Information for Students

Yes, applications are still open for many programs. We understand that this is a stressful time for our applicants as they prepare for their future studies at BCIT. Please visit Admission during COVID-19 to learn how BCIT Admissions is supporting applicants and to answer admissions related questions.

All new and ongoing classes at BCIT during the summer semester (June – August, 2020) will be primarily online in an e-learning format similar to the current semester. Should the COVID-19 situation improve, BCIT may gradually supplement our remote classes with field, lab, and shop sessions.

This decision is based on the information from the Provincial Health Officer, augmented by BCIT’s own Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) department.

Students, faculty, and staff in a healthcare setting should follow the directions of your instructor and the facility administration.

As of March 17, these are the current status on clinical placements:

Bachelor of Specialty Nursing (BSN) Program:

• Cancel all Clinical Placements from Term 1-6 and Level 5
•  Level 6 Clinical Placements will continue

Lab and Allied Health Programs:

• Clinical Placements will continue

 Diagnostics Programs:

• Clinical Placements will continue

Specialty Nursing Programs:

• Clinical Placements will continue

As of March 12, 2020, BCIT is following BC Ministry of Health recommendations and asking students, staff, faculty, and visitors coming into the country to self-isolate for 14 days. The BC Centre for Disease Control has clear instructions for self-isolation, which means you need to stay at home and avoid contact with others.

The Centre for Workplace Education is working closely with employers to respond to all temporary office closures and the need to work remotely or self-isolate. Should any of these situations occur, please contact your Co-op Coordinator immediately.

Please contact Accessibility Services or contact your Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist directly to review questions regarding your accommodations, or to discuss new barriers you are managing due to the transition to online content. We can determine if a virtual or phone appointment is required. For more information, see the Accessibility Services updates and FAQs.

For all questions about financial aid eligibility, please contact Student Financial Aid & Awards.

In response to recent developments regarding COVID-19, the following outlines BCIT’s refunds and withdrawals policy effective April 5, 2020.

Full-Time Programs in the Spring/Summer 2020 Terms

• Students have an option to request a full refund. The deadline for requesting a full refund is before the class start date.

Part-Time Programs/Courses in the Spring/Summer 2020 Terms

• Students have an option to request a full refund. The deadline for requesting a full refund is before the class start date.

Distance/Online Learning in the Summer/Spring 2020 Terms

• There are no changes to BCIT’s existing Refunds and Withdrawals Policy.
  

Per the BC Ministry of Health guidelines, as of March 12, anyone who travels outside of Canada will be required to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to a BCIT campus.

If you are returning to Canada and are unable to self-isolate outside of your Student Housing accommodation please contact Carmen Cottini at ccottini@bcit.ca or 604-432-8606 before returning to your suite so that we can support you in isolation. 

In order to enable social distancing and continue to support students without requiring a trip to campus, Student Health Services and Counselling & Student Development are offering phone or virtual appointments to BCIT students. Please call 604-432-8608 to book an appointment with a physician, nurse, or counsellor, and to inquire about whether an in-person appointment is necessary or available prior to visiting in person.

Student Housing has increased cleaning frequency in suites, and has implemented new guidelines for resident health and wellbeing. If you are a resident, please continue to read all communication you receive from Student Housing. If you need to self-isolate in your suite, please contact Carmen Cottini at ccottini@bcit.ca or 604-432-8606 for assistance in self-isolating effectively.

BCIT recognizes the challenges many students are facing in these uncertain times, and is committed to minimizing any impact on services and supports available to students. Please visit BCIT Student Services for a full listing of offerings including Academic and Learning Services, Health Services, Recreation Services, Student Life, and more.

The Government of Canada implemented a Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) program to provide financial support to students during the COVID-19 situation. All post-secondary students currently in school, are planning to start school in September 2020, or who have graduated in December 2019 or later may be eligible for CESB if they are unable to work or cannot find work due to COVID-19. Working students earning less than $1,000 may also be eligible.

For full details on eligibility, please visit Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB).

To apply for the Canada Emergency Student Benefit, please visit the Government of Canada’s Canada Emergency Student Benefit page. Applications are being accepted as of May 15.

