New Student Orientation – Welcome to New Meridian University!

Welcome to New Meridian University

New student orientation prepares you for the practical work of studying at New Meridian University: accessing your courses, communicating with instructors, submitting assignments, using academic resources, and obtaining assistance when a problem arises. It gives you an opportunity to establish these routines before coursework and deadlines begin to compete for your attention.

Use this page to prepare and to return to instructions when you need them. The downloadable Orientation Guide and Completion Checklist helps you track personal preparation. Your assigned online orientation module contains the required activities that establish official completion.

Before You Begin

Set up the accounts and tools you will use throughout your program. Resolve access problems before they interfere with required work.

Activate and Test Your Accounts

Begin with the account instructions supplied after admission. Open My Meridian, sign in with your university-issued credentials, and complete any account activation, password setup, or authentication prompts. Follow the orientation access instructions to open your assigned module in Classter, NMU’s learning management system (LMS), where online learning activities are delivered. Keep those instructions so you can return to the module without having to locate the original message each time.

If credentials or access instructions have not arrived, check the inbox and spam folder of the email address you used for admission. If the information is still missing, your credentials fail, or the module is unavailable, email info@newmeridianuniversity.org with the subject “Orientation Assistance.” Include your full name, student identification number if assigned, program, start date, and the point at which access fails. Request the missing credentials or direct access instructions. Creating a second account can make the issue more difficult to resolve; use your assigned account and request assistance with it.

Open university email and send a brief test message to your own university address. Confirm that it arrives. University email and course announcements are part of your regular study routine, so check both each study day. Keep your password private and sign out when using a shared device. If university email itself is inaccessible, contact Student Support from the personal email associated with your student record.

Keep your account and orientation access instructions.
Test sign-in and university email before relying on them for coursework.
Report exactly where access fails; never send your password.

My Meridian University email

Prepare Your Technology

Test the computer or tablet and internet connection you expect to use for coursework. Open Classter in a current version of Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome. Confirm that you can read a PDF, play course audio or video, and create, save, and reopen a document. Test your camera, microphone, and speakers before any scheduled virtual session. NMU’s minimum internet connection is 2 Mbps, with 5 Mbps broadband recommended; the connection must also remain stable while you upload files or join a meeting.

Microsoft Office or Google Workspace can be used for most coursework. Practice saving or exporting a document in the file format an assignment requires, because a document that opens on your device may still need to be converted before submission. Keep a backup and use filenames that identify the course, assignment, and version. If an activity requires additional software, confirm access and installation before it is due. Ask the help desk about platform compatibility before purchasing software specifically for a course.

Test PDFs, media, document saving, and any required meeting equipment.
Check the required file format and keep a backup of your work.
Resolve software or connection problems before an assessed activity is due.

Complete the Orientation Module

The module’s opening instructions identify the activities you must complete and how their completion is recorded. Read them before beginning, note the deadline and time zone, and follow the sequence presented. A preparation task on this webpage is not automatically an activity recorded in Classter. Use the assigned module to complete and submit every required checkpoint.

Read the Requirements and Record Your Deadline

Identify each required activity, the completion deadline, and any instructions specific to your program. If your assigned module includes a required webinar or other scheduled activity, record its date and attendance instructions. Complete the activities that are available while seeking help with an inaccessible item.
Complete Each Activity and Submit Its Checkpoint

Work through the material in the order presented and complete the final submission action for each required response. Review the recorded result after submission. An activity that you have read or attempted may still require a response or confirmation before the system records it as complete.
Use Designated Practice Activities Correctly

Test uploads, discussion posts, or assessments only in an activity expressly identified for practice. Follow its instructions and confirm that the response was recorded. Do not put a test file in a graded course assignment. If a practice function is unavailable or its location is unclear, name the activity in an “Orientation Assistance” email and ask how to complete it.
Review Your Results and Submit Final Confirmation

Return to any item still shown as incomplete and check whether a submission or other required action remains. Complete the final confirmation item and retain the completion date and any confirmation displayed. The completion and hold instructions below explain what to do if the record needs attention.

Learning at New Meridian University

Orientation introduces the course routines you will use every week. Use these instructions as a reference when your first course becomes available.

Hands reviewing and annotating printed research materials.

Course Navigation

When a course becomes available, begin with its syllabus and opening announcement. Together, they explain what the course requires, how learning activities are organized, and how your work will be evaluated. Locate the instructor’s name, contact method, and office hours; required readings and materials; assignment instructions; and grading rubrics. Save a copy of the syllabus and the instructor’s contact information so that you can refer to them while planning your work. If you have a question about an assignment, read both the instructions and its rubric before contacting the instructor. Identify the specific requirement you need explained.

Find the areas where course announcements, grades, feedback, and annotated files appear. These serve different purposes: an announcement may clarify an upcoming activity, while feedback explains how your submitted work met the assignment requirements. Check university email and course announcements each study day, and return to the relevant assignment when its evaluation is available. During orientation, use only activities expressly identified for practice to test discussion posts, uploads, or assessments. Never submit a test file to a graded assignment. If you cannot identify the correct practice activity, request instructions through Student Support using the subject “Orientation Assistance.”

