Future Students
During this challenging time, College of the Rockies will keep your application on track.
Please check this web page regularly, as it will be updated when more information is available.
A: We look forward to having you be a part of the College of the Rockies community this fall. Ensuring you get the education you need, while also keeping our students and staff healthy and safe, is our top priority. We are following all health and safety guidelines outlined by the Provincial Health Officer, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, and WorkSafe BC. This fall, we are planning for most classes to be held online, with some - physically distanced - on-campus learning for those programs that require it. We assure you that as many of our programs have been previously delivered partly or fully online, and we are well-prepared to meet your learning needs. All of our support services will also remain available to you throughout the semester – virtually.
Learn more about Fall 2020 at College of the Rockies
A. Registration is open for Adult Upgrading (semestered) courses, Business Management, Tourism Management and Recreation Management programs, Child Youth & Family Studies, Kinesiology, and University Studies programs for the fall 2020, winter and spring 2021 semesters.
A. Yes, the admissions officers are continuing to process applications and send out admission decisions on a regular basis. Please ensure your contact information is updated and check your email account to receive admissions correspondence.
A. Absolutely not! We will find ways for your pathway to continue and for you to access your education at College of the Rockies. Please make an appointment with an Education Advisor to discuss your education plans.
A. As long as the College receives an official transcript with your final grades, your application will be evaluated. It is important that you keep in touch with your high school about how your final grades will be determined. If you are concerned about your current admission or future registration status, contact our Admissions Coordinators: admissions@cotr.bc.ca
A. Yes, as long as the College receives an official transcript with final grades.
A. If you are a current or former BC high school student, you can order transcripts online through the BC Ministry of Education’s StudentTranscripts Service. If you are an out of province high school student, you can order from your high school or the Education Ministry in your province or territory. If you are a post-secondary student, you can order directly from your post-secondary institution.
A. Yes, of course. Our Student Services staff are committed to providing you with the support you need to prepare for the fall 2020 semester. The following services are available to you online:
Book an online appointment with a Student Services team member.
A. Yes! Access to a personal computer is critical to your success as a student. Whether your course is offered online or in-class, a computer and an internet connection help you to participate in lessons, access course materials, complete assignments and interact with your instructor, classmates and college services.
A. No! A cell phone is not an adequate substitute for a personal computer for students.
A. College courses are designed around the Windows operating system and as a student you receive a copy of Office 365 to use while attending the College. Some programs may have specific software requirements which will be confirmed by your instructor. The College’s online learning system is compatible with multiple web browsers with additional information and support available through COTRonline. The College has negotiated special pricing on recommended laptops for its students, which you can order and have shipped directly to you. Explore laptop options and pricing.
A. General College of the Rockies questions - please email: recruit@cotr.bc.ca
A. Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 students should continue to check their email as this is the way we will be delivering information relevant to your specific situation.
A. We recommend that you monitor Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the most up-to-date information regarding special immigration measures and how Canada is responding to the issues that are arising as a result of COVID-19. You should also check the COVID-19 Q&A for International Students.
A. Please email edadvisor@cotr.bc.ca for direction.
A. Yes, but in a different way. We are not doing in-person visits at this time, but you can still explore our Cranbrook campus facilities through our virtual tour, and our Recruitment Officers are available to answer any questions at recruit@cotr.bc.ca.
A. No.
A. Yes! The deadline for the College’s entrance bursaries is August 15, 2020. We encourage all eligible students to apply.
A. All student loan applications open online the first week in June.
Current Students
A: We look forward to having you be a part of the College of the Rockies community this fall. Ensuring you get the education you need, while also keeping our students and staff healthy and safe, is our top priority. We are following all health and safety guidelines outlined by the Provincial Health Officer, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, and WorkSafe BC. This fall, we are planning for most classes to be held online, with some - physically distanced - on-campus learning for those programs that require it. We assure you that as many of our programs have been previously delivered partly or fully online, and we are well-prepared to meet your learning needs. All of our support services will also remain available to you throughout the semester – virtually.
