Getting Started

Taking Your First Online Class

Students taking online courses will use the Blackboard course management system at Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC).

• View Welcome to OFTC and Blackboard NSO video as a PDF.
• Tour Blackboard
• Software and hardware requirements
• Search Current Online Courses through GVTC
• Bb Student Mobile App

On the First Day of Class

Please use the following instructions to access your course(s) on the first day of class.

1. OFTC now requires all faculty and students to access Blackboard, Banner, DegreeWorks, and other college platforms through MyOFTC Dashboard using an authentication service called Okta. Please review the Quick Start Guide to set up your login.
   • Your username will be your OFTC email account (example:  tmsmith5@student.oftc.edu).
   • Your password was provided during OFTC registration.
2. Once your Okta account is successfully set up, click the Blackboard logo on the Okta landing page to access Blackboard.
3. Click the course link on the Blackboard page to access a course.
4. Follow your instructor’s directions for indicating your enrollment in a course. Failure to complete the required submission at the beginning of the semester will result in being submitted as a “no show” for a course or courses.

Software

BLACKBOARD & Additional Online Information for Students

On-Campus OR Proctored Test Requirements

The Test Proctoring Procedure at Oconee Fall Line Technical College was developed to ensure the security and integrity of distance education student testing.

The proctored event may be the final exam or other exam or project as determined by the instructor. If a student does not take the proctored event for that course, the student receives a grade of F for that course.

OFTC has 3 proctoring exam choices:

1. A face-to-face exam with the course instructor or designee
2. Respondus Monitor
3. A third-party proctor with prior approval from the course instructor

Respondus Monitor, a web-based, remote proctoring software may be used instead of an on-campus proctored event. System requirements for taking a proctored exam using Respondus Monitor include:

• Windows:  10 and 11 (Respondus no longer supports Windows 7 and 8)
• Mac:  macOS 10.15 to 14.0+
• iOS:  12.0+ (iPad only)
• Chromebook:  Chromebook extension from Google Web Store required for Respondus download
• Web camera (internal or external) and microphone
• A broadband Internet connection

If a student is taking an online exam outside of our service area or has extenuating circumstances and cannot utilize Respondus Monitor, he/she may request a proctor from another technical college or a proctor from outside of OFTC from the list below. Students are required to provide the proctor with Test Proctor Guidelines and complete the Non-OFTC Proctor Approval Application. The completed application needs to be returned to the instructor at least three weeks before the exam.

A family member or personal friend cannot be an approved proctor.

Proctors may be selected from the following groups:

1. A faculty member, assessment staff, or administrator of another technical college in Georgia
2. A faculty member, assessment staff, or administrator of an accredited university or college
3. A vocational rehabilitation counselor
4. A school superintendent, principal, or counselor
5. A commissioned or noncommissioned officer whose rank is higher than the student’s own for military students

OFTC does not assess any charges for OFTC distance education students’ proctoring services. OFTC students requesting proctoring services at other TCSG institutions will not be assessed proctoring fees, nor will OFTC assess proctoring fees for a student requesting proctoring services provided the student is enrolled at a TCSG college.

OFTC students choosing proctoring services to be rendered by a non-TCSG college or organization may be assessed a proctoring fee at the discretion of the non-TCSG college or organization.

New Student Orientation

Students can choose to view OFTC’s online orientation or attend in-person orientation session held at each campus, each term. Dates and times are advertised every semester.

The purpose of the orientation is to familiarize new students with the College, its policies and procedures, state and federal rules and regulations, safety, work ethics, and other issues of importance to the students’ general welfare while attending classes at Oconee Fall Line Technical College. Students are given information needed to access the  Student Handbook and other documents that contain all the rules, regulations, and general information with which students should become familiar.

• View OFTC’s New Student Orientation