Southwest Virginia
Higher Education Center
Fall Semester 2007
Welcome to the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC)! We are pleased that you are pursuing your educational goals with us. For your convenience, the most up to date information relating to classes at the Center, including cancellations, is available on our website, http://www.swcenter.edu.
The SVHEC is generally open 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on Saturdays and Sundays when classes are scheduled. Consult the current lobby directory or our website (www.swcenter.edu) for up-to-date information. The Administrative offices are open 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. However, university representatives can meet with students after hours by appointment.
Several institutions are a part of the SVHEC partnership. So that you may know who they are when classes are listed on our lobby directory, the names and abbreviations of the SVHEC partners are listed below for your convenience.
Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Products – No alcoholic beverages are allowed in the Center or parking lots. Exceptions are made for attendees at special events that have a permit from the Virginia Department of Alcohol Beverage Control. Beverages permitted by the ABC Board for a specific event in the building are ONLY for attendees of said event. The SVHEC is a tobacco-free facility and no tobacco products are allowed in the building.
Bookstore – The Virginia Highlands Community College bookstore is open from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Friday and CLOSED Saturday & Sunday. The Bookstore will work extended hours at the beginning of each semester. If you cannot get to the Bookstore between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., let us know and we will make special arrangements for you.
Children – Children in the facility are to be supervised at all times by a responsible adult. Children may not attend classes unless they are registered or invited to participate for a specific instructional purpose (e.g. to make a presentation).
Classrooms – All of the classrooms, labs, and large spaces are scheduled by Sonia Vanhook or Brenda Wilson and assigned to institutions for specific courses or events. Do not assume when a room is unoccupied that you can use it for a project, study group, breakout session, etc., Instead, contact Sonia at 619-4301 or email her at svanhook@swcenter.edu. She will schedule a room for you. Students are always welcome to meet in the lobby areas and Le Cafe when their project or group activity is not disruptive to others.
Please leave the classrooms neat by placing all cups and trash in the waste cans. Recycle cans and plastic bottles.
Code of Conduct – Students must adhere to the standards of conduct established by the college or university in which they are enrolled.
Computers – Resource Center and Computer Lab:
Computers are available in the Resource Center, located on the second floor in the back corridor, for use by registered students, faculty and guests. To access the lab, obtain an access card from the Information Desk in the front lobby. Please refer to our Computer Lab Policies for more information. The classroom computer labs on the second floor are for scheduled classes ONLY. They are not available for personal use. Tobacco products, food and drinks are not allowed in the Resource Center and Computer Labs.
Please check at the Information Desk or call the SVHEC, (619-4300) if you need to use the Resource Center at night to ensure that the building will be open.
Computers may be used from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. However, when classes are not in session, lab hours may be reduced from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. At times when classes are cancelled or dismissed early, the SVHEC Resource Center may close early. Students who need access to a computer at other times are welcome to use them at the Virginia Highlands Community College library. Check their website at http://www.vhcc.edu/library/ for hours of operation. Keep in mind that the Higher Education Center and VHCC are closed for holidays and inclement weather. Don't get caught "off guard." Check the holiday schedule and plan accordingly.
Faculty, students, and guests have free access to the printers in the labs. However, paper is not provided. Students may bring their own paper for the printer in the Resource Center or they may purchase paper at the Information Desk in packets of twenty-five sheets for a cost of $0.25 per packet.
Copies – Copies may be made for $0.05 per page at the Information Desk.
E-mail – E-mail accounts are available to all registered students. You may access your email account from the SVHEC Resource Center. Please inquire with your institution’s on-site representative for details.
Emergency – Make sure family members know the name of your course(s), the sponsoring institution, and the classroom number. This will help us get an emergency message to you promptly. The emergency number to call is (276) 619-4300.
Faculty – While many of the faculty who teach at the SVHEC are in the building regularly, most have office space on their respective main campus. If you need to get in touch with your instructor, please consult your course syllabus or the site director for telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
First Aid Kit – A well-equipped first-aid kit is available at the Information Desk.
Food and Drinks – Vending Machines are located in Le Café, otherwise known as the student lounge, on the first floor. They are equipped to change dollar bills. If you lose money in a vending machine, leave your name and the amount of money lost with the Information Desk and your money will be refunded. Beverages are allowed in all classrooms except the computer laboratory – but please be careful not to spill. If you do, please clean the spill immediately. The Information Desk staff can provide cleaning supplies if you need them.
Honor Code – All SVHEC partner institutions subscribe to an HONOR CODE, designed to assure all students an academic community of trust, honor, and fair competition. The SVHEC supports this premise and expects all students to act appropriately. An all-purpose pledge that can be written on any examination is: “I have neither given nor received help on this exam.” Lying, cheating, or stealing will not be tolerated at the SVHEC, and can result in dismissal or sanctions by the institution in which the student is enrolled.
Illegal Drugs – The possession and/or use of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited. Violators will be reported to the proper authorities for further action.
Information Line – Before driving long distances to attend regularly scheduled classes, consider calling the SVHEC Information Line at 276-619-4308. Cancellations due to weather, instructor’s illness, etc., will be recorded daily, if we have been advised, as well as program updates and events.
