Registration
Registration involves reserving a space in the class(es) selected and paying tuition. Information on the dates and location of registration is listed online at www.jtcc.edu. Allowance is made for late registration, but normally a student may not enter a new course after the first week of the class. Students who have outstanding financial obligations from previous semesters with the John Tyler Community College Business Office, Bookstore or Library or have outstanding financial obligations for parking violations or owe any college within the Virginia Community College System the amount of equal to or above $500 are not permitted to register for classes until their accounts have been paid in full.
Adding or Dropping a Course
Schedule changes may be made during the add/drop period of the semester in session. A student may not enter a new class after the add/drop period without approval from the appropriate division office.
Withdrawing from a Course
Withdrawal from a course without academic penalty may be made within the first 60 percent of the course. The student will receive a grade of “W” for withdrawal. After that time, the student will receive the grade earned at the end of the course. (In the case of mitigating circumstances documented by the instructor and approved by the dean, a grade of “W” may be awarded.) Administrative withdrawals may be initiated by an instructor in the event of excessive absences on the part of the student. Students should refer to the syllabus. In addition, an instructor may recommend withdrawal if it is believed a student is experiencing undue academic difficulty. Students cannot withdraw via their myTyler account. Students on financial aid are strongly encouraged to meet with a financial aid counselor before withdrawing from any class, as it may result in significant financial burden on the student. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the consequences for not withdrawing. Students are responsible for reviewing final course grades in their myTyler account at the end of the academic term. Per VCCS policy, the college may not expunge a student’s course enrollment after the last day to drop with a refund.
Instructional Modes
JTCC categorizes classes using one of four instructional modes. All class sections should be appropriately identified using the definitions below. Instruction modes provide critical information to students by setting expectations for their learning experiences. Accurate use of instructional modes also ensures JTCC’s ability to reliably report on methods of class delivery. These definitions are to be used in conjunction with the Schedule of Classes.
- Seated classes
Traditional, in person classes that provide a face-to-face learning experience. Seated classes meet at a regularly scheduled time. Seated classes do not have any special designation in the course schedule.
Courses taught in non-traditional modes enable and support innovative learning options in a variety of settings including your home, office or anywhere you have internet access. These options are designed to increase educational access for students for whom work schedules, family responsibilities or other life demands restrict attendance at traditional on-campus classes. The non-traditional modes the College uses are listed here.
- Videoconferencing Classes
This is a method of holding meetings that allows students who are in different cities, countries, etc., to hear each other and see each other on computer or television screens. Class meetings are scheduled just like traditional on-campus classes, but the instructor is connected to the class by a video network. Additional instruction may be in Blackboard or other sources.
- Hybrid Classes
Hybrid classes are courses that meet for approximately half of the time of a seated class. The remaining instructional time is structured with out-of-class activities and/or online learning. Hybrid classes are recognizable in the course schedule by the “R” designation in front of the course section number.
- Online Classes
In this mode of instruction, all coursework and interactions with the instructor and classmates are completed online. There is a requirement of two proctored activities. Proctored events can be completed at the JTCC Testing Centers, testing sites at other VCCS colleges, any approved site outside of the state of Virginia, or through our video-enabled proctoring vendor (offered at the discretion of the instructor). Online classes are recognizable in the course schedule by the “N” designation in front of the course section number. The college subscribes to the core principles of Quality Matters™ helping us to ensure, through an ongoing review process, that our online classes are of the highest educational quality. If you are curious about online learning, consider enrolling in the free five-day introduction to online and hybrid learning. Learn more by visiting http://bit.ly/jtcc-online.
Students enrolling in online or hybrid courses need constant, reliable internet access and should know how to use the internet and e-mail. Online courses and the online portion of hybrid courses are accessed through Blackboard.
Blackboard is an online course management system that provides web space for course information such as announcements, syllabi, course documents, lectures, and other materials specifically related to individual courses. Students have access to Blackboard via the myTyler single sign-on. Instructors have until the first day of class to make the Blackboard course available for students.
Students can locate tutorials on how to navigate Blackboard on the JTCC web site or by clicking on the Help and Support button in the course menu of every course. Students may also download free antivirus software and locate student computing discounts in the Blackboard system. Students may receive assistance during business hours with Blackboard or their student Gmail accounts by filling out this help request form: http://www.jtcc.edu/mytyler/mytyler-help-forms/
- Online SSDL Classes
The College also offers online courses through Shared Services Distance Learning (SSDL). SSDL courses are offered in partnership with Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). These courses allow students to earn JTCC credit while taking an online course with a NVCC instructor, as well as use the JTCC Testing Centers to take proctored assessments. SSDL courses have access to all JTCC services, as well as services provided by NVCC. Students enrolled in SSDL courses will receive a letter from NVCC and an invitation to participate in an online orientation, and a JTCC liaison provides support during the semester. SSDL courses follow the NVCC academic calendar. Please review course notes for start and end dates. All SSDL courses have a section number that begins with the letters “NV.”
- Online Test Proctoring
JTCC offers access to online proctoring that allows students to complete computer-based exams in the comfort of their own home. A reliable internet connection, webcam, and other technical requirements are necessary. Students are observed via a remote connection to the student’s machine to view computer and student activity. The use of this tool is offered at the discretion of each instructor and may not be available in all courses.
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