Student Resources

Academic Catalog & Student Handbook

 The MECC Catalog is the official reference for the college’s academic programs, courses, and academic procedures. The MECC Student Handbook is a valuable resource for information on academic policies, academic support services, & more.

Academic Calendar

Stay up to date with important dates and events of the academic school year.

Advising

Contact with and advisor today!

MECC Online Bookstore

The MECC Online Bookstore, powered by TextbookX, operates completely online. Visit the website to order and ship your course materials to your home or to campus. Digital course material access information is emailed. The bookstore also sells branded merchandise, course supplies, and more.

Campus Police

Dial 911 In An Emergency

For safety and security concerns: Dial 276.523.7473.

Visit www.mecc.edu/weather for inclement weather information.

Sign up for text alerts to receive announce­ments of schedule changes and emergency alerts.

Choose Your Path

Browse MECC's degree and certificate programs and find what's right for you and  take the next step toward a new career.

 Distance Learning/Online & Licensure Reciprocity

MECC has entered into a regional reciprocity agreement through NC-SARA to accept out-of-state students in our online programs and courses.

Enrollment One Stop

The MECC One Stop can help any new or returning student with applying, registering for classes, questions about financial aid, student records as well as direct you to other college resources when needed.

Orientation

Most web classes require some form of orientation. Orientation is used to give students important information about the course. The following are examples of different types of orientation that may be required.

Online Orientation 

Students must complete the online orientation module in Canvas by the course instructor’s stated due date.

Face to Face Orientation 

Orientation will be held on campus or via Zoom on a specified day, date, time, and room if held on-campus. If students are unable to attend orientation on the specified date and time, which varies by class, they need to contact the instructor.

Verification of Identity

Distance education courses may require the student’s identity to be verified for certain assignments. Mountain Empire Community College does not charge any additional fees for the purpose of verifying student identify. If external identity verification services are required, or if the student chooses to use such services, the student is responsible for any and all costs incurred.

Web Classes

Classes with section numbers that include a “W” are Web classes. In courses offered in this delivery format, all instruction is web based.

Web Asynchronous (WA) 

Students learn on their own schedule online while adhering to posted deadlines.

Web Synchronous (WS) – Students and faculty interact online on specific days/times using technology such as Zoom, Canvas, or Google Classroom.

 Compressed Video

Classes with section numbers that include “C” are Compressed Video classes. These are courses delivered via video to two or more sites. Students may be at a different location than the instructor.

Independent Study

Classes with section numbers that include “X” are independent Study classes. These are highly individualized, planned studies.

Hybrid

Classes with section numbers that include an “H” are Hybrid classes. These classes require students to attend class on-campus less often by utilizing on-line components that can be completed at home.

Hybrid Asynchronous (HA) – Students learn on their own schedule while adhering to posted deadlines, with some in-person sessions required on-campus.

Hybrid Synchronous (HS) – Students and faculty interact online on specific days/times using technology such as Zoom, Canvas or Google Classroom, with some in-person sessions required on-campus.

This indicates one of several sections of the same course but reflects different days, times, instructors and locations.

On-Campus Rooms

Face to Face classes are assigned a classroom by building. If your classroom has one of the letters in front of the number, that will be the building where your class is located; for example: G101, D242, R117, P218:

D-Dalton-Cantrell Hall G-Godwin

P-Phillips-Taylor Hall H-Holton

R-Robb Hall

Off-Campus Locations

Details will be announced in class by instructor.

 TBA

TBA is the acronym for To Be Announced. The college uses this term when a classroom, instructor, or days/times are unknown. Students may ignore the TBA listed for online courses because there are no days/times or classroom assigned to those classes (this is a system default). If you are registered for a face to face course and it has TBA listed for any of those fields (classroom, instructor, or days/times), your instructor or a representative from the scheduling academic division will contact you via your student e-mail.

Days of the Week

Face to face classes may meet any day of the week. If you have registered for a face to face class, you will see the days of the week listed below on your schedule:

Paying for College

Apply for financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

 Graduation Information

Graduation application will be accepted for the Fall 2024 semester October 1 , 2024 – December 1, 2024.

Getting Into a Canvas Course

Watch a detailed video on how to access your course in Canvas.

Student Activities

Student Activities works to provide experiences that enhance the learning environment and contribute to a sense of community among students at MECC. Student Activities sponsors campus events, hosts field trips to local points of interest, provides education to improve quality of life, and supports student leadership and civic engagement.

Student Clubs & Organizations

All clubs are open to any current MECC student. Most organizations have membership qualifications; see below for more information. The Student Services office, located in Holton Hall, is responsible for coordinating and implementing the policies and procedures pertaining to the operation of campus organizations and activities.

Get Involved

Summer Regional Governor’s School is open to rising Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors in the counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson, and the City of Norton who have a 3.0 GPA or higher. Students can earn up to 6 credits at NO COST!

Governor's  School

 Inclement Weather

College schedule­ule changes due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Sign up for text alerts to receive announce­ments of schedule changes.

Click Here for Job Market and Salary Information

Sign Up for LastPass

LastPass is a secure password manager that stores all of your usernames and passwords in one safe place, called a vault.  A LastPass Premium account is available at no cost to currently enrolled MECC students.

