Academic Calendars
Academic calendars contain start/end dates of classes, deadlines to drop/withdraw from individual classes and from the College, and other important information and dates. Students are responsible for following applicable deadlines published within the calendar.
Academic Calendars
Annual Notice
Annually, BridgeValley Community and Technical College informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). This Act, with which BridgeValley intends to comply fully, was designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Office of the Registrar concerning alleged failures by BridgeValley to comply with the Act.
For more information regarding FERPA, or to download the FERPA and/or Disclosure of Directory Information form(s), please visit our FERPA webpage.
1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access.
Students should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Record Review Request form may be submitted to the Office of the Registrar to request access to academic records. Other offices or departments will develop their own method-granting access. After the written request, each office or department will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the college official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of anything in the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading.
Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They may write or use the appropriate form as designated by each office to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
If the college decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the college will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of all personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records except to the extent FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the college has contracted for a service (such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks; or a volunteer or other non-employee with legitimate educational interests.
A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.
Upon request, the college may disclose education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll and by law must provide name and address of all students to any legitimate military recruiter who makes such a request in writing to the Office of the Registrar.
4. Complaints concerning alleged failures by BridgeValley Community and Technical College to comply with FERPA may be mailed to the U.S. Department of Education at:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605
NOTE:
- As of January, 2012, The U.S. Dept. of Education’s FERPA regulations expand the circumstances under which your education records and personally identifiable information (PII) contained in such records—including your SSN, grades, or other private information – may be accessed without your consent.
- First, the U.S. Comptroller General, The U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or state and local education authorities (“Federal and State Authorities”) may allow access to your records and PII without your consent to any third party designated by a Federal or State Authority to evaluate a federal or state-supported education program. The evaluation may relate to any program that is “principally engaged in the provision of education,” such as early childhood education and job training, as well as any program that is administered by an education agency or institution.
- Second, Federal and State Authorities may allow access to your education records and PII without your consent to researchers performing certain types of studies, in certain cases even when we object or do not request such research. Federal and State Authorities must obtain certain use-restriction and data security promises from the entities that are authorized to receive your PII, but the Authorities need not maintain direct control over such entities.
- In addition, in connection with Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems, State Authorities may collect, compile, permanently retain, and share without your consent PII from your education records, and they may track your participation in education and other programs by linking such PII to other personal information about you that they obtain from other Federal or State data sources, including workforce development, unemployment insurance, child welfare, juvenile justice, military service, and migrant student records systems.
Directory Information
“Directory information is… information contained in an educational record of a student which would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.” (FERPA Regulations, 34CFR, Part 993.)
Directory Information at BridgeValley
- Name
- City
- Major field of study
- Full time or part-time status
- Dates of attendance
- Degrees, honors, and awards received (including anticipated graduation dates)
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Most recent previous educational agency or institution attended
- BridgeValley-issued email address
Veteran Affairs
Financial assistance is available to veterans who qualify through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). Visit www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply to learn how to apply for VA education benefits. Once approved, the VA will issue your Certificate of Eligibility (CoE). You must provide your VA-issued CoE to the College’s Director of Veteran Affairs.
Possible Benefits Include:
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the VA. More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
- Post 9/11 GI Bill: The Post-9/11 GI Bill is for individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Post-9/11 GI Bill will become effective for training on or after August 1, 2009. Apply at www.gibill.va.gov®
- Yellow Ribbon Program Participant: Those receiving the maximum benefit from the Post 9/11 GI Bill can receive additional funding to cover the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees. BridgeValley Community and Technical College has agreed to waive 50% of this difference, and the VA will pay the remaining balance. This means that those students eligible for the maximum Post 9/11 GI Bill should not have to pay any tuition and fees out-of-pocket.
- Montgomery GI Bill/Chapter 30: (active duty or non-active duty) must have served in the United States Armed Forces for period of two to four years and have been HONORABLY discharged prior to returning to school.
- Montgomery GI Bill/Chapter 1606: (selected reserve) must have you completed Basic Training and AIT and are now assigned to a Reserve and/or West Virginia National Guard Unit. Please submit copy of DD214 and NOBE (Notice of Basic Eligibility). The NOBE is available from your assigned unit.
- VR&E (Veteran Readiness & Employment/Chapter 31: (disabled Veterans) must make application with case worker and have disability rated. The veteran school certifying official (SCO) will receive authorization and certification of entrance or re-entrance into rehabilitation and certification of status.
- Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program/Chapter 35: (for dependents and spouses of 100% disabled or deceased veterans) must complete Form 22-5490 and submit to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Once a claim is established, the VA will issue a CoE to the dependent/spouse. The student should then make an appointment to see the College’s SCO.
Work-Study Program:
All students eligible for Chapter 30, 31, 35 and 1606 benefits are eligible to apply for VA Work Study. Required forms can be found at: www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/workstudy.asp
Reserve or National Guard Tuition Assistance:
Available Tutoring Services and Testing Center:
The mission of the Student Success Center is to provide effective academic assistance, professional testing, student assessment services, tutorial services and academic advising that will ensure success for all students at BridgeValley Community & Technical College.
VA One Year Retroactive Award Rule:
VA’s one-year retroactive rule is available to students/trainees/apprentices that are considering using the GI Bill. The VA will only pay retroactive one year back from the date of the claim. For VA education and OJT/Apprenticeship programs, that’s generally the date of the certification of enrollment/training. If the student/trainee/apprentice is pursuing several terms of education or months of training/employment before actually coming to you to get certified, that student/trainee/apprentice runs the risk of the VA not paying for any term beginning more than one year prior to your certification.
VA Pending Payments
Any students using U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA, we will not:
- Prevent their enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to;
- Require they secure alternative or additional funding;
- Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
To qualify for this provision, students may be required to:
- Produce a VA-issued CoE by the first day of class;
- Provide written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies (see our VA School Certifying Official for all requirements).
