Information for Students

A case manager will email you to introduce their role and offer to speak with you about your circumstances and how BCIT can help. The email will be sent to the myBCIT email account and whatever personal email account is on file.

If the case manager doesn’t receive a response, they will follow up once or twice more over the following couple of weeks. Most of the time, students will respond by asking about resources or asking to speak with the case manager. If you choose not to respond at all, the case manager will send you an email letting you know they are closing the Early Assist referral, and will invite you to reach out any time if you’d like assistance.

NOTE: Most of the time, BCIT emails sent to a personal email account end up in a Spam/Junk folder. For this reason, case managers will often follow up with a text message to the cell number on file, to let you know that an email has been sent. To be sure you receive BCIT emails, it’s best to check your myBCIT account regularly, or have your myBCIT email forwarded to your personal email account.

Case managers can:

• Have a coaching conversation with a student to help the student identify options for handling difficult situations;
• Understand a student’s main concerns and guide them toward appropriate resources;
• Assist students with accessing resources;
• Liaise with a student’s instructors and Program/Department Head about academic options when a student has been unable to participate for a period of time;
• Facilitate a late withdrawal under extenuating circumstances;
• Be a central point of contact when several service areas are involved with a student.

Case managers cannot:

• Diagnose or treat mental health conditions;
• Provide advice about program structure, requirements, or application processes;
• Direct instructors to provide extensions or other academic concessions;
• Influence grading;
• Approve late withdrawal or refund requests.

No. The Early Assist system is outside of any other system at BCIT. Information submitted through Early Assist will not show up on any other system at BCIT. Your academic record, academic progress, and access to funding are unaffected by an Early Assist referral.