Admissions Information

Admissions

In recognition of the diverse educational programs offered by Bluefield State College and the varying kinds of preparation necessary for successful entry into them, the College has established the following guidelines to assist students in complying with established admissions standards of the institution.

Basic Admission Standards

Students must meet the general education development (GED) requirements or have a high school diploma. Other persons may be admitted on a conditional basis but shall be evaluated at the conclusion of each semester of enrollment to determine whether college-level academic performance indicates an ability to continue their studies. Neither regular nor conditional admission shall ensure the entry of applicants into specific programs.

Regular Admission

Applicants must meet general education development (GED) requirements or have a high school diploma, and have an overall grade point average of at least 2.0, and a composite score of at least 18 on the ACT, or at least 850 on the SAT I or 950 composite on new SAT. Students submitting a high school grade point average of 3.0 or better do not have to meet the composite score requirement. Applicants must have also successfully completed the following minimum high school curricular unit requirements: 4 units of English, 3 units of Social Studies, 4 units of Mathematics (Algebra I and higher), 3 units of Laboratory Science, 1 unit of Arts, and 2 units of Foreign Language (both of the same foreign language). Students meeting these minimum requirements may be admitted on a regular admission basis to Bluefield State College. Applicants who have been out of high school for more than five years or meet GED requirements are exempt from the specified high school curricular unit and ACT requirements.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission may be granted in instances where GPA or ACT standards are not met and institutional officials have evidence that the student has the potential to successfully complete college-level work. Students who do not meet GPA or ACT standards, but who demonstrate the potential to complete an undergraduate program, may be admitted provisionally with the following stipulations:

• If freshman placement standards require, developmental work must be completed prior to enrolling in the corresponding college-level courses.
• Students must complete the provisions of their conditional admission no later than the academic term in which sixty semester hours are accumulated.
• When all admission standards have been met, conditional status will be removed and the student will become a regular admission student.

Basic Admission Standards

SPECIAL OR NONMATRICULATED STUDENTS

Bluefield State College will admit students on a non-matriculating basis. By definition, these special students are not seeking a specific degree or degree-related certificate and may take courses for which they have satisfied required prerequisites. If special students later choose to work toward a degree, they must meet the admissions requirements for the desired degree program and provide the College with the admissions information required of regular students.* Additional requirements must be fulfilled for special students in the categories listed below:

1. Post-degree students seeking West Virginia teacher certification or certification renewal must provide official college transcripts and a completed application admission form.
2. High school students may take courses at Bluefield State College concurrent with their high school courses under the following stipulations:
   1. Students must have junior or senior status.
   2. Recommendation of high school principal, including list of approved courses.
   3. Written permission from parent or guardian.
   4. Students must have a 3.0 grade point average (“B”), or higher, on the cumulative high school transcript.

*It is recommended that special students, after attaining 15 credit hours of college classes, or earlier, meet with a counselor to discuss program and curriculum objectives.

Residency

All students will be classified in one of three residency categories: (1) WV Residents (2) Metro Area residents (3) Out-of-State residents.

1. West Virginia residents must have a valid WV driver’s license along with one year of residency for purposes other than attending school. Applications and qualifications for change in residency are available in the VP for Student Affairs office.
2. Metro Area residents are from counties that border WV. A Metro Area resident must have residency in one of the following counties:

• In Virginia-Tazewell, Bland, Giles, Buchanan, Craig, Alleghany, Bath, Highland, Augusta, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Frederick, Roanoke, Botetourt, Wise, Dickenson, Lee, Scott, Russell, Washington, Smyth, Wythe, Grayson, Carroll, Pulaski, Floyd, Rockbridge and Montgomery.
• In Kentucky-Pike, Martin, Lawrence and Boyd.
• In Ohio-Lawrence, Gallia, Meigs, Athens, Washington, Belmont, Monroe, Jefferson and Columbiana.
• In Maryland-Washington, Garrett and Allegany.
• In Pennsylvania-Beaver, Washington, Fayette and Greene.

