Filing an Appeal to Take a Course for More Than a Third Time

Many students are visiting the Academic Advising Center to request an appeal to take a course for more than a third time.

When discussing this situation with an advisor, please be ready to consider several important issues.

• Why were you unsuccessful the first three times? Were you working too many hours? Were you not visiting the Tutoring Center for assistance? Were you unable to balance your academic responsibilities with those of your personal life?
• Why will you be successful this time? Why will it be different this time? Are you willing to reduce your course load if the advisor asks you to do so? Are you willing to reduce your work hours? Are you ready to seek additional assistance through the Tutoring Center or through student-led study groups?

These issues should be analyzed and discussed in the appeal you will submit to the advisor prior to your discussion with him/her. If the advisor believes the appeal is not in your best academic interest, he/she will indicate so in your conversation rather than in denying a written appeal from you.

Some Common Web Registration Difficulties

Over the past several weeks, advisors have both met and spoken with students who have encountered some common web registration difficulties. This posting can address several themes that have emerged and assist you in your web registration questions.

• If you are on Academic Probation or Academic Restriction, you must meet with an academic advisor to have your hold lifted.
• If your schedule includes developmental courses, an advisor must also lift your hold to allow you to register through your WebAdvisor account.
• Students registering for CSC 106 have learned they cannot web register. An advisor must determine your math placement and gauge your proficiency in Microsoft Office to sign your Registration Form for a manual registration.
• Students have learned they cannot register to repeat a course for which they are currently registered. An advisor need to sign your Registration Form in this instance.

If you have any other questions or difficulties, please visit the Advising Center during its regular business hours or email the Center, through your CampusCruiser portal account, at advising@middlesexcc.edu.

As the Semester Winds Down...What Can I Do Next?

The onset of Thanksgiving week is a sure sign that the Fall semester has approached its home stretch. The deadline to drop a class has come and gone and you may be wondering how you can approach these final weeks of the semester. You may find this post in the Advising Center blog useful.

• Do you need some tutoring help for your classes? For information, click Tutoring Center for additional information.
• Would you like assistance in selecting your Spring 2011 classes? Visit the Advising Center web site or read through the MCC Guide to Self-Advising.
• Do you need to review the Spring 2011 schedule? Click here.
• Would you like quicker access to WebAdvisor's Degree Evaluation feature to determine your path toward graduation? Click here.
• Unsure of your next registration and want to do some research about what you may need? Click quick tips for more information.
• Please remember that developmental courses need a "C" or higher for completion. You cannot defer taking a developmental course during a semester.
  

BIO 140's New Name

SCI 108 (Natural History of New Jersey) proved to be one of the most popular courses in the history of the Biology Department. Recently, this popular three-credit GE Science had its name changed to BIO 140 (Ecology). This change confused some of our students who wanted to register for the NJ natural history but were not aware of its name change.

BIO 140 has now assumed the name "Biodiversity and Issues in Ecology." Please understand that this is the popular course about the natural history of NJ but with a different name. It is anticipated that the name change will serve to attract more students.

Developmental Courses and Their Importance for Registration

There has been some confusion about developmental courses and how they relate to a student's registration. Here is the statement about developmental courses taken from the College catalog:

Full-time students must satisfactorily complete all required developmental courses in the first two semesters of study. If a student's major requires a second level of algebra, one semester will be added to the time allowed for completion. Appropriate level developmental courses are taken in sequence, and all areas must be addressed each semester until all are completed. Students who are required to include developmental courses may carry no more than a combined total of 15 credits or credit equivalents. Students who wish to take more than 15 credits may do so only by submitting an appeal to the Academic Advising Center, located in Chambers Hall.

It is important to note that students cannot choose to defer a developmental course. For example, if a student needs RDG 011 and ENG 010, the student cannot register for RDG 011 and a course other than ENG 010.

