University of Idaho General Catalog » Colleges and Related Units » Independent Study in Idaho

Independent Study in Idaho

Focus Areas Course Delivery and Services Registration and Fees Grades and Transcripts

Sherrie Metlen, ISI Program Manager: phone (208) 885-9258 ISI office: (875 Perimeter Drive MS 3081, Moscow, ID 83844-3081; phone (208) 885-6641 or (877) 464-3246; fax (208) 885-5738; www.uidaho.edu/isi; indepst@uidaho.edu)

Independent Study in Idaho (ISI) was created in 1973 by the Idaho State Board of Education as a cooperative of four accredited Idaho institutions led by the University of Idaho (UI). Other cooperating members include Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC), Idaho State University (ISU), and Boise State University (BSU). The ISI office is located in Moscow, Idaho, on the UI campus. Each member-institution of the ISI cooperative is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the region's accrediting agency.

ISI courses, sponsored by the cooperating institutions, are delivered online. Idaho residency is not required. A complete list of ISI courses, course syllabi and ISI policies and procedures are available on the ISI website. Although ISI does not offer degrees, credits earned upon course completion transfer to most colleges and universities. Contact the institution to which you wish to transfer credits before enrolling in ISI to be sure credits will be accepted.

People from diverse backgrounds worldwide take ISI’s online courses for various reasons (e.g., to begin college programs early, graduate on time, resolve on-campus scheduling conflicts, satisfy prerequisites, or to pursue professional development and personal enrichment). Independent Study in Idaho courses are designed for students who work well independently with limited interaction with instructors. Students can enroll anytime and work from anywhere. Students can work at their own pace within the limits set by the course instructor on the number of assignments that can be submitted per week. Students have up to one calendar year from the registration date to complete ISI courses.

Focus Areas

ISI offers a greater number of courses in specific subject areas.

• Modern Languages and Cultures
• History
• Psychology
• Library Science

The UI sponsors library science courses that are only available through ISI. These courses are required for the Idaho Teacher Librarian (K-12) Endorsement. Additionally, ISI offers courses applicable to the UI's library science teaching minor. These courses can also be taken for professional development and personal enrichment.

Teacher Librarian (K–12). Idaho certified teachers who are interested in school library and media positions and have a secondary, standard elementary, exceptional child, standard occupational specialist or advanced occupational specialist teaching certificate may earn a Teacher Librarian Endorsement (K–12) by taking library science courses through ISI. This endorsement requires 20 semester-hour credits of coursework leading toward competency as defined by Idaho Standards for Teacher Librarians to include the following: collection development/materials selection, literature for children and/or young adults; organization of information (cataloging and classification); school library administration/management; library information technologies; information literacy; and reference and information service; and meet or exceed the state qualifying score on the Idaho Praxis II test number 5311.

Refer to the ISI website for a list of courses that fulfill the 20 semester-hour credits of coursework requirement. These courses may be approved for endorsements in other states. Teachers outside the state of Idaho should check with their state’s Department of Education to determine requirements and to obtain written confirmation that ISI credits are acceptable for their state’s endorsement.

Departmental approval and approval of site are required for the practicum; it is approved after the majority of the required course work has been completed.

Library Science Teaching Minor for University of Idaho Students. To obtain a teaching minor in library science, students must be admitted to the UI. The teaching minor in library science must total 20 semester-hour credits of coursework in the subject areas listed above under the Teacher Librarian. This teaching minor will qualify the student for the Idaho K-12 Teacher Librarian Endorsement. Because library science is not a teaching field, the teacher-librarian must also qualify for a standard Idaho elementary or secondary teacher’s certificate.

Education Professionals (K-12). Independent Study in Idaho courses may be used toward renewing teaching credentials and for certification. Contact your state Department of Education to determine if ISI courses are applicable.

Course Delivery and Services

Online Course Delivery. ISI students receive a Registration Confirmation Email with a receipt attached which includes the student’s Vandal number and information on how to activate Vandal Accounts in order to access ISI courses online. ISI courses are delivered online through the Blackboard Learn course management system.

