All the Rumors
Showing 1-10 of 109
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posted on: Jun 17, 2013
Rumor:
I am getting my financial aid on my Higher One card, but cannot use that card to print my work in the library. I need change or singles and the library cannot make change. role: student
Response:
You are correct that our system does not currently support a card-swipe system for printing, and we have very limited cash handling in the Library for security reasons. We recognize that it would be more convenient for students to use the Higher One card for printing, and we are looking at the most cost-effective way to address this. Thank you for an excellent suggestion; we appreciate this feedback!
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posted on: Jun 13, 2013
Rumor:
College of the Mainland needs to post the dates the financial aid committee are going to have their appeal meetings. This way students do not have to call everyday to find out when the meeting will be. Emails do not always go through on the status about pending appeal decisions. role: student
Response:
The Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals¹ meetings are scheduled on the second or third Friday of the month. To reduce confusion about the upcoming monthly meetings, the dates will be posted in the Financial Aid Office. The meeting dates and times will also be added as a scrolling message on the COM website home page and will be posted on the financial aid Web page.
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posted on: Jun 11, 2013
Rumor:
Why are you avoiding answering rumors sent to you? What is COM trying to hide? I report things to you but again you continue to ignore me. role: student
Response:
If you would like to contact a member of the administration to discuss your concerns, we would be happy to listen, but we cannot respond to a vague, anonymous statement such as this one. We answer each rumor submission on the website unless the rumor has identified a specific employee or student.
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posted on: May 28, 2013
Rumor:
: the ptec program limits their enrollment of older students ( above 50) knowing that these older individual will not have a chance in obtaining a position in their field due to the age. Is this true? And while this would be age discrimination what age would be too old to atart the program. I have been laid off and lost most of my retirement and I must start over. I am currently 53. This is very important to me. Thanks role: community
Response:
College of the Mainland does not restrict enrollment based on age. We have students of all ages and backgrounds in the Process Technology program, including a recent graduate in his 70s. The most important characteristic of a successful student – and subsequent job seeker – is successful mastery of the of the course content. PTEC is a challenging program that requires hard work and dedication, but this can be accomplished at virtually any age. Our graduates are very successful at obtaining positions in local industry, and we find that employers pursue graduates of all ages with good GPA’s and a good work history, whether their previous experience was in the industry or not. The decision to go back to school is an individual one, but we strive to provide all students with the best advice, instruction and support possible. If you are interested in this line of work I encourage you to come in and speak to a member of the Process Technology Department, or the Dean of Industrial and Technical programs. We will be happy to help you better understand the program and weigh your options.
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posted on: May 16, 2013
Rumor:
Students are cheating in class and the teachers are unaware of it. Is it right for me to alert the teacher of what is going on? Or what do I do? Cause I find it unfair that the students who actually work hard for their grade, get the same credit as the students who are cheating for their good grades. role: student
Response:
Yes, you should report this activity to your instructor right away. College of the Mainland does not tolerate academic dishonesty in any form, and your instructor will want to know about what you have observed. Alternatively, you may also report this activity to the college's Office for Student Conduct, Ms. Kris Kimbark, who can be reached at 409-933-8131.
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posted on: May 10, 2013
Rumor:
The Speaking/Reading/Writing Center is open irregularly. The hours are unpredictable, the phones are rarely answered, so trying to call on the behalf of students is not helpful. During the last two weeks of class, it seems being open on a regular basis would be a priority. I see on the Center's web page that hours are based on student demand. How is demand going to be generated when the hours are unpredictable? As part of the college's QEP effort, more should be done to ensure this endeavor is a success. Furthermore, having this resource directly serves our core mission. Currently, this resource is not benefiting the students. The other computer labs have unpredictable hours, as well. Student resources should be more regularly available. If these labs are a priority, then our current model does not reflect that. role: administration_staff
Response:
The hours for the Speaking/Reading/Writing Center are regular and are posted on the door and around campus. There have been a few occasions when a staff member was out ill and a replacement couldn’t be found on short notice; in those cases a temporary change in schedule was posted for that day. We are aware that there have been times that a tutor is helping a student and cannot answer the phone, and we are working to correct that by increasing staffing numbers in the fall. We appreciate that you want the Center to be responsive and available to students. That is our goal, too, and we are working to improve efficiencies in this area.