Advising Guidelines for SSD Students and Their Instructors (for use during SSD Advising Week)

SSD students and their instructors will embark on a new venture this semester. Working in their classrooms, they will strive to construct their upcoming registration schedules. Instructors will have attended a special training session to assist in advising their students and students will view a tutorial in their classroom in preparation for creating their schedules. This entry in the Advising Center's blog will be an extra resource for those sessions for both students and instructors. You can click Curriculum Checksheets to access the requirements for various degrees. This entry will cover the following areas:

• An overview of developmental course sequences
  



• Requirements for Liberal Arts
  



• Requirements for Criminal Justice
  



• Requirements for Business Majors
  



• Education Practitioner Majors
  



• Enrollment Sequences for Selected Majors
  



• Admission Requirements for Health Technology
  



• Common Prerequisites/Corequisites
  



• Which Math for Which Major?

Developmental Course Sequences

RDG 009--- >RDG 011--->Developmental Reading Complete
ENG 009---->ENG 010--->ENG 121
MAT 010A--->MAT 010B--->MAT 013--->MAT 014 or BUS 115 or MAT 101 (depends on major)
MAT 010---->MAT 013--->MAT 014 or BUS 115 or MAT 101 (depends on major)
MAT 009/013A--->MAT 013B--->MAT 014 or BUS 115 or MAT 101 (depends on major)
MAT 009/013--->MAT 014 or BUS 115 or MAT 101 (depends on major)

Requirements for Liberal Arts
All Liberal Arts students have the following courses in common:

• ENG 121 and 122



• HIS 121 and 122



• SPE 121



• One credit PED or three credit HED course



• Two semesters of a foreign language sequence



• Two GE Social Science courses (remember that some courses have prerequisites)
  
  
• One GE Humanities course (remember that some courses have prerequisites)



• One GE Diversity course (remember that some courses have prerequisites)



• CSC 105 or 106



• One Divisional elective



• One GE Math, One GE Science, and one more course that is either GE Math or GE Science (Please note that LA Business students should consider two GE Math classes and that all these classes have prerequisites)

Requirements for Criminal Justice

Requirements for Business Majors

Business majors come in many forms at MCC. They can be Business Administration (BUS.AS) or Liberal Arts Business (LABUS.AA) or Accounting (ACC.AAS) or Marketing (MKT.AAS) or Managment (MGT.AAS) or Small Business (SBUS.AAS) What do these majors have in common? These majors all need the following courses:

• ACC 101 and 102



• ECO 201 and 202 (MAT 013 is the prerequisite for ECO 201)



• SPE 121
  

Education Practitioner Majors

There are many EDPR majors at MCC. Designed to transfer to Kean University, click the link which best applies to the age group you want to teach. The checksheets are provided by the Department of Counseling and Career Services in Edison Hall 100.

• Early Childhood Education (P-3) and (K-5)



• Elementary Education (K-5) and (6-8)



• Elementary Education (Earth Science K-5 and 6-8)



• Elementary Education (Math K-5 and 6-8)



• Physical Education and Health (K-12)
  

Enrollment Sequences for Selected Majors

Several majors at MCC have "course sequences." This means that students, as best as possible, should enroll for these courses in the same semester because future courses in the major require these courses as prerequisites. The course sequences never override the need for developmental courses, however. Not all courses are offered in the Fall and Spring semesters.

• Hotel-Motel Managment (HRIH.AAS) and Restaurant/Foodservice Management (HRIR.AAS) have a sequence of HRI 101, HRI 103, and HRI 208.



• Culinary Arts Management (HRIC.AAS) has a sequence of HRI 103 and HRI 208.



• Media Arts/Professional Photography (MADPH.AAS) and Media Arts/Advertising Graphic Arts (MADAD.AAS) have a sequence of MAD 107, MAD 113, and MAD 117.



• Paralegal Studies (PL.AAS) has a sequence of PLS 100, PLS 101, and PLS 113. Remember that PLS 101 has ENG 121 as a corequisite/prerequisite.

How Do Full-Time Students Receive Their Advisor?

