CVC Exchange FAQ for SMC Faculty

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What is the CVC Exchange?

What's the difference between a home college and a teaching college?

Is an exchange student "my" student?

Who can enroll through the Exchange?

Which courses are on the Exchange?

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When do exchange students register?

How will exchange students access my Canvas course?

They use the Canvas account from their home college, and your SMC course appears on that dashboard. They don't need a separate SMC Canvas login. Your course won't appear until you publish it, so publish on time. Students who still can't reach the course by the first day are told to contact CVC support.

Are there Canvas quirks I should know about?

How do I contact an exchange student?

Whose deadlines apply: add, drop, withdrawal, refund?

Do I handle first-day and non-attendance drops the same way?

Yes. Exchange students are told that skipping required first-day activities may get them dropped, so state those activities clearly. Follow SMC's normal census and drop procedures. SMC electronically shares census attendance, drops, withdrawals, and grades with the home college, so accurate reporting matters for the student's financial aid.

How are prerequisites handled?

A prerequisite must be cleared before an exchange student's enrollment is finalized. Students submit transcripts and a course description or syllabus through CVC. An SMC counselor reviews the documents and decides within about 10 business days. Equivalent coursework must come from a regionally accredited college with a grade of C or better.

How do exchange students get textbooks?

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Can exchange students use SMC tutoring?

Should I refer exchange students to SMC counselors?

Generally, no. The home college handles counseling, including education plans and how your course counts toward a student's degree or transfer. The one exception is prerequisite clearance, which an SMC counselor reviews (see "How are prerequisites handled?" above). For anything else, send students to their home-college counselor.

An exchange student says they have accommodations at their home college. Do I honor them?

Not on the home college's letter alone. Accommodations do not transfer automatically between colleges. Exchange students are eligible for services from SMC's Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) with appropriate documentation. Refer the student to CSD and implement accommodations once CSD notifies you.

Who tells me about an exchange student's approved accommodations?

What can the student do to speed up CSD intake?

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Do I grade exchange students differently?

Where does the grade go?

A former exchange student wants a grade change. Who handles it?

Will my course count toward the student's degree?

Fees, Financial Aid, and Refunds

Faculty rarely handle these, but students may ask. Point them to the right office.

Enrollment fees: set by the residency status the home college reports to SMC. Fess are due by the term's payment deadline, or by the day after enrolling for students who enroll later. Students who don't pay on time are dropped for nonpayment.
Residency questions: handled by the home college.
Fee waiver (CCPG): students apply for SMC's California College Promise Grant in Corsair Connect, on the Financial Aid tab.
Other campus fees: SMC waives, or offers an opt-out form, duplicate campus fees such as the health fee, as the reciprocity agreement requires.
Federal financial aid: handled entirely by the home college, which may count SMC units toward the student's award. SMC's Financial Aid Office does not package aid for exchange enrollments.
Refunds: available for drops before SMC's refund deadline, minus a $10 administrative fee and any fees owed to SMC. Refunds are paid through BankMobile.

Quick Reference: Who Handles What

Need	Handled by
Questions about your course, assignments, grades	SMC (you)
Enrollment questions	SMC Admissions & Records (QLess callback queue)
Prerequisite clearance	SMC counselor, via documents submitted through CVC
Add, drop, withdrawal, refund deadlines	SMC; students drop through the CVC Exchange Student Dashboard
Tutoring	SMC (Canvas and SMC online tutoring)
Accommodations in your course	SMC Center for Students with Disabilities
Textbooks	SMC Slingshot / Campus Store
Course missing from Canvas by first day	CVC support
Counseling, education plans, course applicability	Home college
Residency	Home college
Federal financial aid	Home college
Enrollment fees, CCPG, refunds	SMC
Grade changes	SMC
Degree or certificate award	Home college

Sources

SMC Admissions & Records, CVC Exchange welcome letter to students (draft, 2026)
CVC Consortium Reciprocity Agreement
SMC office guidance on tutoring, counseling, and the Center for Students with Disabilities (Academic Affairs, October 2026)
Canvas notes drawn from Las Positas College and Palomar College exchange-student pages

CVC Exchange FAQ for SMC Faculty

The Basics

What is the CVC Exchange?

What's the difference between a home college and a teaching college?

Is an exchange student "my" student?

Who can enroll through the Exchange?

Which courses are on the Exchange?

Your Roster

When do exchange students register?

How will exchange students access my Canvas course?

Are there Canvas quirks I should know about?

How do I contact an exchange student?

Whose deadlines apply: add, drop, withdrawal, refund?

Do I handle first-day and non-attendance drops the same way?

How are prerequisites handled?

How do exchange students get textbooks?

Support at SMC

Can exchange students use SMC tutoring?

Should I refer exchange students to SMC counselors?

An exchange student says they have accommodations at their home college. Do I honor them?

Who tells me about an exchange student's approved accommodations?

What can the student do to speed up CSD intake?

Grades and Transcripts

Do I grade exchange students differently?

Where does the grade go?

A former exchange student wants a grade change. Who handles it?

Will my course count toward the student's degree?

Fees, Financial Aid, and Refunds

Quick Reference: Who Handles What

Sources