Academic Policy

Institutional Learning Outcomes

ILOs are statements of the general knowledge and skills that graduates should demonstrate by the time they graduate, regardless of their academic program of study. BridgeValley’s ILOs include defined student learning expectations designed to provide a foundation for future study, expand the educational experience, and enhance life experiences. In addition, the ILOs afford students a shared general education learning experience and provide opportunities and support to develop the skills, behaviors, and attitudes to be more successful as they progress through higher education and professional endeavors.

ILOs are integrated into specific general education or program-designated ILO courses. In addition to the academic contributions to the ILOs, involvement in co-curricular and work-related experiences can contribute to the development of these skills, attitudes, and behaviors.

Institutional Learning Outcomes

Note: To clarify meaning, the faculty of BridgeValley has prepared a glossary for selected terms (indicated by italicized font). The glossary and associated references follow the list of outcomes.

ILO-1 Communicate effectively when speaking and writing, using appropriate technology.

1. Communicate logically organized and well-developed ideas, positions, or arguments in a stylistically-appropriate manner.
2. Create oral or written work that demonstrates a thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose.
3. Evaluate sources for validity, bias, credibility, and assumptions to determine their appropriateness for use as examples and evidence to support a position or idea.
4. Participate honestly in academic discourse, while differentiating original ideas from those of others by citing sources.

ILO-2 Employ qualitative and quantitative reasoning skills to interpret and analyze data, solve problems, synthesize hypotheses and communicate findings.

1. Evaluate and solve real-world situations or problems by applying mathematical or scientific principles.
2. Propose plausible answers to mathematical, scientific, or technical problems.
3. Interpret, analyze, and validate data/information/observations using pertinent discipline-specific techniques.
4. Generate tables, graphs, or reports to present findings, results and conclusions in appropriate formats.

ILO-3 Demonstrate civil discourse appropriate for living and working in a diverse society through the use and understanding of social respect, social responsibility, and social ethics.

1. Evaluate personal and cultural perspectives, thereby acknowledging the viewpoints of others regarding issues of social respect, social responsibility, and social ethics across a variety of perspectives and cultures.
2. Examine objectively the diversity of histories, politics, communication styles, economies, beliefs, and/or practices across a variety of cultures.
3. Assess how one’s own action/inaction influences the world and one’s own communities in terms of civil discourse, social justice, diversity, or inclusion.
4. Discuss conflicting ideas and perspectives respectfully; resolve conflicts constructively; and demonstrate empathy, responsibility, and ethics in an inclusive manner as a member of diverse cultures, communities, and teams.

ILO-4 Apply the critical thinking process to analyze problems and make informed decisions.

1. Define or refine a pertinent question or problem by clearly stating and comprehensively describing it in a way that reflects the complexities of the topic.
2. Analyze one’s own and others’ assumptions in the context of alternative systems of thought, evaluating biases and testing implications and conclusions against relevant criteria and standards.
3. Evaluate relevant information from a variety of credible primary and secondary sources to develop an evidence-based point of view related to a defined problem or question.
4. Create and communicate a well-reasoned and imaginative/innovative/divergent/risk-taking position or solution that synthesizes relevant information and sound evidence to reach a logical and informed conclusion.

Glossary for Institutional Learning Outcomes  

Institutional Learning Outcome Requirements

Each program specifies courses students must take to satisfy the minimum requirements for institutional learning and the courses specified within the major. The same course may appear in more than one ILO category but shall count only once towards graduation requirements. The requirements of each category must be satisfied.

Each program (i.e., Associate and Certificate) is required to include a minimum number of credit hours associated with ILO designated courses to satisfy the College’s ILO requirements.

Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degree programs require a total of 24 credits, 6 in each of the 4 ILO categories.

Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs require a total of 15 credits, 3 in each of the 4 ILO categories and 3 additional credits from any ILO category.

Certificate of Applied Science (CAS) degree programs require a total of 6 credits, 3 credits in ILO-1 and 3 credits in ILO-2.

Foundational requirements for each program must include English 101 (or ENGL 109, for selected technical programs) as an ILO-1 designated course. A 100-level math course is also required for all programs unless otherwise specified by state or special accreditation requirements to meet the ILO-2 course requirement.

Institutional Learning Outcomes Core Requirements

The Institutional Learning Outcomes focus on four educational areas as outlined below. The following list summarizes courses that fall within each of the four areas.

Note: (1) Courses with asterisks indicate provisional approval as an ILO designated course, pending a resubmission the following academic year with data included. Two asterisks indicate a two-year provisional approval.

Credit Hours

The policy and procedure BridgeValley adhere to for the assignment of credit hours is the Carnegie definition.  Academic advancement by each student is measured in terms of semester hours. To earn one semester hour, the student must complete the equivalency of a 50- minute lecture (one clock hour) and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class work each week in a semester.  For laboratory credit of one semester hour, the student attends lab two or three clock hours per week. 

Course descriptions in the catalog show the number of semester hours for the course and the number of hours of lecture and/or laboratory per week. Some courses may be offered in a compressed or extended timeframe and/or in a web or blended format.

