Every organization has a culture. There are values and behaviors that are associated with success and failure. Bellevue College is no different. It has a unique culture. It is important that students enrolling at BC for their education understand how to navigate the culture at BC successfully.
In this section we will share with you Bellevue College’s important values and behaviors so you are prepared mentally to succeed in the classroom and on campus.
Direct communication
You are expected to tell the instructor your needs and your concerns as clearly and as directly as possible. Others are not expected to know what you mean or read between the lines just because they know you. You cannot expect most of the faculty and staff to read your mind or guess what your need or challenge might be. If you do not ask it means either you don’t have a question, are good to go, or do not care enough to ask for help or explanation with an assignment or a task necessary for success in college. If you are having a difficult time filling out financial aid paperwork you have to go to the offices or people who can guide you and help you. If you need an extension on an assignment you have to ask the instructor for an accommodation.
Universal Application of Rules
Colleges have thousands of students to look after. There are very specific rules and regulations that are in place. These include deadlines, paperwork to apply for financial aid, get advising, get counseling, apply for scholarships or file a complaint. It is believed that in order to be fair the rules should be applied the same way for all students regardless of circumstances. There is a policy and a rule that influences when you get help, how you get help, and who helps you. The college has rules and regulations that are helpful in keeping things running efficiently. Remember BC is the third largest college in the state of Washington. The college expects all students to follow these rules and regulations. The burden is on the students to know and understand the rules.
For example, each instructor puts all the information about the course in the syllabus. It is a contract between the instructor and the student. Students are expected to know what is in the syllabus and they are treated according to the rules and guidelines outlined in the syllabus.
If you go to Financial Aid they will want you to follow the rules and guidelines for meeting deadlines, filling out all parts of the application, and submitting all the paperwork before the deadline in order to get financial aid on time.
Assertive & Action oriented
The college expects you to ask for help, seek assistance in order to get your needs met. Most departments have very limited amount of time for each appointment. Students who are able to ask for specific help have a better chance to get their needs met. The instructors in the classroom expect that you will approach them if you need something.
The college expects that the student will actively seek out help, will participate in finding a solution, and will do all of this in a timely fashion. The focus is on doing something as soon as possible when a problem or a challenge arises. The same is true for the classroom. If you are having difficulty printing your assignment because your printer ran out of ink or broke down you are expected to take care of it. If you are a single parent and have child care issues it is your problem to solve.
Privacy
The college protects the information about students as it is required to do so by law. So parents, friends, and family members or other people involved in your life cannot get information about you. Only you can give permission to the college to share the information with other people. If you are a minor the parents have more rights.
