Registration
The registration process is facilitated through an online registration system. New and continuing students may access the registration system via MyVPCC. Information about the use of MyVPCC is available on the College’s website. Students can add, drop, and change classes during the published dates on the Academic Calendar.
Usually, students may not enter a new class after the first week of a session. Any request for entry after that time must be approved by the instructor of the class and the division dean or appropriate academic administrator.
The student who enrolls and enters a course after the first class meeting should note that attendance records are kept from the first day the class meets and not the first day of the new student’s attendance. All class days missed before and after the student’s entry into the class will be considered as absences on the instructor’s roll.
The student is responsible for the completion of all assignments, quizzes, and classes missed during the absence. All course work missed and not subsequently completed may affect the student’s grade in the course.
Attendance
Regular attendance is required in all classes. Students who enroll in a class but do not attend a minimum of one face-to-face class meeting or the equivalent for asynchronous distance learning classes by the last day to drop with a refund, or earlier date as defined and published on the Academic Calendar, will be administratively dropped from the course by the College. When absence from a class becomes necessary, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor prior to the absence whenever possible. The student is responsible for the subsequent completion of all study missed during an absence. Any instructional material missed and not subsequently obtained will affect the grade of the student, regardless of the reason for the absence. It is the responsibility of each instructor to explain his or her attendance policy in the course syllabus.
Absences and Administrative Withdrawals
Students should be present and on time for all scheduled class and laboratory meetings. If students add classes or register after the first day of classes, the students are counted absent from all class meetings missed. If students are absent for more than 15 percent of their scheduled instructional time, attendance may be defined as unsatisfactory. This calculation includes absences occurring during the add/drop period.
Instructors may establish a more stringent absence policy. Course absence policies shall be published in the course syllabus. Students are responsible for understanding the attendance requirements for each course in which they are enrolled. When instructors determine student absences constitute unsatisfactory attendance, students may be withdrawn from courses. Students will receive a grade of ‘W’ during the withdrawal period, which begins after the Last Day to Drop for a Refund and ends on the Last Day to Drop for a grade of “W”. If students are withdrawn after 60 percent of courses, grades of F (or U in the case of developmental courses) will be assigned unless students can document mitigating circumstances. With limited exceptions, students who are withdrawn from courses because of unsatisfactory attendance are not eligible for refunds of tuition and fees.
Unsatisfactory attendance is defined as missing more than 15% of a class (defined as attending an in-person class or participating in an online asynchronous class).
If absences are consecutive, a Withdrawal Form will be submitted by the instructor no later than 21 days after the last date of attendance to meet Federal Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs regulations.
Course attendance requires active participation by a student in an instructional activity related to the course, after the course start date. Attendance is not equivalent to logging into the Learning Management System. Participation includes but is not limited to:
- Attending a synchronous class, lecture, recitation, or filed or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for predictable and scheduled substantive interaction between the instructor and students.
- Submitting an academic assignment.
- Taking an assessment or an exam.
- Instructor documented participation in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction.
- Participating in an activity group, group project, or an online discussion that the instructor assigns; or
- Documented coursework interaction with the instructor.
Withdrawal from Course(s)
Students are obligated to initiate their own withdrawals from a class. A student may withdraw from a course without academic penalty only if the student initiates the withdrawal via the Student Information System (SIS) prior to the last day to drop with a grade of “W” as posted on the Academic Calendar. In this case, the student will receive a grade of “W.” Per VCCS policy, instructors may withdraw students from a class after the add/drop period, but prior to the last day to drop with a grade of “W”. After the last day to drop with a grade of “W”, if a student withdraws or is withdrawn from a course, a grade of “F” shall be assigned.
Exceptions to this policy may be made under mitigating circumstances. Students should review and complete the Withdrawal from Course(s) Form for consideration under this exception.
Students receiving financial aid or military/veteran benefits who withdraw from courses may be subject to changes in their funding that may create a debt to the college. Contact the appropriate office to determine the impact on your funds.
