COVID-19 Response: We care about you and your well-being. We have food resources and online services. See the latest information and updates.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Frequently Asked Questions

General Campus Questions

At this time, instruction and student services have been shifted online. There will be no classes held at West Valley College for the remainder of spring semester. Most student services are available in an online format via Cranium Café in order to provide social distancing measures for students and staff.  

The physical buildings of library, success center and math resource center are not open, however those services are available online at: 

  • Older adult non-credit classes – due to the at-risk population being served 
  • Middle College will be transitioning services to the online format 
  • All college events in the months of March and April have been cancelled 
  • We are recommending cancellation of all non-essential travel. The TSA staff COVID cases are a good reminder that travelling heightens the risk of exposure for the traveler and thus raises the exposure risk for everyone on campus when a single employee chooses to travel and then return to campus.

There will be no on-campus classes held at West Valley College for the summer sessions.

 

At this time, instruction and student services have been shifted online. There will be no classes held at West Valley College for the summer sessions.

Student Services

Counseling appointments are now available through Cranium Café, accessible through the Student Portal. Visit the Student Services Cranium Café by ConexED: Online Appointment Scheduling page to schedule a counseling meeting or meet with Staff online. 

Health Services is here to support the emotional health of students with the following services and resources:

  • Personal Counseling Video Sessions on Zoom: To schedule an appointment for Personal Counseling, chat with Health Services via Cranium Cafe or send an email to wvc.health-servicesFREEWEST_VALLEY
  • Coping with Stress and Isolation Support Group: We are all dealing with heightened stress during these times. Drop in to this open support group for all West Valley College Students on Tuesdays at 2:00 PM on Zoom.
  • Active Minds Club: Come find out about Active Minds! All West Valley College students are welcome to join this open meeting on Thursdays at 2:00 PM on Zoom.

Check out the extensive list of local, national, and online mental health resources and be sure to follow us on Instagram: @westvalley_healthservices

WV Health Services does not have the capacity to treat or diagnose COVID-19 on campus. If you are having an emergency, call 911.

Our medical team can answer your questions and provide guidance on where to access appropriate care. Visit the Health Services Onlinepage to schedule a Chat Session or Video Appointment with Dr. Forrest or Registered Nurse Heather Filuk.

Students may also contact Dr. Forrest by phone (408) 741-2159 or email alfred.forrestFREEWEST_VALLEY – he will respond as soon as possible.

For general questions, please leave a message at (408) 741-2027 or send us an email wvc.health-servicesFREEWEST_VALLEY. Email and phone messages are monitored Monday-Thursday, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

The Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP) is here to support you in your online classes! 

If you are a student with a disability that affects your education, the Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP) offers a variety of services to help you. 

Here’s how to get started: 

First, fill out an application and upload documentation of disability. You will then be contacted to meet with a counselor via Cranium Café or by phone to complete the program intake process. During the intake meeting, you and the counselor will develop an Academic Accommodation Plan through an interactive process. 

Approved accommodations are directly related to the impact of the disability on your education and may include, but are not limited to: 

  • Alternative Testing
  • Notetaking 
  • Alternate Media
  • Assistive Technology
  • Assistive Equipment 
  • Captioning 
  • Interpreting 

DESP will work with your instructors to make sure your accommodations are implemented in your online class! 

Contact information: despFREEWEST_VALLEY 408-741-2010 

Students have the option of meeting with a DESP counselor or Staff via Cranium Café, accessible through the Student Portal. Visit the Online Student Services: DESP page to schedule a counseling meeting or meet with Staff online. 

Student Services has launched Cranium Cafe by ConexED: Online Appointment Scheduling an interactive meeting platform which allows students to communicate with program counselors and staff in real-time through chat or video.  
Counselors can assist you in developing an educational plan. Schedule an appointment with a counselor through Cranium Cafe by ConexED: Online Appointment Scheduling. 
Yes. The West Valley College’s Veterans Resource Center (VCR) continues to offer a variety of services. Reach out to Melissa Ceresa, VRC Coordinator and Jim Winkler, VRC Counselor through Cranium Café. Please visit our Veterans Support Services page. 

All transfer events and university representative visits have been postponed at this time. If you need assistance with transfer inquiries such as university acceptances & next steps, denials, appeals, or general information,  you can Meet Online with the Transfer Center via Cranium Cafe with Melissa Salcido (Transfer Center Director & Counselor), Tom Golbetz (Transfer Counselor), or Fatima Kamil (Transfer Center Advisor 

Email direct questions to wv.transfer@wvm.edu 

In person orientations have been suspended until further notice, but you can sign up for an online Counseling 00A: Orientation class via the Portal. Current high school seniors can sign up for an Early Admissions (EA) Orientation Workshop  (https://www.westvalley.edu/high-school-students/early-admissions.html).  Students can also complete the interactive online Go2Orientation, but be aware that this last option is a general orientation to the college that will not help you make course selections for your summer or fall courses. The Go2Orientation is recommended for students who are continuing students or new students who already know what classes they want to take for the summer and fall. 