3. Out-of-State residency consists of all students that are not considered WV residents or Metro Area residents.

Admission Process if You Want to Enroll at Bluefield State College

ALL INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE AT BLUEFIELD STATE COLLEGE THE MONDAY BEFORE CLASSES BEGIN FOR TESTING, ORIENTATION, CLASS AND SEVIS REGISTRATION.

ALL INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MUST REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES (BASIC SCIENCES, ROOM 123) TO UPDATE SEVIS RECORDS AND TO REGISTER EVERY SEMESTER.

Office of International Initiatives (OII)

Bluefield State College realizes its Mission of preparing “students for diverse professions…informed citizenship, community involvement, and public service in an ever-changing global society” and its Vision by “embracing the diversity that shapes our world” through the Office of International Initiatives.

The Office of International Initiatives is responsible for International Student Recruitment, Integration, and Retention and Internationalizing the College’s Curriculum.

International Student Recruitment, Integration, and Retention: Working collaboratively with the office of Student Affairs/Enrollment Management; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and, Title III, the Office of International Initiatives

• Recruits international students through WV HEPC’s StudyWV portal, BSC’s English for International Students program, and EducationUSA Offices worldwide;
• Assists with the College’s SEVIS Certification process;
• Maintains and updates international students’ SEVIS records (attendance verification, transfer out, dependents, status monitoring if enrolled less than full time, extension of degree program, authorization to drop below full time, financial  information, personal information, updating I20s);
• Ensures adherence to SEVIS regulations prior to approving Curriculum Practical Training;
  • Helps international students to prepare complete Optional Practical Training applications for submission to ICE;
  • Ensures compliance with Department of Homeland Security’s policies related to online courses
  • Encourages international students’ participation in campus and off-campus experiences-welcome reception, UN Day celebration, trips to The Greenbrier and Washington, D.C., International Students Organization;
  • Provides logistical support for international students’ community involvement and public service activities;
  • Updates the online International Students Handbook annually.

Internationalizing the College’s Curriculum: In collaboration with the VP for Academic Affairs/Provost and the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering Technology and Computer Science, and Nursing and Allied Health, the Office of International Initiatives

• Provides academic advising and guidance to international students relating to academic matters;
• Incorporates international and intercultural perspectives into the College’s curriculum through presentations by visiting international scholars;
• Broadens the scope of the College’s curriculum with study abroad exchanges, faculty-led study abroad, and non-BSC study abroad programs with the College’s international institutional partners and Knowledge Exchange Institute;
• Facilitates research collaboration and faculty exchanges with the College’s international institutional partners;
• Exposes Study Abroad Points of Contact in the College’s Schools to best practices in Study Abroad;
• Oversees the College’s J1 Exchange Scholars program.

Education USA centers are the U.S. State Department’s network of over 400 advising centers in 170 countries designed to assist local students find the appropriate college or university in the United States. We encourage you to visit your local center for information on selecting the U.S. college or university that meets your needs, understanding and preparing for the required admissions tests, assistance in the admission process, advice on finding financial aid for your studies, preparation for the student visa process, and pre-departure orientations.

Notice of Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA) (Pub. L. 113-4), which, among other provisions, amended section 485(f) of the HEA, otherwise known as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). The Clery Act requires institutions of higher education to comply with certain campus safety-and security-related requirements as a condition of their participation in the Title IV, HEA programs. Notably, VAWA amended the Clery Act to require institutions to compile statistics for incidents of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to include certain policies, procedures, and programs pertaining to these incidents in their annual security reports.

Summary of the Major Provisions of the Regulatory Action: The final regulations will require institutions to maintain statistics about the number of incidents of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking that meet the definitions of those terms; Clarify the very limited circumstances in which an institution may remove reports of crimes that have been “unfounded” and require institutions to report to the Department and disclose in the annual security report the number of “unfounded” crime reports;

Revise the definition of “rape” to reflect the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) updated definition in the UCR Summary Reporting System, which encompasses the categories of rape, sodomy, and sexual assault with an object that are used in the UCR National Incident-Based Reporting System;

Revise the categories of bias for the purposes of Clery Act hate crime reporting to add gender identity and to separate ethnicity and national origin into separate categories;

