Online Learning @ CLC

To successfully complete an online course, you need to:

• Understand what is expected of you as an online student
• Commit to investing time and effort into your coursework
• Accept responsibility for your academic progress as an independent online learner
• Communicate ideas effectively in written form
• Show strength in reading comprehension
• Use technology confidently
• Take a proactive approach to asking questions and initiating contact with your instructors

Before you register, you should know a few things about taking online courses:

• Communicate professionally: Treat the online classroom like a professional workplace. Use clear, concise language that effectively gets your questions and contributions across.
• Manage your time: In general, you should study at least three hours per week for every credit hour. Three credit hour course = nine hours of study per week.
• Feedback is timely but may not be instant: Your instructors and classmates may not be online at 2 a.m. You’ll find your instructor’s online feedback policy in their syllabi.

For classes offered online, you get the same curriculum, access to supportive resources and high-quality education - the main differences are location and cost:

• You’ll have a minimal, added cost of $8 per credit hour to keep the technology updated.
• Your classes are online, so the location is wherever you find a (secure) connection.

In an online class, you participate through Canvas. A blended class is a mix of online and on-campus instruction. Face-to-face or online proctored testing may be required for some courses.

Canvas is a platform where instructors teach online and blended classes. They share course materials, deliver instruction, communicate with students and provide opportunities for collaboration.

Use a desktop or laptop to complete academic coursework, such as papers and tests. You can use the Canvas Student App on your phone for quick check-ins to stay engaged on the go.

CLC participates in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which provides students with access to postsecondary distance education across the country, to increase the quality and value of higher learning credentials earned via distance learning and to assure students are well served in a rapidly changing education landscape. Students have the opportunity to take online courses and participate in out-of-state learning placements (such as experiential learning placements, clinical and practicum placements).

As part of its involvement in NC-SARA, the college adheres to the requirements and expectations set by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the U.S. Department of Education to ensure the protection of students enrolled in distance learning and out-of-state placements by participating institutions in states other than our own. You can learn more about NC-SARA’s service to students on the NC-SARA website.

CLC offers several degree and certificate programs in fields that may require students to obtain professional licensure or certification in order to obtain employment. The fields that require licensure/certification as well as the specific standards to obtain licensure/certification may vary from state to state. While all of the college’s licensure/certification programs meet the standards and satisfy requirements within Illinois and the college cannot guarantee that its programs meet the standards set by other states.

The following college programs satisfy the requirements for certification within all 50 states (i.e., national certification):

• Computed Tomography 
• Medical Technician
• Health Information Technology
• Health and Wellness Coaching
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging 
• Medical Assisting 
• Medical Imaging 
• Personal Training
• Pharmacy Technician
• Phlebotomy
• Surgical Technology 

Outside of Illinois certification or licensure requirements may vary by state for the following college programs:

• Firefighter Basic Operations
• Addiction Counseling and Treatment
• Dental Hygiene 
• Emergency Medical Technician
• Massage Therapy 
• Nursing

While the college has done its best to identify which of its programs meet out-of-state licensure/certification requirements, there are cases where this information could not be determined. Students who plan to enroll in a program of study intending to obtain licensure/certification and/or seek employment in a state outside of Illinois should contact the licensing agency in the state they plan to seek employment directly in order to verify that the college’s program meets that state’s licensing/certification standards and requirements before they enroll and begin their program at CLC.

NC-SARA maintains a Professional Licensure Directory, which provides contact information for licensing agencies across the country related to Counseling, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work and Teacher Education programs. This is a helpful resource for students researching state licensure requirements in other states.

Find links to the websites for licensing agencies in Illinois and Wisconsin (PDF).