Beginning Monday, March 23, all Galveston College classes will be online. Galveston College academic and student support services will also be available online, by email and/or by teleconference. All campus facilities will be closed to students and the general public.
Online Instruction
Students should log into their Canvas learning management system daily to check their assignments, grades and communication from instructors. Those who are having trouble accessing Canvas or features within Canvas should reach out to the Distance Education department at [email protected] for assistance. Please include the following information:
·        Name
·        Phone number
·        Galveston College ID number
·        Description of the issue in Canvas
Replies to questions sent to [email protected] are sent to the students’ Whitecaps email address.
Students should communicate on a regular basis with their professors as much as needed to ensure that they are aware of any questions, concerns or issues.
Students new the online learning environment should take the Canvas New Student Orientation if they have not done so already. The orientation is a quick and easy way to get familiar with the functions of Canvas. The New Student Orientation is located at the top of the dashboard in the Whitecaps portal.
Whitecaps Email
Galveston College students should check their Whitecaps email several times daily. The College will make official announcements via Whitecaps email first. Students must use their Whitecaps email address to contact Galveston College advisers and staff. For help with email, contact [email protected] or visit https://gc.edu/student-services/access-your-student-email/.
Library and Learning Resources
Galveston College David Glenn Hunt Memorial Library services are accessible online. Students, faculty and staff can access academic eBooks to support curriculum, reference eBooks, leisure eBooks, article databases, eJournals, eMagazines, research guides, video tutorials and eCourse reserves. The library also has a live chat service available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students can schedule individual online reference appointments, as well. All virtual services are accessible in one place for students, faculty and staff.
The Distance Education Library Resources Online Guide is designed to help students at a distance or taking online courses locate and use Galveston College library’s online resources and research tools. Students can access the guide at https://library.gc.edu/distance-education-library-resources. For assistance, contact [email protected] or view the library’s FAQ page https://gc.libanswers.com/.
Remote Student Services
The Galveston College Student Services team is here to help! All incoming calls and messages to Galveston College office numbers will be received via email. Student Services team members have been assigned schedules to monitor and return emails and phone calls.
Please use the following emails to contact campus offices:
Admissions/Registrar
Counseling and Advising Center
Financial Aid
Testing Center
Tutoring – Student Success Center
Accessibility/Special Needs
Upward Bound
Building Bridges to Success
Continuing Education
Academic Advising
The Galveston College Counseling and Advising Center will continue to offer academic advising services for students via telephone and email. To schedule an appointment, email [email protected] . For questions related to a particular program, please reach out to the instructor or the department coordinator for more information.
Accessibility/Special Needs
Galveston College provides accommodations for students with disabilities. Upon presentation of appropriate documentation of a disability, students may be granted reasonable accommodations for their courses. Students will continue to have support through a variety of communication methods such as phone calls, emails and virtual appointments. For questions related to accommodations, contact [email protected].
Admissions and Registrar
All Admissions office and Registrar’s office services will be offered remotely. This includes transcript requests, registration, transcript evaluations, admissions applications, name change forms, declarations of residency, changes of program, changes of address, degree and certificate applications, appeals, releases of information and enrollment verification requests. For assistance, contact [email protected].
Building Bridges to Success
Building Bridges to Success team members will reach out to program participants with information on ways to access TRIO program services (academic advising, tutoring, personal counseling, FAFSA assistance, financial literacy, etc.). For more information, contact [email protected].
Financial Aid
All aspects and functions of the Financial Aid Office will remain intact. Financial aid applications will continue to be processed in the same manner as any year. Students should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov . For more information and assistance, contact [email protected].
Student Activities
All student activities and special events have been postponed. Spring semester athletic events have been canceled.
Student Housing
Student housing applications are being accepted for the 2020-2021 academic year. To apply online, visit https://gc.edu/student-housing/ . Deposits may be mailed to Galveston College Business Services, 4015 Avenue Q, Galveston, TX 77554 or paid by credit card via telephone at (409) 944-1215. (Please leave a call-back number.)
Technology
Galveston College Student Services is working to help find solutions and to assist students who have needs related to computer hardware and internet access. wifi.xfinity.com hotspots across the country are available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity internet subscribers. Once at a hotspot, students should select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser. (It works best if students download the app.) Galveston has a number of hotspots: https://hotspots.wifi.comcast.com/mobile/.
Please contact Financial Aid at [email protected] with your questions if you have questions related to computer hardware and/or internet access needs.
Testing
Galveston College has secured a new test-proctoring platform called Respondus , which allows staff to lock down the students’ browsers as they are proctored in a virtual environment to help maintain test integrity. It also allows the College to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Students with testing questions should contact [email protected].
Tutoring Services
Galveston College students will be able to receive tutoring through NetTutor, which is a 24-hour virtual tutoring service available to all students through their Canvas learning management system portals.
Upward Bound
Upward Bound team members will be reaching out to participants regarding remote access to TRIO program services (academic advising, tutoring, personal counseling, FAFSA assistance, financial literacy, etc.). For information, contact Priselda Perez at [email protected].
Veterans Services
The Financial Aid office offers assistance with VA benefits. Students will continue to have support through a variety of communication methods, such as phone calls, emails and virtual appointments. For assistance, contact Nikki Montoya at [email protected].
Galveston College will continue to monitor the rapidly changing situation and update the campus community as changes are made.