DE Help Desk

Upon enrollment in a distance education course, you are required to complete the Site Coordinator Form each term and must specify a designated proctor for each distance course in which you enroll. Distance students will be unable to complete exams until their proctor has been verified*.

• You are required to review the SMU Honor Code before submitting the completed form.
• If the approved coordinator changes at any time during the term, the student must submit an updated Site Coordinator Form as soon as possible.
• Please note that in order to access the Site Coordinator Form, you will need to log in with your SMU ID and password.

*Please allow up to five (5) business days to process and verify your site coordinator. You will receive confirmation via your SMU email when your site coordinator has been approved. 

**On campus proctoring through the Lyle Distance Education program can only be scheduled Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and is dependent upon time and space availability. 

All SMU students are required to verify their personal information in my.SMU.edu. 
Even if there is no change to your personal information, you must review, confirm, and save addresses, demographic data, emergency contacts and phone numbers each semester. Instructions on verifying your personal information can be found here.

A complete list of system requirements to take advantage of distance education can be found here. 

You can access your lecture recordings within 24 business hours of the on-campus session. 

It is recommended that you watch the recorded lecture within 48 hours to keep current with course content and requirements. Instructions on downloading and viewing your course lectures can be found on the distance downloads page. 

A full-time international student (F-1 visa) is not allowed to have an off-site proctor (except for those currently in the co-op program). There are some restrictions related to international students taking courses through distance education. Please be sure to consult with either the Lyle Graduate Office or the SMU International Office before enrolling in any distance education courses. 

Most students receive quality distance education and have a generally positive experience. However, in the event a California resident enrolled in an online program that is located in another state believes the institution's administrative processes or educational programs are compromised, they should notify the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). A complaint may be filed by writing to DCA or calling their Consumer Information Center (CIC): 

California Department of Consumer Affairs Consumer Information Center 
1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N-112 
Sacramento, California 95834 
Phone: 833-942-1120 
Email: dca@dca.ca.gov 

Students may also: 

• Print and File Complaint Form
• Use the Online Complaint Form

Below are additional resources from OIT. If you’re not sure what help you need, reach out to us, and we’ll be happy to assist. 

• SMU account information & password reset tool
• Accessing your SMU email
• Student technology discounts & Office 365

You may submit a request for help here (you will need to use your SMU ID and password to log in and submit a ticket). If you are unable to login, you can also email dehelp@lyle.smu.edu and request assistance.

Distance students can self-enroll through my.SMU using your SMU ID and password. A walkthrough of registration instructions can be found here. 

• 400 – Distance Format (courses that are recorded live)
• 795 – Weekend/Executive Format (courses offered to closed cohorts at corporate partner locations)

Site coordinators are required to establish a relationship with SMU by:

• Filling out the Site Coordinator Agreement Form 
• Becoming familiar with SMU procedures and academic materials 
• Establishing an appropriate area for testing
• Notifying the Lyle DE Program of their location and contact information and updating as necessary
• Ensuring a secure testing environment by reviewing and organizing the testing materials and location
• Receiving and securing exams, which are mailed only to the site coordinator’s physical address or emailed directly to the coordinator provided in the Site Coordinator Agreement Form. Many engineering exams are paper-based. Therefore, to be completed, they will need to be printed. 
• Following the professor’s explicit instructions, including details such as time limit, calculator, books and notes usage, and completion deadline (will be provided with each exam)
• Scheduling time for the student to take the exam
• Providing appropriate testing facilities for the duration of the exam 
• When permitted, assisting students with exam accommodations
• Documenting academic policy violations (excessive time, improper use of resources, etc.) 
• Returning completed exams:
• Making a copy of the completed exam before returning it to the department. The coordinator should maintain this copy until the final grade has been posted. 
• Signing and dating the exam cover sheet indicating the date the exam was taken and the time limit. 
• Returning completed assignments 
• Using a cover sheet when returning materials to instructors. Faxing is acceptable as long as it is readable and includes the student’s name, SMU ID number, term/year, course number and instructor’s name. 

While a testing center is a viable option, the site coordinator may be a student’s supervisor, training/education department member, or Human Resources staff worker. The person should be an impartial third party, such as a librarian at a local library or a professor at a local community college. The site coordinator may NOT be a personal friend, relative, student, co-worker or subordinate. 

Students seeking assistance should reach out to the Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies office. 

Yes! However, it is advisable to check with your instructor beforehand. 

Parking and I.D. Services can help. This link contains alternative accommodations as well. 

Lyle offers nearly 20 graduate programs via distance education that can be completed with no campus visits required. However, some courses are accompanied by requisite labs. If the class does not have a distance education section number (i.e., 400), then it is not possible to take it as a distance student. In some cases, local distance students can come to campus and complete the lab. Contact the instructor or academic department for confirmation. 

If the distance course offers an accompanying lab, then the instructor has made the necessary arrangements for the lab to be completed by distance students. We advise contacting the instructor to find out how you can fulfill the lab requirements. 

SMU Libraries have extensive digital resources available to SMU students. There’s even a request portal for additional assistance. 

Contact your advisor for help with specific needs.

Important Note: Notifying the faculty member or ceasing to view course lectures does not constitute as an official withdrawal.

• Distance students receive a final grade after all required course work has been satisfactorily completed. As might happen with some students who cannot complete the required course work due to technical problems, instructors will hold the grade until all the necessary course work has been submitted or the deadline posted by the University Registrar occurs.

• Instructors are required to turn in final grades for a course within 48 hours after the on-campus final exam. For distance students, instructors will turn in their final grades once all course requirements have been completed (no later than three (3) weeks after the on-campus students). Students may view and print their grades at my.SMU once the final grades have been posted. Official transcripts may be obtained online. 

• Exceptions occur for degree candidates who have filed the Application for Candidacy to Graduate (ACG) that term with the Graduate Studies Office. Their final grade must be turned in within the 48 hours specified by the Registrar’s Office. 

• With the instructor’s permission, a student may receive a grade of 'I' (Incomplete). Students should contact the academic teaching departmental administrative staff to obtain a copy of the Grade of Incomplete Agreement Form. Students must complete and submit the form to the department. The instructor initiates a Change of Grade after the student has completed all course requirements. Once the instructor has changed the incomplete grade, students may check the grade status via my.SMU. 

DE Students have seven (7) years to complete their master’s degree program.