Jump on that soapbox! We want to hear from you!
This interactive area allows you to voice your opinions with alumni from all around the world.

Your starting point - the Main Discussion Board. The Board has several functions, so let's look at each one.

The Main Links List

When you first arrive at the discussion board, you’ll see a list of links on the top of the screen. These links will allow you to navigate and customize your discussion board screen.
Change the way the discussion boards are displayed
Show discussion boards listed with their content
Sort topics based on date, author or most recent post
Get help

The Forums
This window lists all of the current discussion boards that are available.

As a general rule, any time you see a plus sign in front of a board or an article, you can click on that plus sign to see sub-boards or replies.

Click on a Board name, and on the right side of the screen you will see a count of how many articles are posted. You can tell which articles you've read by the color of the link -- much like a link on any Web page. If you have already read an article, the hyperlink will be colored red instead of blue. This is done using "cookies" technology, which means that the system recognizes your computer and records which articles you have already read.

To see all of the sub-boards posted under a main board -- topics of discussion under a larger topic -- just click on the "plus sign" in front of the Board's name. You can keep clicking on plus signs while you keep drilling down into the topics under a board.

You may notice icons that tell you whether the board is "Moderated," meaning a moderator will screen the posts and only post replies he or she deems appropriate; "Password Protected," where a forum is accessible only through the use of a password; and "Read Only," where posting and replying is not allowed.

The Articles Area
The articles area is where you can see a listing of articles and replies.

You will also note that there is a field at the top of the screen that lets you set how many articles you can list on a page. You will be able to select any number up to the the maximum number set by the Administrator. Scroll through the articles that are posted by clicking the red arrows at the top of the screen.

Reading Articles
Once you've selected the board you're interested in, all you need to do is click on it, and a new browser window will open, displaying a listing of articles for that board.

Just click on an the hyperlink for an article, or any of its replies, to display the article itself.

If the board has numerous articles making a "thread" -- a series of articles or replies -- you can click on the hyperlinks for each reply that appear at the below the message to weave your way through the various articles. You may click the "Reply" link if you want to respond to the article.

You can also click on the hyperlink with the author's name to see the author's profile, or click the e-mail link to send them an e-mail directly.

Posting Articles
If you feel you have something useful to add to a discussion, you can post an article under a discussion board.

Navigate to the board in which you're interested, and click on in the upper center region of the window.

Fill in your name in the "Author" field (if it's not pre-filled in for you) and, if you wish, your e-mail address below. Type in a subject in the "Subject" field.

The next area has options that the Administrator can turn on or off. So be aware that not all of these options may appear for you:

Show E-Mail Address: If you'd like your e-mail address listed as a clickable mail link when you post your reply, select this option. When others read your article, they'll be able to click on your e-mail address to send you a personal e-mail.

Auto E-Mail Replies: If your system allows it, you can ask to be notified by email your personal email address when someone posts a reply to your message.

When you're done, click to post your article.

Replying to Articles
While you're reading an article to which you'd like to reply, simply click on the "Reply" hyperlink that appears towards the top of the article frame.

Fill in your name in the "Author" field and, if you wish, your e-mail address below. The subject is already filled in for you since you're replying to a previously-written article.

Click on "Show E-Mail Address" if you'd like your e-mail address listed as a clickable mail link when you post your reply. Click on "Auto E-Mail Replies" if you would like replies to your post automatically sent to your email address. Click "Preview" if you'd like to look at your article and have the opportunity to edit it before you post it.

Click into the large "Message" box and type away! In this example, the forum is moderated.

When you're done, click to post your reply.