Delivery Method

The delivery method of the course does not affect the number of contact hours, or the amount of work required to complete the course. The amount of work, the amount of contact hours, and the amount of credit hours granted remain the same regardless of the delivery method or timeframe.

Courses are delivered in one of three formats:

*Traditional face-to-face classes may be enhanced with a web-delivered portion (less than 50% of the material delivered via the Internet, either synchronously or asynchronously). Most traditional classes at BridgeValley have a web enhanced portion.

Nontraditional Credit

BridgeValley Community and Technical College (College) provides students with the opportunity to earn credit through non-traditional avenues. Often called “Credit for Prior Learning”, this term is used to describe learning outside of the traditional educational environment. Learning that is acquired while living and working, such as serving in the military, independent studies, volunteering and community service, work-specific training, industry certifications and licensures, may be equivalent to college level learning. Students can demonstrate their college-level knowledge in the form of an experiential portfolio, credit by exam and standardized testing such as CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and Advanced Placement Exams. Using the opportunity to obtain “Credit for Prior Learning”, a student could possibly shorten the requirements for their chosen degree. Students interested in “Credit for Prior Learning” are encouraged to talk with the Program Coordinator or Dean in the area of study they would like to pursue, or the Veterans Coordinator, to discuss this opportunity. The College shall accept CLEP credits in accordance with Series 16 as provided by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical Education. Successful completion of examinations will result in the acceptance of CLEP credits. Experiential Portfolio and In-house Credit by Examination options will adhere to the guidelines stipulated by the college.

Earning credit through non-traditional avenues will be awarded in accordance with Series 59 as provided by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education.

Academic Credit for Military Training

Academic credit may be granted to veterans, National Guard, or Reserve members for successful completion of formal service school training programs on the basis of evaluations made by the Commission on Accreditation of Service Experiences and listed in the “Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.”

Students who apply for credit are required to submit official records, such as a DD-214, a DD-295, transcripts of in-service training, certificates, or diplomas to the Office of the Registrar.

Students who would like to request a military transcript evaluation should have their transcripts forwarded to the Office of the Registrar. Military transcripts must be requested through the Joint Services Transcript System. To request a military transcript, please visit the Joint Services Transcript website at https://jst.doded.mil.

Credit for college-level USAFI courses will be granted in accordance with recommendations of the Commission on Accreditation of Service Experiences. In addition, veterans who served in regular military service for more than one year will be granted one semester hour of physical education and two semester hours of health upon presentation of a DD-214. Contact the BridgeValley Community and Technical College’s Veterans’ Affairs Office for additional information and assistance.

Project Ahead (Army Help for Education and Development)

BridgeValley Community and Technical College cooperates with the United States Army in a Project AHEAD program to assist service personnel in keeping an accurate record of the academic work they complete while on active duty.

After qualifying for Army service, participants in the program apply for admission to college. The college will maintain a scholastic file and provide guidance for long term educational planning. In turn, the Army provides on-post guidance counselors to insure that courses leading to a degree are taken by the soldier-student. Records of college credits earned on active duty should be sent to the Office of the Registrar, which maintains an updated account of the student’s work.

In addition, the Army offers financial educational support to the Project AHEAD student both during and after the tour of duty.

Upon release from active duty, the Project AHEAD student should report to campus and register for classes. The Office of Admissions and Records has complete information on the program.

Advanced Placement

Students who have earned Advanced Placement credit and would like to have it evaluated for consideration should request an official Advanced Placement transcript from CollegeBoard to be sent to the Office of the Registrar. Not all Advanced Placement credit is eligible for articulation. If you have any questions or concerns regarding which Advanced Placement credits and/or scores will apply to your program, please contact your academic advisor.

Information concerning Advanced Placement credit is available at www.collegeboard.org/ap.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Students who opt for CLEP testing will register for the exam through Educational Testing Services (ETS). Guidelines, procedures, and a score matrix for CLEP examinations are available on the College website.

• Students who participate in the College Level Examination Program and wish to receive college credits for such examinations must be enrolled at the College in order to receive credit from the institution. Students that have taken CLEP prior to enrollment must submit an official CLEP transcript to the Office of the Registrar.
• Credit shall not be awarded for equivalent courses in which students have already earned such credit through course work, institutional challenge examinations, life experience, or other mechanisms.
• The College shall equate the CLEP credit earned with existing course offerings. If no equivalent course is offered at the College, the credit earned by CLEP examination shall be considered elective credit.
• Programs reserve the right to limit the number of CLEP credits a student can earn toward his/her degree. Credits earned in this manner cannot exceed 15 hours and does not count toward residency requirements. There are exceptions to the Board of Governors AAS degree. Programs also reserve the right to require a higher score than recommended by the Commission of Educational Credits and Credentials of the American Council on Education for CLEP Exams. Credit shall be awarded in an amount not exceeding the number of semester hours for which the examination was designed.
• Information concerning CLEP examinations is available at www.collegeboard.org/clep.
• Upon successful completion of a CLEP Exam, the Office of the Registrar will transcript the official course titles to the student’s official transcript as a “CR” grade. The academic record shall indicate credit was earned by CLEP and the credit will not be included in the computation of the student’s grade point average.
• The standard proctoring fee will be charged for students who opt for CLEP testing.