Save the syllabus and your instructor’s contact information.
Locate announcements, assignment instructions, rubrics, grades, and feedback.
Use designated practice activities to test course functions.

Assignments and Feedback

Before submitting an assignment, read its instructions and rubric, confirm the required file format, and open your saved document to check that it contains the work you intend to submit. Select the correct assignment in Classter, attach the correct file, and complete the final submission action. Attaching a file may not finish the process. Look for the submitted status or receipt, then reopen or download the submitted attachment to check the version. Retain the confirmation or a screenshot showing the assignment and submission time, along with your own copy of the work.

When feedback is released, review the evaluation, rubric, and any annotated attachment. Use the comments to identify both revisions and skills to address in your next assignment. If a feedback file will not open, tell the instructor the assignment name and the error. If an upload fails, keep the completed file and evidence of the problem, contact technical support, and separately notify the instructor before the deadline when possible. Explain what you attempted and what the system displayed. Sending the assignment as an email attachment does not replace the required submission method unless the instructor authorizes it.

Check the file, complete submission, and verify the submitted version.
Keep the receipt or screenshot and a backup of your work.
Read rubric comments and annotated files before beginning related work.

Study and Participation

Build your study schedule from the deadlines in each course. Record assignment and assessment dates, along with separate deadlines for initial discussion posts and replies. Include the time zone displayed in the course and convert each deadline to your local time. If the syllabus and Classter show different dates, ask the instructor which applies before the earlier date passes. Do not assume that the later date is correct. Recording the first week’s requirements before coursework begins helps you see when several activities require attention at once.

Set aside time for reading, drafting, revision, and submission, rather than treating an assignment’s due date as the date to begin it. Leave time to check instructions, review sources, and address a file or access problem. Online attendance requires academically meaningful participation, including required activities and submitted work. Opening the course or signing in does not complete those responsibilities. Check university email and course announcements each study day so that you can act on instructions and feedback. If a technical problem affects your ability to participate, report the problem with the affected activity and deadline, and contact the instructor separately when course work is involved.

Record initial discussion and reply deadlines separately.
Convert course deadlines to your local time.
Schedule reading, drafting, revision, and submission before work is due.

Academic Integrity and AI

Your submitted work must be work you have authored, with credit given to the sources you use. Put copied wording in quotation marks or an appropriate block quotation and provide a citation. Paraphrased ideas also require attribution. Read the sources you cite and verify that every reference identifies a real source that supports the statement you make. Collaboration must remain within the assignment’s stated permissions. Writing consultations and tutoring can help you understand a requirement, improve a draft, or work through a concept; you remain responsible for producing the work submitted for assessment. Review NMU’s academic integrity expectations before beginning assessed work.

NMU’s Artificial Intelligence and Technology Use Policy (PDF) permits study support and limited technical assistance, such as explaining a concept, suggesting search terms, or identifying mechanical writing problems. AI must not draft the primary prose of assessed work, synthesize your original argument, or write core dissertation chapters. Editing AI-generated prose does not make a prohibited use acceptable. Ask your instructor about an uncertain use before proceeding, follow the policy’s disclosure requirements, and verify any output you use. Keep passwords, student records, and identifiable research data out of public or personal AI services.

Cite quotations and paraphrases, and verify each source.
Check collaboration permissions and ask about uncertain AI uses.
Follow disclosure requirements and protect confidential information.

Academic integrity and research misconduct Artificial Intelligence and Technology Use Policy (PDF)

Find the Support You Need

The Office of Student Support Services helps you reach the appropriate resource or office. Use the request subject shown below so your message can be directed to the right service.

info@newmeridianuniversity.org 801-306-0660

Student Library

Email subject Library Research Assistance

Request research assistance Open Library Resources

Test your access to Library Resources before research is due. Sign in using the supplied library credentials, search a topic relevant to your program, and open the full text of one available scholarly source. Record its author, year, title, and DOI or other publication details for later citation. If sign-in fails, email info@newmeridianuniversity.org with the subject “Library Access” and describe the error. For help locating research, use “Library Research Assistance” and include your topic, search terms, and the difficulty you encountered.

Test access and open the full text of a scholarly source.
Include your topic, search terms, and research difficulty.

Writing Center

Email subject Writing Review

Request writing feedback

Writing feedback can help you understand assignment expectations, strengthen a draft, and address writing or citation questions. Email your draft and the assignment instructions or rubric. Identify the course, due date, and questions you want addressed. Allow two to three business days for review; additional time may be needed during peak periods. You remain responsible for the authorship and accuracy of the work you submit.

Attach your draft and the instructions or rubric.
State the due date and the questions for your reviewer.

Tutoring and Academic Support

Email subject Tutoring Request

Request tutoring

For assistance with a course concept or academic task, identify the course and topic, describe what you have already attempted, and explain where you need help. Include available meeting times and your time zone so that Student Support can coordinate the request. Tutoring supports your understanding and practice; you remain responsible for completing assessed work.

