Vancouver Campus News & Updates
Questions about PNP and how New York Tech Vancouver is helping students
[Updated April 15, 2024]
The FAQ’s in this section are in direct response to questions pertaining to concerns around graduation and perceptions about the PNP changes.
Any measures we take to accommodate student requests are temporary and are subject to change without notice, at the University’s discretion. Should, for example, the University decide that a temporary measure represents an unacceptable risk to program quality, it may be withdrawn.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Will New York Tech lower academic standards to facilitate accelerated degree completion?
- Can any students take an extra course in a given semester?
- Can any student enroll in courses offered during New York Tech's pilot optional summer semester (July 16 – August 27)?
- Will all students who want to take course overloads be permitted to do so?
- Will ALL students with 21 or 24 credits remaining be accommodated to complete their degrees by the end of December?
- What are the conditions for enrolling in additional courses?
- Will there be separate conferral dates for the regular summer term on July 15 and the extended summer term (limited to CS's project course) on August 17?
- Will the addition of the extended summer term impact the timing of issuing completion letters for the regular summer term?
- What is involved in the issuing of completion letters?
- Will you expedite the issuance of completion letters?
- If I graduate in Fall 2024, will I receive my transcript before the end of December?
- What is New York Tech doing to support students' voices being heard beyond our campus?
- Is New York Tech Vancouver advocating for students at the Ministry level?
- What resources are available to help me find employment?
- Does New York Tech Vancouver have a refund policy?
- I have heard that New York Tech offers a full tuition refund minus a small handling fee to students if they withdraw for any reason. Is this true?
- Did New York Tech Vancouver know about these upcoming proposed changes before March 19, 2024?
- I have questions about the changes to the PNP. Where can I find information?
Will New York Tech lower academic standards to facilitate accelerated degree completion?
No, New York Tech will not modify any academic standards. Students who do not pass a course or fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above will not be allowed to take more classes than their program's maximum credit per semester allowance.
Can any students take an extra course in a given semester?
Students in their first semester are not permitted to take an overload. While we advise against accelerating degree completion, especially for students in the early stages of their academic journey, our policy allows exceptional students to take an overload of one additional course per semester provided there is seat availability and with your Vancouver Associate Dean's approval. This policy applies to all students, regardless of the number of credits remaining in their program. Students should carefully consider the potential impact on their academic performance and the quality of their educational experience before pursuing an accelerated path. Space is limited in courses, and not all requests for additional course seats can be accommodated.
Can any student enroll in courses offered during New York Tech's pilot optional summer semester (July 16 – August 27)?
Yes. New York Tech is offering INCS 745 as a pilot during an optional Summer 2024 semester. Eligible students may enrol in this course.
Will all students who want to take course overloads be permitted to do so?
No. Only students in good academic standing and have demonstrated their likelihood to succeed under an increased academic load will be permitted to enroll in an additional course per semester.
Will ALL students with 21 or 24 credits remaining be accommodated to complete their degrees by the end of December?
No. We are committed to maintaining our high academic standards and do not advise the acceleration of degree completions for all students. Students who take an increased academic load are more likely to perform below their potential and risk failing or falling out of good academic standing. If a student's academic performance degrades, they may not be permitted to continue taking additional courses in subsequent terms.
Students must meet all academic requirements, including completion of prerequisites, maintain an academic standing of CGPA 3.0 or higher and have all financial accounts in order.
What are the conditions for enrolling in additional courses?
To be eligible to take an extra course in summer or fall, students must have and maintain a 3.0 or higher CGPA. Conditions common to Energy Management and Cybersecurity:
- Students must be in good financial and academic standing to be eligible to take an extra course in summer or fall.
- Eligible students with 9 credits remaining to complete their degree may register for 3 courses during the summer semester.
- Eligible students with 21 credits remaining to graduate can take 9 credits in Summer 2024 and 12 credits in Fall 2024.
- All existing academic requirements and prerequisites will continue to be applied.
Please be advised: Accelerating degree completion will be very challenging - especially for students who have jobs. While New York Tech Vancouver's policies provide pathways that enable students to graduate earlier, we do not recommend acceleration. Students who do not maintain good standing will not be permitted to continue on an accelerated pathway.
Program-specific conditions:
Cybersecurity
- Policy semester credit maximum enrollments for the CS program are Spring: 9, Summer: 6, Fall: 9
- During the Summer 2024 term, students who have 9 credits remaining to meet the degree requirements, including INCS 870, may register for their 6 credits plus INCS 870 during the summer semester. Students who accept this option must be aware that the project course will run for the entire Summer (until August 17).
- Students in good standing may take an additional course in summer and fall, as specified above.
- We will be offering a course as a pilot in a bridge semester from July 16 – August 27. Students may take 1 course during the bridge semester.
Energy Management
- Policy semester credit maximum enrollments for the EM program are Spring: 12, Summer: 6, Fall: 12
- Students who have 18 credits remaining may take 2 courses in Summer 2024 and 4 in Fall 2024.
- Students in good academic standing who have 21 credits remaining may take 3 courses in Summer 2024 and 4 in Fall 2024.
