Things You MUST Do Prior to the
Start of Your Online Class
Fall 2008 starts on Monday, August 25 and ends December 20. Starting August 11, registered students for fall 2008 may be able to view your course site with online orientation, help information, and some course content. Per the professor, some fall online courses may not be visible until August 25.
The most updated information at an online course site will be available the FIRST day of a semester (Fall 2008, August 25, 2008). Before the first day of a semester, do not complete any assignments or print, download, and save any files from the course site. Please download a copy of our Quick References package. If you are enrolled in any of the following classes, please print and read the addtional course-specific notes:
Things You MUST Do Prior to the
Start of Your Online Class
All registered online students MUST follow the step-by-step instruction below to get yourself ready as early as possible before August 25 for Fall 2008 online classes.
2. Log onto your online course Two weeks prior to the beginning of a semester, you might be able to view your online
course site including online orientation, help information, and some course content. Per the professor, some courses may not be visible until the first day of a semester. We encourage you to go through the orientation prior to the start of the semester to test your computer and learn how to use Blackboard tools. However, please do not complete any course-related activities or print any documents; all course information is considered in progress until the first day of courses: Fall 2008 - August 25.
Password: The same password to log on to a campus computer at any of the 12 Connecticut community colleges.
If you have never logged on to a campus computer, the initial password is combination of your first 3 letters of birth month (capitalize the first letter) and last four digit of your social security number.
For example, if you are born in April and the last four digits of your social security number are 4575, then your initial password is Apr&4575 (case sensitive).
After you logon with the initial password, you will be prompted to change to a new password. The new password MUST have 8 or more characters and satisfy 3 of the 4 rules as follows:
Upper case
Lower case
Numbers
Special characters
One example of a new password is Flower07 (case sensitive). Remember; do not use your name or birthday in the new password.
Click here for more information about NetID and password
If you are not able to log in to the site, click here to for additional information.
Once you are in myCommNet, click the Blackborrd Vista icon(upper right). Click on a semester link (such as Fall 2008). Click on your course name. To go to another course, click My Blackboard (upper right) and click on the course name.
If you have logged on to myCommNet but could not get to a Blackboard Vista course, click here for help information under Problem 1.
Disable all pop-up blockers to ensure myCommNet functions correctly.
Providing an active external email account is crucial for all online students. This is to ensure that you receive important information about online learning. It is also a way of communicating with your instructor in case the Blackboard Vista system is down.
4. Prepare for your Computer, Internet Connection, and Browser
Prior to the first day of class, you need to make sure your computer, Internet connection, and browser are ready for taking an online course with Blackboard Vista via myCommNet. You need to have regular access to a recent-model computer which MUST have a high-speed (DSL, cable modem, etc.) Internet connection.Your computer also needs to have JAVA 1.5.04 installed. All pop-up blockers need to be turned off, and additional firewalls need to be disabled. Internet Explorer 7 might cause problem in Blackboard Vista, so we recommend that you have a backup browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Netscape installed on your computer. For downloading correct version of JAVA, Mozilla Firefox, and others, go to MxCC Distance Learning Home page, click the according link under Download Center (lower left).
a. Click here for more information about the system requirements for myCommNet.
b. Click here for more information about the system requirements and common technical problems with Blackboard Vista.
Computer
Pentium IV 1.5GHz (recommended)
Networking
High speed Internet connection (DSL, cable modem)
Port 2304 must be open for Chat/Whiteboard access.
* Please visit this page for more information about Windows Vista support.
Windows Operating System
Windows 98 SE or higher* Browsers:
Internet Explorer 6 SP1; 6 SP2; 7
AOL 9.0
Mozilla 1.7.x
Firefox 1.0.x, 1.5.x, 2.x
Mac Operating System
OS 10.1.x & 10.2.x Browsers:
Internet Explorer 5.1 (OS 10.1 Only)
AOL OS X
Mozilla 1.5, 1.7
Firefox 1.0
Safari 1.2, 1.3.1, & 2.0.1 or higher
Once your computer and Internet connection are ready, conduct a browser test with the following steps:
1. Open a web browser such as Internet Explorer.
2.
