Follow this link to read about your online academic advisor, who you can reach via email, phone, or text message. If you don’t know who your academic advisor is, first check your Aurora student email account. You have received a Welcome email from your advisor with their contact information and other helpful resources.
Can I come visit my academic advisor on campus?Aurora University's (AU) dedicated online advising team works remotely, but feel free to contact them by email, phone, or phone appointment. To find out your academic advisor's office hours, you can reach out to them via email. Other contact information can be found in your academic advisor's email signature. You can also meet other members of the AU Online administrative staff at the Orchard Center by appointment, if needed.
What's the difference between a semester and a module?Each 16-week semester includes two 8-week modules. Most courses are 8-week modules, with some programs offering 16-week courses. Each module and semester are indicated by the following key:
FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It protects your student records by allowing only certain information about you to be released after obtaining consent. However, if you are younger than 18, your parents will have access to your records.
Your FERPA access code is a password that you create via Student Planning to protect your educational records.
Click here for detailed directions regarding your FERPA code. If you have forgotten your access code, or need to create one, you can complete the FERPA access code form found on Student Planning under ‘FERPA Release Information.’
Be sure to provide your FERPA access code to identify yourself when speaking with any university employee in any department concerning any of your student records protected by FERPA.
What is my GPA requirement?All undergraduate programs require a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale except the Bachelor of Social Work program, which requires a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a minimum major GPA of 2.8 to graduate. All graduate programs require a minimum GPA of 3.0 to persist to graduation. Some graduate programs have additional academic policies beyond the cumulative GPA. See your program for details.
Further GPA information can be found in the Academic Catalog under 'Grade Point Average.' You can also find your specific program requirements in your Academic Evaluation found in Student Planning.
I ordered my books, but I won't have them before the module begins. What should I do?Please reach out to your instructor as soon as possible to inform them of the situation. They may be able to assist you until your textbooks arrive. You will find your instructor's email address via Student Planning and Moodle. Also, be sure to check with the bookstore or seller for updates on your shipment.
How do I contact my instructor?If you are trying to reach out before the module starts, you can find your instructor’s name in Self Service by checking ‘My Schedule.’ Your instructor’s contact information can also be found within your course’s Moodle shell under ‘Contact Your Instructor’ once the module has begun. Make sure you contact them by using your AU email account and allow up to 48 hours for a response. You can find office hours as well as phone numbers in the same place.
What are the technology requirements for my online degree?All AU Online students must have unrestricted access to a computer or mobile device with high-speed internet to participate in online courses. AU Online uses Moodle to host its online classes. We recommend that documents submitted to Moodle be in .docx or .pdf format. (For those using Google docs, download the file and save in a .pdf format before uploading into the Moodle classroom.)
To register for a course, log into Self Service. Next, click on Student Planning.
From the Student Planning homepage click on Go to Plan & Schedule under Plan your Degree & Register for Classes. This will display your personalized Plan your Degree and Schedule your courses page. There are four headings at the top of the page – Schedule, Timeline, Advising, and Petitions & Waivers.
Navigate to the Schedule tab to view your current registrations and planned course sections. If your registration window is open, the Register buttons under each course section or the Register Now button in the top right corner of the window will be highlighted. You use the Register buttons to register or waitlist for course sections individually, or the Register Now button to register for all of your chosen classes for a term at one time.
After successfully registering for course sections, the classes will highlight in green and note “Registered, but not started” in the left menu. Feel free to click here for detailed directions.
What is a Timeline?The Timeline on Self-Service is a space for you to add courses and build a potential course schedule before registration. This is also a place where academic advisors can pre-load your course schedule so that you can register quickly – much like an online shopping cart. To have courses added to your Timeline, please contact your academic advisor.
How do I drop a course?Once you’ve logged into Self Service, click on Student Planning.
From the Student Planning homepage click on Go to Plan & Schedule under Plan your Degree & Register for Classes. This will display your personalized Plan your Degree and Schedule your courses page. There are four headings at the top of the page – Schedule, Timeline, Advising, and Petitions & Waivers.
To drop any courses, click the Drop button next to the course on the Schedule tab. This will display a list of courses available to drop. Select the courses you want to drop and click Update. Any classes you drop will revert to Planned on the Schedule tab.
Feel free to click here for detailed directions. (Step 13 and 14 specifically help with dropping courses)
Click here to view important dates and deadlines on the Academic Calendar.
Will courses be offered in the summer?Yes. All of AU’s online programs are designed to offer continuous enrollment for all six modules, providing flexibility for students like you. This year-round enrollment is proven to help online students graduate at a much higher rate than traditional on-campus course rotations. If, for any reason, you need to take time off from your studies, please contact your academic advisor. Taking time off may have financial or completion implications and your academic advisor, along with your financial aid counselor, can help you plan.
