Help & Common Questions

First, use the Search for Classes link in your MySWC account to access the Self-Service system. You can narrow your search using the Course Type dropdown, and you can also look at the section number. At SWC, the section number of a class indicates the class format:

• Online (section number in 500s): fully online and asynchronous in Canvas, with no required class meetings.
• Live Online (section number in the 400s): required virtual class meetings using Zoom videoconferencing on listed days/times, with no in-person campus meetings.
• In-Person Hybrid (section number in 600s): mix of required online learning in Canvas and required in-person class meetings on listed days/times.
• Live-Online Hybrid (section number in 700s): mix of required online learning in Canvas and required virtual class meetings using Zoom videoconferencing on listed days/times.

Back to top

Counseling and Career Advancement can help you make sure the courses you take fulfill your program requirements by helping you complete a Student Education Plan. 

Back to top

To add a waitlisted course or crash an online class:

1. If you attempt to enroll in a full or closed course prior to the first day of the term, you may have the option to be placed on the course waitlist. If space becomes available during the first few days of the term, the instructor will provide you with an "add authorization code" to enroll in Student Self-Service. Waitlists are first come, first served, and add codes are distributed in order. Because you cannot attend an online class unless you are enrolled, it is wise to check in by emailing the instructor.
2. If you are attempting a crash a course on or after the first day of class, contact the instructor to indicate your interest in taking the course and to request an add authorization code.
3. If you are issued an add authorization code, you will need to enroll in the class by the registration date indicated. Add codes expire if they are not used, meaning you can lose your opportunity to add a course if you do not use the add code within the dates specified by your instructor and/or SWC. Check your course information in Student Self-Service for term-specific add, withdraw, and drop dates.

Back to top

To drop your online class, you will need to drop the class by the withdrawal dates listed for your course information in MySWC.

Failure to withdraw from a course by indicated deadlines may result in students being given a failing grade in the course, which can impact part-time or full-time status, financial aid, scholarships, extra-curricular participation, and/or transfer opportunities.

Back to top

SWC uses the Canvas learning management system to facilitate course instruction in online, hybrid, and in-person classes. Canvas offers basic computer specifications for its users, and there are also some things you can do to make sure your computer runs smoothly with Canvas, such as:

• fully restart your computer from time to time
• update your internet browser and software updates before the start of each term
• clear your web browser history and cookies often

Back to top

It is necessary to have frequent access to a reliable internet connection to do well in online or hybrid classes. Canvas updates its list of supported browsers often; Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox are recommended.

And did you know? California Connects is a low-cost mobile internet service sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges.

Back to top

Definitely! There are several spots on SWC's various campuses where you can use a desktop computer to complete your work.

Campus	Location
Chula Vista	Library - Interdisciplinary Tutoring Center (64-620) ASO Computer Lab (67A-601D) Academic Success Center (26-420)
National City	Open Computer Lab (7208A)
Otay Mesa	Open Computer Lab (4424)
San Ysidro	Open Computer Lab (5203)

While using a phone or mobile device is convenient to quickly check Canvas for course updates and review course content, plan to use a full computer at least once a week to successfully complete course activities such as Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, and more.

Back to top

Check your syllabus for any software requirements; your instructor should indicate required course software. Low-cost or free software is often available for students.

Get Microsoft 365 free with your SWC email address! Microsoft 365 includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

SWC students have free access to the Google Workspace suite of applications, including:

• Google Drive (cloud storage)
• Google Docs (word processing)
• Google Slides (presentations)
• Google Sheets (spreadsheets)
• and more!

And when you link your SWC Google Drive to Canvas, you can submit files directly from your SWC Google Drive account to Canvas to easily complete course activities. Learn more about SWC's Google Workspace.

Back to top

We can definitely assist you!

Canvas is a Course Management System (CMS). It helps schools provide secure, authenticated online work spaces for instructors to teach students through content and activities and for students to interact with the material, the instructor, and each other. Students can turn in their work online, access grades, and communicate with their instructor and other students through the system. All online and hybrid courses at SWC use Canvas, and many in-person courses do, too.