Learn more about Fall 2020 at College of the Rockies
A. We are open and operating, but just differently. We have temporarily moved instruction, educational and administrative services to alternative delivery. What does that mean? Classes are being delivered outside of our usual classroom or hands-on setting; instead, students are continuing their studies with alternative delivery using today’s technology, such as online classrooms, conference call lectures and more.
We want to help keep our communities safe, so in-person access to our campuses is limited to essential employees. College employees may be working from home but are accessible and online to help students and the community.
A. Yes, of course. Our Student Services staff are committed to provide you with the support you need to complete your semester and/or to prepare for the fall 2020 term. The following services are available to you online:
Book an appointment with a Student Services team member online.
A. Yes! College of the Rockies is open and offering courses through online and alternative delivery in the spring term. A few courses normally offered in the spring term may have to be postponed and students in any of the affected programs will be notified by their Dean. Current college students can log into AccessCOTR to register and pay for spring courses. To view course offerings for the Spring term – Click Here. Our 2020-21 course offerings will be available to search on April 6th when early registration opens for continuing students.
New applications are still being accepted for admission to the college. Please go to https://cotr.bc.ca/apply/ to apply for the Spring term or for the 2020-21 Academic year, which starts September 8, 2020. Contact Enrolment Services by email at reghelp@cotr.bc.ca for assistance.
A. Courses which involve attending shops, labs, practicum sites, or group field-based activities may need to be delayed. Courses which can be offered remotely are expected to continue as scheduled.
A: Yes, a wide variety of financial supports are available. You can find a list of resources and their eligibility criteria here: COVID-19 Financial Assistance Resources
A: The federal government has announced a package of new and enhanced financial supports for post-secondary students. These resources include:
A. As we are now relying on digital communications to connect remotely, it’s important to stay connected with the College and your instructors. All important updates about our operations and COVID-19 will arrive in your College email inbox, like tstudent1@cotr.bc.ca If you use your personal emails to communicate with the College, your spam filters may block our messages and you will miss out on important announcements or other emails, such as appointment reminders from education advisors. It also makes online communication with your instructor easier. If you are already using your College email, you are good to go.
To learn more about setting up your college email, visit www.cotr.bc.ca and select, login, which will take you to College webmail.
A. Yes! Access to a personal computer is critical to your success as a student. Whether your course is offered online or in-class, a computer and an internet connection help you to participate in lessons, access course materials, complete assignments and interact with your instructor, classmates and college services.
A. No! A cell phone is not an adequate substitute for a personal computer for students.
A. College courses are designed around the Windows operating system and as a student you receive a copy of Office 365 to use while attending the College. Some programs may have specific software requirements which will be confirmed by your instructor. The College’s online learning system is compatible with multiple web browsers with additional information and support available through COTRonline. The College has negotiated special pricing on recommended laptops for its students, which you can order and have shipped directly to you. Explore laptop options and pricing.
A: This is a time where it’s important to have someone to speak to, albeit virtually. Your mental health is important. It’s understandable you may be feeling stressed, sad, confused, scared and even angry during this very challenging time. Our Counselling and Wellness staff are available to help you through this. You can book an appointment online for a virtual appointment or a phone call with an education advisor, for counselling, or to talk to someone about accessibility services, financial aid or employment services.
The Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training has also launched Here2Talk, a free single-session service available by app, phone, or online chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chat sessions with a trained counsellor can be accessed by downloading the Here2Talk app or visiting: here2talk.ca Students can speak to a counsellor by phone, toll free at 1-877-857-3397 or direct 604-642-5212. Students calling from outside Canada can dial 1-604-642-5212 (international calling charges may apply).
Additional College of the Rockies and community resources are available at: Alternate Health and Wellbeing Resources
Additional information and resources on topics such as staying safe, online learning, protecting your rights, and much more is available through BCCampus.
A. Our Library is available at your fingertips, as access to online collections and databases are available 24/7. Our library staff are available to help you with your reference and research needs. To help you, AskAway research and reference support will have extended hours until Friday April 10. Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (MT), where you can directly submit research questions to our College Library staff. Expert staff from libraries across BC are also available to will respond to your reference and research questions outside of those hours.