 MyMECC

Once you’re logged into MyMECC, you’ll have access to Canvas, SIS (Student Information System), your student email account (Gmail & Google Drive), Quick Search Library Catalog, Navigate and more.

 Microsoft Office 365

Use VCCS email address as the username (example: jy60@email.vccs.edu) and their MyMecc password to log into Office 365 site. If login is not successful, then please reset your MyMecc Password.

Mountain Empire Community College’s Mountain Music School is a week-long event dedicated to the preservation and continuation of Appalachian music and culture. Located in Big Stone Gap, Va., the school provides opportunities for students age 10 and up to experience traditional old-time music with fun and supportive instruction.

Mountain Music School

Note Taking & Study Skills

We want you to be a successful student while at MECC. Research has shown that students who take notes perform better on tests than students who do not (Rhamani & Sadeghi, 2011). Study skills and note taking are skills – which means you can learn something new or improve your current skill set by practice.  Since there are multiple ways to study and take notes, take some time to find out what works best for you and for each of your classes. On this page are multiple free resources for you to use. If you would like more information, please contact The Learning Center to schedule some time to meet with a tutor to help enhance your study skills!

Prior Learning Credit

Tests and other diagnostic techniques are administered to determine when the student has met the established course objectives. The length of time a student takes to complete the developmental courses depends primarily upon the student’s entering ability and the student’s strength of motivation to succeed. Many students can master these skills during the first 15-week semester; others may need to take a year or more of developmental coursework. In all cases the primary goal of the developmental course is to offer students an opportunity to master the basic academic skills necessary for success in regular college courses.

Project Amelioration

Training opportunities for individuals in active recovery and those who have been deeply affected by substance abuse.

Respondus Lockdown Browser

If you take online tests at home, your instructor may require that you use Respondus Lockdown Browser to take a test.

Search For Your Class

Search through the online catalog and find the class you are looking for each semester.

Single Stop is an online screening tool that can estimate what supplemental resources (governmental, local, and at MECC) students might be eligible to receive. These may include emergency funds, employment assistance, food and housing needs, and many other services. To complete the Single Stop screener, please visit https://app.singlestop.org/vccs/mountainempirecc.  A case manager will help students connect with additional on-campus and external services and resources.

 Sign Up For Text Alerts

Receive text messages to your cell phone about schedule changes & emergency alerts.

Mission Statement for the Center for Student Outreach & Success 

The Center for Student Outreach and Success (SOS) will endeavor to identify and reduce barriers to success in order to retain, encourage, and advocate for students at Mountain Empire Community College.

The SOS Center staff are here to help all students with the college process.  If you have questions, need a schedule made, or just don’t know who to go to, please stop by and let one of our staff help you!

College Success Coach Program

The College Success Coach program was developed by Mountain Empire Community College in alignment with the Virginia’s Community Colleges Chancellor’s College Success Coach Initiative. This program is intended to increase student persistence and attainment of success. College Success Coaches empowers students to achieve their educational goals by providing them with encouragement and support, identifying on and off campus resources, and by collaborating with faculty and staff to identify and reduce barriers to success.

Location

The SOS Center is located in Holton Hall (H107) beside the grill. The center is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Student Forms

Forms regarding Admissions, Financial Aid, Program Applications, Dual Enrollment, Work Study & more can be found by clicking button above.

Talent Search

MECC’s ETS program serves students in grades 7th – 12th in the following schools: Central High, Eastside High, JI Burton High, Lee High, Ridgeview High, Thomas Walker High, Twin Springs High, and Union High. MECC’s Educational Talent Search provide information on college admissions, financial aid, financial literacy, support for SAT and ACT exams, tutoring, mentoring, and college prep services.

Workforce Solutions

Join the workforce and get the certifications you need to succeed.

Request Transcript

Mountain Empire Community College has partnered with Parchment.com to deliver secure electronic or paper transcripts to you. To request a transcript, follow the link below to either create a new account or sign in through Parchment.com. 

Tutoring Services

MECC’s Student Support Services is a 100% free service funded by a grant through the US Department of Education. All of our services are FREE to qualifying MECC students. For students who do not meet the qualifications for the federal program, services are available via the Parallel Tutoring program funded by the MECC Foundation.

At Tutor.com, we believe that every student deserves a personal tutor, and we are dedicated to promoting equity, opportunity, and achievement for all learners. To that end, we partner with colleges and universities, K–12 schools and districts, public and state libraries, employee benefits programs, and the U.S. military to provide 24/7, on-demand tutoring and homework help in more than 250 subjects.

• Job Search and Resume Writing Assistance
• Tutoring Tips for Students
• Writing Support on Your Terms
• How to Access and Request Online Tutoring Services through Tutor.com
• Tutor.com Classroom: How it Works
• How to Access and Request Online NCLEX Test Prep through Tutor.com
• Writing a Paper? Tutor.com™ can help.
• How to Access and Request Online TEAS Test Prep through Tutor.com
• Calling All Future Nurses! Nursing support is just a click away.
• Tutor.com for College Life 24/7 Student Success Strategies

Veterans Affairs

Click button above for more information about recorders available to Veterans.

Wampler Library

Visit the Wampler Library located on the second floor of Robb Hall.