Frequently Asked Questions

 

1. I can log in to my HELIOS account, but I don’t see any action buttons. What’s going on?

Faculty can access their accounts at any time to view transactions and a projected payout amount. Action buttons appear only in April, when faculty are asked to make their selections.

2. I think I’ve found an error in my account. What do I do?

Contact the HELIOS administrator at helios@skidmore.edu. The HELIOS admin will work with the Registrar’s Office to validate enrollments and adjust your account.

3. Are credit-bearing internships included in HELIOS?

No. Internships are compensated separately at $400 per enrollment above an annual total of two.

4. What are the restrictions on course releases?

Faculty may receive no more than one course release through HELIOS every three years (or two releases per sabbatical cycle).  

5. What are the restrictions on stipends?

Once the threshold of 60 credits is reached, instructors must either request a stipend or a course release. The HELIOS admin will contact any instructor who fails to request compensation after 60 credits to discuss next steps.

6. May I request a stipend for some percentage of my HELIOS credit, leaving the remainder for a rainy day?

No, stipends are all-or-none. We do not have the capacity to run a full banking system.

7. I’m going on vacation in early June. May I request my stipend early or in pay period X? If not, would you tell me exactly when I’ll receive my stipend?

No. The timing of stipends depends on several factors—including the state of the operating budget—and cannot be modified for individual faculty. The precise date that stipends will be released will not be known until early May each year.

8. My course was canceled because of low enrollment, but I am offering it anyway as an independent study for the few students who need it. Does this type of independent study count towards HELIOS?

Yes.

Do I need to contact someone to make sure that it is counted?

No.

9. I live by the motto “trust but verify.”  How do I know that the Dean of Faculty’s Office or the HELIOS administrator are not modifying my HELIOS account?

All additions and subtractions to individual accounts are automatically recorded without exception. Administrators cannot adjust an account without that action being fully viewable by the instructor.
 
10. I’m concerned that HELIOS will encourage instructors to take on projects that are lacking in rigor. Who is monitoring independent studies, collaborative research projects, etc.?

As has always been the case, students and instructors cannot engage in independent study without obtaining approval from the chair or program director. This individual’s signature on the Independent Study Form indicates to the Registrar’s Office that the project meets expectations for rigor in the discipline and is creditworthy. Departments or programs concerned about the quality of independent studies and other directed-study experiences can establish for themselves an explicit set of standards and/or a process of review.