Student Resources
SGA
There is a Student Government Association on each campus which can provide a forum for opinions as well as a calendar of cultural and fun events throughout the academic year. There are Halloween parties and Christmas functions geared for children of students as well as dances, gaming activities, and opportunities for community service.
Developmental Courses
The college provides developmental foundation courses in Reading, English, Arithmetic, and Algebra (ENGL 098, ENGL 099, MATH 098, MATH 099) for students scoring below the benchmark scores on ACT, SAT, ASSET, or COMPASS assessment instruments. Successful completion of developmental course(s) is a prerequisite for many college-level courses. Developmental studies courses are not counted toward meeting graduation requirements and are not used in the calculation of the graduation grade point average; however, they are covered by financial aid.
Academic Support Center
The mission of the Student Resource Center is to provide students with a comprehensive range of services and resources to enable students to reach their educational, lifelong learning, and career goals. The New River goal is to provide services to help all students achieve academic success. The expanded mission is to coordinate quality tutoring programs through a variety of delivery systems to meet the needs of traditional and nontraditional students. Upon student request, each campus provides support services at no additional cost.
Any New River student is eligible for up to three hours of tutoring per class per week by completing an application. Walk-in services are also available. Please contact your campus contact person for academic support.
The following services may be available:
- Writing Center
- Peer Tutoring
- Career Counseling
- Secure, make-up testing (by appointment only)
- Mentoring
- Study Groups
- E-tutoring through synchronous and asynchronous learning
- Multimedia computer labs and prescriptive software programs
Educational Opportunity Center - Admissions, Career, and Financial Aid Counseling (Greenbrier Valley Campus)
Prospective and current students should contact the Educational Opportunity Center if they would like help with the admissions and financial aid process. The EOC not only helps students apply for admissions and financial aid but also helps them find out what programs are available, decide on a career, and select a degree program. The EOC’s main goal is to help students enroll in post-secondary educational programs by providing information on GED classes, adult basic education, vocational/technical schools, colleges, and graduate schools. The EOC also provides services that help students stay enrolled, such as career assessments, academic advising, and financial aid counseling. Through counseling and referrals to other programs, the Educational Opportunity Center helps students deal with educational barriers, including financial difficulties, time constraints, lack of family support, and fear of failure. The EOC is a federally-funded TRIO program through the U.S. Department of Education. All services are free and confidential.
Off-Campus Courses
New River Community and Technical College offers courses at various off-campus locations through the service region. For availability of courses, check the schedule published each term.
Testing
New River Community and Technical College provides testing services through Bluefield State College, which is an approved testing center (selected examinations) for the American College Testing Program (ACT), the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the National League for Nursing (NLN).
CLEP
To earn credit by CLEP examination, a student must meet the following criteria:
- A student must be enrolled in New River Community and Technical College or have been accepted by the College. Freshman, transfer, and recently accepted students must enroll in and pass at least 3 credit hours at any of the New River campuses to be eligible for CLEP credit from NRCTC.
- A student must meet the prerequisites for the equivalent course(s) for any CLEP test(s) taken.
- A student may not receive CLEP credit for equivalent courses for which he/she has already earned credit.
- CLEP credit will not be accepted for the purpose of overcoming deficient grades.
- A student is not eligible to take the CLEP test if he/she is currently enrolled in an equivalent course.
- A maximum of 31 hours of credit will be granted for successful completion of the five tests within the General Examinations.
- A waiting period of six months is required to repeat the same test(s). Scores on test(s) repeated earlier than six months will be canceled by NRCTC.
- Requests for official transcript copies of the CLEP score report(s) should be directed to the Office of Student Services.
COMPASS
COMPASS is a Computerized Adaptive Testing System. The exam consists of tests in math, English, and reading. Students can choose to take one test or the entire set. Scores are available immediately after testing is completed. The COMPASS test can be taken in lieu of the ACT or SAT. A composite score cannot be obtained by taking the COMPASS test. Anyone needing a composite score for Nursing, Radiological Technology, Medical Assisting, or NCAA purposes MUST take the National ACT or SAT. A minimum of 60 days must have elapsed before retesting is allowed with COMPASS.
NLN
New River Community and Technical College offers the NLN Pre-Admission Exam-LPN. All students seeking admission to the Licensed Practical Nurse Certificate program must take the Pre-Admission Exam-LPN. Contact the Student Services office regarding additional testing restrictions and registration information.
Information concerning registration and administration of the above examinations can be obtained from the Office of Student Services.
Smarthinking
Smarthinking provides online tutoring and writing services for its students. A division of SMARTHINKING, StraighterLine, offers introductory college classes that are transferable to other institutions. SMARTHINKING also offers an online writing lab for assistance with essays.