Go to my.commnet.edu. Log on with your NetID and password. Click on the Blackboard Vista icon at upper right . Click on a semester link such as Fall 2008. It may take 30 seconds or more to view the My Blackboard page with the list of classes you take, depending on the traffic of the Blackboard server and your Internet connection speed. Click on a course name that can open the Blackboard page. If you do not see the course you registered listed in the My Blackboard page after 2 working days of registration, contact the Distance Learning Office at (860-343-5756). Click Check Browser (upper right corner). Click here for detailed instruction on Blackboard browser tuneup.
3.
To download additional plug-ins necessary to support your online classes, click here for necessary items listed in Downloads (bottom -left). The trouble shooting tips and frequently asked technical questions can also be found on this site.
*Note - each individual course may also require an additional browser
test. This test here is the bare minimum just to get into
Blackboard.
5. Double-check the Cousre CRN and Payment Information
1. When you are in My Blackboard page, double-check the course four-digit CRN () to make sure that it is the course that you meant to register. To check the correct CRN for all online courses, go to the Online Classes page and select the appropriate semester link. The CRN is listed next to the online course. If the CRN from the semester class list does not match the CRN shown in My Blackboard page, contact the Registrar's Office (860-343-5724) immediately.
2. Upon time of registering an online class, payment needs to be in place or arranged. If payment is not done, you will be dropped off the class. If you are on Financial Aid from MxCC or other institutions, you MUST ensure that your financial aid paper work is processed prior to the beginning of a semester. Click here for more detailed information about applying your Financial Aid to online courses. If your class was taken off MyBlackboard Page, please contact the Registrar's Office (860-343-5724) immediately.
Prior to the first day of a semester, all online students are REQUIRED to go through the online orientation at http://www.mxcc.commnet.edu/distance/start.shtml. First time online students in need of personal assistance in learning Blackboard Vista basic features can attend an on-campus orientation offered during the first week of a semester. Click here for the orientation schedule.
All online classes require that you purchase textbooks as you would for on-ground classes.
As soon as you register to an online class, visit the
MxCC bookstore or call (860-346-4490) to obtain information about what textbook will be used
for this
course. You may purchase the textbook online from the MxCC bookstore web site. At this site, click Go under Books and then click Go under Textbooks. Select the Online, Department, and CRN. Proceed to purchase the textbook. Please be aware that it might take a full week to receive your textbooks ordered online or via phone.
Some of our
online courses may require
textbooks with a special access code, and purchasing your textbook
with the access
code through the bookstore is the only way to assure that you will receive
the
correct textbook and access code. Go to the Online Class page at www.mxcc.commnet.edu/distance/classes.shtml and select the class list for the semester of the online classes (upper left), such as Fall 2008 to find out which course has special requirement or needs special codes that require you purchase the textbook from the MxCC bookstore.
Once again, the only way to guarantee that
you receive the correct textbook and/or access code for your course is
to
purchase it through the MxCC bookstore.
a. Should you encounter technical difficulty in working with Blackboard , contact the Technical Help Line:
Email: support@ctdlc.org
Toll Free Voice: (866) - 462 - 8352 www.ctdlc.org/Help/index.cfm
(Mon.-Thu., 8:00 am-10:00 pm)
(Fri., 8:00 am - 8:00 pm)
(Sat., 8:00 am - 4:00 pm)
(Sun., 10:00 am - 8:00 pm)
b. Should the technical problem persist, report this to the MxCC Distance Learning department using one of the following methods:
Call (860) 343-5756.
Email to mxccdistance@mxcc.commnet.edu
Stop by the Distance Learning offices in Chapman 632/633, Middletown Campus Office hours: M-F, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
(upper right). Click on a semester link (such as Fall 2008). Click on your course name. To go to another course, click My Blackboard (upper right) and click on the course name. 
) to make sure that it is the course that you meant to register. To check the correct CRN for all online courses, go to the