All full-time MCC students and all part-time MCC Nursing and Dental Hygience students have an assigned advisor. Have you ever wondered how you receive your assigned advisor?

The students in the Nursing and Dental Hygiene programs are assigned their advisors by the departments so those advisor-advisee connections are manually entered into the College's database. All other faculty members are assigned advising areas based primarily on the department in which they teach. In some instances, faculty members are assigned advising areas outside their department if the needs of full-time students in well-populated majors require such action.

After these advisor areas are established in the database, a rapid "batch assigning" occurs which assigns between 25-30 advisees to each advisor. If the faculty members within a major reach their limit of 25-30, the remaining students in that major area are assigned the chairperson as their advisor. This "batch assigning" starts a few weeks before the beginning of each semester and continues each day until it ends during the second week of the semester. If a student adds a course after that date to become full-time, he/she will not receive an assigned advisor. As of this blog posting, all but 20 students have their assigned advisor and those names can be seen in students' WebAdvisor accounts.

The system is designed to assign students to their previous semester's advisor. However, if a student has changed his/her major or delayed registering until the latter point of the registration cycle, the previous advisor-advisee connection will be lost.

New Admission Criteria for Nursing, Radiography, and Dental Hygiene

There are very important changes to the admission criteria for Nursing, Dental Hygiene, and Radiography. Please see the summary of these changes below:

NURSING ADMISSION CRITERIA

• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale
College GPA must have 12 college credits; High School GPA will use the unweighted GPA
If a student has 12 or more college credits the college GPA will be used

• Science grades of “B” or better in laboratory biology and chemistry
The highest laboratory biology and chemistry grade would be used from high school or college, whichever grades are higher.

• An individual total score of 70% or higher must be attained on the TEAS test.

RADIOGRAPHY ADMISSION CRITERIA

• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale
College GPA must have 12 college credits; High School GPA will use the unweighted GPA
If a student has 12 or more college credits the college GPA will be used.

• Science grades of “C” or better in laboratory biology and chemistry or physics
The highest grade in laboratory biology will be used from high school or college, whichever grade is higher
The highest grade in laboratory chemistry OR physics will be used from high school or college, whichever grade is higher.
If the physics grade is used, the student must still complete CHM 010 or have a higher level 4-credit lab chemistry course by close of Wintesession.

• An individual total score of 70% or higher must be attained on the TEAS test.

DENTAL HYGIENE ADMISSION CRITERIA

• Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale
College GPA must have 12 college credits; High School GPA will use the unweighted GPA
If a student has 12 or more college credits the college GPA will be used.

• Science grades of “C” or better in laboratory biology and chemistry
The highest laboratory biology and chemistry grade would be used from high school or college, whichever grades are higher.

• An individual total score of 70% or higher must be attained on the TEAS test.

An Overview of Student Success 101

Student Success 101 is a course that provides students with the knowledge and skills needed for success in college and lifelong learning. In this course, students learn about college policies and are introduced to a variety of campus resources. The class provides students with the opportunity to learn fundamental academic skills (study strategies, note-taking, conducting research, organizational tools, etc.) and put these skills into practice.

Throughout the semester, students will set both long-term and short-term goals and learn how to make good decisions in school, career, and personal life. Students work both independently and in groups, developing effective interpersonal skills and creating connections with classmates, instructors, and other members of the college community.

A Special Thank You from the Advising Center

The Academic Advising Center wants to thank the following individuals who have advised at one or more New Student Orientation sessions since April. Their assistance is greatly and deeply appreciated.

Shalonda Bayless-Owens
Christopher Berry
Arete Bouhlas
Katherine Budris
Heather Coon
Donna Dingle
Maria Driscoll
Asha Ganpat
Donna Goldberg
Jossette Greene
Gregory Harkins
Jessica Kant
Robert Kaplan
Kenneth Mazza
Jan Merski
Patricia Moran
Joseph Nesi
Claire Pean
Celeste Pouncy
Anthony Romano
Luisa Romano
Martin Samelson
Vincent Segovia
Steven Shur
Darren Swan
Evan Swan
Laura Tobin
Anne Topping

A special thanks is also extended to Angelo Cataldi and all the MCC Student Leaders who assist the advisors in helping our new students in creating their first MCC schedules.

