Statement of Purpose:
The Student Success Center supports students in the
development of meaningful educational plans that are supportive and
compatible with educational and life goals. The center promotes and
facilitates individual advisement and career exploration that aims to
meet the unique goals of each student. The Student Success Center
educates and empowers students to take responsibility in making informed
decisions that help clarify career and personal goals.
The Student Success Center assists students in
planning course schedules and ensuring that general education and major
course requirements are met. To this end, students will be assessed for
individual student goals as they relate to the college curriculum in
order to give reliable information concerning the courses and degree
programs available.
Academic advising is an important part of Walters
State Community College’s commitment to helping students attain
educational goals. Academic advising serves an important role in
creating an environment that is supportive of student learning and
personal development. Advisors provide information regarding degree
programs, courses, resources, college policies/procedures, and, as
requested, career information. Responsibilities for advising are shared
among student support personnel and faculty in academic departments.
Although academic advisors may assist
students with decisions throughout their academic career, students are
responsible for making decisions regarding personal and educational
goals. Students are ultimately responsible for satisfying all
graduation requirements, so it is vital that they take an active role in
their academic planning. Faculty advisors are willing and able to
facilitate that planning, but completing the necessary steps is up to
students.
Eight Primary
Functions of the Student Success Center
1) Pre-Advising
– All first-time students will receive information and assistance re:
selecting a major, differences between degree programs and transfer
information. Any students changing their major will also receive
additional pre-advising information before being referred out to the
academic departments for advising.
2) Advising
– All non-degree seeking
students, transient students and undecided students will receive
assistance with educational planning, selecting class schedules and the
clearing of registration holds so that students can register. In this
office advising assistance will also be given to at risk students as
requested.
3) Articulation Student Information – All
articulating students will receive information regarding transfer
options, and will be provided with articulation materials. The
articulation agreements will be signed and tracked in this center. This
office will work closely with the Articulation Officer for Walters State
in order to remain aware of changes and new program development in the
area of articulation.
4) Transfer
Materials and Student Workshops
– Transfer students will receive assistance by being able to access
applications, catalogs and transfer equivalency tables available from
this office. Transfer students will also be referred to contacts at 4
year schools as needed. The office will present student workshops
regarding transfer as requested, and will do an annual transfer day
where representatives from other schools will come to speak with
transferring students.
5) Back
Up for Faculty Advisors
– If a faculty advisor is not available in the academic department
where a student’s major is housed, then the student can come to this
center for advisement.
6) Registration
Assistance – All first-time
and returning students who desire assistance with registration will
receive assistance with this process.
7) Referral
– We will refer students as
needed to other departments: Academic Departments, Counseling and
Testing (for Career and Personal Counseling), Disability Services,
Financial Aid, Retention Services and Tutoring.
These two sites
will assist students with time management, test taking and study skills
issues as well as a variety of other topics that can help all students.
8) Faculty
Advisor Training and Updates –
This office will do new faculty advising workshops one time per year and
will provide faculty advisor updates on transfer and articulation
information as needed.
STUDENTS THAT WILL BE ASSISTED
IN THIS OFFICE
All First-Time
Non-Degree Seeking
Transient
Undecided Majors
Transfer
Articulating
Changing Major
At-Risk
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