Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I register for classes?

Registration procedures depend on whether or not you are currently enrolled at HCC. Click on "How to Register" at the left for complete instructions.

How do I get my username and password?

Usernames and passwords depend on the kind of course that you are taking. Click on "How to Login" at the left for complete instructions.

How do I login to my online courses?

There are four kinds of online courses that you might login to. Click on "How to Login" at the left for a link to each course platform and for complete login instructions.

Why should I login to Haywired before using Moodle?

There are three main reasons to login to Haywired before entering your online courses. First, unless you have used the forwarding filter in your Haywired email, this is where all emails from your teachers or from the college are going. It's important to check your email every day or two.

Second, the college uses Haywired to survey students. You will receive pop-up questionnaires about your classes and about the college in general at various times throughout the semester. We want your feedback, but if you don't login to Haywired, you won't see these surveys and you won't have a chance to give us your input.

Finally, it's a good idea to get used to using Haywired. This is also where you can pay your bills online, register online, access copies of your final course grades and transcripts, and use other online services.

How do I get technology help?

The Freedlander LRC provides a student technology help desk to assist students with computer issues and questions. The help desk is located just outside of room 227 in the LRC and can also be reached at 828.565.4018 (x4018 on campus).

Help desk staffers can handle a wide variety of computer questions, including:

  • accessing HCC campus wireless networks
  • software installation/issues
  • Moodle and Haywired login, navigation, and use
  • Microsoft Office use, including advanced features for Excel, Powerpoint, and Word
  • personal computer safety and efficiency consultation
  • document repair/recovery
  • and much, much, more!

The Help Desk also teams with the LRC to offer a weekly tech support tip series designed to make your academic life easier. Look for the "Tip of the Week" on the front page of the LRC homepage (https://www.haywood.edu/library ).

Help Desk hours change each semester, but you can learn what the hours are by visiting the LRC or by calling the Help Desk number 828.565.4018 (x4018 on campus).

Is there an online orientation?

Students who are new to distance learning should take a moment to review the "How to Login" and "FAQs" links at the left. Once the semester begins, they will also have access to a "Welcome to Moodle" course that covers how to use Moodle. This course will be listed along with any other online courses that the student is taking, but will not be available until the semester begins. For more information, please contact the Distance Learning Help Desk at dl@haywood.edu or 828.627.4619 .

Student Success Services conducts a New Student Orientation at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. Students who cannot attend the orientation may access the same information through the Orientation web page: http://www.haywood.edu/orientation.

How do I drop a class?

Students may withdraw from courses by contacting with the instructor of their course and requesting to be withdrawn officially or by calling Student Development Services at 828.627.4500. Be sure that you get confirmation from your instructor when you contact him or her-- don't just send an email and assume that it went through.

How can I buy my books online?

Books may be purchased online or in person. To purchase online, go to http://www.haywood.edu/hcc_bookstore and click on the "Buy Your Books Online" link (at the top of the page) to determine what books you need for a course and to purchase them online if you wish to do so. You may have to view and agree to the Returns Policy before using this service. If you have trouble with your online bookstore account, please call 1-800-381-5151.

For further Bookstore assistance, details about the returns policy, and other Bookstore information, please visit http://www.haywood.edu/hcc_bookstore or call 828.565.4127.

How do I get help in my classes?

If you have questions about course content or specific course policies, you will need to contact your instructor. If your instructor does not respond in a timely fashion (48 hours, not counting days that HCC is closed), please contact the Distance Learning Help Desk and alert us to the problem. The Help Desk can be reached at dl@haywood.edu or 828.627.4619 or through the "Distance Learning" link at the left.

If you need tutoring or additional academic assistance, please visit the Teaching & Learning Center Web site or call 828-627-4696.

If you have questions about distance learning in general or need help with technical issues, you may call 828.627.4619 or email dl@haywood.edu or use the "Distance Learning" link at the left.