July 6th in the Advising Center

As all of us endure and adjust to the record breaking heat of today, it's interesting to note the increased traffic here in the Center. As the long Independence Day weekend becomes a distant memory, students are increasingly eager to prepare for the Fall 2010 semester.

Many students arrived at the Center today with the realization that the new semester is only two months away. The lines are starting to grow but there are advisors ready and willing to assist our students in any way that they can.

Please come as soon as you can and avoid the longer wait that surely will occur as July turns into August.

The Importance of July 2 and Caesar Rodney

As Americans, we are all raised with a reverential view of July 4th--our birthday as a nation. It is a time for backyard barbecues, baseball games (sadly, no more doubleheaders), and fireworks spectacles. How many of us realize that we really celebrate the wrong date?

The Second Continental Congress actually voted for independence on July 2, 1776--not July 4th. On the night of July 2, 1776 the Pennsylvania Evening Post published a statement that "This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.

On July 2, John Adams, wrote to his wife back home in Massachusetts that, finally, the Congress had adopted a resolution establishing the independence of the former colonies from Great Britain. Adams wrote his wife Abigail that he believed that July 2nd would be celebrated annually in this new country.

So why the confusion about July 4th? It was on July 4th that Congress approved the language of the Declaration of Independence, a statement to the world justifying the action taken by the Congress on July 2nd. The Declaration included the text of the July 2nd resolution in its concluding paragraph.

And who is Casear Rodney and why, except for natives of Delaware, is he lost in the "dustbin" of history? The Second Continental Congress wanted unanimity for its resolution of independence. The proponents of independence had resigned themselves to New York's perpetual "respectful abstention" on the issue but wanted to secure the approval of the 12 other colonies. Eleven colonies were in the fold with Delaware hanging in the balance. Delaware had a three-man delegation with two on opposite sides of the debate and the third, Caesar Rodney, very ill and struggling to balance his many responsibilities in Philadelphia and back at home .

Suffering from both facial cancer and asthma, Rodney learned of the split in the Delaware delegation. Resolved to end the stalemate, he embarked on an extremely dangerous overnight journey of 80 miles to Philadelphia through violent thunderstorms and torrential rain. He arrived on the afternoon of the 2nd, greatly fatigued, just in time to break the Delaware stalemate on the resolution of independence. Those who wrote about his dramatic entrance indicate that he stated the following :"As I believe the voice of my constituents and of all sensible and honest men is in favor of independence, my own judgement concurs with them. I vote for independence."

And so it was that the vote of one man, Casear Rodney, allowed these colonies to demonstrate unanimity and vote for independence on July 2, 1776.

Overview of the Criminal Justice Program

Middlesex County College's Criminal Justice major is unique in that students are required to complete two General Education Mathematics classes OR two General Education 4-credit Lab Science classes.

General Education Electives and the Nursing Program

Effective in the Fall 2010 semester, the MCC Nursing Program has the following GE electives in addition to the other core requirements:

• One course must be a GE Humanities elective.
• One course must be a GE Communications (SPE 121 or 123) or a GE Diversity or a GE Humanites or a GE Math, GE Science, or GE Technology or a GE Social Science.

An Overview of Information about Biology and Chemistry Courses

It is important that both students and advisors remember certain points about registering for certain Biology and Chemistry courses.

• BIO 010 has a corequisite of MAT 013.
• CHM 010 has a prerequisite of MAT 013.
• CHM 010 is the required course for Health Technology students who have no evidence of High School Lab Chemistry. CHM 020 is the required course for Science Transfer majors who have no evidence of High School Lab Chemistry.
• General Biology I (BIO 123) has prerequisites of MAT 013, BIO 010 and CHM 010.
• General Chemistry I (CHM 121/125) has prerequisites of MAT 014 and CHM 010. (Please note that there is no BIO prerequisite here and that MAT 014 and not merely MAT 013 is a prerequisite.)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BIO 111) has prerequisites of MAT 013, BIO 010, and CHM 010.

