offenses may find their financial
aid for the 2000-2001 year in jeopardy:
One conviction after July 1,1999, for possessing
illegal drugs
One conviction after July 1,1998, for sale of illegal
drugs
Two convictions after July 1,1998, for possessing
illegal drugs
More than two convictions for possessing illegal
drugs
More than one conviction for selling illegal drugs
Convictions for both possessing and selling illegal
drugs
SOURCE: FAFSA woricsheet
Jim Buch, associate vice president for stu
dent academic affairs and interim director for
financial aid, said that for students who
would be affected by the rule the best bet
may be to participate in such a rehabilitation
program, because students who are denied
federal aid may disqualify themselves from
state aid as well.
But students should apply whether they
think they’ll be eligible or not, he said.
“A drug conviction, in and of itself, will
not disqualify a person,” Buch said. “It’s not
a simple ‘gee, I smoked pot once and I’ve
gone to jail and now I’ll never get financial
aid.’ That’s not the case.”
Buch cited several examples of students
with drug convictions in their pasts who
would still be eligible for financial aid. If
a student was a minor when they were
convicted, for example, their record would
be expunged when they turned 18 years
old.
Students with one conviction for selling
illegal drugs before July 1,1998, or one con
viction for possessing illegal drugs before
July 1, 1999, are off the hook — they will
not be disqualified from receiving financial
aid.
8
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