Recruit, Register and Maintain an EfM Online

GroupYou know a lot of this already!

Registering a group

1. Recruit 6 members. We suggest online groups stop at 8 or 9 members. You may be able to register with 5 – check with EfM for approval. EfM Online groups are considered to be sponsored for purposes of registration.

2. Gather all the forms yourself.

3. Send the forms to EfM.

4. Online groups pay $100 per group for book shipping. You may divide that among the participants or pay it yourself. Either way, include the payment with your registration packet.

5. Books will be shipped to each individual participant so you don’t have to re-ship them.

6. Register as early as possible. It takes a few weeks to get the books, and it takes a few weeks for your group to be registered in Blackboard.

While you wait for your books and course site

You might have your participants introduce themselves by E-mail.

You might ask participants to send a photo for the group collage – face shots work nicely.

Starting your group

You will receive an E-mail when your group is registered in Blackboard.

At that time, you need to go in to the system to set up meetings in the virtual classroom. You can set up recurring meetings or do that one week at a time. You can also “decorate” the course site while you are there.

The E-mail you receive will contain the user names and passwords for new members. (Your user name, and the user names of existing or returning members, does not change.) Share the user names and passwords with new members. Encourage them to test the system before your first meeting.

Post your group collage in a prominent place in the course site. Post announcements and schedules and the other kinds of preparation work you usually do. Set up a forum for introductions – we sometimes call these “dinner party introductions” to differentiate them from Spiritual Autobiographies. Show people how to add a picture to their profile and to Collaborate.

During the year

You are expected to return Group Status Reports and graduation reports just like you do in a f2f group.

Graduation certificates are mailed to participants. I ask them to send a photo of the certificate for the graduation activities.

Re-enrollment

1. Scan the signature sheet and E-mail to all returning members.

2. Ask them to check their address, sign, scan, and return to you.

3. Attach all the signed copies to your re-enrollment forms.

4. Encourage use of debit/credit card for re-enrollment.

5. Complete the packet as you usually do and return it to Sewanee.