Credit by Examination

Students interested in pursuing the in-house examination option will secure permission from the Dean of the Division where the course is housed. Once permission has been granted, arrangements for testing will be made and testing will occur.

• Student will be required to obtain permission to test for a certain course from the Dean of the Division where the course is housed.
• Credit Equivalency Application will be used to indicate the exam to be given.
• Once student obtains permission to test and payment made, as indicated by the stamped receipt of payment on the Credit Equivalency Application, arrangements for testing date and time will be established by the Exam Administrator/Assigned Instructor. Student has the responsibility to retain the stamped receipt and present it to the Exam Administrator/Assigned Instructor at the time of testing.
• Upon successful completion of the exam and meeting the specified passing score, the Credit Equivalency Application will be completed by the Exam Administrator/Assigned Instructor and signed by the Division Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs. The form will be forwarded to the Registrar for posting to the student’s transcript and recorded with a grade of “CR” to indicate test out. The student will be required to pay posting fee for earned credits as reflected on the fee schedule to post credits to their transcript
• A student may attempt to take an in-house examination in any individual course only once.
• Students may not attempt credit-by-examination in courses for which they are enrolled and have begun. Additionally, students may not attempt credit-by-examination in courses which they have completed and for which they have grades on their transcripts.

Portfolio Credit

Academic credit may be granted through portfolio review for work or life experiences that are equivalent to course work which meets the requirements for the degree program in which the student is enrolled. (For students enrolled in programs outside the Board of Governors AAS Program)

• Students interested in submitting an experiential portfolio can initiate the request for a portfolio review only after they have successfully completed 12 credit hours of college level work at the College and/or a regionally accredited higher education institution. Student should consult the program director for the program in which the course is offered to obtain direction and guidance with the portfolio process.
• For students enrolled in programs outside of the Board of Governor AAS, submission of a portfolio for credit earned in the manner cannot exceed 15 credit hours and does not count toward residency requirements.
• Prior to the portfolio process and in the initial consultation with the program coordinator, a Credit Equivalency Application will be completed, indicating the course that the student intends to challenge. The student has the responsibility to submit the form to the cashier’s office for payment prior to the portfolio review.
• A non-refundable portfolio assessment fee, per fee schedule, is due upon the submission of the Credit Equivalency Application to the Cashier’s Office. Once payment has been made, as indicated by the stamped receipt of payment on the Credit Equivalency Application, the student can begin the portfolio process following the Portfolio Preparation Guidelines provided by the program coordinator.
• Completed portfolios are submitted to the program coordinator of the program in which the course is housed. If the portfolio is approved for credit, the student will be required to pay posting fee as reflected on the fee schedule to post credits to their transcript.
• The program coordinator will complete the Credit Equivalency Application to indicate if credit has been earned. Once the posting fees, as reflected by the fee schedule, have been paid by the student, credits will be posted to the transcript with a special designation for portfolio credits.

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer to BridgeValley from other regionally accredited institutions of higher education. Official transcripts must be submitted to the college. Transfer credit evaluation will be conducted by the Office of the Registrar in collaboration with Academic Affairs. International transcripts must be evaluated on a course-by-course basis by an approved third-party such as Educational Credential Evaluators or Global Credential Evaluators.

The College operates under the premise that similarly aligned courses from other public and private institutions in West Virginia are transferable. Every effort is made to ensure the maximum amount of credit transferred is applied toward a student’s chosen field of study. All transferred credit may not apply toward a specific field of study. In the event a student would like to appeal the application of a transferred course, a Transfer Credit Application Appeal form must be completed and returned to the Office of the Registrar along with any applicable supplemental documentation such as a course syllabus, course description, etc.

Note: Courses listed with ~ indicate acceptance for transfer to other state colleges and universities as part of the core course work agreement.

Classification of Students by Class Rank

Class rank is based on the total number of semester hours of college-level credit on file in the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of each term. Minimum requirements are:

Classification of Residency for Fee Purposes

Students who have been classified as non-residents may appeal to the Residency Appeals Committee by submitting the Application to Establish Residency, along with supporting documentation, to the Office of the Registrar.

Credit-Hour Load

Students may register for up to 19 credit hours during a regular semester. However, a student may be approved for a maximum load of up to 23 hours upon recommendation of the academic advisor and by approval of the division dean.

Students may register for up to 12 credit hours during a summer term.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend class regularly. Instructors set attendance regulations for their classes. Instructors will specify early in the semester what the regulations are and the policy regarding makeup tests and class assignments. Students are responsible for all work missed as a result of absence. Institutional excuses for college-sponsored activities are granted by the administrator of the school and honored by each instructor. There are consequences for non-attendance; including the possibility of failing grades and/or loss of financial aid.