Send the course, topic, and work already attempted.
Provide available meeting times and your time zone.

Academic Advising

Email subject Student Support Inquiry

Request advisor information

Keep your assigned advisor’s contact information for course planning. If you do not have it, contact Student Support and request the advisor’s name and contact details. Identify your program and the planning question you need to resolve so that the inquiry can be directed appropriately. Questions about a specific assignment should go to the instructor identified in that course.

Keep your assigned advisor’s name and contact information.
Request missing advisor details through Student Support.

Technology Support and Help Desk

Email subject Technical Support

Request technical support

For a technical problem, email info@newmeridianuniversity.org with the subject “Technical Support.” Include the affected system or activity, exact error, date and time, device, operating system, browser, and troubleshooting already attempted. A screenshot can help explain the issue, but remove unrelated private information. Identify any approaching deadline and the activity you cannot complete.

The standard initial response is one business day, and most Classter problems are addressed within one to three business days. Keep the request or ticket number and reply to the original message for follow-up. If the issue affects a course deadline, separately notify your instructor and retain your completed work and evidence of the error. Reporting a problem does not itself change the deadline. For an urgent unresolved matter, call 801-306-0660 and identify the deadline.

Describe the error and the steps that produced it.
Include the deadline, device, browser, and troubleshooting attempted.
Keep the original request and notify the instructor separately when coursework is affected.

Accessibility and Accommodations

Email subject Accommodation Request

Request an accommodation

If a disability-related barrier affects orientation, course materials, communication, or an assessment, email info@newmeridianuniversity.org with the subject “Accommodation Request.” Identify the activity, describe the barrier, explain the adjustment requested, and state when it is needed. For example, identify a video without usable captions or a document that cannot be read with your assistive technology. These details help Student Support understand the access need and the activity affected.

Do not attach medical records to the initial email. Student Support will explain any supporting information needed and arrange its submission. Report the barrier before the orientation deadline whenever possible. Continue accessible activities while seeking assistance, and request written instructions when the barrier prevents completion of a required item.

Name the affected material or activity and the adjustment you are requesting.
State when access is needed.
Wait for Student Support’s instructions before sending medical records.

Prepare for Your First Week

Once your first course opens, confirm its title and enrollment period before beginning work. If an expected course is missing, contact Student Support with the course title, enrollment period, and any registration confirmation. Read the syllabus and opening announcement, obtain the required materials, and review the first assignments and their rubrics. Identify what you will need to read, prepare, and submit during the opening week so that your study schedule reflects the actual course requirements.

Before the first deadline, review your readiness against those requirements. Can you obtain the assigned readings, explain what the first assignment asks you to do, and identify how it will be assessed? Note questions for the instructor and request any library, writing, tutoring, or access assistance you need. Report unavailable preparation tasks and continue the accessible required orientation activities. These checks prepare you for coursework; they do not replace the module’s required activities, checkpoints, or final confirmation.

Confirm Your Official Completion

Finish the required module activities and retain evidence of completion. Your personal preparation checklist serves a different purpose from the official record.

Before the deadline, review the module’s completion record and finish any outstanding requirements. Submit the final confirmation item, then retain the completion date and supporting evidence. Classter records completion, and the Office of Student Admissions and Records updates your student record. Reading this webpage or marking the printable checklist does not independently establish official completion. If a preparation task is unavailable, report it and continue the required module activities you can access.

A registration hold is placed if orientation is incomplete after the deadline. To resolve an orientation hold, finish the remaining requirements and email Student Support with the subject “Orientation Assistance.” Include your completion date and evidence, and request verification and removal of the hold by Admissions and Records. If a barrier prevents you from finishing, identify the unfinished activity and request written instructions for completing it. Reporting a problem does not itself remove a hold or change the deadline.

Check every required activity and checkpoint in the module’s completion record.
Submit final confirmation and save the completion evidence.
If a hold remains, request verification using your completion date and evidence.

Help, Downloads, and Continuing Access

Keep Your Orientation Guide

The New Student Orientation Guide and Completion Checklist brings these instructions together in a six-page PDF. Use its checklist to record your start date, orientation deadline, preparation checks, completion date, and follow-up needs. It distinguishes personal preparation from official module completion so you can track both without confusing one for the other.

Keep the guide with your account instructions and completion evidence. When you need help, refer to the specific activity or requirement and explain what you have already attempted. The Office of Student Support Services can help you identify the appropriate next step or office.

Download guide

PDF · 6 pages · Guide and completion checklist

Ask for Orientation Assistance

For missing access, an incomplete activity, or a completion record that needs attention, contact the Office of Student Support Services. Include your full name, student ID if assigned, program, start date, affected activity, and any approaching deadline. If university email is inaccessible, use the personal email associated with your student record.

info@newmeridianuniversity.org

Email subject Orientation Assistance

For an urgent unresolved matter, call 801-306-0660 and identify the deadline.