A. To fulfill the need for social distancing, our computer labs are temporarily unavailable. If this is an issue for you to complete your studies, please let us know by sending an email to covidinfo@cotr.bc.ca
A. The College has put in place a process for students who were unable to clean out their lockers in March to gain access on the following dates and times:
Please read the information below so you are aware of the process to access your locker:
If you are unavailable during the times listed above please contact Cori Andrichuk at candrichuk@cotr.bc.ca
A. If you have been travelling outside of Canada, there is a mandatory requirement to self-isolate for a period of 14 days. Your educational program is currently being offered by alternative delivery methods. Please check your email as you’ll have correspondence from your instructor with further information.
A. Our bookstore staff are available to help you order your educational resources. Please email bookstore@cotr.bc.ca to make arrangements. Our Campus Store staff will do their best to assist you and will be in touch personally to place your order. Please have a credit card ready (Visa or Mastercard) so they can take your payment over the phone.
A. Campus Store staff remain available to respond to distance orders. Please email bookstore@cotr.bc.ca to make arrangements to have your books sent to you.
A. Out of an abundance of caution and to follow social distancing requirements, we’ve moved all of our face-to-face programming to alternative methods. As our trades courses normally involve hands-on, close contact training, we have temporarily suspended face-to-face classes, and moved as much as possible to alternative, on-line delivery methods. Our instructors will be in touch with you directly about next steps for your training. If you have not heard from your instructor, be sure to check your email junk mail folders. Most trades programming is continuing; however, there may be some postponements – if so, your will be notified with as much advance notice as possible. If you have further questions, you can contact covidinfo@cotr.bc.ca
A. Final exams for the Winter 2020 semester have been replaced by alternative means of final evaluation. Your instructors will let you know directly what evaluation strategies they are implementing for your courses.
A. As courses have moved to alternative delivery methods and instructors are implementing alternative means of evaluation, we don’t anticipate any disruption to the completion of your program.
A. All face-to-face Continuing Education programs have been postponed until further notice. Due to the high-touch nature of training and inability to provide physical distancing, we have postponed first aid training. Individuals who were originally enrolled in first aid programs will receive refunds and be given priority when classes are rebooked later this year.
Individuals who have pre-paid and enrolled in other face-to-face Continuing Education courses for the Spring/Summer term will receive a refund. Please, note that the College is still offering Continuing Education online courses: please visit www.ed2go.com/rockies Be sure to watch for Continuing Education’s fall 2020 programming to be announced this August.
A. At this time, we do not anticipate that our Fall 2020 semester will be impacted; we look forward to welcoming students back to our campuses this September. Registration is open for Adult Upgrading (semestered) courses, Business Management, Tourism Management and Recreation Management programs, Child Youth & Family Studies, Kinesiology, and University Studies programs for the Fall 2020, Winter and Spring 2021 semesters on the following dates:
A. Respecting the health and safety of our students, our employees, and members of the community, all upcoming events at our campuses have been cancelled. We have made the difficult decision to also cancel our June 2020 convocation ceremony. We know this is an important milestone for all graduates and their families and we’re still considering if there is an alternative way to celebrate this important event. We will be in touch with our graduating students with updates as we have more information. The College will be refunding students who have already paid for their 2020 convocation fees.
A. The cancellation of the June 2020 convocation ceremony will not impact your ability to receive the credential you worked so hard for. To receive your credential, submit an Application for Graduation by the May 8, 2020 deadline. You can do this by logging in to AccessCOTR to apply online, or you can complete and submit an Application for Graduation to the Enrolment Services office, by email to reghelp@cotr.bc.ca. If you have completed all of your program requirements, our Enrolment Services team will grant your credential mail your parchment to you.
Please ensure that your mailing address and contact information is current. Log into AccessCOTR Self Service to view your User Profile to view and update your contact information.