Grading System

Grades awarded are:

Any course below the 100-level will be excluded from the GPA calculation and will not count toward fulfilling graduation requirements. However, these credits will be used for the purpose of computing satisfactory academic progress GPAs and semester honors.

Grade Point Average Calculation

The academic grade point average is calculated by dividing the total number of 100-level, or above, quality points earned by the total number of 100-level, or above, GPA hours. The satisfactory academic progress GPA also includes any course below the 100-level.

Incomplete Grades

Students requesting an incomplete grade due to unavoidable circumstances should contact the instructor of the course. Eligible students will have an opportunity to complete the course within an established amount of time as published in the academic calendar.

Repeating Classes

If a student earns a grade of “D” or “F”, including failures due to regular and/or irregular withdrawal, on any course taken no later than the semester or term during which the student attempts the sixtieth semester hour, and if that student repeats the course prior to the receipt of an associate degree, the original grade shall be disregarded and the grade earned when the course is repeated shall be used in determning the student’s grade point average. The original grade shall not be deleted from the student’s record.

To initiate the review of a course or courses for the purpose of determining D/F repeat eligibility, students should submit a completed D/F Repeat form to the Office of the Registrar.

Academic Forgiveness

Students are eligible for academic forgiveness if the following conditions are met:

• The student must not have been enrolled in any college on a full-time basis during any semester or term in the last four consecutive years.
• Only grades for courses taken at least four years prior to the request for academic forgiveness may be disregarded for grade point average computation.
• In cases where grades may be disregarded for grade-point average computation, these grades shall not be excluded from the student’s permanent record.
• In instances where students request and gain academic forgiveness from one college and then transfer to another institution, the receiving institution is not bound by the prior institution’s decision to disregard grades for grade-point computation.
• All institutional degree requirements must be met.
• Only enrolled students are eligible.
• The Board of Governor’s Degree Completion Program is governed by a different forgiveness policy.
• This pertains only to graduation requirements and may not fulfill requirements for application to selective admission to programs.

Grade Reporting Periods

Mid-semester and final grades are reported to the Office of the Registrar each semester. Mid-semester grades are progress reports only and students may obtain a copy through MyBridge (the student self-service account). Final grades are available at the end of each semester through MyBridge. A student having an error in a grade received or a grade omitted should contact the instructor. An instructor who makes an error in reporting a grade may request a grade change by completing a form provided by the Office of the Registrar. All corrections in grades must be approved by the division dean and chief academic officer.

Grade Appeals

The Student Grade Appeal Process provides a fair, orderly and unbiased process for students who wish to pursue a formal appeal of their final course grade. In taking such action, students shall assume the burden of proof concerning any perceived error in the grade assigned. Further, they shall follow the sequence of steps outlined in this policy with the presumption that, as a matter of rule, instructors do not assign arbitrary, capricious, prejudicial, or discriminatory grades. The grade appeal process must be started within 15 working days of the posting of the final grade, within 2 working days for part-of-term courses.

Before starting a formal grade appeal process, the student must discuss the final course grade, including grading practices and assignments, with the instructor who gave the final grade. The instructor and the student should make every effort to eliminate any misunderstandings over the assignment of the grade as it relates to the course syllabus. It is expected that most grade issues will be resolved at this level. This discussion must occur before the student may file a formal appeal.

If the faculty member finds in the student’s favor, a grade change is submitted with signatures and the appeal process is resolved.

If a student and instructor fail to resolve the grade dispute through informal means the student may request a formal grade appeal process by initiating a formal student grade appeal.

Process

Step 1: The student must notify the course faculty member in writing immediately (within 2 working days for part-of-term courses, no later than 15 working days for full-term courses) of the posting of the final grade stating that s/he wishes to discuss his/her final grade. If the course faculty member does not respond to the student’s email within the specified time or if there is no resolution and the student intends to pursue a grade appeal, the student must obtain a Student Grade Appeal Form from the BridgeValley website, his or her counselor, or any division office. The Student Grade Appeal Form must include all facts and supporting documentation from the student prior to presenting the form to the course faculty. The Student Grade Appeal containing the decision and the rationale must be completed, dated and signed by the course faculty member.

Step 2: If the issue is not resolved to the student’s or the instructor’s satisfaction at Step 1, the decision may be appealed to the department chairperson* within 10 working days of the student submission of the Student Grade Appeal Form to the faculty to arrange a meeting. The faculty member may be invited to this meeting if the department chairperson deems it appropriate. The student must attend the scheduled meeting and discuss the issue of the grade appeal with the department chairperson. Should a student fail to attend any scheduled meeting, the appeal will be nullified, and no further action will be considered. The Student Grade Appeal Form, containing the decision and the rationale, must be completed, dated and signed by the department chairperson.

