Frequently Asked Questions
1. I can log in to my HELIOS account, but I don鈥檛 see any action buttons. What鈥檚 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鈥檝e 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鈥檚 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鈥檓 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鈥檒l receive my stipend?
No. The timing of stipends depends on several factors鈥攊ncluding the state of the operating
budget鈥攁nd 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 鈥渢rust but verify.鈥� How do I know that the Dean of Faculty鈥檚
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鈥檓 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鈥檚
signature on the Independent Study Form indicates to the Registrar鈥檚 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.