There are four, four-week eligibility periods. Eligible post-secondary students will receive $1,250 during the eligibility period for which you apply. If you are taking care of someone else or have a disability, that amount increases to $2,000 per eligibility period. If your situation continues, you must re-apply for another four-week eligibility period.

For full details, please visit Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB).

Further to BCIT’s recent transition to primarily online delivery to protect our community during the COVID-19 pandemic, BCIT has been providing an opportunity for those students wishing to retrieve belongings from their lockers in an orderly manner that respects physical distancing and safe work practices. If your locker’s lock was provided by BCIT and/or contains BCIT property, please advise Security and leave the locker secured.

If you are not feeling well, have been recently exposed, or are experiencing symptoms of what could be COVID-19, please arrange to schedule your locker clean out at a later date. If you are unable to retrieve your belongings during the available dates please contact Lockers@bcit.ca.

BCIT implemented this new locker clean-out process due to requests from students wishing to come onto campus to collect items from their lockers. This process is optional however it is intended to provide a safe option for students who wish to empty their lockers on campus. The annual locker clean-out that usually takes place over the summer has been cancelled.

To support physical distancing of all building occupants by reducing corridor traffic, lockers will not be available during the fall term.

When you return to campus, you will be required to empty your locker.

To provide students sufficient time to access their belongings in support of physical distancing and the health and safety of our BCIT community, the previously scheduled 2020 annual locker clean-out which routinely occurs during the summer has been cancelled.

To accommodate students wishing to access their lockers while many campus buildings are secured, we are limiting access to ensure physical distancing and safe work practices.

You may visit the Security Office on your campus during the days and times listed below to coordinate access to your locker to remove belongings and your lock:

Burnaby Campus: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm seven days a week
Aerospace Campus: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm seven days a week
Annacis Island Campus: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday
Marine Campus: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday
CARI Campus: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday

When you arrive on campus, you may be required to wait in line until Security staff are available to assist. You will be asked to provide photo identification (BCIT Student ID or Drivers Licence/ BC ID Card) to Security. You will then then be escorted to your locker as staffing permits. To support students during this process, a temporary parking permit can be obtained from Security. This temporary parking permit is only available when you sign in for your locker clean out appointment at the Security Office. The temporary permit is valid in a Staff or Student lot commencing from the time the permit is issued.

Each locker user must make arrangements to remove their contents from the locker following the procedures described above.

During this time, you may appoint a family member or close friend to retrieve your belongings, provided that they have either the combination or key to your lock. They must follow the same steps as students. If you are a returning student alternatively you may wish to leave your belongings in your locker until you have an opportunity to do so.

To retrieve items from a locker in Recreation Services (SE16/gym), you will need to email BCIT_Recreation@bcit.ca to coordinate a clean-out date and time.

If you have a toolbox in your locker that needs to be returned to your program area, or if you have a project or other items that you need to retrieve from your classroom, you will need to contact your Instructor directly. In some cases, arrangements have already been made. For example, the Automotive department has installed designated drop boxes within Buildings NE24 and NE28.

Please email Lockers@bcit.ca

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that if your in-class courses are being moved to an online-only format because of COVID-19, your eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Program won’t be affected.

Please visit BCIT International Student and Education Services’ COVID-19 FAQ page for frequent updates on resources and support available to BCIT international students. 

Following information and advice about COVID-19 from regional and provincial health officers regarding large events, BCIT has made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person Spring 2020 Convocation ceremonies that were scheduled for June 17 to 19, 2020 to ensure the safety of the BCIT community. Instead, we will honour our graduates through a virtual ceremony and reconvene for a second face-to-face celebration when circumstances permit. Please visit bcit.ca/convocation for more information.

Student leaders were consulted about the proposed changes for the traditional in-person ceremony. We want to ensure graduating students have an opportunity to celebrate their achievements, and have committed to holding both a virtual ceremonial celebration and postponed in-person ceremonies.

Yes, BCIT will host an online celebration in June that will allow graduates and their families to gather virtually and celebrate. We will provide updates on this website as details become available.