*If the faculty member is also the department chair, proceed to the next step.
Step 3: If the issue is not resolved to the student’s or the instructor’s satisfaction at Step 2, the student must contact the Academic Division Dean* within 10 working days to schedule a meeting. The student must attend the scheduled meeting and discuss the issue of the grade appeal. Should a student fail to attend any scheduled meeting, the appeal will be nullified, and no further action will be considered. The Academic Division Dean will conduct an investigation of the situation. The Student Grade Appeal Form, containing the decision and the rationale must be completed, dated and signed by the Academic Division Dean.

*If the faculty member is also the Academic Division Dean, proceed to the next step.

Step 4: If the issue is not resolved to the student’s or the instructor’s satisfaction at Step 3, the student must send a copy of the Student Grade Appeal Form to the Office of the Registrar (Registrar) within 10 working days to schedule a meeting. After meeting with the student and discussion with faculty, the Registrar will review the appeal to determine if the student has appropriate grounds for appeal based on the statements in the syllabus and other instructor documents. If warranted, the Registrar will convene the Grade Appeals Committee, which is a recommending body and a subcommittee of the Academic Board, to convene a hearing. If not, the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) makes the determination that the grade stands. The student will be notified in writing of the VPAA’s decision.

Grade Appeals Committee: The Grade Appeals Committee is convened by the Registrar after Step 4 when the grade is still in dispute and the Registrar determines that the student has grounds for an appeal. The Grade Appeal Committee will be made up of five (5) faculty members, one (1) student, and the Registrar (or designee), who will be a non-voting member, except in the event of a tie. Both the faculty member and student involved in the appeal will have an opportunity to be heard before the Grade Appeals Committee, and any employee involved in Steps 1-3 may be asked to comment before the Committee. The participants will be informed, in writing, of the Committee’s recommendation within two (2) working days after the hearing.

The faculty member must abide by the recommendation of the Committee and will submit any grade change deemed necessary to the Office of the Registrar.

Academic Dishonesty

Honesty among the members of any group is required for the smooth functioning of the group. In college, new experiences, awareness, and the academic life with its freedoms, frequently put individual honesty to the test. Without honesty, both individual and institutional goals would be compromised. Therefore, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. It is presumed that the student has gained a basic understanding of the meaning of the term dishonesty prior to entering college. Academic dishonesty includes any deceitful act committed to affect any student’s scholastic standing. All parties knowingly associated with the act are guilty of dishonesty whether or not they directly benefit from the act.

Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to: (1) plagiarism of an item submitted for a grade such as a question answer or an exam, quiz, or laboratory report, a submitted paper, experimental data, a computer program, or homework; (2) falsifying experimental data; (3) using work accomplished by another person; (4) assisting another person to cheat; (5) falsifying records; and (6) improperly accessing computer stored information.

While this policy will apply for all courses in the institution, each faculty member may establish a policy statement, within the framework of this policy, on cheating and resulting penalties for their courses, to be included in the course syllabus. It is a faculty and student responsibility to prevent academic dishonesty.

When academic dishonesty is suspected, the faculty member should discuss the matter with the student involved as soon as practical but should assess a penalty only when the evidence justifies such action or where the student provides a written admission of guilt. Possible penalties the faculty member may utilize range from failure on the item in question to dismissal from the course with a failing grade. In the event of dismissal from the course for reasons of academic dishonesty, a student may not withdraw to avoid a failing grade. When a penalty is levied, the student may accept the penalty and sign a written admission of guilt, accept the penalty without admission of guilt, or may, within one week, appeal the faculty member’s decision to the department/division chair of the department involved. If appeal is requested, the chair will meet with the student and faculty member involved as soon as possible to review the evidence related to the case. The student still has the option to remain in the course and continue the work until the appeal process is completed in the case of appeal of dismissal from a course. It should, however, be clearly understood that, if the decision for dismissal is upheld, the student will receive an “F” grade for the course regardless of overall performance in the course work. If the student chooses not to remain in the course, the committee shall decide whether to award a “W” or “F” grade based on the outcome of the appeal.

Should the chair uphold the faculty member’s decision, the student may appeal to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs or accept the decision. If the chair does not uphold the faculty member’s action, the instructor may accept that decision or appeal the question to the Vice President. The appeal must be in writing, describing the basis for appeal, and be submitted within one week after the chair’s decision.

Either the student or faculty member may appeal the decision of the Chief Academic Officer by a written request for a hearing, addressed to the Chair of Academic Appeals Committee, within one week of the decision. When such an appeal request is made, the committee chair will schedule a hearing within two weeks and notify, in writing, all concerned parties of the time and location of the hearing and also the hearing procedure to be followed.

Additional penalties for academic dishonesty include suspension or permanent dismissal from the institution. Only the Academic Appeals Committee can determine these sanctions after a formal hearing before the Committee. In accordance with BOG Policy, a recommendation for the imposition of sanctions by the Academic Appeals Committee in a case of academic dishonesty is final. A hearing toward imposition of the sanctions of suspension or dismissal can be initiated at the request of the instructor, the department/division chair, or the Vice President.

In the event that a student receives an “F” grade in a course as a result of academic dishonesty, a report of this action will be filed with the appropriate administrative office. Should the student receive a second such “F” grade, the student shall be subject to suspension or dismissal from the institution, the appropriate action to be determined by the Academic Appeals Committee. When a student graduates, any such report concerning that student will be removed from the file and destroyed.

