Upon registration at Raritan Valley Community College, all students become members of the College community with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities that go with such membership. Students are expected to make satisfactory educational progress, to respect the rights of others, and to know and follow the policies and regulations developed by the College community.
Athletics
Raritan Valley Community College is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (Region XIX) and the Garden State Athletic Conference. RVCC Athletic Programs include Men’s and Women’s Soccer (DIII), Men’s and Women’s Cross Country (DIII), Women’s Volleyball (DIII), Men’s and Women’s Basketball (DII), Men’s and Women’s Golf (DIII), Baseball (DII), and Softball (DII).
Raritan Valley Community College has been represented at the state and national levels in many sports, enabling students to compete for athletic scholarships at four-year colleges and universities. The College currently offers athletic scholarships for NJCAA Division II programs, including Women’s Basketball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Softball, and Men’s Baseball.
Students are also encouraged to use the Fitness Center, Pool, Track and Gymnasium during their leisure time. Athletic facilities are free to students with a valid College ID Card.
More information can be found at www.rvccathletics.com. To contact Athletics, e-mail rvccathletics@raritanval.edu, call (908) 218-8868 or fax (908) 575-9458.
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are available on the second floor of the College Center and the lower level of Somerset Hall near the Mannheimer Welcome Center.
Bookstore
The Golden Lion Bookstore is located on the lower level of the College Center and is operated by the Follett Higher Education Group. The store sells new and used printed textbooks, many textbooks in digital format, study aids, computers and computer supplies, clothing, and snacks. A textbook rental program is available for a large number of titles. Textbooks in good condition can be sold back to the store during regular business hours. The bookstore also can be found online at http://www.raritanval.bkstr.com. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and personal checks are accepted.
Textbook Refund Policy
- A sales receipt is required for all refunds and exchanges.
- Returns are accepted within five working days of the date on the receipt.
- Refunds will be given for the first 10 days of the semester if a class has been dropped (Drop/Add form required) and the receipt is dated within one month of the start of the current semester. Standard policy is in effect thereafter.
- Exchanges will be granted until the 10th day of the semester with a recent receipt.
- If a new book has been written in, contains highlighting or is damaged in any way, a 75% refund will be given.
- Shrink-wrapped packages must be returned with all materials that came in the package. No refund will be given for packages missing items.
- Software included in textbooks must not have been loaded and must have original seal. Internet codes must not have been used and must have original seal.
Campus Emergencies
Raritan Valley Community College cooperates with all local safety and health regulatory and enforcement agencies. In response to a fire alarm or notification of other emergency requiring an evacuation, everyone, with the exception of authorized safety officers, is to immediately evacuate all campus buildings and move quickly and safely to designated assembly areas along the exterior of the campus. The interior courtyard area of the campus is not an approved evacuation site. No one is to reenter any building until approved to do so by emergency personnel or by a College official. Other emergencies may require building occupants to stay in their rooms. Red phones to be used in an emergency are located throughout the campus buildings. There are blue emergency phones in the parking lots.
In the event of any emergency, students, employees, and visitors are to follow specific instructions issued by the Campus Safety Officers, College administration, or the law enforcement agency in charge of the incident. Evacuation directions are posted in each room. Community members will also receive updated information via the Blackboard Connect Ed Emergency Notification System at telephone numbers and e-mail addresses that they provided.
Children’s Campus (Child Care Center)
The Children’s Campus, a child and professional development center, is open 12 months a year, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Located near Parking Lot #4, the Children’s Campus accepts children age 3 months through age 5 years. After-kindergarten care is provided when space is available. Priority for registration is given first to RVCC faculty, staff and students. Children from the surrounding communities are accepted on a space-available basis once the priority registration period for each semester has been concluded. Drop-in care is available as space permits to regularly enrolled children.
The Children’s Campus uses the research-based Creative Curriculum to provide a stimulating learning experience for young children. Curriculum is designed to provide even the youngest learners with a nurturing atmosphere. In addition to providing professionally directed child care, the Children’s Campus offers practical experience to students of the Early Childhood Education program and work study students. The Children’s Campus is a Grow NJ Kids school, piloting the state’s Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS).
More information regarding employment possibilities can be found online or by calling (908) 526-1200, extension 8260.
Clubs and Organizations
Every student is encouraged to get involved and participate in a variety of activities. Student organizations covering a wide spectrum of interests exist to meet the needs of students. More information about current clubs and organizations can be found online.
College Hours
The College designates time each week as College hours for College community activities and events: Tuesday and Thursday, 1-2:20 p.m. Students are encouraged to use this free time to participate in extracurricular activities, which include student government meetings, club meetings, intramural sports, College committees, and other College-sponsored functions.
The Confidential TIPS Hotline
The TIPS Hotline is available for members of the College community or other interested parties to share any knowledge about a crime, a planned crime, or suspicious activity on campus, as well as any information about a troubled individual or threatening situation that could develop into a violent act or assault. Knowledge of threats or potential acts of violence needs to be brought to the attention of College security personnel so they can immediately act to prevent anyone from being injured. All threats need to be taken seriously, and any information will be acted upon as quickly as possible. The TIPS Hotline can be accessed via phone at (908) 231-8806 or online by visiting the TIPS Hotline page of the RVCC website.