The California Community College system selected Canvas as the statewide CMS for all of the state's community colleges.

Want to learn more about Canvas? Visit Explore Online Learning. And once you're an enrolled student at SWC, you can always contact the Online Learning Center for Canvas support. We've got some great resources for you.

Back to top

By default, all students who enroll in classes at SWC are issued a SWC email address.

Your Canvas courses will link to your SWC email account. It is important to check your SWC email regularly for important college announcements and course updates.

Back to top

Yes and no.

No: Your SWC email account is connected to Canvas and used for important campus-wide announcements and course updates. It is important to check your SWC email regularly.

Yes: Once you become enrolled and begin to take classes in Canvas, you can add a secondary email address so that you get Canvas notifications in both locations. This will only forward communication from Canvas, not SWC, so plan to still check your SWC email regularly for important campus information.

Back to top

Log in to MySWC and select the Canvas tile. You will be taken directly to the Canvas Dashboard, which should list your current classes once the academic term has started.

Back to top

1. Log in to MySWC.
2. Select the "Forgot password?" link.
3. Enter your username. Be prepared to verify your password change with an additional email and/or phone that receives text messages.

If you need additional password assistance, please contact Admissions & Records for a manual password reset.

Back to top

Online and hybrid courses meet the same length of time as on-campus classes. Course dates are listed in the class schedule on MySWC; there are often Fast Track or short term online courses offered each term. 

Add and drop dates for each class can be found in MySWC's course information. Contact your instructor if you need more information.

Back to top

• Online: Online courses meet exclusively in Canvas (no on-campus meetings)
• Live Online: These classes have scheduled meetings in Zoom.
• Hybrid: Mandatory class meetings will be held either on campus (in-person hybrid) or in Zoom (live-online hybrid), and the remainder of the class time will be asynchronous in Zoom. See Explore Online Learning for more details.

Back to top

One of the key benefits of your online class is that it's ALWAYS available to you. The internet is available 24 hours a day and so is your online class in Canvas. But . . . this does not mean you will be able to complete a full term's worth of work in one week, or a full week of work in one day.

Your instructor will determine the pace of your course. This usually means that your instructor has designed course deadlines to be evenly spaced throughout the term, which will be indicated in your Canvas Calendar, Syllabus Course Summary, and/or Grades. Course content and activities, however, such as quizzes and tests, assignments, discussions, and projects might only be available for a certain length of time. Arranging a course with a variety of deadlines spread out over a school term promotes interaction between you and your classmates so that everyone can all work through the course material together as a class, and it also allows your instructor to provide instruction and feedback in a timely manner to help you prepare for and successfully complete the next course activity.

You'll want to make sure to  note your course's weekly schedule of events, such as when new content is released, weekly activities are due, and grades and feedback will be updated.

Back to top

First, always check MySWC to make sure you're enrolled in the course, under Academic Profile/My class schedule.

Second, SWC faculty must publish their course in Canvas to make it available to students, similar to turning something on by flipping a switch.

• If it's before the start of the term,  you probably won't see any courses listed in Canvas. If you're a brand new student, this means you might not be able to successfully access Canvas until your classes actually start. This is normal, so be patient and stay tuned!
• If it's the first day of class for your online course, your instructor may still need to make the class active by publishing it in Canvas. All online classes must be published no later than 10:00 am on the first day of the term. Contact your instructor if your course is not showing by this time, and if you do not receive a response, please contact the Online Learning Center to let us know. 
• If it's the first day of your hybrid course, many hybrid course instructors hold an on-campus meeting first before publishing the online component in Canvas. This means that you might not be able to find your hybrid course in Canvas until after the first in-person meeting. Contact your instructor to inquire if this is the case.

Remember that while all online and hybrid courses at SWC utilize Canvas, instructors of in-person classes have the option to decide if they want to use Canvas as a course supplement or not. Your instructor will let you know.