Yes, graduating students will be invited to participate in expanded, in-person convocation ceremonies in February 2021. We will provide updates on this website as details become available.

Yes, students who have successfully completed the requirements for their degree, diploma, or certificate will graduate and receive their credential.

• Full-time technology students do not have to formally apply to graduate.
• Full-time trades students do not have to formally apply to graduate.
• Full-time apprentice students do have to apply to graduate through completing an Apprentice Application for Credential form. 
• Part-time studies students do have to apply to graduate through completing an Application for Credential form.

Credentials will be mailed out to your mailing address on record. Please check and update your current address on your account via myBCIT. Credentials will be mailed when safe to do so; at this time, we are estimating delivery in July.

Please consult with your booking agent or airline. BCIT does not provide refunds for travel.

BCIT uses Artona, a third-party photographer, for our convocation ceremonies. Artona’s photography studio is temporarily closed until further notice. If you have questions for Artona please contact their online support team directly through live chat at artona.com or email csr@artona.com.

If you have a question about your eligibility or graduation registration, please contact Student Records by email at records@bcit.ca.

If you have a question about the virtual celebration or future ceremonies please contact the Events team at convocation@bcit.ca.

Registration for Fall 2020 Part-time Studies courses opens May 27, 2020 at 9:00 am. A sneak preview will be available May 22, 2020, at 8:30 am. Plan your courses ahead of time and be prepared to register online.

For general information, assistance with Part-time Studies registration, payments, or Program Advising appointment booking, contact Student Information and Enrolment Services.

Most Fall 2020 courses will be delivered fully or partially online. This will vary by program or course, depending on the degree of learning that requires the use of specific equipment, tools, or facilities that cannot be replicated in an online environment. The situation will evolve over the summer, and BCIT will continue to adapt as needed to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, and staff. As decisions are made, programs areas will be communicating with students to provide specific information for those courses that will include some component of face-to-face learning.

We remain committed to our mandate to meet learner and industry needs through applied polytechnic education. The necessary safeguards and adjustments will be in place by September to continue experiential learning wherever possible. Our Occupational Health and Safety team has begun to assess classrooms, labs, and shops, to ensure we practice safe operating procedures in accordance with public health and safety guidelines as well as WorkSafeBC standards for post-secondary institutions.

By combining teaching, learning, and service delivery methods in adaptive and meaningful ways, we will ensure that our students’ academic progress can continue, and that the necessary learning supports will be in place.

Our teaching environments will look different from previous years, but the quality of instruction, and commitment of our faculty and staff will remain as strong as ever. Students’ valuable learning experiences will continue.

Our student services staff will offer advice, care, and support as needed to optimize on-campus and off-campus learning experiences.

Faculty and managers are evaluating program and course delivery structure to ensure that learning can be successful with substantially online delivery. This may involve changes to the timing, sequencing, and structure of courses, as well as assignments and other graded assessments within courses. This will vary by program and course, and will be communicated directly to students by their program area.

BCIT is working closely with our industry partners to determine where students can safely complete work placement components of their program. The ability to do so is largely dependent upon the organization that is hosting the student placements.

Where it is not possible for students to complete that training in an industry setting, program areas are developing alternate plans for students to achieve the required learning outcomes.

Students should assume that most learning will be via online delivery. Where there are exceptions and changes, program areas will provide an update to accepted students prior to the fee deadline.

If students have paid a commitment fee for a full-time program and no longer want to enrol due to the changes in learning modes, they can request a refund of that fee. The request must be received prior to the fee payment deadline of 60 days prior to program start.

Details on the process for this refund can be found here.

There will be no refund for fees paid to register in fall Part-time Studies Courses as registration opens for those at the end of May and students have been informed of the learning delivery prior to that time.

Program areas are working to develop technology requirement lists for students as it varies by program. Most programs and courses will require you to have access to a personal computer with video and microphone but some of our specialized programs will require additional technology. Students will be contacted by their program area with these details.

Contact Student Information and Enrolment Services for general information, part-time studies registration, payments, or Program Advising appointment booking.