Shared Distance Learning Courses Information

Southside Virginia Community College continues to expand its course offerings through a partnership with Northern Virginia Community College. These online courses are coordinated through NOVA’s (Northern Virginia Community College) Extended Learning Institute (ELI) and are offered through Southside VA Community College’s course catalog.  Through this unique arrangement, an SVCC student can take online classes from other community college partners without having to transfer credits or apply to other institutions. These Shared Service Distance Learning (SSDL) courses become part of the Southside Virginia Community College curriculum.

The SSDL program offers many unique advantages by providing courses that are not normally available at SVCC. Foreign languages like Arabic, German and French are available as well as University Physics and Engineering. Most importantly, it provides another avenue for students to get the last few classes they need to complete their degree requirements. Students can register and pay through SVCC.  Financial aid benefits can also be used for tuition costs.

The classes can be taken anywhere that you have internet access, and they utilize the same Blackboard Learning Management System used by all Virginia Community Colleges to access course content.  The course areas in Blackboard will be available the first day that the class begins.

You will have access to all resources available to students at Southside Virginia Community College, but as a Shared Service student, you will also have services provided by Northern Virginia Community College. 

    • Online Tutoring (Both Colleges)
    • Career Counseling (Both Colleges)
    • Student Success Coaches (Both Colleges)
    • The Learning Commons on Campus (SVCC - Alberta and Keysville Campuses)
    • Test Proctoring on Campus (SVCC Libraries)
    • Various Technology Resources and Online Training (SVCC)
    • MySVCC (Canvas, Student Information System, Student Email)
    • All of NOVA Services and SVCC Student Services

In addition, there will be a special assistant assigned to these courses to provide support and ensure success. 

These Shared Distance Learning courses are listed on our course schedule and can be identified by the letters SSL in the course section number.  If you need a specific class that you are unable to find on the schedule, there may be plans to offer it through the SSDL program.  You can contact SVCC’s Shared Distance Learning Liaison, Carolyn Baker, at 434-736-2178 or through email at carolyn.baker@southside.edu for more information.

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