What are the dates I need to remember for each module?You can find important dates on the AU website here. The Academic Calendar is available here. Reach out to your academic advisor with any questions you may have regarding additional dates and deadlines specific to your program.
How do I apply for graduation?You will receive an e-mail from the Registrar’s Office when your graduation application is available in Self-Service. Then, you can apply. Click here for detailed directions regarding how to apply for graduation. For more information about commencement, please click here.
When will my course appear in Moodle?Your course shell(s) will appear on Moodle the morning of the first day of class. To view the Academic Calendar and more important dates, please click here.
Aurora University’s Student Handbook, also known as the A-Book, is a great resource for understanding the mission and core values of AU, as well as expectations for you as a student. From Code of Conduct policies to disciplinary hearing processes, the A-Book is designed to familiarize you with the university’s services.
You can find the A-Book here.
What tutoring services and other resources are available to me?There are several resources available to you as an online student:
Tutor.com – Tutor.com provides 24/7 content support, and you can submit up to two papers in its drop-off essay review service. The link can be found in each of your courses in Moodle.
Collaboration Corner in Moodle – The Collaboration Corner is a helpful tool for working with your classmates to discuss course topics and help each other learn.
Disability Resource Office – The DRO is designed to ensure access to education at Aurora University for all students with disabilities, as mandated by the American with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Services may include accommodations or adaptions to policies, practices, and procedures to offer equal access. For more information, visit aurora.edu/dro.
A link to the Library is in each online classroom. You can also access the library through your Okta page: https://libguides.aurora.edu/az.php
What is my Progress Tab, and where can I find that?Your Progress Tab is a degree audit that provides a detailed look at your progress through your program. It lists all the courses required for degree completion, the courses you have completed or transferred in, and your remaining courses. It also provides an ‘At a glance’ section where you can find your current GPA and anticipated date of completion.
This evaluation will be up-to-date each time you open it. Your academic evaluation can be found in Student Planning through Self-Service. Once you log in to your account, select ‘Progress’ on the main menu.
Where do I find the textbooks that I need for my courses?Navigate to the Student Planning Home Page. Next, click on Go to Plan & Schedule under Plan your Degree & Register for Classes. Make sure you are viewing the Schedule Tab. Click on the course title of any course in the left menu. Then, scroll to the bottom of the pop-up window and click Bookstore Information. This will bring you to the Aurora University Bookstore’s website.
Click here for detailed directions for ordering textbooks using your Course Schedule in Student Planning.
You can check with the financial aid office directly at finaid@aurora.edu. They will determine whether your Financial Aid documents are complete and can help you determine what you still need.
I have questions about my financial aid. Who should I contact?If you have questions specific to your Financial Aid package, contact the Financial Aid office directly finaid@aurora.edu
Can I get financial aid during the summer term?Be sure to plan your Financial Aid coverage for year-round enrollment. You can check with the financial aid office early in the academic year to start the planning process, as every student’s financial aid package is different. Summer financial aid requires an additional application that must be submitted for packaging to occur. You should also check your Self-Service account under the Financial Aid section for missing documents and needed financial aid items. Reach out to the Financial Aid office with any questions: finaid@aurora.edu.
What is a book voucher?A book voucher is a way to use financial aid resources to cover your textbooks. Contact the Financial Aid Office to find out if you have funds for a book voucher. You can request a book voucher by contacting Student Accounts, through the AU bookstore site, and on Student Planning. You will need to fill out a ‘Student Authorization Agreement’ to indicate that financial aid funds may be used for charges other than tuition. Note that vouchers may only be used in the AU bookstore.
When will I receive my financial aid refund?Please check the Important Dates page, including the disclaimer at the bottom, for information specific to refund dates here.
Please check your AU email as much as possible. It is recommended that you check your email at least once daily. This is the main form of communication between you and the university, your instructors, and your academic advisor. Some emails may be time-sensitive or contain important information.
To abide by federal FERPA regulations, all communication must take place using your AU email account. No information may be sent to, or action taken from, personal email addresses.
How do I reset my passwords for Student Planning, Moodle, and AU email account?Self Service, Moodle, and your AU email account are accessed through the same username and password. If you need to reset your password for any of these, follow the instructions here.
Can I access my AU email on my phone?You can check your AU email (Office 365) account on your mobile device. Just follow the instructions here.
I need help with Moodle. Who can I contact?Moodle provides excellent support through email, phone, FAQs, and chat. On Moodle's homepage, locate the 'Help Center' on the right. There, you will find resources to help. You do not need to be logged in to seek support through Moodle.
