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Student Success

Guide to Course Completion if Face-to-Face Classes are Not Meeting

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Class changes during a semester can be stressful, and we are offering this guide to students to support your success during any transition of your classes out of the face-to-face environment.  The University is committed to finding creative ways to ensure that you can complete your classes, regardless of whether they can meet in person or not.

First, be sure that you have sufficient access to internet so that you can use Canvas and complete online classes. If you are on campus and well, the existing computer labs will remain open. You also may use your personal computer, tablet or phone. Take time to ensure that whatever device you have is functional and ready to be used for classwork.

First, be sure that you have sufficient access to internet so that you can use Canvas and complete online classes. Take time to ensure that whatever device you have is functional and ready to be used for classwork.

Issues with Internet access

 

Steps to Stay on Top of Classes

  1. Log into Canvas and check each of your course shells for messages from your instructors, updates to your syllabi, and changes to your course requirements. If you have face-to-face classes, they have likely been moved online with new requirements. Take time to write in your planner or a notebook what your (new) assignments are from now until the end of the term. Contact your instructors immediately with any questions or concerns you have, or if anything is not clear to you.
  2. Make a note of all of your instructors preferred method of communication and make sure you know how to reach them and when their online office hours are.
  3. If you have disability accommodations, message your instructors in Canvas with any information or questions that you have regarding your transition to online. Questions about your accommodations more generally can be emailed to odaFREEMississippi.
  4. If you have any change in your circumstances and/or availability for your classes, communicate with your instructors immediately to let them know your situation and ask what you need to do to for course completion.
  5. Log into Canvas every day to check messages, announcements, discussion posts, and assignments.
  6. Check your USM email daily to make sure you have not missed any important announcements about classes or University situations.
  7. Make sure your contact information is up to date in Eagle Alert so that you receive any emergency notifications.

Spring 2020 Grade Option

Learn about the Z, P, PS, and NP grades that can be requested in place of letter grades at the end of the current semester only.

Electronic Processing of Degree Applications

In an effort to assist students in processing their degree applications, The University of Southern Mississippi will accept degree applications from students through email submission for the 2020 calendar year. Learn more.

Resources

Free eTextbooks

 

Tips for Studying at Home

 

Canvas Videos for Students

 

Canvas Support Hotline for Students

 

Writing and Speaking Centers

The Writing Center and the Speaking Center are friendly spaces that provide individualized feedback and support to help Southern Miss students succeed with writing and speaking assignments for any class. The Centers offer one-to-one consultations for any stage of the process, including brainstorming, creating an outline, revising, learning editing strategies, and developing presentation skills. In Spring 2021, all Writing Center appointments are online only. The Speaking Center has online appointments, virtual drop-in hours, and limited in-person availability for the Spring 2021 semester. To make an appointment, visit usm.mywconline.com and create an account with your USM email address. Detailed instructions for making an appointment can be found at usm.edu/writing-center. Contact the Writing Center by email at writingcenterFREEMississippi or by phone at (601) 266-4821. The Speaking Center can be reached at speakingcenterFREEMississippi or (601) 266-4965.

 

Career Services

Career Services welcomes virtual student appointments to discuss internships, resume writing, job searches, or any other dimension of career planning or job seeking. We offer a variety of tools online for students, and you can schedule a virtual appointment through the Career Services website. For more information, call 601-266-4153.

 

University Advisement Center

The University’s Advisement Center is open for remote appointments via videoconferencing, and advisors are also available to talk with students by phone about any questions they may have. Please refer to our list of advisors and book an appointment with any of them, or call, if you’d like to talk about your academic plans. We also have many resources available online for students to review, and an Ask-an-Advisor form if you’d just like to submit a question. While you are out and working remotely, don’t let time pass by without planning for your summer and fall classes and ensuring that you stay on track for your degree! 

  

New Student and Retention Programs Success Library

NSRP’s Success Library is designed to provide access to success materials on demand. Topics covered include improving study and note taking habits, learning how to improve time management, thinking critically for college level courses, and setting goals to keep yourself motivated.

We encourage you to use these resources on your own but to make the most of them consider making a virtual appointment with a staff member

 

Remote Tutoring

The History Lab is operating remotely and seeing students online. The process of scheduling an appointment is very similar to before. Students who wish to make an appointment can do so by using the link https://historylab.as.me/ (this is the same link as before). Students who wish to have a virtual session should then choose the "Skype 101-102 Online ONLY" options. They will receive a confirmation email with the instructions on how to reach us via Skype. If students have a written draft of an assignment they would like us to look over before the session, they should send it to historylabFREEMississippi. If students do not wish to have a virtual session but want us to look over a draft, they can choose the "Primary Source or EWC Exercise" option, send their draft to historylabFREEMississippi in a word document, and we will comment on that document and send it back.  

Students MUST make an appointment online. Virtual sessions and draft revisions will be held by appointment only. Virtual "walk-ins" will not be accepted.

Psychology PSY 360 Statistics Tutoring has moved online!

  1. Stats faculty/ instructors will hold virtual office hours to help provide support to students.
  2. Any PSY 360 student can email aaron.fathFREEMississippi to be connected with the stats tutoring staff for stats tutoring support. We will set up a virtual meeting using zoom to provide 1:1 help (goal is to provide help “as needed” to model the walk-in environment).
  3. Please contact bonnie.nicholsonFREEMississippi with any concerns.

All Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics tutoring is continuing and available to support students remotely. Appointments will be available online starting Monday, March 30th, and students can access them through WC Online: http://usm.mywconline.com  Through this platform, students will be able to share document text, draw, chat live, and/or use webcams.  

 

Contact Us

The Center for Student Success
Cook Library Room 138

Hattiesburg Campus

Campus Map

Email
successFREEMississippi

Phone
601.266.6405

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Student Help Website