CHARLESTON, W.Va. — BridgeValley Community and Technical College is moving the rest of its spring semester courses and spring commencement online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Eunice Bellinger, the BridgeValley CTC President delivered the news to the institution’s board of governors in an online meeting on Thursday morning.
“We must keep our standards high that online education is just as viable and just as important to us as face to face education. That is extremely important right now,” Bellinger said.
With the consent of the Chancellor, Bellinger said all class instruction will be delivered online through the semester ending on May 15th. She said staff at BridgeValley CTC have been distributed materials including computers, laptops, shedders, printers, and “whatever is needed to pursue their jobs,” Bellinger said.
She noted to the board that tutoring and counseling and nearly all other services are online as well.
The commencement, scheduled for Sat. May 16, will now be done virtually. Each scheduled speaker, including Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin, will record videos of what their speeches and send to the school to put together, Bellinger said. BridgeValley CTC is going to mail diplomas and other honors out.
“It will allow each student to not only be presented a diploma but also be given the chance to get photos and statements of people they might like to thank,” she said.
Also during the board meeting, members approved changes for the future. Approval was taken on a 2% annual increase in resident tuition and non-resident tuition. In-state students will see a $44 per semester raise and $105 per semester for out-of-state students.
Special fees and program fees recommended by the college were also approved. They include medical lab technology for the medical assisting programs and education major fees.
Bellinger was also happy with the move by the HEPC suspending GPA requirement for financial aid in the future due to the virus.
“We want to make sure that students do not fall should they have problems with this semester,” she said. “GPAs will be reported but a student will be able to make their GPA higher but they will not be lowered.”