Student Experience

Learn more about an array of resources available to you both during and after enrollment in distance education courses at NC State. The list provides descriptions and contact information on topics ranging from admission requirements and disability services to NC State bookstores, forms for international students, and academic advising.

• Alumni Association: Through resources such as special programs and events, newsletters, directories, career centers and travel opportunities, the Alumni Association is actively engaged in the lives of our alumni, and provides our alumni with the opportunity for lifelong community.
• Academic Advising for Distance Education andOnline and DE  Administrative Services: These groups provide academic information to current and potential NC State distance education students. They assist students and potential students and those who do not have a university-assigned advisor with their distance education questions.
• Career Counseling: Through the University’s Career Center and its Alumni Association, NC State provides career services for both students and alumni, supporting you in both planning for and obtaining employment in your current or a new field. The Majors and Careers site is designed to help all undergraduates explore and search their interests and future aspirations.
• Cashiers Office: The Cashiers Office provides financial and account information and services for all NC state students. This includes information about tuition, fees, course cancellations and holds for DE students, as well as financial aid disbursement and direct deposit and other forms.
• Computer Requirements and Skills for DE Courses: Information about basic computer system requirements and a list of computer skills that you will need to complete a DE course can be found at the NC State Distance Learning website.
• Computing Help Desk: A quick and helpful resource for solving computer-related, educational issues. NC State’s Online Computing Help Desk and Knowledge Base provide both general and personalized assistance.
• Disability Services for Students: The Disability Services office facilitates accommodations for all students who disclose a disability, request accommodations, and who meet eligibility criteria.
• Graduate School: The Graduate School website provides information on graduate programs, admissions requirements, and financial, organizational and academic resources.
• Information Technology: NC State prides itself on creating a technology-rich environment for both education and research. The Information Technology site provides information on computer laboratories, your UNITY ID, assistive technologies, technology training programs, residential computing, how to purchase a computer, online class materials, computing essentials and much, much more!
• NC State Bookstores: You can order your textbooks, course materials, supplies computer software and hardware, and NC State accessories either online or on location from NC State Bookstores. Also available from this site are directions to the Bookstores and store hours.
• NC State Libraries: All library services at NC State University are available to the distance education community, and the faculty and staff make every effort to understand and meet your unique needs. Key services and features such as ordering of books and articles, accessing electronic journals and databases, and access to a librarian dedicated to assisting DE students can be found at NC State Libraries website.
• Office of International Services (OIS): The Office of International Services is charged with meeting the administrative, advising, and programming needs for the nonimmigrant students, staff, and faculty at NC State University. Let them help walk you through the opportunities available for research and scholarship and/or the procedures and requirements involved in registering for classes.
• Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid: The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid can assist you in applying for and securing financial assistance when family resources are insufficient to meet educational expenses. The office provides resources and counseling regarding group financial aid, scholarships, grants, loans, campus employment or any part of the financial aid process.
• Office of Undergraduate Admissions: Information about undergraduate admissions, expenses and scholarships can be found out from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Learn more about the individual colleges, majors/minors, student life, NC State in general, and what to see and do when visiting campus.
• Registration and Records: The Office of Registration and Records is a critical component to a DE students time at NC State. This site provides online access to registration information (i.e., schedules, courses, forms, deadlines), the Pack Tracks system, graduation requirements, transcripts, academic information, forms and policies. Also available from the site are contact information, directions and office hours. Go to the Office of Registration and Records or learn more specific information on how to register for a DE course or program.
• Undergraduate Tutorial Center: The Undergraduate Tutorial Center offers a list of student resources. All students are encouraged to visit the site and take full advantage of the available resources.

Remote Computing Access
As already mentioned, Leadership in the Public Sector is a completely distance education degree completion program. It means that students of LPS should be enabled to complete and submit their assignments and other course requirements without physically visiting the North Carolina State University campus.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences Information Technology team has initiated the Remote Computing Network (RCN), a system through which students can access a lab machine remotely from their home computer, and use any software on that machine, just as if they were sitting right in front of it. This allows them to use software that they do not have installed on their home computers, but the University provides access for. It also gives the students more freedom in that they can use the computers during times when the labs are traditionally closed, such as during the night.

RCN is very simple and convenient to use. Using your UNITY ID and password, you will be able to connect to a Social Science Computing Lab computer and use all programs and software available on that computer. The RCN uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). In order to connect you need an RDP client, or Remote Desktop Connection (RDC). For link and instructions on how to obtain and use RDC, see the requirements page.

Once you have the RDC program installed you can connect to a free machine.

Note: To ensure fair access to the RCN we limit the number of concurrent connections for each user to two connection

Typically, students complete unpaid internships during the course of one semester. Students cannot exceed 3 credit hours for an internship. Credits earned in LPS 490 will count toward the LPS degree, as a 400-level elective, for students majoring in LPS. The key for the intern is a meaningful work experience with learning at a rate similar to that occurring in LPS major studies.

For many students, the internship is the most important component of their degree. The internship provides some students with their first professional work experience. For others, it marks the transition between technical jobs and management positions. It’s an opportunity for students transitioning careers to demonstrate their competence in their new areas of interest.

In general, an effective internship provides students with the following opportunities:

• Familiarizes the intern with the vocabulary, statutes, and other elements of a specific work environment.
• Gives the intern responsibility for one or more projects which result in an identifiable product.
• Exposes the intern to people who routinely interact with the agency; i.e., agency clients, interest group members, other administrators.
• Provides the intern with sufficient information and experiences to assess whether career goals are achievable.
• Prepares the intern to compete for professional jobs consistent with his/her educational and work experience.
• Receives helpful feedback from his/her supervisor about performance and workplace behavior.

An internship should not be confused with a full- or part-time job that a student may accept for other reasons. The LPS program has no involvement in those arrangements and does not grant academic credit for such work.

Internships are appropriate but not required for LPS students. An internship documents professional-level work experience through the successful completion of one or more projects related to career interests and LPS coursework. It provides students an opportunity to observe professional work behaviors and management styles, to expand knowledge of career opportunities and personal abilities, to learn new skills, to apply classroom knowledge and skills in a work environment, and to develop professional working relationships and contacts.

LPS 490 is a 3-credit hour internship (150 working hours) completed in a government, government-related, or nonprofit organization. An intern is expected to work at least 150 hours, spread over at least ten weeks. An internship should be chosen carefully to advance the intern’s skills and knowledge about an area of career interest. Participation in class assignments is required as well.

An internship is a partnership between the intern, the organization in which the internship occurs, and the LPS program. All three parties have distinct interests that must be appreciated. The LPS program imposes requirements on students who receive academic credit for the internship. The sponsoring organization provides supervision and reasonably expects to have assigned work completed in an acceptable manner. The LPS program and the sponsoring organizations work together to support the student intern.