Skip to the main content

Coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs

 

Palm Beach State College (PBSC) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update (3/24/2020)

Dear Panther Community,

As always, the safety and health of our students, faculty and staff is a foremost concern for Palm Beach State College.

 

You have questions, we have answers

I am new to online learning. What do I do if I have technical difficulties?

For Blackboard issues contact E-learning at:

For other issues, contact the service desk

What do I do if I need disability accommodation for my remote/online course?

The Center for Student Accessibility ( CSA) will provide information and advising appointments to students via email, Skype conference call, or Skype online video meetings. Skype communication will be coordinated between students and advisors or managers.

When students are contacting CSA, they should have their student id number available and be prepared to verify their identity to continue to protect their privacy. Students are to make accommodation requests by email to their assigned advisors. New students may make accommodation requests by contacting the manager of the campus of their choice.

Contact information per campus is listed below.

Belle Glade & Loxahatchee Groves

Boca Raton

Lake Worth

Palm Beach Gardens

I need to take a test in the Testing Center. What should I do?

Remote testing will be offered for certain types of testing.

If the test is for an online course, your instructor has made it available to take from home. If it's a "make up" or "missed test", you will need to make arrangements with your instructor because these tests are unavailable to be taken through a remote format. Please check with your instructor for questions regarding these types of tests.

If the test is for PBSC placement or other tests, remote access may be available through the Testing Center website, www.palmbeachstate.edu/testing

If I am unable to continue my courses and need to withdraw from my course(s), will my financial aid be affected?

It’s possible, depending on whether you withdraw from the entire semester or stay enrolled in one course or more. If you withdraw from ALL of your courses, you could have part, or all, of your federal funding returned creating a balance owed that you have to pay back. For additional questions, please feel free to email return2title4@palmbeachstate.edu.

If you withdraw from one or more of your courses, but stay enrolled in at least one course and you pass that course, your financial aid will not be affected. If you have additional questions, please email faocent@palmbeachstate.edu.

Please keep in mind that withdrawing from any or all of your classes could potentially impact your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If you have SAP questions, please contact faocent@palmbeachstate.edu .

CCP/Clock Hour: Please reach out to the CCP Financial Aid Team at clockhour@palmbeachstate.edu.

I’m a new student and need to attend New Student Orientation to register for classes. Can I still attend New Student Orientation?
New Student Orientation is being delivered remotely for new students. Please visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/orientation to reserve a spot in New Student Orientation.
I have questions about my courses, and I want to connect with an advisor. How can I reach an advisor?
Academic Advisors will be reaching out to their advisees soon regarding summer registration. If you need to speak to your advisor, you can contact him/her as you always have through the appointment system and email. We will keep you updated as information changes.
I am a student in the bachelor’s program (BAS/RN-BSN), who do I contact? I am interested in starting the bachelor’s program. What do I do?

All students are encouraged to contact any Bachelor’s Advisors, they are available via email until further notice. You can contact them at the following:

Can I still participate in Student Activities/Wellness Activities remotely?
PBSC continues to offer ways in which students can stay engaged with nutritional  personal health and fitness resources, such as home workouts, wellness tips, nutritional information, and physical activity resources, which can be found at www.palmbeachstate.edu/wellnesscenter

Students can also stay connected with virtual student activities by clicking on https://palmbeachstate.campuslabs.com/engage and by visiting PBSC social media pages.
I need to visit the Student Learning Center for tutoring. What should I do?

You can sign up for an appointment and meet a tutor virtually at https://palmbeachstate.mywconline.com/

International Student FAQ
My visa is expiring, and I am unable to travel to my home country currently. What should I do?
You may stay in the U.S. on an expired F-1 visa as long as you maintain your immigration status by being in possession of a valid I-20 and by meeting normal enrollment requirements. (Canadian citizens do not need a visa to enter the U.S.
My visa is expiring/has expired. If I leave the U.S. now, but must come back after the expiration date of my visa, will I need a new visa, or can I re-enter on an expired visa?
If you leave the U.S. and your visa will have expired by the date you wish to re-enter the U.S., then you will need to obtain a new visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate before you can re-enter the U.S. (Canadian citizens do not need a visa to enter the U.S.) The U.S. State Department announced on March 18th that routine U.S. visa issuance has been suspended indefinitely worldwide.
I need to apply for OPT. Can I do this remotely from elsewhere in the U.S.? Can I do it from outside the U.S.?
You must be physically in the U.S. at the time you submit your Optional Practical Training (OPT) application. Our office will continue to process OPT applications as soon as we receive your submitted request.
If I moved to a new U.S. address, do I still need to report it within 10 days?
Yes, you will need to update your records immediately through Pantherweb
Print page