Library – The Virginia Highlands Community College library is available to assist students at the Higher Education Center. Although any of the library staff can help you, Joel Rudy is our Reference and Bibliographic Instruction librarian. He is available to work with you individually or during a class meeting. To contact Joel, dial 739-2512 or email him at jrudy@vhcc.edu.
The library is located on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center (LRC) at Virginia Highlands Community College. Library hours are Monday – Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
VHCC library cards are free to all students and available at the VHCC library. You will need your student ID or some form of registration verification when you request a library card.
In addition to the VHCC Library, SVHEC students can access their home campus library in the Center’s Resource Lab. The Resource lab is open Monday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. when classes are in session.
Microwave Oven & Refrigerator – For your convenience, Le Café (the student lounge) is equipped with a microwave and a refrigerator. Students are welcome to use both. DO NOT leave food in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours or it will be discarded.
Parking – For your safety and that of other students, carefully observe the traffic signs and arrows in the parking lot. You may park anywhere in the parking lot without a parking permit except in the handicapped spaces. On special occasions, such as the Virginia Highlands Festival, we may offer a reserved parking area. Also, please observe the 30-minute time limit in the spaces designated for Bookstore customers, loading and unloading, and other short visits to the building.
Pencil Sharpeners – Pencil sharpeners are located at the main Information Desk and in classrooms throughout the building.
Persons with Disabilities – In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed into law, extending equal protection to persons with disabilities in the private sector, public institutions, employment, communications and public accommodations. In compliance with this act, the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center is committed to making its facilities accessible and usable to all persons with a disability. If you are a prospective or current student with a disability and desire assistive devices, services or other accommodations, please notify your college or university site representative. If you are a guest with a disability and desire assistive devices, services or other accommodations, please notify the Information Desk at 276-619-4300.
The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, national origin, religion, or political affiliation.
Printers - Printers are available in the computer classrooms and the Resource Center free of charge. However, students and faculty must bring their own paper or purchase it at The Information Desk for 25 cents per pack.
Registration – Student registration and payments are currently handled through the partner institutions. Please see the appropriate college representative for assistance.
Resource Center –
Computers are available in the Resource Center, located on the second floor in the back corridor, for use by registered students, faculty and guests. To access the lab, obtain an access card from the Information Desk in the front lobby. Please refer to our Computer Lab Policies for more information. The classroom computer labs on the second floor are for scheduled classes ONLY. They are not available for personal use. Tobacco products, food and drinks are not allowed in the Resource Center and Computer Labs.
Please check at the Information Desk or call the SVHEC, (619-4300) if you need to use the Resource Center at night to ensure that the building will be open.
Computers may be used from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays. However, when classes are not in session, lab hours may be reduced from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. At times when classes are cancelled or dismissed early, the SVHEC Resource Center may close early. Students who need access to a computer at other times are welcome to use them at the Virginia Highlands Community College library. Check their website at http://www.vhcc.edu/library/ for hours of operation. Keep in mind that the Higher Education Center and VHCC are closed for holidays and inclement weather. Don't get caught "off guard." Check the holiday schedule and plan accordingly.
Faculty, students, and guest have free access to the printers in the labs. However, paper is not provided. Students may bring their own paper for the printer in the Resource Center or they may purchase paper at the Information Desk in packets of twenty-five sheets for a cost of $0.25 per packet.
Restrooms – Restrooms are located at the east and west end on the first floor, and the east end of the second floor. Please help us keep these rooms clean by alerting us when they need service. Tobacco, chewing gum, etc. are not appropriate in the fixtures.
Smoking Policy – Smoking or the use of any tobacco product, is not permitted in the building. Our smoking area is outside the Executive Auditorium at the west end of the building.
Student Mailboxes – Student mailboxes for distance learning students (handouts, returned homework, and exams) are located at the Information Desk.
Telephones – Courtesy telephones are located in the main lobby, adjacent to the Information Desk and on the second floor near the restrooms. These phones will permit local calls at no charge. Long distance and collect calls may be accessed with a calling card or credit card.
Tobacco Products – The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center is a tobacco-free facility.
Video checkout Procedures – To check out a videotape, complete a request form at the Information Desk. All institutions, with the exception of ODU store the tapes behind the Information Desk. Most tapes may be checked out for 24 hours, unless prior arrangements are made with your site director.
Weapons – Possession and/or use of weapons or any object that could be used to assault another person are prohibited on the premises of the SVHEC. Violators will be reported to the proper authorities for further action.
Weather Cancellations – In the event of inclement weather, call the SVHEC Information Line at (276) 619-4308, check our website (www.swcenter.edu), or listen to your local television or radio station. Do not assume when classes are cancelled at the university’s main campus or at Virginia Highlands Community College that your class at the HEC is also cancelled. Many times our classes meet when other institutions are closed or are operating on a snow delay.
We are proud of our SVHEC and hope you enjoy being here. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Revised 8/6/06
SVHEC does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, national origin, religion, or political affiliation. Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office.