Administrative Experience

Taking care of business online

Your campus experience will include some time spent taking care of practical matters, such as registering for classes, requesting transcripts, and paying tuition. Find out which transactions and the services that support them can be handled online and at a distance.

Managing your personal information

What personal information can you view online--your contact information, grades, degree progress, financial status, or other information?

With InfoBear, the web self-service utility at BSC, students can check personal information such as contact information, grades, degree progress, holds, academic status, financial status, payment information, and advisor information. Students can also register for classes, view their class schedule, submit payments, and add money to their BSC Connect card all online. Additional services are added to the BSC web page on a regular basis.
Can you update any of this information online yourself?

Yes. BSC students can apply to the college; update addresses, contact information or marital status; review name or social security number change information; change their PIN or security question; and customize their directory profile. They can also register for classes, apply for meal plans, housing, and parking, submit payments, and add or drop classes.

Conducting business

Which of the following can you do online? Check admissions status, pay bills, apply for and view financial aid awards, register for, add, and drop courses, learn course grades (online or by phone), view and print unofficial transcripts, check progress toward completion of degree requirements, make campus bookstore purchases, other

At BSC, students can view course catalogs, apply for admission, check admissions status, view up to the minute availability for class sections, make payments, apply for and view financial aid awards, register for, add, and drop courses, view grades, view and print unofficial transcripts, check progress toward completion of degree requirements, enroll in meal plans, apply for housing, apply for parking, and add money to their BSC Connect Card to use for purchases at the various outlets throughout town, including the campus bookstore. Students at BSC can even buy their textbooks, place work orders for housing problems, submit tickets to IT Support Services for computer issues, and download software online via BSC web pages.
What campus and community services are covered by debit-card, smart-card, or one-card systems?

Students use their BSC Connect Card to access many resources on campus; they can access residence halls, borrow library resources, and access the new state of the art Tinsley Fitness Center. They can also add Flex Dollars to their connect card. Flex Dollars are accepted in the BSC Bookstore, vending machines, laundry machines, public photo copiers, to buy stamps at BSC mailroom, dining halls and participating off-campus merchants. They can check their Connect Card account balance, review transactions, freeze lost cards, and purchase flex dollars with credit cards via the new online card office. New off-campus merchants are added each semester. For up-to-date information, see the current list of merchants accepting the BSC Connect Card.
Are the school catalog--including course descriptions, degree requirements, and academic policies--and the semester/term schedule of classes available on the Web?

Yes, students can view the current College Catalog including course descriptions, degree program requirements, and academic policies in PDF format on the web. They can also submit a request for a printed copy of the BSC College Catalog online. For the most up-to-date catalog information, students can view the BSC Catalog Web Addenda online. This will show changes or corrections to curriculum, course descriptions, and tuition and fees since the current catalog was released. In addition, BSC provides an online Catalog Archive with course catalogs dating back five years.

Privacy, security, and usage rules

What security and privacy policies are in place to protect student information?

The protection of students' personal information is extremely important to the administration at BSC. To ensure student's protection, the college maintains compliance with the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, the Health Insurance Portability and Protection Act (HIPPA) of 1996, as well as all other federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. All faculty and staff who have access to students' data sign a confidentiality agreement to not disclose any FERPA regulated information to anyone besides the students without their written consent. Health Services complies with HIPAA regulations and does not release any students medical records without their written consent. To view the privacy practices for Bridgewater State College's web site, see http://www.bridgew.edu/Privacy.cfm.
How does the campus protect students from identity theft?

To protect students from identity theft, BSC no longer relies on students' social security numbers for identification or authentication. With the implementation of the SCT Banner System, the college now provides students with a unique 8-digit ID number. BSC maintains a strict policy on permitting access to this data. All applications on the BSC web pages use Secure Socket Layer for login pages and other forms that transmit personal information. The IT Support Centers require proper identification prior to password resets.

Both the Information Technology Division and the Police Department at BSC provide educational programs and tips to help protect students from these relatively new technology-related crimes, such as identity theft and cyber stalking. For more information, students can check the Be Security Conscious or Campus Police web pages.
How does the campus notify students of their rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?

FERPA guidelines are posted on the Registrar, Human Resources, and Academic Affairs web sites. They are also published in the College Catalog, the College Handbook, and materials distributed during student orientations. Human Resources provides FERPA training for BSC faculty and staff.
Is network bandwidth limited for peer-to-peer software, gaming, Web cams, or other programs requiring high levels of network resources? Are Web pages filtered?

To ensure BSC students have a responsive and reliable network, BSC reserves the right to limit bandwidth utilization for specific applications that place an excessive burden on network resources such as; peer-to-peer software, gaming, etc. While we aim to provide students with reliable network services, we understand that students need to explore and research in their academic pursuits. Therefore, we do not filter or limit the web pages students can access via the BSC network.
Is there a campus code of behavior about using computer resources?

Yes. The BSC Responsible Use Policy applies to all students, faculty, and staff of Bridgewater State College and to all other users who are authorized to access information technology at Bridgewater State College.
Does the campus have policies addressing peer-to-peer file sharing, virus software, and copyright?

Yes. The BSC Responsible Use Policy, plus the ResNet, Be Security Conscious, Information Technology, Maxwell Library and Campus Police web sites provide information on compliance with file-sharing, anti-virus software, and copyright laws. The BSC library provides extensive online guides for copyright compliance.

To improve network security for everyone at BSC, the Information Technology Division implemented network security requirements which include the installation of anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and other important security provisions. The requirements help keep computers more secure by denying "infected" computers access to the network. For details, see the Network Authentication Requirements.
How does the campus manage email spam?

To reduce the volume of email Spam on campus, BSC runs mail-filtering, that runs on the email server. All incoming email to the college passes through the mail-filter. The filter looks for certain message characteristics and performs actions on the message when these characteristics are found. The mail-filtering program also provides individual users the capability to manage (filter) their own email via the End User Web Interface (EUWI) if they choose to do so.