Enrollment Verification

BridgeValley Community and Technical College has partnered with the Student Clearing House to provide electronic enrollment verification services. To submit an electronic request for an enrollment verification, please visit the Student Clearing House website at https://secure.studentclearinghouse.org/vs/Index.

Degree Verification

BridgeValley Community and Technical College has partnered with the Student Clearing House to provide electronic degree verification services. To submit an electronic request for a graduation verification, please visit the student Clearing House website at https://secure.studentclearinghouse.org/vs/Index.

Official Transcripts

Students may request official transcripts from the National Student Clearinghouse at http://www.GetMyTranscript.com.

Official transcripts may be issued through the following delivery methods:
1. Electronically, via secure PDF, to the recipient email address provided during the request process
2. Mail, via USPS, to the recipient mailing address provided during the request process

Unofficial transcripts are available exclusively through MyBridge.

All monetary obligations to the college must be satisfied before official transcripts can be released or unofficial transcripts can be accessed.

Course Registration

Students may request a change in schedule by obtaining approval from the appropriate advisor and submitting a completed Course Registration form to the Department of Student Affairs or the administrative assistant for the student’s program of study.

Students may request to withdraw from a course(s) by obtaining approval from the appropriate advisor and submitting a completed Course Registration form to the Office of the Registrar. Students must follow applicable deadlines published in the Academic Calendar.

A student receiving Veteran Administration benefits must submit completed Course Registration forms to the Office of Veteran Affairs on either campus.

Change in Major

A student’s major is declared on the Admissions Application and remains in effect until a completed Major Change form is submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Students must follow applicable deadlines published in the Academic Calendar. Students receiving Veteran Administration benefits must submit completed Major Change forms to the Office of Veteran Affairs on either campus. All other Major Change forms are processed through the Office of the Registrar.

Administrative Drop

At the discretion of the Vice President of Academic Affairs or the Vice President of Student Affairs, students may be administratively dropped from courses for reasons including, but not limited to, cases of emergency, attendance related issues, non-payment, failure to complete financial aid processing, failure to meet academic requirements, etc.

Administrative Withdrawal

At the discretion of the Vice President of Academic Affairs or the Vice President of Student Affairs, students may be administratively withdrawn from courses for reasons including, but not limited to, cases of emergency, attendance related issues, non-payment, failure to complete financial aid processing, failure to meet academic requirements, etc.

Student Initiated Withdrawal from School

Students may initiate a request to withdraw from school with their appropriate advisor. Once all required signatures are obtained, the completed Withdraw from School form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline published in the Academic Calendar. All courses for which a student is currently registered must be eligible for individual withdrawal to be eligible for a complete withdrawal from school. In the event the withdrawal deadline has passed for an individual course, the request to withdraw from school will be processed as a request to withdraw from eligible individual courses. Final grades will remain for courses outside the individual course withdrawal deadline.

Students withdrawing from school may be eligible for a partial reduction in tuition and fees based on the date of withdrawal as published in the Academic Calendar. The withdrawal date is based on the earliest dated signature of a college official. Individual course withdrawals do not result in a partial reduction of tuition and fees.

Attendance Reporting

Instructors are required to report attendance. Non-attendance may affect a student’s financial aid eligibility, veteran’s benefits, final grades, etc. Students should notify their instructor(s) immediately if they are unable to attend class (es) for any reason.

Students Called to Serve in the Military

Students called to serve in the military during a period of enrollment should notify the college immediately. Several options, as outlined below, are available to these students.

• In the event of an unexpected call to duty, the military member student shall be afforded a choice of options for completion of enrolled coursework.
• If the military member student has completed 75 percent or more of the term or the required coursework, s/he may choose to:
  • Receive full credit for the course, with assignment of the grade earned up to the time of the call to duty
  • Withdraw from the course without academic penalty and receive no credit for the course pursued.
• If the military member student has completed less than 75 percent of the term or the required coursework, s/he may choose to:
  • Receive an “incomplete” grade for the course and, with written verification of concurrence of the instructor or department chair, complete the course within one year of release from military duty. Institutional timeline for completing the coursework and removing the “incomplete” grade shall be published
  • Withdraw from the course without academic penalty and receive no credit for the course pursued but receive a proportional refund of tuition and fees and room and board for the term, as permitted within adherence to financial aid regulations.
• Military members seeking relief under this rule must provide proof, in the form of a dated copy of official orders, that the call up or reassignment could not reasonably have been foreseen prior to the beginning of term in which registered.
• This rule shall not be applicable in the case of planned military training during an enrolled term if the planned military training was scheduled and the military member notified of it prior to the beginning of the term.

