Policies, Statements & Disclaimers
All opinions expressed by individuals purporting to be a current or former student, faculty, or staff member of this institution, on websites not affiliated with Wytheville Community College, social media channels, blogs or other online or traditional publications, are solely their opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or values of Wytheville Community College, the Virginia Community College System, or the State Board for Community Colleges, which do not endorse and are not responsible or liable for any such content.
Non-Discrimination Statement
Wytheville Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, genetics, veteran status, or disability when the person is otherwise qualified in its educational programs and activities or employment. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Malinda Eversole, Director of Human Resources, 105 Carroll Hall, 1000 East Main Street, Wytheville VA 24382, 276-223-4869. For further information, see the list of OCR enforcement offices for the address and phone number of the office that serves your area, or call 1-800-421-3481.
Information Disclaimer
Wytheville Community College provides its website, catalog, handbooks, and any other printed materials or electronic media for your general guidance. The college does not guarantee that the information contained within them, including, but not limited to, the contents of any page that reside under the DNS registrations of http://www.wcc.vccs.edu (including the associated WCC social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, or LinkedIn) is up-to-date, complete and accurate, and individuals assume any risks associated with relying upon such information without checking other credible sources, such as a student's academic advisor. In addition, a student's or prospective student's reliance upon information contained within these sources, or individual program catalogs or handbooks, when making academic decisions does not constitute, and should not be construed as, a contract with the college. Further, the college reserves the right to make changes to any provision or requirement within these sources, as well as changes to any curriculum or program, whether during a student's enrollment or otherwise. Links or references to other materials and websites provided in the above-referenced sources are also for information purposes only and do not constitute the college's endorsement of products or services referenced.
Records Privacy
Wytheville Community College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, which is a federal law that was enacted to protect the privacy of students and their educational records. The intent of the legislation is to protect the rights of students and to ensure the privacy and accuracy of "educational information." Educational Information refers to any record maintained by an educational institution, including files, documents, and materials of any type which contain information directly related to students, and which allows a student to be identified. More information about record privacy and FERPA.
Forms:
FERPA Consent to Release Educational Records
Request for Non-disclosure of directory information
Web Privacy Statement
It is the policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia that personal information about citizens will be collected only to the extent necessary to provide the service or benefit desired; that only appropriate information will be collected; that the citizen shall understand the reason the information is collected and be able to examine any personal record maintained by a public body. This website:
- Collects information, including email addresses, only when additional information about WCC, its courses, or programs, is requested. This information is used solely to provide the information or services requested and is not shared with other organizations or used in any other way.
- Uses temporary “cookies” only in specific applications that allow for registering for programs or requesting additional information about programs or courses. These temporary cookies, designed to enhance the user’s experience, are automatically removed when you exit the site and do not remain on your computer.
- The IP address, pages browsed, and date and time of your visit is collected for internal statistical purposes only.
- The WCC web site links to external web sites, which are governed by their own policies and procedures, and may link to external sites that are not controlled by the policies of WCC.
Virginia Freedom of Information Act – Rights and Responsibilities
The Rights of Requesters and the Responsibilities of Wytheville Community College (WCC) under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), located § 2.2-3700 et. seq. of the Code of Virginia, guarantees citizens of the Commonwealth and representatives of the media access to public records held by public bodies, public officials, and public employees.
A public record is any writing or recording — regardless of whether it is a paper record, an electronic file, an audio or video recording, or any other format — that is prepared or owned by, or in the possession of a public body or its officers, employees or agents in the transaction of public business. All public records are presumed to be open, and may only be withheld if a specific, statutory exemption applies.
The policy of FOIA states that the purpose of FOIA is to promote an increased awareness by all persons of governmental activities. In furthering this policy, FOIA requires that the law be interpreted liberally, in favor of access, and that any exemption allowing public records to be withheld must be interpreted narrowly.
You have the right to request to inspect or receive copies of public records, or both.
You have the right to request that any charges for the requested records be estimated in advance.
If you believe that your FOIA rights have been violated, you may file a petition in district or circuit court to compel compliance with FOIA.
Making a request for records from Wytheville Community College
- You may request records by U.S. Mail, fax, e-mail, in person, or over the phone. FOIA does not require that your request be in writing, nor do you need to specifically state that you are requesting records under FOIA. From a practical perspective, it may be helpful to both you and the person receiving your request to put your request in writing. This allows you to create a record of your request. It also gives us a clear statement of what records you are requesting, so that there is no misunderstanding over a verbal request. However, we cannot refuse to respond to your FOIA request if you elect to not put it in writing.
- Your request must identify the records you are seeking with “reasonable specificity.” This is a common-sense standard. It does not refer to or limit the volume or number of records that you are requesting; instead, it requires that you be specific enough so that we can identify and locate the records that you are seeking.
- Your request must ask for existing records or documents. FOIA gives you a right to inspect or copy records; it does not apply to a situation where you are asking general questions about the work of WCC, nor does it require WCC to create a record that does not exist.
- You may choose to receive electronic records in any format used by WCC in the regular course of business. For example, if you are requesting records maintained in an Excel database, you may elect to receive those records electronically, via e-mail or on a computer disk, or to receive a printed copy of those records
- If we have questions about your request, please cooperate with staff’s efforts to clarify the type of records that you are seeking, or to attempt to reach a reasonable agreement about a response to a large request. Making a FOIA request is not an adversarial process, but we may need to discuss your request with you to ensure that we understand what records you are seeking.
WCC must respond to your request within five working days of receiving it. “Day One” is considered the day after your request is received. The five-day period does not include weekends or holidays.
The public records the WCC maintains include, but are not limited to personnel records, scholastic records, contracts, and records related to academic programs. The Code of Virginia allows any public body to withhold certain records from public disclosure. WCC routinely withholds records subject to the following exemptions:
- Personnel records (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(1)).
- Scholastic records (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.4(1)).
- Records subject to attorney-client privilege (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(2)) or attorney work product (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(3)).
- Records relating to the negotiation and award of a contract, prior to a contract being awarded (Va. Code § 2.2-3705.1(12)).
WCC will invoke the personnel and scholastic records exemptions to protect the privacy of its employees and students. The WCC will invoke the contract negotiations exemption whenever it applies to protect WCC’s bargaining position and negotiating strategy.
To request records from Wytheville Community College (WCC) or ask questions about requesting records, you may contact:
Malinda Eversole, Director of Human Resources
Carroll Hall
1000 East Main Street
Wytheville VA 24382
(276) 223-4869 – Phone
(800) 468-1195 ext. 4762 (toll free outside Wythe County)
(276) 223-4801 – FAX