The JCCC Paralegal program is excited to announce the launch of our new online hybrid course options for paralegal students! You will now be able to complete all courses in the program online if that is what works best for you.
Beginning Fall 2020, online hybrid course options provide:
- Real-time interaction with faculty and fellow students on a regular schedule
- Flexibility to access class sessions remotely and to submit assignments, projects, and tests online
Online hybrid courses are taught live online, meaning synchronous (real-time) interaction with your professors and fellow students in an online environment. Descriptions of the course delivery formats JCCC offers are available on the Course Delivery Methods webpage.
We look forward to serving the needs of our students and the legal community by providing this new option, in addition to the existing course format options Paralegal students already enjoy.
Please review the FAQ below for more of the details about the online hybrid course options. You may also reach out to Paralegal Program Chair Gwenda Hawk if you still have questions after reviewing the FAQs.
NEW Online Hybrid Course Options
Frequently Asked Questions
To be successful in an online hybrid course, you will need access to:
- a reliable computer
- a high speed, reliable Internet connection
- a printer-scanner
- a web camera with a microphone
Additionally, you will need to have access to a distraction-free environment where you are able to have your web camera turned on the majority of the time so that you can fully participate in class meetings. If you have concerns about privacy, you may use a virtual background or blur effect to hide your environment. Professors may allow you to occasionally turn your camera off under specific circumstances.
Technology requirements may change, and faculty may have specific requirements for specific courses. Please review recommendations in the course listing before you enroll, and reach out to the professor if you have questions. JCCC may also have resources to assist students in gaining access to appropriate technology—visit the Student Basic Needs Center.
Yes. The content and learning objectives are exactly the same regardless of how the course is delivered. You should receive the same opportunity for a high-quality education through an online hybrid course as you would in a traditional version of the same course on campus.
Beginning in Fall 2020, all faculty who teach in the JCCC Paralegal program have completed specific training on the online learning management system (Canvas). Paralegal faculty who teach core, required courses in the online hybrid format have completed additional training specific to using virtual conferencing applications in those courses. As you will not be attending a physical class session on campus, an online hybrid course will also require more from you as a student to engage with the material, the instructor, and other students.Yes. The ABA recently revised its guidelines, so we will continue to be an ABA-approved program, while being able to meet the needs of prospective students and the legal community in this new way.
Instead of requiring on-campus instruction, the ABA now requires paralegal students to complete nine semester credit hours through synchronous (real-time interaction) instruction, but the synchronous interaction with faculty and fellow students no longer needs to occur on campus. As before, we have designed our course offerings to ensure you will meet this ABA requirement if you complete the Paralegal program entirely through JCCC. If you wish to transfer paralegal course credits from another school, you will need to verify that they fulfill the new “synchronous” learning requirement by scheduling a meeting with the Paralegal Program Chair.
We intend to offer both on-campus sections and online hybrid sections for each of our core, required courses. Both options may not be offered every semester, and enrollment in a particular course and section is always subject to availability.
We intend to offer both on-campus sections and online hybrid sections for each of our core, required courses. Both options may not be offered every semester. You are welcome to enroll in courses that meet on campus, online, or both types, depending on what best meets your needs. Enrollment in a particular course and section is always subject to availability.
An online hybrid course requires synchronous (real-time) interaction with faculty and other students in the form of scheduled meeting times. Those meetings occur via various online meeting or conferencing applications (e.g., Zoom). Most online hybrid courses in the Paralegal program will employ multiple interaction formats to enhance the learning environment. As with a traditional, on-campus course, you should be available to engage in class meetings at the scheduled time throughout the semester.
An online course is taught completely online and does not require synchronous (real-time) interaction with faculty. An online course might include some synchronous interaction with faculty, but in the Paralegal program, those optional sessions are recorded and shared with you to review at your convenience. Online courses are designed to provide the ultimate in flexibility: you are not required to commit to a specific meetings schedule and can complete your work remotely.
However, online courses are not self-paced—they have regular deadlines. Online courses in the Paralegal program may include pre-recorded lectures or mini-lectures, additional websites or articles to review, participation in discussion forums, engagement in collaborative activities with small groups, and other interaction formats to enhance the learning environment.
For a description of all Paralegal course formats, watch this 4-minute video from program chair Gwenda Hawk.
For a demonstration of how to identify the format and schedule for Paralegal courses, watch this 4-minute video from program chair Gwenda Hawk. You can also read the written explanation below
The following is a key to understanding information provided on the course schedule:
- Visit the class schedule
- Select the appropriate term
- Enter "Legal Studies"into the "Subject" field
The results list all courses offered for the Paralegal program that semester. The columns labeled “Campus” and “Meeting Times & Locations” indicate the course delivery format.
Face-To-Face (F2F) courses (also referred to as traditional, on-campus courses)
- The “Campus” column lists “Main”
- The “Meeting Times & Locations” column shows only one grid with days highlighted to represent the specific schedule for class meetings; the Building field that shows the location and the start and end dates for the course appear to the right
This type of course in the Paralegal program meets on campus for all three credit hours per week. You may still be required to prepare for class or submit assignments using online tools like a learning management system.
Online (ONL) courses
- The “Campus” column lists “Online”
- The “Meeting Times & Locations” column shows only one grid, with no days highlighted
This type of course is fully online, with no required synchronous (real-time) meetings.
Hybrid (HYB) courses
- The “Campus” column lists “Online”
- The “Meeting Times & Locations” column shows two or more grids, with select days highlighted on some of the grids
One grid that has no days highlighted appears in all HYB courses. This grid will always list the “Building” field as “Online course” regardless of where the synchronous (real-time) class meetings occur. The start and end dates for the entire course appear to the right of this grid.
Hybrid courses hold meeting sessions on campus
If the “Building” field next to a grid with days highlighted lists a specific on-campus location, then that synchronous (real-time) class meeting occurs on campus.
Online Hybrid courses hold meeting sessions on the web
If the “Building” field next to a grid with days highlighted lists “Web Conferencing Session” then that synchronous (real-time) class meeting occurs online via virtual meeting applications.
Both Hybrid and Online Hybrid courses in the Paralegal program may meet for all three credit hours or for fewer than three credit hours per week:
- The day(s) highlighted indicates what day(s) of the week the course meets
- The times listed to the right of the grid tell you how many hours the class sessions last (generally one to three hours)
When courses do not meet every week of the semester, a separate grid will appear for each scheduled class session. Position your cursor over the “Meeting Times & Locations” field to see the specific dates for each scheduled class session. Or you can click on the course to open a pop-up window so that you can view the details of the course.