If you need help with computer problems, such as using a word processor or downloading a file, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 828.565.4018 (x4018 on campus) or in the Freedlander Library.

I keep hearing students talk about the HOP Assignment. What is it?

The HOP Assignment is a brief assignment that is required for each online or hybrid course taken for college credit. It must be submitted during the first 10% of the semester, and you will see detailed instructions about the HOP when you first login to your course. Remember, you will be marked as a "no show" by any instructor who does not receive a HOP Assignment by the posted due date.

What do I do if I need help with the HOP Assignment?

You should start by viewing the short video demonstration found near the HOP Assignment within your course. If you still need help after viewing the video, contact your instructor or the Distance Learning Help Desk.

Although I registered for classes, I am unable to access an online course.

You will not be able to login until 8:00 AM on the first day of the semester. If you are unable to log in once the semester starts, please send an e-mail to dl@haywood.edu. Be sure to include your full name, student ID number, and the classes for which you are registered. If you are receiving an error message, please also include that message. Please note that if you registered late (after the semester has begun), it may take 24 hours for your course to be made available to you.

How do I contact my instructor?

Your instructor's contact information can be found in several locations within your online course. If you cannot locate this information, contact the Distance Learning Help Desk at dl@haywood.edu or 828.627.4619. When e-mailing your instructor, be sure to include your first and last name as well as the your course number.

Email

  1. What is my email address?
  2. How do I change my default email address in Moodle or Haywired?
  3. How do I use Haywired?

You cannot change your default email address, but you can have the email automatically forwarded to a different address. All students automatically have an HCC email account that your instructors expect you to use. Your email address will be your username@mail.haywood.edu. You will access your email through Haywired and then click on the email icon in the upper left that looks like an envelope. Your instructors will expect you to check your Haywired email address on a regular basis, so be sure to login to your college email every day or two so that you don't miss important announcements. If you prefer to use a different email address, login to your Haywired email and set the Forwarding Filter to forward email messages to your preferred account. For more information about Haywired, please click on "How to Login" at the left.

What do I do if I have been marked as a "no show" due to a misunderstanding?

Contact your instructor immediately by e-mail or telephone. Your instructor's contact information can be found in your online course. Do not just leave a message-- make sure that you speak to your instructor or receive an email reply from the instructor that resolves the situation. You may also want to contact your advisor or Student Success Services (828.627.4500) for assistance.\

I am a high school student. Can I enroll in online courses at HCC?

There are several ways that high school students can take online courses at HCC, depending on their age and school involvement. Please contact our Academic and Career Counselor at drowland@haywood.edu or 828.627.4646 for assistance.

Why are courses from previous semesters still showing up when I log into Moodle?

Courses remain available on Moodle until your instructor turns them off or until one additional semester has passed, whichever comes first. Unless you took an incomplete in a course, you may safely ignore any old courses.

Why are courses I dropped or withdrew from still showing up when I log into Moodle?

Courses that you drop or withdraw from have to be manually removed from your Moodle account. To have these courses removed, contact the Distance Learning office at dl@haywood.edu or speak to your instructor.

How do I change my Moodle password?

After logging into Moodle, click on your name in the top right. From that profile page, you may change your password (there's a Password button at the bottom of the page).

What do I do about viruses and other malware?

If you realize that you might be spreading a computer virus or other malware, you should let anyone who may have used files from your computer know about the potential problem. If you think that you received the virus from either an instructor or another student, you may want to alert the instructor.

To prevent contracting a computer virus or other malware, it is important that you maintain security on any computers that you use. The Free Downloads page offers some resources for this purpose.

What do I do if the course Web site goes down?

If there is a loss of service at the college, (e.g., Moodle is down), students will not be penalized and instructors will provide alternate instructions as soon as is possible. However, if the service problem is localized (e.g., you lose power at home), each instructor deals with the situation on a case-by-case basis. Your course syllabus probably covers these situations, but you should contact your instructor if you have any questions.