VandalMail. All ISI students are required to activate and use their VandalMail email account, which is assigned upon registration. Email forwarding from VandalMail to another email account is available.

Exams and Proctors. Most ISI courses require completion of a specific number of proctored exams. Students are responsible for finding an acceptable proctor. View complete information concerning proctors and submit a Proctor Information Form on the ISI website.

Disability Support Services. Each of the four ISI cooperating institutions offers academic support services to students with temporary or permanent disabilities. Students requesting disability-related accommodations must contact the disability services office at the institution sponsoring the student’s course. Contact information for each disability office is listed on the ISI website.

Library Services. University of Idaho library resources are available to ISI students. ISI students who are Idaho residents and non-residents who live within a 50 mile radius of the UI may visit the library to obtain a guest card. All ISI students may contact their local library for information about borrowing materials through interlibrary loan.

Registration and Fees

Registration. Students can begin ISI courses anytime without applying for admission to any of the cooperating schools. Admission to any of these institutions is not granted upon registering for an ISI course. UI students working toward a degree are required to obtain written approval from their adviser and academic dean to register for an ISI course and to ensure that ISI course credits are applicable toward their degree. It is recommended that students at other institutions obtain signature confirmation that ISI credits will be accepted.

Fees. Non-residents pay the same fee as residents. Fees included registration and online course access, but do not include textbooks and other course materials. Refer to the ISI website for current fee information.

Purchasing Course Materials. A list of course information is provided in the course syllabus available on the ISI website and on the VandalStore website. If textbooks are purchased at another outlet, carefully note the ISBN of the required edition.

Financial Aid. Financial aid is not offered by ISI. Federal and state agencies, businesses, student financial aid services, and veterans’ organizations may offer financial assistance or aid to fund ISI course fees. ISI accepts most tuition assistance payment forms. College students receiving financial aid are advised to check with their financial aid office to determine if anything is available for ISI courses. Courses taken through ISI do not count toward a student’s credit-hour load and cannot be used to establish full-time or part-time student status to determine eligibility for financial aid or loan deferment.

Military Benefits. In order to gain approval to use military benefits, students must contact the UI Veterans Assistance office prior to enrolling. The Veterans Assistance office can help students apply for and receive education benefits whether a student is a service member, guardsman, reservist, veteran or dependent of a veteran. UI programs are approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and students may use GI benefits or tuition assistance to help pay their ISI course fees. Upon approval of benefits, the appropriate agency will be invoiced.

Drops and Refunds. To drop an ISI course, submit the Drop Course Form on the ISI website. The course will not appear on your academic transcript, and there will be no academic record at any of the cooperating institutions.

Refund Schedule. Courses dropped within 45 days of registration qualify for a refund based on the following schedule: Full course credit fee refund: the drop request must be received by the ISI office within 21 days from the registration date; 50 percent course credit fee refund: the drop request must be received by the ISI office between 22 and 45 days from the registration date. The course credit fee will be refunded minus $15 for each assignment/exam already submitted. Refunds will be processed by credit card or check, depending on the original payment method. Cash payments will be refunded by check. There are no refunds after 45 days, regardless of assignment/exam submission or the student’s progress in the course. Administrative fees are nonrefundable.

Exchanging Courses. Students may exchange one course for another within 45 days of registration. One exchange per registration is allowed. A non-refundable, $25 fee must be paid when exchanging a course, plus $15 for each assignment/exam submitted for the original course. View complete information concerning exchanges and submit a Course Exchange Form on the ISI website.

Course Extensions. If you are unable to complete an ISI course within one year from the registration date, a $75, nonrefundable, six-month extension may be purchased. View complete information concerning course extensions and submit a Course Extension Form on the ISI website.

Grades and Transcripts

Transcripts can be purchased upon written request from the credit-granting institution. To determine the credit-granting institution, refer to your course or note the abbreviation listed in the course syllabus on the ISI website. Contact information for each transcript office is listed on the ISI website.