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If you are new to online learning, you may have concerns about how these courses work and what you need to do before the semester begins. If you haven't already reviewed the Tips for Success in Distance Learning, click here to do that now. Then complete the important steps below.
Step 1: Review the basic hardware and software requirements for online courses.
 Confirm that your system meets the basic technical requirements for taking CCBC online courses. Also review any course-specific technical prerequisites in the public pages for your course (see Step 3 below). Contact the instructor if you have any questions about the technical requirements.
Most CCBC online courses are created using a course management software called WebCT (identified by the icon at the right). WebCT is not a program that you need to install on your PC. 
Step 2: Access the public pages for the course(s) for which you are registered.
At the top left corner of the Online Classes page, click on the link to the appropriate semester.
Scroll down the alphabetical list of courses to find your course, identified by the 4-letter, 3-digit course code.
Locate the correct section of the course for which you are registered. There may be several sections of the same course taught by different faculty.
Click on the underlined course code (such as ENGL 101) to access the public pages of the course and section for which you are registered.
Use the links on the left side of the page to explore updated course information, especially the schedule and syllabus (including course orientation information and required texts).
If the link to your course’s public pages is not activated one week before the semester begins, please email dstitz@ccbcmd.edu or jmartin@ccbcmd.edu.
Step 3: Contact your instructor(s) via email.
From the list of online courses, scroll to your course and click on the instructor’s email link to send an email message, informing him or her that you are registered for the course. You must do this for each course for which you are registered. Include the following information:
· Your full name
· The college that you are attending (there may be students enrolled from other colleges)
· The online course for which you are registered (the instructor may teach several)
· Your full street address
· Your personal email address
· The phone number(s) where you can be reached most easily
· Any accommodations that you may require due to disability
Step 4: One week before the start of the semester, log in to the MyWebCT page.
During the month prior to the start of classes you will receive a letter in the mail that contains your WebCT ID and password. If you have not received this letter one week before the start of classes, please call 410-455-4295, or email either bschwart@ccbcmd.edu or jsarinsky@ccbcmd.edu.
(Note: The login ID and password to WebCT is NOT the same as the login to the CCBC Online Information System (SIMON). If you have questions concerning SIMON, please contact the Records Office.)
(Note: If your course is NOT a WebCT course, the following instructions do not apply. Contact your instructor to receive login instructions.)
To log in to WebCT:
1. Return to the public pages for your course. From the menu bar on the left side, click on the "Login" link. (The link may be called something else, such as "Communications.")
2. When the "Distance Learning" page appears, click on the oval “Login” button at the upper left under the orange banner. You may want to bookmark this page for easy access.
TIP: Check this page daily for important announcements!
3. When the next screen appears you will be prompted to enter your WebCT ID and password. Your WebCT ID is printed at the top of the letter that you will receive in the mail. Beginning in Summer 2006, your initial password will be the last 6 digits of your Student ID number. For added security, change your password by going to the "Password Settings" link at the top of the MyWebCT page.
(NOTE: Your Student ID number is printed on your CCBC ID card. If you do not have a CCBC ID card, please contact the Records Office at one of the main campuses.)
You will log in to a "MyWebCT" page, which is your personal portal to all of the CCBC online courses for which you are registered and which use WebCT. Look under "Courses" in the upper left corner of the page. If it says, "You have not added any courses," don't be alarmed; this simply means that the instructor has not yet made the course available. Your instructor may choose not to make the course available until the first day of the semester so that the whole class begins at once. Click on the “Check Browser” link at the top of the page to confirm that you are using a WebCT-supported Web browser, and from there click on “Browser Tune-Up Page” to make sure your browser is configured for WebCT version CE 4.1.
Step 5: Get help with any problems that arise.
If you have any problems, questions or concerns about your WebCT account, click here to go to the CCBC Online Help Desk. Here you will find solutions to most of the common issues that occur at the start of classes, as well as information about various WebCT Orientation Options.
Please use the Online Help Desk resources to troubleshoot any WebCT problems before contacting CCBC. If you cannot find a satisfactory solution, please contact either Donald Stitz (dstitz@ccbcmd.edu, 410-455-4513) or Joel Martin (jmartin@ccbcmd.edu, 410-455-4584). In your message, please state clearly your full name, the nature of the problem, and your email address and/or phone number.
Step 6: On the first day of the semester, access the password-protected course content.
All of your courses should appear on the MyWebCT page by the first day of the semester. If a course does not appear, contact the instructor immediately.
Click on the course title to enter the actual course content.
Once you have successfully entered a course, should you have any questions or concerns about the content or how to navigate it, please contact your instructor.
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After registering for an online class: 