What do I do if I am locked out of a test or an assignment?

Contact your instructor immediately by e-mail or telephone. Most instructors have a policy about this in the course syllabus. If you do not have a reliable internet connection, it is strongly recommended that you use a local college or library when you take an online test.

What if I go over the time limit on a quiz or test?

Moodle displays the quiz time on your screen for timed quizzes. You will get a warning message when you are almost out of time and your quiz will automatically submit if you go over your time limit. If you somehow go over the limit without the quiz submitting, your instructor may deduct points from your score, so be sure to pay attention to the timer.

What do I do if I need to have a test proctored?

Some instructors require that certain tests be taken in a proctored situation, usually at a college or library. If this is the case, that instructor will provide you with the necessary requirements and forms.

If you need to have a test proctored at HCC, please contact the Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) at 828.627.4696. There is no charge for test proctoring if the test is for a North Carolina Community College. There is a $25 fee for all other proctored tests.

Why should I not use the AOL browser?

Moodle is not fully supported by AOL's browser. If you are an AOL customer, you may connect to the Internet with AOL, but you should then open Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome and use it to access your online course. Visit our Downloads page to download a free copy of one of these browsers.

Is there a "search" or "find" feature in Moodle?

You may search all discussion forums using the "Search Forum" block within Moodle. If this isn't availalble to you, ask your instructor to add it to the course. To search elements of Moodle that are not in the discussion forums, you can use your Web browser's "Find" tool to search for terms on a particular page. On your browser's toolbar, select the Edit dropdown menu. Select Find and type in the term that you are looking for. (CTRL+F will also open the Find tool.) This will only search the page that you happen to be on, but it is a fast way to locate key ideas.

How do I see my final grades?

How do I get a transcript?

Students can view transcripts, pay for classes, and complete similar tasks online through Haywired. Login to Haywired and choose "Grades" at the left. You can then print the page if you need a hard copy for your records. If you need an official transcript with the college's seal on it mailed to you, you can complete a transcript request form through our web site (http://www.haywood.edu/transcript_request). For assistance with the transcript request form, please contact Cheryl Farrell at cfarrell@haywood.edu or 828.627.4510.

How can I stay up-to-date with campus announcements?

When you first reach the Moodle home page, you'll see "HCC News and Information" listed in the middle section of the page. After you login to Moodle, that same information is availble underneath your course list. If you've entered a Moodle course, you can retrun to this page by clicking on "HCC" in the upper right at any time.

What Internet browser should I use?

Both Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox often release new versions of their browsers that still have bugs. If your computer is set to download the newest updates automatically, you may suddenly find that you are having problems with IE or Firefox. If you are not running the absolute newest version, the following browsers should work. You may download free browsers from the links below.

Please note that AOL's browser is not certified for use with Moodle and should not be used.

What hardware and software do I need?

Click here for a list of hardware and software recommendations.

What is Rich Text Format (RTF) and how do I use it?

Rich Text Format (RTF) is a file type that can be opened by almost any computer with a word processing program. When you save your file, choose Save As instead of Save and you'll be given the option to choose RTF as the file type. If you want more information about RTF, including illustrations for how to Save As a different file type, click here.

Why can't I open my instructor's documents?

There are two reasons that this is likely to occur. If one file is created for one program (Microsoft Word, for instance), but you try to use another program to open it (Microsoft Works, for instance), you may not be able to do so. The solution: Your instructor should save everything as either Microsoft Office (Word) files or Rich Text Format (RTF) files. If your instructor uses RTF files, you will be able to open them. If your instructor uses Microsoft Office files, you will not be able to open them unless you have Office. Contact your instructor and ask him or her to post the files as RTF documents instead, or contact the Distance Learning Help Desk and we can contact your instructor. Please note, students in some courses, such as CIS 110, are required to have Microsoft Office.