A. We as Canadians have been asked to stay home as much as possible. Purcell House is currently home to a number of College of the Rockies students. For this reason, it remains open. Students, however, have an option to leave the residence early if they wish. The Residence Services Coordinator remains in regular contact will all students who remain at Purcell House.
A. All College of the Rockies programs have been moved to alternative delivery methods. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), courses of study being delivered online (alternative delivery) on an exceptional basis due to COVID-19, will not affect Post-Graduation Work Permit Program eligibility.
A. As most College of the Rockies’ programs are being offered through alternative delivery methods, we don’t anticipate any interruption to your studies. You should be able to complete your program on time.
If your program has completed early or the remainder has been deferred to a future term, StudentAidBC will be considering policy on a case-by-case basis. Students can go the StudentAidBC website for further information or contact the Financial Assistance and Awards office by email - financialaid@cotr.bc.ca
Community
A. Our salon is not taking bookings at this time, but we look forward to serving you again when we re-open in the fall.
A. The Avalanche volleyball season ended in February, but we’re looking forward to cheering on our teams again in the fall.
A. Yes, but in a different way. We’re not doing in-person visits at this time, but you can still explore our Cranbrook campus facilities through our virtual tour, and our Recruitment Officers are available to answer any questions at recruit@cotr.bc.ca.
A. The Kids on Campus Children’s Centre is operated by the Community Campus Children’s Society (CCCS). On March 18, they notified parents that they have closed until further notice. If you have further questions, you can send them to KOC@cotr.bc.ca.
College Employees
A: The Human Resources department has compiled detailed information for all College employees that will answer many of your questions. You’ll find the link on the Staff Portal. You will have to sign in to the Portal to access the files.
A: Yes. Please discuss how you can work from home with your supervisor.
A: Staff and faculty who are working outside of the campus can use the VPN to access Colleague and any shared drives. If you are using a cloud service like outlook or teams, you do not need to connect to the VPN. Also, please remember to shut your computer down when you are finished. Please only use the VPN as needed to ensure everyone has access when they need it.
A: We encourage all of our employees to practice good preventative hygiene: this includes frequent and thorough handwashing for 20 seconds with soap and water, use of hand sanitizers, wiping down of surfaces and keyboards, as well as avoiding close contact with colleagues when greeting each other. Please practice extreme social distancing and stay in your homes as much as possible.
A: Business-related travel:
All non-essential business travel within Canada outside of the College's regional footprint is not permitted. If you need clarification, please speak with your supervisor. This travel ban will remain in place until further notice. Travel between campuses will continue. For meetings outside our College region, please seek out alternative methods, such as requesting to join remotely by phone. If you had planned to attend conferences/professional development or other events outside of our region, please begin the process to cancel travel. International business-related travel is not permitted.
A: Personal travel outside of Canada:
As directed by the Federal government and by B.C.'s Chief Medical Officer, Canadians are advised to cancel any personal travel outside of Canada. Employees who are already travelling outside of Canada, will be required to self-isolate and remain away from the College for a period of fourteen (14) days upon return.
If you are planning personal travel outside of Canada, please self declare your travel plans to your supervisor, who will then report it to HR.
We are working with our Post-Secondary Employers' Association (PSEA) to determine pay options for the 14-day-isolation period. We expect further clarification on this issue in the next few days.
Q: Personal travel within Canada:
A: There are no current restrictions on personal travel within Canada. However, please make responsible decisions that are the best choice for yourselves personally, for your family and the community.
A: Please consider using Teams for conferencing.
A: Knowing that many people would still need access to onsite resources, the IT services department has instituted a VPN solution to allow off campus users the ability to access on campus resources that are not able to be accessed through any other method. Please contact IT to get set up on VPN so that you can access our internal systems.
Interior Health recommends the following to help reduce the risk of Coronavirus, Colds and Flu:
Anyone who is concerned they may have been exposed to the coronavirus should contact their primary care provider, their local public health office, or call 8-1-1.
If you have additional questions about COVID-19, a new toll-free phone number has been established. Contact 1-833-784-4397 or 1-888-COVID-19 between 4:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. PST.
Email: covidinfo@cotr.bc.ca