America's Forgotten Holiday--Flag Day on June 14

The website devoted to a better understanding of the US flag, http://www.usflag.org/, is a wonderful font of information about the origins of our flag and the commemoration of Flag Day on June 14.

Contrary to legend, very few historians believe that Betsy Ross designed and created the flag for the new country. In fact, Francis Hopkinson, a Congressman from New Jersey, is believed to be the designer of the original flag.

In order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act on June 14, 1777.
"Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by a proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. However, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Harry Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

Reminder about Academic Probation or Restriction

As students turn their attention to registering for Fall courses, some have asked about the meaning of Academic Probation or Restriction. Here' s a reminder.

• Academic Probation means that a student can register for no more than 4 courses or 14 credits/credit equivalents, whichever is fewer.
• Academic Restriction means that a student can register for no more than 2 courses or 8 credits/credit equivalents, whichever is fewer.
• Students on Probation or Restriction need to have their holds lifted in the Academic Advising Center in order to register for their courses.

"Light" and the Academic Advising Center

One of the Advising Center's Coordinators, Robert Kaplan, recently vacationed in Italy where he photographed the accompanying picture of light from the roof of the Pantheon in Rome. It is the wish of everyone here in the Center that we can provide students with the "light" of our academic advice. We hope that our services provide students with information about the graduation requirements for their majors and "light the way" to commencement.

The Meaning of Non-Compliance

Non-Compliance is a process by which the College can determine if you are properly registered for a developmental course in Reading, English, or Math.

If you received a "D" or "F" or "W" or "I" in a developmental RDG or ENG or MAT course and do not register for that course for the following semester, you will receive a Campus Cruiser email from the College asking that you adjust your registration. Failure to do so is called "Non-Compliance" and can lead to your schedule being cancelled.

Please help us to assist you. Be proactive and adjust your schedule so that you don't receive this type of email at all. But, if you do receive this email, visit the Advising Center to register for the proper course and preserve your schedule.

Do You Need to Repeat a Math Course?

Many of the math courses at MCC can be taken over two semesters. You may want to consider this option if you need to repeat a class because it will move at a slower pace. The following courses are offered in the two-semester format:

• MAT 010 ---> MAT 010A and MAT 010B
• MAT 013 ---> MAT 013A and MAT 013B
• MAT 014 ---> MAT 014A and MAT 014B
• MAT 129 ---> MAT 129A and MAT 129B
• MAT 131 ---> MAT 131A and MAT 131B

Remember, if you were unsuccessful in your first attempt at a combination math course, you must go back and take each course in its full version.

• If you were unsuccessful with MAT 009/013A, you must take both MAT 010 and MAT 013A.
• If you were unsuccessful with MAT 009/013, you must take both MAT 010 and MAT 013.
• If you were unsuccessful with MAT 080/014, you must take both MAT 013 and MAT 014.
• If you were unsuccessful with MAT 090/129A, you must take both MAT 014 and MAT 129A.
• If you were unsuccessful with MAT 090/123, you must take both MAT 014 and MAT 123.

Do You Need to Register for a Course for More than a Third Time?

If you need to register for a course that you have already taken three times previously, you will need to file an appeal with an advisor in the academic Advising Center in Chambers Hall 109.

When you file the appeal, please explain what happened during the first three registrations and also explain why the next attempt will produce a better outcome.

Are You Having Difficulty Registering for CSC 106?

CSC 106 is a requirement for several degrees. It has a prerequisite of MAT 014 and CSC 105 or BUS 107. The Department of Computer Science and Information Technology has allowed students with a sufficient understanding of Microsoft Office to use that knowledge as a substitute for CSC 105.