The second reason why this might occur is that you are using Microsoft Office 2003 and your instructor is saving the files as Microsoft Office 2007. You can download a free converter from the Microsoft Web site that will allow you to open those files. Click here to download instructions for installing the converter.

Why can't my instructor open my documents?

HCC instructors all use Microsoft Office or a program that is similar to Office. If you have saved your files using a different program, such as Microsoft Works, you must make sure that you save it in a file format that anyone else can read. Rich Text Format (RTF) is a file type that can be opened by almost any computer with a word processing program. When you save your file, choose Save As instead of Save and you'll be given the option to choose RTF as the file type. If you want more information about RTF, including illustrations for how to Save As a different file type, click here.

What is Print Screen and how do I use it?

Print Screen is a computer feature that allows you to transform whatever is currently on your computer screen (called a "screen shot") into a picture file that can be e-mailed or submitted electronically. Many instructors will ask you to use Print Screen in order to document the completion of certain computer activities. To use the Print Screen feature:

  1. Make sure that your screen is showing exactly what you want your instructor to see.
  2. Hold down the SHIFT key and hit the PRINT SCREEN key on your keyboard (located near the upper right on most keyboards, it may say "PrtSc").
  3. Open a new file using a word processor, image editor, or some other program that allows you to manipulate images. Select PASTE from the toolbar (or use the CTRL-V shortcut). A picture of the screen shot should appear in the file. You can now manipulate the picture just like any other or you may save the file to submit to your instructor.
  4. Important note: Be sure that you don't COPY anything between Steps 1 and 2. This will cause you to lose the image that your print screen command captured.

What are Zip files and how do I use them?

Zip files are a way of compressing a lot of files in order to save space. Once retrieved, however, these files cannot be used unless you UNZIP them. Your course may require that you ZIP or UNZIP files. Many computers already have a Zip program, but yours may not.

If your computer has a Zip program, it should run automatically when you try to open a Zip file by double-clicking on it. If it does not, you can try right-clicking on the file to see if one of your options is to UNZIP. You may have to look at several options since the word "zip" may not be used. Other terms, like "compressed," might be used instead. If you do not have this option, then it is likely that a Zip program is not installed on your computer. That's okay -- you can download one free from the Internet.

The most popular Zip program is WinZip. You can purchase WinZip online at http://www.winzip.com, but you can also download a trial copy of the program free of charge. There are many other free Zip programs available for download. To locate these programs, go to Google and type "zip files" into the search area. Any of the programs you find should work just as well as WinZip for the purpose of your online course. As always, do not download a program from a site that you do not trust!

What are Reviewing, Track Changes and Markup and how do I use them?

Microsoft Word has the ability to "track changes." This feature allows you to record any changes you have made to a document and also see what changes other people have made to the same document. If you are collaborating on a project or paper with other students, or if you are receiving assistance from the Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) or your instructor, you may wish to use these features. To do so, use your View dropdown menu in Microsoft Word. Select Reviewing from the toolbar. This will open the Markup Toolbar. You can experiment with the Markup Toolbar to see its capabilities, but for a quick overview, visit http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html

What is SafeAssignment and how do I use it?

SafeAssignment is a plagiarism detection service. For step-by-step instructions on using SafeAssignment, please click here.

What is Curriculum Pathways and how do I use it?

Curriculum Pathways is a resource for online tutorials and activities that your instructors may make available to you. Click here to learn more about Curriculum Pathways.

Where is HCC?

Though online students do not have to visit the college, you may be interested in where it is located. HCC is located in Western North Carolina, in the beautiful, scenic mountains approximately 45 minutes West of Asheville. Click here for directions to the campus and access to a campus map.

Who can I contact for more information?

For more information about distance learning at HCC, click on the Distance Learning link at the left. To contact a specific individual at the college, please use the link to our campus directory.

Are there job placement or employment services available at HCC?

HCC provides job placement services for both on-campus and online students.