How does a National Center for Student Life course work?

A National Center For Student Life online course is very easy to use. Once you register and log-in to the course website, you’ll have access to all course documents. You’ll watch the course welcome video, review the user guide, print your course materials, and then you’re ready to begin.

For each module, first watch the 40 minute presentation on the topic, then work through the activity or case study. After that, we encourage you to review the processing questions to deepen your understanding of the module material and then pause to consider how you’ll implement the strategies you’ve learned from the module.

Next, you can complete the Check on Learning, a quick five-question quiz at the end of each module to gauge your understanding of the module content. After you complete the Check on Learning, you’re ready to move on to the next module. Your scores on the Checks on Learning do not affect your final assessment score to receive the Certified Student Leader designation.

After you’ve completed all eight modules, you’ll want to review your handouts and notes before proceeding to the final assessment.

After passing the final assessment with an 80% or better score, you’ll be able to print out your certificate, supporting your new designation as a Certified Student Leader®.


When are the course modules available?

The National Center For Student Life course modules are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on-demand, so you can work whenever it’s convenient for you.


How many times can a participant access each course module?

National Center For Student Life course modules can be accessed as many times as participants would like. This can be beneficial for reviewing the course material prior to completing the final assessment.


How long is the certification valid?

Your designation as a Certified Student Leader® is a life-long certification. You never need to renew your certification.


I want the best per person price available, but my student organization only has so many members. What can I do?

Be resourceful! You can invite other campus organizations to certify their student leaders as well, thereby increasing the number of participants on campus and bumping you up to the next registration level (with better per person pricing).


When will I receive the instructions for accessing the course?

Registration instructions are sent via email from our Customer Service Department within five business days of receipt of your order.


When will I receive the handouts for the course?

Once you receive your course registration instructions from our Customer Service Department, you’ll be able to create your account on our course website and begin the course. Once you enter the course, you will be able to access the course supplemental materials packet and print the packet for your use during the course.


What is the final assessment?

The final assessment tests your knowledge of the course material to ensure you meet the requirements for certification as a Certified Student Leader®. It consists of 50 multiple choice, true/false, and matching questions. To pass the final assessment, you must receive a score of 80% or better. You’ll have one attempt to complete the final assessment.


How do I advance the slides in each course module?

The slides are presented one at a time as the presenter goes through them. They advance automatically whenever the presenter moves on to the next slide. When viewing the course modules, you have the ability to skip ahead in the program, or go back to previously covered material, and the appropriate slides will be in sync with the video being shown. Copies of the slides are also included in the printable handouts that are offered with theonline course.


I will have a group of participants viewing the course together. Can I make copies of the handouts for the participants?

Yes, you are allowed to make as many copies of the course handouts as you need for course participants.


Do you have transcripts of the course modules?

Yes, transcripts of each module are available within thecourse website.


Do you offer continuing education credits for courses?

We do not offer continuing education credits for any of our courses.


Does National Center for Student Life offer a satisfaction guarantee for courses?

Your satisfaction with this National Center For Student Life course is important to us. If you are not completely satisfied with the online course, let us know within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.


What technology do I need to view a course?

• High speed internet connection.
• Sound card with speakers.
• Cookies enabled in your web browser.
• Projector if you will be viewing the program as a group.

Operating SystemBrowserMedia Player
Windows 2000 or later• Internet Explorer 6.0 with Service Pack 1 or later
• Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or later
Windows Media Player 9.0 or later
Mac OSX 10.4.8 or later• Safari 2.0.4 or later
• Firefox 2.0 or later
Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 or later (You should be prompted to download/install upon first attempt to play a presentation. If not, you can download it here: http://silverlight.net/.)

Why is the audio and/or video choppy when I try to view the course modules?

If the audio and/or video appear choppy, it might be because of the network used to connect to the course modules. We recommend viewing the presentation from a computer that can independently access the internet.


What should I do if my computer won’t access the course modules?

If you have trouble accessing the course modules, try disabling your pop-up blocker. You should also check your computer/network firewall settings to make sure they are not blocking the presentation.


I am having audio and/or video playback issues. What can I do to resolve this?

Please check that you meet the minimum requirements, including having bandwidth speed of at least 256 Kbps.

If you can’t hear the audio, make sure your computer’s speakers are properly connected, turned on, and not muted. Also verify that your computer’s volume control is turned up (on a PC, this is typically found in the system tray in the bottom right corner of the Windows task bar or under Control Panel > Sound).

If you are still having playback issues, you can also try adjusting the streaming protocol settings in Windows Media Player:

  1. Open Windows Media Player and click Tools/Options.
  2. Go to the Player tab and be sure “Connect to Internet” is marked with a check.
  3. Go to Network tab, and under the heading “Streaming Protocols”, be sure all of the boxes except the box that says UDP are marked with a check.
  4. Close out of Media Player and re-connect to the presentation link (you may have to exit your browser first before the changes take effect).

Please note: If you are uncomfortable making these changes, or are not authorized or able to do so, please consult with your IT staff before attempting to change these settings.

For IT staff: Please ensure the following ports are open for the Windows Media stream:
UDP: 554, 5005
TCP: 554
HTTP: 80


I am using a Mac, and I meet the requirements for playing the course modules, but it still does not work. What else can I do?

It is likely that your computer has the Flip4Mac Windows Media component for QuickTime installed. This interferes with the Media Player plug-in that is required to play the course modules. To disable the Flip4Mac plug-in:

  1. Click your desktop, and select Apple > System Preferences to open the Mac System Preferences.
  2. Under Other, click Flip4Mac WMV.
  3. On the Plug-in tab, clear the “Use Flip4Mac WMV Internet Plug-in” checkbox.
  4. Exit the dialog to save your changes.
  5. Try to play a presentation. You may have to re-launch your browser for the change to take effect.