- Students in good academic standing with 24 credits remaining to graduate may be permitted to take 3 courses in Summer 2024 and 5 in Fall 2024.
Will there be separate conferral dates for the regular summer term on July 15 and the extended summer term (limited to CS's project course) on August 17?
The conferral date will be the day following the end of the semester in which you complete your degree requirements. The conferral date for students who complete their program during the first summer session will be July 16. Those who complete their degree after the extended summer session will have a conferral date after August 17 (the exact date is still being confirmed).
Will the addition of the extended summer term impact the timing of issuing completion letters for the regular summer term?
The addition of the extended summer term should not have any impact on the timing of issuing completion/graduation letters for the regular summer term ending July 15.
What is involved in the issuing of completion letters?
First, instructors must complete their grading and submission of grades - they normally have two weeks following their last class session. Then the Vancouver Registrar checks student grades and that all degree program requirements are met for each student. Then, the New York graduate office performs a final review and “graduates” each student in the system. Once a student is “graduated” in the system the process is complete and you can download your completion letter from the student portal.
Will you expedite the issuance of completion letters?
As per your request, we have worked to find solutions to expedite degree conferral and completion letters. Conferral dates will reflect the day immediately following the semester’s official last day, and Fall completion letters will be issued before the end of December. Summer completion letters will be available in under three weeks following conferral. Please note that students must be in good academic and financial status to receive completion letters.
If I graduate in Fall 2024, will I receive my transcript before the end of December?
That depends on a few factors, including the transcript option you select when placing your order and the processing times during peak periods. Each semester after the graduation application deadline has passed, graduating students in Vancouver are enrolled in the Graduation Preparation course on CANVAS. The course addresses topics including completion letters, transcripts, diplomas, career services workshops, etc. The course also lists multiple FAQs regarding official transcript orders.
To highlight your options, when ordering an official transcript, you have three options to choose from:
- Process As Is: Your electronic transcript will be processed and sent within a couple of business days, but it will not include your most recent grades or degree information if you have not completed your semester or graduated yet.
- After Grades Are Posted: Your electronic transcript will be processed once your grades for the current semester have been finalized and posted to your academic record. However, if you are graduating, your degree information will not be included, as your graduation status will not yet be updated in the system.
- After Degree Is Awarded: If you are graduating and want your degree and graduation date to appear on your transcript, you must select this option. Your order will be processed once your completion letter has been issued, confirming that you have officially graduated.
Processing times for electronic transcripts usually take 1-2 business days. However, during peak times, such as immediately after completion letters are issued, processing may take slightly longer, around 2-3 business days. All transcript orders are handled by designated staff in the Registrar's Office in New York.
What is New York Tech doing to support students' voices being heard beyond our campus?
We recognize the challenges faced by students who were already in Canada when the PNP changes were announced. We are actively collaborating with peer institutions and the Ministry.
Is New York Tech Vancouver advocating for students at the Ministry level?
Yes. We work closely with all the independent degree-granting institutions in BC and are seeking both clarity and fairness for all of our students.
What resources are available to help me find employment?
New York Tech offers a comprehensive range of resources to support your job search efforts. We encourage you to utilize our career services, which include informative workshops, personalized consultations with experienced advisors, and access to a wide array of job postings. Our dedicated staff is readily available to assist you in exploring employment opportunities that align with your skills and qualifications. Please visit our Career Services webpage for more information on these valuable resources. Please email dkent01@nyit.edu to book an appointment with our Associate Director of Career Services.
Does New York Tech Vancouver have a refund policy?
Yes. Please see the policy published on our web page.
I have heard that New York Tech offers a full tuition refund minus a small handling fee to students if they withdraw for any reason. Is this true?
No. Please be aware of bad actors trying to scam and take advantage of students confused by the situation. Confirm information with official sources and refer to our policies online. If New York Tech changes policy or has updates, we will post the information on this webpage and will update our official policies.
We are aware of fake messages circulating on social media. Please exercise caution and always validate your information.
Did New York Tech Vancouver know about these upcoming proposed changes before March 19, 2024?
No. We learned of the announcement at the same time our students did.
I have questions about the changes to the PNP. Where can I find information?
We commit to sharing information with you if and when we receive updates. For questions regarding the PNP please refer directly to Welcome BC’s News updates.
Archive
[March 20, 2024] As many of you are aware, the Government of British Columbia yesterday announced forthcoming updates to the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) slated for January 2025. We have only learned about proposed changes yesterday via the same announcement on the BC Government website and unfortunately we have as many questions as you have.
We will do what we can to find out additional information over the next few days and will communicate with you as more information becomes available. Please be patient while we try to find out how current and future students will be impacted.
For accurate and current updates regarding the BC PNP, please bookmark and regularly visit WelcomeBC News. This will be your primary source for official information as it becomes available. As we learn more about any proposed changes, we will also publish updates on the New York Tech Vancouver website.
New York Tech-Vancouver will be holding a student town hall on Thursday, March 28th at 12 noon to hear students’ concerns about the PNP announcement. Location of town hall will be announced next week..
Rest assured, we at New York Tech Vancouver are here to support you every step of the way.