Campus Cruiser and Web Advisor, however, have no way of measuring a student's familiarity with Microsoft Office and that leads to an inability to register for the course. If this describes your situation, visit the Academic Advising Center for assistance.

Memorial Day 2010

On May 30, 1868, General John Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, read the following proclamation and instituted General Orders #11 as a call to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields. It is believed that this proclamation became the source of what we now know as Memorial Day. During this weekend of barbecues and store sales, it would be wise to remember General Logan's words.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foes? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest flowers of spring-time; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon a nation's gratitude, the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

Non-Compliance Update

If you received a Campus Cruiser email about the need to register for a developmental course, please remember that June 8 is the date to do so.

Motto of the Middlesex County College Academic Advising Center

Those who give advice have one of life's enormous responsibilities.
They provide the clay for potters to form and shape their work.
They provide the tapestry with which painters can fashion their art.
They provide the earth from which seeds can blossom into beautiful followers.
Their responsibility is only outweighed by the joy they experience in the success of their endeavors.

Having Trouble Registering Online?

The Center receives many calls from students who are having difficulty registering online. If you have the same concern, ask yourself the following questions.

• Am I on Restriction or Probation? If so, you need to have your hold lifted at the Advising Center.
• Do I have a need for developmental RDG, ENG, or MAT? If so, a hold has to be lifted.
• Do I have an outstanding balance? You will need to visit the Office of the Bursar on the top floor of Chambers Hall to pay the balance.
• Does the Office of Health and Safety have my complete immunization record? If not, there is a hold preventing you from registering as a full time student.
• Does the Office of Admissions have my complete high school transcript? Students who graduated before June 2010 who do not have the final semester of their high school trancript on file will have a hold on their registration.

If you have any questions, please email advising@middlesexcc.edu through your Campus Cruiser portal account.

Want to Change Your Major?

Several students visited the Center today wondering how to change their major. Please click the following link to read about the process.

Changing Your Major

Unsure of Your Next Registration?

This is the time of year when many students start planning for the next semester. You are always welcome to visit the Advising Center for assistance in creating your schedule or use your portal address to email us at advising@middlesexcc.edu

In the meantime here are some tips for your next registration:

• Are all your developmental courses completed? If not, they should be part of your schedule.
• ENG 121 and ENG 122 with a grade of at least a "C" are needed for graduation.
• All majors need at least one GE Humanities Elective.
• All majors need at least one GE Social Science Elective.
• All majors need a PED or HED course.
• All majors need at least one GE Math and/or one GE Science.

Please remember to visit the Center with any question you may have.

Student Success 101 Tutorial

Jessica Kant and Bob Kaplan are working on a tutorial for students in SSD 101. The tutorial will teach students how to read their Program Evaluations, determine their degree requirements, and create a schedule for the next semester.

New Advisor Training

The Center want to thank those who attended its most recent New Advisor Training sessions. These individulals completed the six-hour classroom session last week and participated in the two hour introduction to Colleague last night.

Ron Foley
Ron Goldfarb
Jeannie Gonzalez-Wicklund
Carolyn Loder
Celeste Pouncy

The Center looks forward to continuing their training with upcoming shadowing sessions.

The next New Advisor Training will be held in December 2010.

The Academic Advising Center's Two Web Pages

The Advising Center has two websites that can be of great use to our students and faculty members. Please click the following links to view them:

Academic Advising Center

MCC Guide to Self-Advising

The Academic Advising Center is on Twitter!

Please remember that you can also follow the Academic Advising Center on Twitter @MCCAdvisor.

Welcome!!

Today, May 26th 2010, marks an important date in the history of the MCC Advising Center as the Center joins the blogging world. It is our hope that this site will be an additional source of information to our students.

Please remember that we will not be able to answer any specific questions about your academic records as that is a violation of federal privacy laws. Those questions can only be addressed through your Campus Cruiser portal address.

This is our first day--let's see how this develops,

All the best,

Middlesex County College Academic Advising Center