Student Needs

Students can reserve a bag of groceries by completing the Free Grocery Bag Form.  Bags will only be available for pickup at the West Valley College campus in parking lot 3, between 10:30 AM - 1 PM, on Wednesdays or until further notice. You must bring your student ID, and provide your current class schedule (either printed or on your mobile device). 

West Valley Community Services food pantry offers free groceries for students who are able to visit the WVCS food distribution center, Monday - Friday, 10 AM - Noon and 2 - 4 PM, 10104 Vista Drive, Cupertino CA, 95014. Students must show their school ID in order to receive free groceries.   

Other community organizations offering food assistance: Aunt Bertha Social Care Network, Why Hunger Food Bank Resources or call the Why Hunger Hotline at 800.548.6479. 

The Office of Student Needs has information and resources for current and former youth, wards of the court, unaccompanied homeless youth, undocumented students and student facing food and housing insecurity. completing a self-referral form. Students will then be contacted by Samantha Hernandez to schedule a one-on-one phone call, and learn about Student Needs. 
Students can submit a Student Needs Referral form to Samantha Hernandez to schedule a one-on-one phone call, and learn about services you might be eligible for. 

To access internet services, Comcast Essentials offers home wifi for $9.95/month.  They also offer low cost computers for $149 for those who qualify for the Comcast Essentials program. Basic qualifications: Must be eligible for public assistance programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, CalFresh, SSI, TANF, WIC, VA Pension, or tribal assistance and be able to provide documentation. Students are not required to provide SSN, or have a Debit/Credit Card for payment. 

Some students may qualify solely on the address provided, or based on school attendance. The college can provide emergency funds to pay for this home computer to those who apply and qualify. If you are interested in applying for emergency assistance, contact Samantha%20Hernandez, Director of Student Needs by completing the Student Needs Form.  

Instruction

We strongly encourage you to try the class for a couple of weeks.  Your instructors are working hard to make the experience work for you and for them. Schedule an appointment with a counselor to discuss your concerns and considerations (such as financial aid) prior to dropping a class. 
All Science labs are now online. A start date will be available soon for all studio art, music, activity courses that are not easy to move online. More information will be available by the end of the week about these alternative offering formats. All classes will be online by April 7. Your instructor will be contacting you, so be sure to check your West Valley College and Canvas email regularly. 
All Success Center tutorial services have moved online.   Students must be registered in LRSV 110 #32224 in order to access these functions—please register for this free, zero-unit course via the Portal. For tutors’ schedules and more information on how to access their online session, please visit the “Schedules” tab.

NetTutor is another outsourced online option for currently enrolled students. Please visit the “NetTutor” tab on the Success Center for details.

If you have any questions or concerns about Success Center services, please email Jen Wagner at jennifer.wagnerFREEWEST_VALLEY 


Students, need help transitioning to online education?  See our student QuickStart guide and Resources pages. 

Canvas has many guides to help answer your questions.  Please see the Canvas Student Video Guides, and Canvas Student Guides. 

Can’t find an answer to your Canvas question or need Canvas support?  Please email Max Gault at max.gaultFREEWEST_VALLEY for Canvas support. 

Students, need help transitioning to online education?  See our student  QuickStart guide and Resources pages. 

Admissions & Records and Financial Aid

For direct support, please contact us using Cranium Café.

We can also be reached via email:

Student’s may elect a Pass/No pass option within 30% of the scheduled course time. Once submitted, this election is non-reversible. At this time, no changes have been made to the Pass / No Pass policy. 

For direct support, please contact us using Cranium Café.

We can also be reached via email at AskWVCFREEWEST_VALLEY 

West Valley College is working in accordance with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, as new updates in legislation and state-wide regulations are received daily. 

Changes will be made to the Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 registration schedule and students will be notified via the MyWVM accounts. 

For direct support, please contact us using Cranium Café.

We can also be reached via email at AskWVCFREEWEST_VALLEY 

Get Started with 5 Easy Steps.

For direct support, please contact us using Cranium Café.

We can also be reached via email at AskWVCFREEWEST_VALLEY 

Please visit the Transcript webpage.

For more information, please contact us using Cranium Café.

We can also be reached via email at AskWVCFREEWEST_VALLEY 

Please visit our Transcript FAQ page.

For direct support, please contact us using Cranium Café.

We can also be reached via email at AskWVCFREEWEST_VALLEY 

Graduation Petitions (Spring 2020): Due to the campus closure, the graduation petition deadline has been extended to April 17, 2020. Please contact the Records department if you have questions. 

2019-2020 Commencement (Graduation) Ceremony: For event details and updates, please visit the Graduation webpage.

For direct support, please contact us using Cranium Café.

We can also be reached via email at AskWVCFREEWEST_VALLEY 

Diploma and Certificates (Fall 2019): Due to the campus closure, Fall 2019 Diploma and Certificate production has been delayed. Your awards are posted on your transcripts and we are working on solutions to provide you with your documents as soon as possible.

For direct support, please contact us using the Cranium Café. 

We can also be reached via email at AskWVCFREEWEST_VALLEY 

2019-2020 Commencement (Graduation) Ceremony: For event details and updates, please visit the Graduation webpage.