Student Records Retention Policy
The academic transcript is the only official record of a student’s academic history. All other student documents are subject to disposal by the College in accordance with the Virginia Community College System and Library of Virginia Records Retention Schedule.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Virginia Peninsula Community College is committed to maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of students’ academic records in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other College, State, and Federal regulations. FERPA is a federal law 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 information.
All requests for official student information should be referred to the College Registrar. Requests for information in connection to a health or safety emergency will be managed by the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success, or another appropriate college official.
The College is obligated to notify its students annually of its compliance with FERPA, as amended, which sets forth requirements governing protection of student’s right to privacy in their educational records. If any student in attendance believes that the College has failed to comply with the above act and/or regulations, the student may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education; alternatively, the student may follow procedures established by the College.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) grants students’ certain rights with respect to their education records and defines situations in which the College may release information from student records without student consent.
Student Rights
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the College receives a request for access. Students should submit a written request to the Enrollment Management, Kecoughtan Hall Hampton campus; identifying the record(s) they wish to inspect. The Enrollment Management staff will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate or misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student who wishes to amend a record should write to the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify 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.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
- Students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
STUDENT PRIVACY POLICY OFFICE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington DC 20202-8520
Disclosing Educational Records
FERPA permits the disclosure of personal identifiable information (PII) from an education record or a student without prior consent if the disclosure meets certain conditions. VPCC may disclose personal identifiable information under the following conditions:
- To school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom VPCC has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent), a person serving on the college’s board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks. A school official must have a legitimate educational need to review an educational record to fulfill a professional responsibility.
- To officials of another higher education institution where the student seeks or intends to enroll or where the student is already enrolled so long as the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer.
- To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS purposes.
- Directory information may be released upon request without the student’s express written consent. As provided by FERPA and code of Virginia, VPCC may disclose the following types of director information:
- Student’s Name
- Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
- Weight and height of members of athletic teams
- Degrees, honors, and awards received
- Major field of study
- Dates of attendance
- The most recent educational agency or institutions attended
- Number of credit hours enrolled
- Provided certain conditions are met that are not included in the summary below, other exceptions to FERPA’s general consent requirement that permit the disclosure of PII from education records include, but are not limited to:
- To authorized representatives of, among others the U.S. Secretary of Education, as well as State and local educational authorities, for audit or evaluation of Federal or State supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs.
- In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or received.
- To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school for the purposes of administering predictive tests, administering student aid programs, or improving instruction.
- To appropriate officials in connections with a health or safety emergency.
- To the victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense concerning the final results of a disciplinary hearing conducted by an institution of postsecondary education against the alleged perpetrator of such crime or offense with respect to the alleged crime or offense.
- To any third party the final results, as described in FERPA regulations, of a disciplinary proceeding conducted by an institution of postsecondary education against a student who is the alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense if the student is found by the institution to have violated its rules or policies as a result of the disciplinary proceeding, as long as the disclosure does not include the name of any other student, including a victim or witness, without the written consent of that other student.
- To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena.
- In connection with a health or safety emergency.
- To a parent of a student at an institution of postsecondary education regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or any rule or policy of the institution, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance, where the institution determines that the student has committed a disciplinary violation with respect to that use or possession, and the student is under 21 years of age at the time of the disclosure to the parent.
- Students may restrict disclosure of directory information by officially notifying Enrollment Management that such directory information should remain confidential. Notification must be submitted prior to the end of the first week of classes.
Prohibited Disclosures
Virginia Peninsula Community College shall not disclose the address, telephone number, or email address of a student as directory information pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request without the prior written consent of the student, unless the disclosure is to students enrolled in the college for educational purposes or institution business and the student has not opted out of such disclosure. Virginia Peninsula may establish policies that allow students to opt-in to the disclosure of such information without prior written consent for other purposes, e.g., disclosures to foundations or honor societies.
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