Delayed Openings
If the College announces a delayed opening at any location due to inclement weather or other emergency situation, all offices will be closed and all College classes and/or other activities will be suspended at that location until the delayed opening time.
Classes scheduled to begin before the delayed opening time that have 60 minutes or more of instruction time remaining at the delayed opening time will begin at the delayed opening time and conclude at the regularly scheduled ending time. Classes scheduled to begin before the delayed opening time that have fewer than 60 minutes of instruction time remaining at the delayed opening time will be canceled.
Classes scheduled to begin at or after the delayed opening time will meet as scheduled.
Federal Credit Union Services
Anyone in the RVCC community may become a member of the Affinity Federal Credit Union, which operates a branch on campus on the upper level of the College Center, behind the cafeteria. The full-service facility is staffed by students on a four-day per week schedule – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m – with limited hours during the summer. The student service representatives go through an intensive training program that enables them to deliver competitively priced credit union products—checking and savings accounts, loans, etc.—with the same degree of professionalism as any other Affinity branch. Affinity also conducts several financial literacy seminars during the year.
Food Services
Hot meals, fast food, snacks and vending machine services are provided in the main campus dining hall by the College’s food service partner, CulinArt. The dining hall is located on the upper level of the College Center. Service is offered Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m to 6:30 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., when classes are in session. Check the RVCC website for summer hours. Vending machine services are available throughout the campus.
A snack bar featuring nationally branded Starbucks coffee and limited food choices is available on the ground floor of Somerset Hall by the Mannheimer Welcome Center. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Check the RVCC website for summer hours.
Housing and Transportation
Housing and transportation are not provided by the College.
Identity Theft
RVCC maintains procedures to prevent, detect, and mitigate identity theft and responds appropriately to any “red-flag” event related to any covered account with the College. A “red-flag” event is any activity indicating the possible existence of identity theft. “Red-flag” events include, but are not limited to, warnings from consumer fraud detection agencies, the presentation or use of suspicious documents or personal identifying information, requests received from external e-mail accounts or addresses not on-file at the College, and notices received alleging the existence of identity theft.
Identifying information includes, but is not limited to, a person’s name; date of birth; address; telephone, Social Security number, driver’s license, passport, alien registration, employer/taxpayer, student, or other identification number; Internet protocol address; or routing code.
A covered account is any account opened, maintained, and/or administered by the College for an individual’s personal, family, or household payments or other financial transactions with the College. Covered accounts include, but are not limited to, student accounts, employee accounts and records, and other payment or collection accounts.
In investigating and responding to cases of apparent identity theft, the College may take any or all of the following actions:
- Close or deny access to a covered account.
- Issue a new account identification number.
- Change passwords or other security codes.
- Notify appropriate security or law enforcement agencies.
To prevent attempted identity theft, RVCC will ensure that:
- Data and record systems are appropriately secure.
- Data and records no longer needed are securely and completely destroyed.
- All College computers with access to covered account information are password protected.
- Computer virus and other malware protection software is current.
- Access to covered account information is restricted to employees with specific authorization.
- Covered accounts contain only information that is essential to the operation of the College.
- Employees responsible for managing and implementing the College’s procedures regarding identity theft have the most complete and current information and are appropriately trained and responsive.
- The College’s procedures relating to identity theft are periodically reviewed and evaluated.
Office of Student Life
The classroom experience is only one segment of the available education at Raritan Valley Community College. The cultural, recreational, and governmental activities and functions at the College are equally important. By sharing in these activities, students have the opportunity to develop many personal and career skills.
Student life at Raritan Valley Community College develops according to student interest. While the selection, planning, and administration of these activities depend on the interest, time, organization, and effort of the students, assistance is provided by the Office of Student Life. Groups of students interested in forming a student organization should consult with the Student Life Office. More information is available on the RVCC website.
Student Activity Fund
RVCC dedicates a portion of the General Registration Fee it collects from students to create and maintain a Student Activity Fund. This fund is used to support co-curricular programming to further develop the academic, social, cultural, athletic, and leadership skills of RVCC students. The College’s Student Government Association is responsible for making recommendations to the College administration on the allocation and expenditure of this fund. Programs supported by the Student Activity Fund must be open and available to all RVCC students.
To be eligible to receive support from the Student Activity Fund, a student organization must meet all of the following criteria.
- Be an active student organization recognized by the College’s Office of Student Life.
- Have on file with the Office of Student Life a current Constitution and Mission Statement, a list of officers, and the identification of active faculty or staff sponsor(s).
- Have a detailed expenditure budget approved by the Office of Student Life.
All student organization funds, including dues, donations, fund-raising income, and allocations from the Student Activity Fund, are maintained in internal accounts managed by the College. All expenditures from an organization’s account must be consistent with the organization’s Constitution and Mission Statement, and must be processed in compliance with College policies and procedures relating to the purchasing of goods and services.
The College reserves the right to establish further regulations, or modify existing regulations, relating to the collection, management, and expenditure of student organization funds as it deems appropriate at any time.
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