What is the difference between Veritas Scholars Academy’s Live Course Audit, Self-Paced Audit, and Independent Study?

Option 1: Live Course Audit This option is for part-time students only.

Diploma students may not take this as a teacher is not involved and, therefore, can not be accredited or put on a Veritas official transcript.

• A student auditing a class will be enrolled in a separate Audit section of the course.

• They will have access to archives and the Course Assignment Sheet (a document detailing the schedule of assignments) but will not have access to any of the online materials, such as homework assessments, tests, and exams.

• No teacher contact occurs with course audits. It’s a “product,” not a “service.”

Option 2: Self-Paced Audit This option is also for part-time students.

A family may choose to switch their Self-Paced course to an audit for free at any point in the course. When auditing a Self-Paced course, all lessons and slides are unlocked, allowing a student to skip over slides on his/her own (a student may even do lessons out of order if desired).

• The course will not keep track of progress. It is up to the student to keep track of which lessons they've completed and which lesson is coming next.

• The course will not keep a record of the student's grades. The student will still be able to complete every test and worksheet, and the score will be presented for the student to see (as it is now). However, the student must print those results immediately before closing the lesson to keep a record of their grade. Once the lesson is closed, the score is gone.

• The course is no longer eligible for return since more than 50% of the course is available to the family.

• Once a course is switched to an audit, we CANNOT switch it back EVER. That course will NEVER be re-locked for the student, even if the family re-purchases the course.

Option 3: Archive Delay This option is for both Diploma and part-time students.

Archive delay is available for students who absolutely need a specific class but cannot attend a class on the day and time available. The student may miss out on valuable live discussions, but will benefit from a Veritas education nonetheless in some degree.

• All assignments and tests are due as stated on the Course Assignment Sheet (CAS) for the course.

• The parent and student must notify the teacher at the beginning of the course if the student will be attending the course with archive delay.

• Often the teacher will have specific requirements for Archive Delay students, including requesting the student to attend class on presentation days, oral exam days, etc.

• For each class missed, students are expected to watch the class archive before the next class, as students are responsible for material discussed during the missed class, as well as obtaining any notes or assignments. For each archive viewed, students should complete the Archive Viewing Report and give a three to five sentence summary of the material covered in the archive as a measure of accountability.

• For students utilizing Archive Delay, Relevant Class Participation grades will be based on Archive Viewing Reports. Each Archive Viewing Report is worth 5 points; missing reports are deducted from, and noted on, the quarterly Participation grade.

Option 4: Independent Study (IS) This option is for Diploma students only.

Although IS is available for Diploma students, considerable circumstances are required to approve this course within the Diploma Program. Independent Study courses require a high level of ownership and responsibility from the student. The student is expected to be proactive in attending all scheduled meetings with his/her teacher and completing all coursework.

• The Academic Advisor will work with the parent to determine when an IS course is appropriate. First-year VSA students may not take an IS class without permission from the Headmaster.

• Students meet with the teacher for an initial meeting and then four additional times throughout the course. These meetings will occur quarterly. Meetings are an essential component of the course. Attendance at these meetings will factor into the student’s Class Participation grade.

• Students view course archives and complete the Archive Viewing Report in Schoology. For each archive, students are expected to give a three to five sentence summary of the material covered in the archive. Class Participation grade will be based on the completion of these reports. The grading rubric is available on the course page.

• Students complete all coursework on the Course Assignment Sheet within the quarter assigned and understand all work not submitted during the quarter scheduled is subject to late penalties.

• Students must complete all coursework by May 31.

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