Fees
Students are required to pay fees as set by the various institutions for which Coolamon College delivers its distance mode topics. Because the schedule of fees varies from year to year, please check that all forms and fees you are using are up to date, or contact the national office, to ensure the correct amount is paid at the time of enrolment.

The College provides for students:

Additional student support is available. In the Discover Stream, support comes from your local group. In the Explore and Deepen Streams, students arrange for a local Support Person to talk to. In postgraduate coursework programmes, students join an email discussion group with a qualified tutor; and postgraduate research degrees assign each student two Supervisors.

Students may enrol any time from 1 February to 30 November. Once you enrol, you have 26 weeks to complete the work for the topic or topics.

Coolamon College has published a Manual to help students with study skills. This is entitled Enjoy your studies: study skills for successful students by Joan McRae-Benson. Completely revised for 2005, it is available from the national office for $10 plus $1 postage. This essential resource can help manage the total study process.

Flinders University also has a valuable online resource for students: http://www.flinders.edu.au/SLC/skills.htm

Textbooks
While students in several states are able to purchase resources through local bookshops run by Uniting Church synods, we are also negotiating to ensure that required textbooks will be kept in stock by The Open Book. Students officially enrolled with Coolamon are eligible for discounts of 20 % through their on-line catalogue and ordering services at:
http://www.openbook.com.au/shop/default.asp?code=|55TH|&lvl=0&t=theology

From 2005, students in award programmes (Explore and Deepen Streams) with the Adelaide College of Divinity will be eligible for access to an extensive on-line database through the Adelaide Theological Library. Consult the ACD Handbook for details.

Thanks to a generous bequest, Coolamon College has its own small library including required texts for our topics and some additional resources. Those having difficulty purchasing textbooks are encouraged to contact the national office and enquire about borrowing them. (Victorian students may be able to borrow textbooks from the Otira College library - phone 03 9853 2000.)

Assessment means showing how well you have understood the material.
Student assignments are marked by one of the Coolamon assessors across Australia, looking for signs of what students have learned and how well it has been demonstrated. At the heart of any assignment is this task:

to use both research and original thinking in order to present and defend,
in your own words, a central idea or set of ideas.

Work for assessment must be mailed with the (pink) cover sheets provided, and cannot be processed otherwise. Mailing addresses are indicated on these cover sheets.

Students must keep a copy of assignment work, as occasionally an assignment is lost in the mail. The College cannot accept responsibility for assignments lost in transit.

Please do not send assignments in binders, as these needlessly add to the cost of postage.
In some topics, students may apply to submit their assignments in languages other than English. This will only be possible where a suitably qualified person who reads the language is available.

Assignments are not processed between 1 December and 31 January.

Academic Honesty
Students should be careful to ensure that their work meets the standards of academic integrity required by Coolamon College and our accrediting institutions. Please note the policies on plagiarism that apply in the ACD, Flinders University, and Coolamon College. Each assignment must be presented with a signed and dated Declaration:

I have familiarised myself with the University’s and ACD’s policy on plagiarism. Except where appropriately acknowledged, this assignment is my own work, has been expressed in my own words, and has not previously been submitted for assessment. I understand that this paper may be screened electronically or otherwise for plagiarism. (signed, with date)

How can a Congregation use Coolamon resources?
In some places, a congregation or group of congregations has encouraged a group of people to enrol in College topics as an adult education program. When this happens, the minister/priest or other theologically trained person may be the support person. It is important for the support person to assist the students in the way the students choose. A range of options is listed in the Student Support Manual available from the national office.

The materials are not designed to be taught in a face-to-face class. Distance Education materials have their own integrity with built-in distance education strategies, which are different from what happens in a face-to-face teaching situation. Seminars are, however, extremely useful, provided the students have done their individual study before hand and the seminar focuses on students’ discoveries, insights and questions, as well as the practical applications to ministry.

The Discover Stream is specifically designed for use by small groups in a congregational setting. There are no additional assessment requirements beyond the requirements for participation in the group. Uniting Church congregations especially are encouraged to take advantage of the topics on Elders and Church Leadership designed to help those seeking a better understanding of the Church Council and other leaders. See the resources available at the website of Uniting Education.