The lab hours for all computer labs are posted at the beginning of each semester on the college website ( http://www.com.edu/computer-labs/). Because these labs are also used for teaching, the schedule varies slightly each semester, but we strive to give students maximum access. The Library Computer Lab is the campus open lab and is open during Library hours.
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posted on: Apr 10, 2013
Rumor:
What is the rule about guns on campus? And, do people who have a concealed gun permit allowed to bring a gun on campus -whether it is in their car or on their person? How do these rules apply to the gun range? Thank you. role: community
Response:
Question 1
What is the rule about guns on campus?
Answer
As stated in Penal Code 46.03 firearms are not allowed “on the physical premises of a school or educational institution, any grounds or building on which an activity sponsored by a school or educational institution is being conducted, or passenger transportation vehicle of a school or educational institution, whether the school or educational institution is public or private, unless pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the institution”. The only persons allowed to carry weapons onto campus, in plain view or concealed, are visibly marked peace officers wearing a badge or in full uniform.
Question 2
Do people who have a concealed gun permit allowed to bring a gun on campus-whether it is in their car or on their person?
Answer
At this time there is no written policy authorizing persons with a “Concealed Handgun License” to carry a firearm on campus whether it is in their vehicle or on their person.
Question 3
How do these rules apply to the gun range?
Answer
The College has given authorization for those private citizens, who have registered for firearms training classes at our on-site firing range, to bring unloaded firearms onto the campus in some type of carrying case in which the firearm is not readily visible.
E. W. "Butch" Carr
Chief of Police
College of the Mainland
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posted on: Apr 04, 2013
Rumor:
CoM registration starts on April 2nd, 2013. April 2, starts at midnight plus one. It should be posted that registration does not start until 8 am CoM time when the school opens. role: student
Response:
We will contact Marketing to make sure the information for registration start dates also includes the time of day the registration will open for both online and face to face. Thank you for bringing this concern to our attention.
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posted on: Apr 04, 2013
Rumor:
The TVB has wireless internet access, however, the back of the building by the PTAC program, hall 1500 the signal is poor to dropping regularly, while walking up the hall to the computer labs hall 1200 the signal is excellent. This signal imbalance makes it difficult for a tech savy student to do work, let alone an amatuer. role: student
Response:
Thank you for submitting this information about the wireless access in 1500 hallway area in TVB. In the short term, the ITS department will absolutely take a look into how we can resolve this issue for the students of COM. This summer the college will be begin deploying a new wireless system on campus that will improve wireless connectivity for students, faculty and staff and we will be sure that this area gets special attention.
Thank you and have a great day!
Sincerely,
Christopher Adams
Interim Chief Information Officer -
posted on: Apr 02, 2013
Rumor:
are they COM cops state cerit. whhy do they just sit in the parking lot texting or on the phone all the time? do they put on any classes for our protection, coming and going to our cars at night? role: student
Response:
Response to question 1: Yes, College of the Mainland Police Officers are commissioned police officers and are certified through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Education and Standards (TCLEOSE).
Response to question 2: Our officers sit in various parking lots throughout the day for different lengths of time for observation purposes. As far as the officers being on the phone all of the time I am not aware of that but our officers’ conduct police business via their cell phones and they answer incoming calls for service. We do not have a full time police dispatcher at COM so there are periods that all incoming calls for service to the Police Department are routed to the officers’ cell phone.
Response to question 3: At the beginning of each semester there is an officer that speaks to the new incoming students about this issue and others issues regarding safety. The officer provides informational handouts about parking rules, driving on campus, and other pertinent information. In addition, throughout the semester, upon request, our officers speak at club meetings and various classes about safety issues ranging from parking to active shooter situations.