Require institutions to provide to incoming students and new employees and describe in their annual security reports primary prevention and awareness programs. These programs must include: a statement that the institution prohibits the crimes of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, as those terms are defined in these final regulations; the definitions of these terms in the applicable jurisdiction; the definition of “consent,” in reference to sexual activity, in the applicable jurisdiction; a description of safe and positive options for bystander intervention; information on risk reduction; and information on the institution’s policies and procedures after a sex offense occurs;

Require institutions to provide, and describe in their annual security reports, ongoing prevention and awareness campaigns for students and employees. These campaigns must include the same information as the institution’s primary prevention and awareness program;

Define the terms “awareness programs,” “bystander intervention,” “ongoing prevention and awareness campaigns,” “primary prevention programs,” and “risk reduction;”

Require institutions to describe each type of disciplinary proceeding used by the institution; the steps, anticipated timelines, and decision-making process for each type of disciplinary proceeding; how to file a disciplinary complaint; and how the institution determines which type of proceeding to use based on the circumstances of an allegation of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

Require institutions to list all of the possible sanctions that the institution may impose following the results of any institutional disciplinary proceedings for an allegation of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

Require institutions to describe the range of protective measures that the institution may offer following an allegation of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking;

Require institutions to provide for a prompt, fair, and impartial disciplinary proceeding in which: (1) officials are appropriately trained and do not have a conflict of interest or bias for or against the accuser or the accused; (2) the accuser and the accused have equal opportunities to have others present, including an advisor of their choice; (3) the accuser and the accused receive simultaneous notification, in writing, of the result of the proceeding and any available appeal procedures; (4) the proceeding is completed in a reasonably prompt timeframe; (5) the accuser and accused are given timely notice of meetings at which one or the other or both may be present; and (6) the accuser, the accused, and appropriate officials are given timely and equal access to information that will be used during informal and formal disciplinary meetings and hearings.

Define the terms “proceeding” and “result;” and Specify that compliance with these provisions does not constitute a violation of section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g), commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
Source: Federal Register 10/20/2014

Change of Residency

A person who has been classified as an out-of-state student and who seeks resident status in West Virginia must assume the burden of providing conclusive evidence that he/she has established domicile in West Virginia with the intention of making a permanent home in this state.

Application for change of status should be made to the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. The change in classification, if deemed to be warranted, shall be effective for the academic term or semester next following the date of the application for reclassification. In order to assure adequate time to process required documentation, application should be made at least four weeks in advance of the desired effective semester.

A student has the right to appeal a residency decision made by the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management to the Committee on Residency Appeals. The committee decision may be appealed to the President of the College. The decision of the President shall be considered final.

Common Market Programs

Bluefield State College participates in the Southern Regional Education Board Common Market program, which allows residents of states participating in the SREB to enroll in specific baccalaureate degree programs at Bluefield State College and pay in-state tuition. Those degrees currently approved for the Common Market are:

Civil Engineering Technology-Virginia Residents

To be awarded Common Market status, students must be approved by the Common Market coordinator of their state of residence. For application forms and specific information, students should contact the Director of Admissions at Bluefield State College.

Restricted Enrollment Programs

In order to comply with accreditation standards, it is necessary to restrict enrollment in the programs of Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Imaging Science with a Sonography concentration and Education. Students are admitted to these restricted programs once a year. The Radiologic Technology and the accelerated LPN to RN programs begin in May while the Associate Degree Nursing program begins with the fall semester. Application to RN to BSN program is online and available year-round, the fall class will be accepted beginning in the spring semester of the year for which admission is sought. In addition to regular admission requirements, these programs require that certain medical forms be submitted to the College prior to registration. Admission to the programs is based on compliance with stated criteria as judged by program admission committees composed of faculty and administrators.

Applicants for admission to these programs, teacher education, and certain other professional or occupational programs are admitted under the procedures for admission to the College, but must also meet additional requirements for admission to the respective program.

Re-Admission:

Returning Bluefield State College students who have not attended during the past semester must apply for re-admission. Applications are available on the Bluefield State College website at http://bluefieldstate.edu/admissions/apply-now/former- student, in the Office of Admissions, or an application can be mailed on request.