Financial Aid

Guidance from the US Department of Education and the CARES Act provides additional flexibilities to institutions regarding the calculation of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements to receive aid.

Withdrawing from all courses will not negatively affect your Spring 2020 aid and your SAP status for the next term. If you are planning to officially withdraw from your Spring 2020 course(s), please consult with an academic counselor and notify a Financial Aid Advisor.  If you have questions about your financial aid status, please email the Financial Aid Office at wvfa@westvally.edu

Federal work-study will still be paid for scheduled hours as of the closure (March 11, 2020) if you have FWS award funds remaining. Please check in with your FWS Supervisor about entering scheduled work on web-time entry.  If you have questions about your FWS award, please email the Financial Aid Office at wvfa@westvally.edu

No, college staff are working hard to make sure that there are no disruptions in payments to students. The Financial Aid office will maintain the scheduled disbursement dates. Please email the Financial Aid Office at wvfa@westvally.edu with any questions or concerns.

Students may be considered for more assistance by providing the Professional Judgement Special Circumstances packet to ensure they are able to stay in school. Please contact the Financial Aid Office at wvfa@westvally.edu to request the packet or with any questions or concerns.

The Financial Aid Office has been given the temporary flexibility to allow students to submit copies of the required verification documents electronically by uploading a photo of the documents (including from a smartphone), PDF, or other similar electronic document through Cranium Café via our secure WVC Portal, by email, etc.

We also recognize that forms of identification (such as a driver’s license) may expire with no real and reasonable opportunity for renewal due to social distancing requirements. Institutions may accept a copy of an expired document if it expired after March 1, 2020.

The Financial Aid Office has been given the temporary flexibility to allow students to submit a note with an explanation of why neither of the parents are available to provide a signature.

Students drop classes the same way they always have through their WVC Portal. Students now have until April 25 to drop a full-term class.

For students who have already dropped (March 11 or later) with a "W," your record will be updated to reflect an "CW." Moving forward, students who drop during the "W" period will be assigned an "CW." Students will be considered for a refund for enrollment fees* for these courses by the end of the spring term. Students are encouraged to consult with a counselor prior to dropping a course to discuss other options and impact on progress.

Students who drop a course(s) between March 11 and April 25 will be considered for a refund/credit for enrollment fees * for each course that is dropped. Refunds will be automatically issued to student accounts before the end of Spring term.

* Please note the “CD” refund will only include the enrollment fees for the dropped course(s). Other student fees are not subject to refund. For more information on student fees, please visit WVC Tuition and Fees.

Student Athletes

You can chat or book an appointment with our the Athletics Counselors, Andy Cardamone and Freba Cognetta via Cranium Café.
All practice and training sessions are currently suspended.  Coaches have been advised to contact their student athletes and to provide online workouts and other necessary materials. 
At this time, athletics facilities are closed and will remain closed indefinitely. 
Athletic eligibility may be modified pending further direction. 
The California Community College Athletic Association is working to develop a policy to accommodate all spring 2020 Athletes.  The CCCAA is coordinating with the NCAA, NAIA and other governing bodies to assure a comprehensive solution to continuing eligibility. 
All athletes are required to still participate in their classes via distance learning. Athletes should contact their coaches directly for more information on their specific class requirements. 
All spring competitions have been cancelled. No decision has been made on Fall 2020, but we remain hopeful that competition will resume. In the meantime, Student Athletes should maintain a level of training and fitness that will allow them to participate at an optimal level when competition resumes. 
No. All classes will continue through a distance learning format as stated in the release by the school. All assignments must still be completed by appropriate deadlines. If a class must be dropped, please contact the Athletics Counselors, Andy Cardamone and Freba Cognetta first through Cranium Café. 
  1. Contact your respective coach and begin communicating with him/her. 
  2. Contact an Athletics Counselor – Freba Cognetta or Andy Cardamone via Cranium Café.
  3. Apply to the college.

If you need rehab, please contact the athletic trainers. Each injury will be individually evaluated. 

See the Athletics staff directory.

Employee Information

  • All staff and administrators should continue reporting for work in an online format. Consult with your department/division administrators and supervisors to develop the best telecommuting plan. You will need to sign an HR telecommuting agreement. 
  • We are working on providing remote access to Banner INB for those employees who are approved to telecommute and need this access to do their work.
  • Vice Provost Chris Dyer has sent out a communication to all faculty regarding the transition plan for moving classes online.  
  • PT hourly classified and student workers should meet online to discuss if they can continue to perform their duties with the option to telecommute for work. 
  • Anyone who is sick and/or experiencing symptoms of coronavirus (dry cough, fever, shortness of breath). These individuals can use their sick time for this absence. If you are experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, contact your primary health care provider immediately to report this and to receive treatment. 
  • PT hourly students for whom there is no work currently. Student lab assistants can stay home. We may need them later in the semester to assist with labs again. 
  • PT hourly classified and student workers should meet online to discuss if they can continue to perform their duties with the option to telecommute for work. 
Please use the Student Incident/Student of Concern form to provide information about student concerns. 
Last Updated 9/9/20