Approved Academic Leave of Absence for Service Members

Service members in good academic standing who have been continuously enrolled and completed 50% or more of the course work in a program of study are eligible for academic leave of absence due to military service obligations. Degree requirements in effect at the time of each Service member’s enrollment will remain in effect for a period of one year beyond the program’s standard length, providing continuance of the program. If a student attends any institutions of higher education while on leave of absence, an overall grade point average of 2.0 on all work attempted while on leave combined with the BridgeValley grade point average is required. Students requesting academic leave must meeting with the college Veterans Coordinator and receive approval from the major Academic Dean.

Probation and Suspension

An institutional satisfactory academic progress grade point average of a 2.0 is required to maintain “good standing.” Additional requirements regarding the successful completion of attempted credit hours and stated degree objectives are required for consideration in awarding Federal Financial Aid.

Probation

If a student’s institutional satisfactory academic GPA falls below a 2.0, the student shall be placed on academic probation for the following semester and be notified by letter. Copies of the notification will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar to be placed in the student’s permanent file, and to the students’ department chair.

No student on probation may carry more than 14 semester hours without the approval of the academic advisor and the division dean: including participation in non-credit courses.

A student receiving financial aid or veteran benefits, having failed to maintain satisfactory academic progress, will be referred to the respective office responsible for administering these student service programs. Satisfactory academic progress as related to financial aid policies may differ from the academic standing policy. Students receiving financial aid may be required to submit additional documentation to maintain their financial aid status (see Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress in Student Services Handbook).

Students on probation must report to the Director of Retention no later than one week after classes begin the next semester.

Students are removed from probation once their overall institutional satisfactory academic GPA is at least 2.0. If during any subsequent semester the overall institutional satisfactory academic GPA is below 2.0, the student will return to academic probation.

Suspension

A student on academic probation who fails to achieve a semester satisfactory academic GPA of at least 2.0 for the current semester will be suspended for one semester. A student who has been suspended once may be readmitted by remaining out of school for one semester (summer does not satisfy this provision) and by applying for readmission. A student may petition the Chief Academic Officer to waive the one semester waiting period. Approval is granted on a case-by-case basis and requires a signed contract of agreement. All petitions must be made prior to the beginning of the semester. A student who is readmitted after academic suspension will be placed on academic probation and will be required to follow all requirements associated with academic probation. A suspended student is not eligible to attend the College during the period of suspension nor will credits earned at other schools during this period be accepted in transfer.

A student who is placed on second Academic Suspension will remain on suspension for a period of one academic year and then may request readmission to the College. The student must request readmission through the Chief Academic Officer. Students readmitted after any suspension may not be eligible for federal financial aid and must report to the Director of Retention no later than one week after classes begin.

Recognition of Scholarship

The college publicly recognizes students who have achieved a high degree of scholarship in their academic work at BridgeValley Community and Technical College through formal induction ceremonies into Honor Societies, publication of the Dean’s List each semester, publication of the President’s List each semester, and the awarding of degrees with honors at commencement. In determining these honors, the student’s satisfactory academic progress grade point average is used. The satisfactory academic progress GPA also includes any course below the 100-level.

Dean’s List

To recognize academic excellence of students enrolled for 12 semester hours or more, the Dean’s List is published at the end of each regular semester. This list contains names of all full-time students whose satisfactory academic progress grade point averages are 3.25-3.99. Each student whose grade point average in a particular semester is a 3.25-3.99 is eligible to receive a certificate.

President’s List

To recognize academic excellence of students enrolled for 12 semester hours or more, the President’s List is published at the end of each regular semester. This list contains names of all full-time students whose satisfactory academic progress grade point averages are 4.0. Each student whose grade point average in a particular semester is a 4.0 is eligible to receive a certificate.

Graduation with Honors

In determining commencement ceremonial and graduate honors, the student’s cumulative institutional grade point average is utilized. The cumulative institutional grade point average does not include any course below the 100-level or transfer courses.

Special recognition is given at commencement to students who have achieved special distinction in their studies. Spring graduates’ ceremonial honors are based on their previous semester averages. Students participating in graduation whose degrees have been conferred (December and August graduates) will be recognized with final graduate honors. A student must have earned 12 or more GPA credit hours at the College to be eligible to receive commencement ceremonial and graduate honors. Final graduate honors will be recorded on the diploma and transcript. Three types of honors may be awarded:

• Summa Cum Laude – A student must attain a 3.75 or higher cumulative institutional grade point average.
• Magna Cum Laude – A student must attain a 3.50-3.74 cumulative institutional grade point average.
• Cum Laude – A student must attain a 3.25-3.49 cumulative institutional grade point average.

Program Designations

Degree Program: an area of study approved as such by the institution and the WV Community and Technical College System and listed on the official inventory of degree programs. The degree is represented by the official degree designation (e.g., A.S. Associate of Science, A.A.S. Associate of Applied Science and CP- Certificate Degree.)

Major/Program of Study: a field of study within an approved degree program, having its own prescribed curriculum. A degree program may have more than one major.

Concentration: A thematic focus of study that enable the student to spend the time and effort to acquire depth in a particular discipline, in addition to meeting the normal breadth of requirements for the associate degree (typically 12-18 credit hours).