Back to top

Students often have the misconception that online classes will not be as challenging as in-person classes. In fact, the opposite is often true: an online course might take a lot of work, especially if this is your first online class. While online classes are more convenient for many students, fitting into their busy lives and providing a slightly more flexible schedule, they do not take less time.

Although online classes do not take place in a physical classroom, you should expect to spend as much, if not more, time and energy to successfully complete an online class. Just like the traditional classroom, you are expected to access course content and complete assignments, take exams, write papers and participate in online discussions and interactive activities with your classmates.

Back to top

Your online class will likely use the same textbook as a in-person section of the course would use. Some textbooks are physical hard copies of a book and others might be online e-books or content. Some are free and some require a purchase. Your instructor will list required course textbook(s) in the class syllabus. Textbook information can be found at the Southwestern College Bookstore.

Back to top

Course assignments will be delivered and submitted within your course in Canvas.

Be sure to note all course due dates so that you submit all course work on time. There are several tools in Canvas that can help you keep track of deadlines, including:

• using the Calendar feature
• setting your Dashboard to List View
• checking the Course Summary of class deadlines in Syllabus (if your instructor has made this area of Canvas available to students)
• looking in Grades for course due dates

Note that not all course activities will appear on your general Canvas Dashboard or course-specific To Do list, so it's a best practice to double-check due dates in the other locations from time to time. If you have downloaded the Canvas Student App and have set up your Notifications, you can receive email and text messages when new course activities are ready to be completed.

Back to top

Just like in-person class, your course grade will be based on a combination of activities like assignments, discussions, quizzes, tests and exams, labs, papers, presentations, and/or projects. The grading policy for your online class should be clearly be outlined in the course syllabus. Instructors might also use rubrics, provide text, audio, and/or video feedback, and annotate submitted files in order to clearly convey how your work was graded.

Back to top

Select the Grades link from the course menu in Canvas. If Grades is not available in your Canvas course, contact your instructor for additional information.

Some online activities may be automatically graded (Quizzes), while other activities (Assignments and Discussions) require customized grading by the instructor. Setting up Canvas Notifications will allow Canvas to email and/or text you to let you know activities have been graded and are ready for your review.

Back to top

Before the term starts, you can contact your instructor by locating their email address in:

• the SWC Faculty & Staff Directory
• class information in MySWC

After the term begins, most instructors prefer that students use the Canvas Inbox messaging system to check in. Your course syllabus will also provide additional contact information, such as an office phone number, text number, or online video conference link, and your instructor will let you know the their preferred communication method and response times, as well as the frequency that they'll check in with students each day or week during the term.

Back to top

There are several ways you can find answers to your questions about an online class.

• Before the term starts, you can always email your instructor at their SWC email address. Note that faculty might not check their SWC email regularly during campus breaks (summer vacation or winter break) or if they are teaching a second 8-week class starting later in the term, so please be patient as you await a reply.
• Once the term has started, there are several methods of contact your instructor might use for your online class. For general course questions, many instructors create a "Q&A" discussion, where you can ask your classmates and instructor about course materials, assignments, etc. This is helpful so the entire class can see what questions have been asked and answered about the course.
• For private questions about your specific grades or personal situations you need to discuss with your instructor, you can:
  
  • message your instructor through the Canvas Inbox
  • email your instructor directly through their SWC email address

Successful online students make a point to be in contact with their instructor; seek help early if assistance is needed.

Back to top

SWC offers several Canvas Student Orientations at the start of each term. See Prep for Online Learning for the current schedule.

Back to top

Student have several options to request Canvas support:

• Contact or drop by the Online Learning Center at the Chula Vista campus. Contact info is below under Get In Touch.
• Contact Canvas Student Support online:
  • via Live Chat 24/7
  • place a ticket for Canvas support via the Help icon in the Canvas menu under Report a Problem

Students can also refer to the following helpful Canvas resources for assistance:

• Canvas Video Guide (see All Users and Students)
• Canvas Student Guide
• Canvas Mobile Guide (for the Canvas Student App in both Android and iOS)

Back to top