Frequently Asked Questions
General Crossroads issues
The experience takes place entirely online. It is asynchronous, i.e., there are no requirements to appear online at a certain time. You will have access to the course web site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the dates the course is open.
Once you have access to the web site, you may explore the site intuitively or use the Instructions for a CSTM: Online course to help you learn to navigate the site. You will be assigned to a "Community for Conversation," an online discussion group of up to 25 persons. It is our expectation that a group this size will create a lively but manageable conversation. Each Community will have its own facilitator to guide discussion. In certain courses, all participants may have access to open discussion forums for posting questions for a content expert, offering/requesting prayers, or sharing resources or spiritual reflections.
Each week of the course we will read and discuss a common assignment. The weekly readings may be available on the web site or you may be asked to purchase or obtain additional reading material. All of the online content will be available at the beginning of the course, including the weekly reading assignments, videos, or other media that may be assigned in that course. Every week (usually Wednesday) we will open new discussion forums for your Community for Conversation. There will always be an "Introduction to the Week" which will include questions for discussion for each week. We will dialogue about the week's material with the other participants in our Community for Conversation.
Depending on the course, you may be asked to purchase a book that will be discussed in the course. If you need to purchase a book, this information will be available on the course webpage in bc.edu/crossroads, on the Canvas Catalog registration page, and finally within the course on the Week 1: Introduction to the Week page. Most people use a local bookstore or their favorite online bookstore to acquire the book.
We recommend that you plan on 3-4 hours a week. This includes time to read assignments, view assigned video (as applicable), time to prepare and post your reflections and comments in the Community for Conversation, as well as the time to read the postings of others.
Every week of the course, we expect you to do the readings and, when applicable, view the video. We hope you use the week for reflection on the topic presented, and we expect you to discuss the focus questions with other participants in your Community for Conversation by posting your thoughts on one or more of the questions and responding to theirs. The heart of the course is in the discussion with the other participants.
We expect that each participant will respond with respect to others in their Community for Conversation. What each participant shares in the conversation will be kept within the group. We expect that you will not copy and forward another person's posts without their permission.
A complete list of expectations will be included in the course notes for the first week.
Each active participant will receive a certificate of completion. "Active participation" is defined as posting three messages of substance for each week of content in the course. Your certificate will be made available through the Canvas site, and you will receive a message through Canvas informing you when the certificate is ready with instructions for accessing it. If a month has elapsed and you have not received a certificate, please send an inquiry to the Crossroads staff at crossroads@bc.edu. Inquiries about certificates need to be made within two months of completion of the course.
Crossroads does not give CEU or PDH units. We do offer a Certificate of Active Participation for those who post at least three messages of substance each week. On that certificate we state the number of contact hours that each course has involved.
Course registration typically closes on at 3 p.m. the day before the course site opens, but may be closed earlier or later depending on whether the course has been filled to capacity. Registration for a course will not remain open beyond the Friday after the couse started. Otherwise, you can register at any time.
A full refund for the course will be given if notification of withdrawal from the course is received by the Friday after the course opens. To withdraw from a course:
- follow the instructions in the video below,
- and email crossroads@bc.edu to request a refund.
Canvas and other tech concerns
Canvas is a cloud-based learning management system used to create and host educational web sites. The Crossroads program uses this software for its courses. Our Canvas FAQ page answers a number of questions pertaining to a participant's experience within Canvas.
Click here for system requirements for using Canvas from the Instructure website.
In general Canvas works well with updated browsers. Occasionally devices that are 5 years old or older, particularly mobile devices, that are unable to install current browsers have had problems accessing and using Canvas.
Is there a suggested web browser that I should use for Crossroads courses?
We recommend that participants use either Firefox or Chrome, but any major browser should be compatible with our courses.
Canvas supports the latest two versions of every browser release. We highly recommend updating to the newest version of whatever browser you are using.
In order to install a new browser or update your current browser, please click the name of the browser below and follow the instructions provided on the respective website.
In order to sign into your Crossroads course:
- Go to bccatalog.instructure.com
- BC students and staff who registered for their course using the BC credentials can select the first sign-in link under the BC seal. All others*, should use the second link "Login for all other users."
- Enter the same email you used to setup your account
- Enter the correct password
If for some reason you don't have a password, you can click on "Forgot Password?" to create one. You can find additional information on resetting your password below.
If you need to reset your password (or create a new one) go to https://bccatalog.instructure.com/login/canvas and click on "Forgot Password?"
Enter the email address connected to your account, that you can use to receive a confirmation.
After clicking on the "Request Password" button, check your email for the password confirmation email. You may need to check your Junk Mail or Spam folder.
Inside the email, click on a link to set a new password. This will take you to a page with a form for creating a new password. Enter your password, then enter it again to verify the spelling. Click on the "Update Password" button.
You should then be able to sign in with your email address and the new password.
If for some reason you cannot receive emails at your address contact us at crossroads@bc.edu or 617-552-4075.