Certificate Degree Programs: allows for successful entry into employment in a specific career usually as the foundation of the Associate in Applied Science. A minimum of 30 credit hours constitutes a certificate program at the associate level.

Advanced Skill Sets: defined series of courses that prepare individuals for a specific skill (12-29 credit hours).

Basic Skill Sets: defined series of courses that prepare individuals for a specific skill (up to 11 credit hours)

Graduation

Application for Graduation

All graduation applications are submitted exclusively through the online graduation application and a separate application is required for each credential.

http://www.bridgevalley.edu/gradapp

To submit an application, follow the link above, select the appropriate application link, log in with your BridgeValley-issued email, and complete the application. The application extracts information from your student email account, so please be sure to submit the application from your account. If you experience difficulty accessing the application, please verify you are not logged in with a personal Office 365 account (@microsoft.com, @hotmail.com, etc.).

Requirements for Graduation

Candidates for graduation from a specific major will be evaluated based on the catalog which was in effect at the time they declared the major unless one of the following is true:

• A student interrupts his/her study for two consecutive semesters excluding the summer term (readmitted students will be placed in the effective catalog at a the time of readmission)
• A student elected to move to newer catalog at the time it was in effect
• A student meets the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of graduation

Degree requirements vary from program to program. The minimum semester hour requirement for an Associate degree is 60. The student is responsible for completing all program requirements. If a substitution or waiver is recommended by the academic advisor and is approved by the Chief Academic Officer, the approval must be on record in the Office of the Registrar before the substitution or  waiver is in effect. Candidates for graduation taking courses under transient student status must ensure a transcript is received in the Office of the Registrar no later than ten (10) calendar days after the Commencement date. Transfer students must meet the residency requirements of the program. If you have any questions or concerns regarding specific program requirements, please contact your academic advisor.

Graduation requirements for associate degrees from BridgeValley Community and Technical College includes the following:

1. Minimum of 60 earned credit hours, with a minimum of fifteen credit hours taken in residence at BridgeValley.
2. An overall 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
3. An overall 2.0 institutional grade point average.
4. An overall 2.0 grade point average in the student’s major field as outlined in the college catalog.
5. Completion of all program specific requirements as outlined in the catalog.
6. Completion of all required assessments as outlined in the catalog.
7. Fulfilment of all obligations to the college.

Graduation requirements for certificate programs from BridgeValley Community and Technical College includes the following:

1. Minimum of 30 earned credit hours, with a minimum of eight credit hours taken in residence at BridgeValley.
2. An overall 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
3. An overall 2.0 institutional grade point average.
4. An overall 2.0 grade point average in the student’s major field as outlined in the college catalog.
5. Completion of all program specific requirements as outlined in the catalog.
6. Completion of all required assessments as outlined in the catalog.
7. Fulfilment of all obligations to the college.

Assessment Program

BridgeValley Community and Technical College has established an institutional assessment program to evaluate student achievement. Components of the assessment program include:

• Assessment of the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO): ILOs are assessed using direct and indirect methods established by an institutionally approved evaluation process.
• Programmatic Assessment: Includes annual programmatic outcomes assessment, five-year program reviews, and use of instruments designated by academic departments and administered in accordance with departmental assessment programs.
• Student Satisfaction Surveys: Surveys are used to gather data on student engagement.
• Graduate and Employer Surveys: Surveys are distributed to graduates and employers to determine the relevance of education in the workplace.

Departmental Practicums/Internships/Externships

Several programs require supervised Practicum/Internships/Externship. The Practicum/Internship/Externship is designed to combine theory and practice in a field integrated with the academic program.

Off-Campus Courses

The college provides a variety of credit courses and programs for adult and nontraditional students. Off-campus, evening, weekend, and special session offerings at the associate levels are arranged by academic departments. Programming is supplemented through the use of electronic videoconferencing, Internet, e-mail, satellite and television featuring a wide variety of educational topics. Courses are offered in locations that best meet the needs of students, business and industry.

Students enrolled in off-campus courses may be admitted under several different categories:

• Special Students, who are (1) high school juniors or seniors, preferably with a 2.5 scholastic average and with approval of their principal; (2) high school graduates not pursuing degrees; or (3) adults without a diploma but who have passed the GED/TASC test. Special students take fewer than 12 hours of course credit.
• Auditors take no examinations and receive no grades or credits for courses audited and cannot later receive credit by examination for courses audited.
• High School Graduates who are taking courses that lead to a college degree. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Admissions Office.

Proctored Exams

It is the policy of BridgeValley Community and Technical College that exams will be proctored (supervised) including those administered in web-based courses.

Service Learning

Service learning is an important component, and expectation of the educational experience at BridgeValley. Students are required to complete and document a minimum of 15 hours of citizenship/volunteerism/service -learning experiences prior to earning an associate degree. Opportunities for service learning occur through participation in academic clubs or specific departmental courses or through activities with civic or professional groups. Examples include stream monitoring, Pumpkin Drop, food and clothing drives, assistance with “The Bridge” newspaper, and dental hygiene clinics for elementary school children.