New Student Orientation

Welcome to Joliet Junior College! • By the end of today’s New Student Orientation, you will have – Learned more about JJC’s educational offerings and its many support services, – Met with a counselor to discuss course selection, and finally, – Registered online for your courses.

• Let’s begin by learning more about what it means to be a JJC student!

Educational offerings • People attend JJC for a variety of reasons. For those of you considering earning a degree from JJC, it is important you understand all of your options. • These options include 1. 2. 3. 4.

Associate in Arts (AA) Associate in Science (AS) Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Associate in Arts Teaching – Special Education (AAT)

Degrees are made up of a certain number of Credit Hours • What are they? – Credit Hours are measurements of class time; for example, if you enroll in a three-credit-hour course, you will be sitting in that class or lab for three hours each week during an entire 16-week semester.

Credit Hours • Why should I know about this? – For every one credit hour you are enrolled in, you must spend at least two hours outside of the classroom studying or receiving tutoring. – For example, if you are enrolled in 12 credit hours (which makes you a full-time student), you need to spend 24 hours each week studying. 12 credit hours + 24 hours of study time 36 hours each week dedicated to school – This is a full-time job!

Educational offerings Associate in Arts (AA) • Who pursues an AA? – Examples include but are not limited to • Business majors • Psychology and other social studies majors • Communications majors

• Is this degree transferrable to most colleges? – Yes. If your intention is to pursue one of the majors listed above, this may be the degree you wish to earn.

Educational offerings Associate in Arts (AA) • What are the degree requirements? – – – – – –

Communications – 9 credit hours Social/Behavioral Sciences – 9 credit hours Humanities/Fine Arts - 9 credit hours Math – 3 credit hours Physical/Life Sciences – 7 credit hours including 1 lab course Electives – 27 credit hours

Educational offerings Associate in Science (AS) • Who pursues an AS? – Examples include but are not limited to • Pre-professional majors including pre-engineering, pre-medical, prepharmacy, and pre-veterinary • Math and science majors

• Is this degree transferrable to most colleges? – Yes. If your intention is to pursue one of the majors listed above, this may be the degree you wish to earn.

Educational offerings Associate in Science (AS) • What are the degree requirements? – – – – – – –

Communications – 9 credit hours Social/Behavioral Sciences – 9 credit hours Humanities/Fine Arts - 9 credit hours Math – 5 credit hours Physical/Life Sciences – 8 credit hours including 2 lab courses Additional Science and Related Subjects – 16 credit hours Electives – 8 credit hours

Educational offerings Associate in Applied Science (AAS) • Who pursues an AAS? – Students seeking the option of immediate employment after graduation

• Is this degree transferrable to most colleges? – Some of these programs offer transfer opportunities to specific fouryear universities. – If you are interested in transferring with an AAS degree, be sure to plan your education closely with your Counselor or Advisor.

Educational offerings Associate in Applied Science (AAS) • What are the degree requirements? – Degree requirements vary by department; please consult with your Counselor or Advisor for the specifics.

Educational offerings Associate in Arts Teaching – Special Education (AAT) • Who pursues an AAT? – Students who have chosen a participating transfer institution and plan to major in Special Education.

• Is this degree transferrable to most colleges? – This degree is transferrable only to participating institutions. – If you are interested in transferring with an AAT degree, be sure to plan your education closely with your Counselor or Advisor.

Educational offerings Associate in Arts Teaching – Special Education (AAT) • What are the degree requirements? – While the JJC AAT degree requirements are quite specific, additional required courses vary depending on the transfer institution.

Educational offerings Enhance your first-year experience by enrolling in one or more of our General Student Development courses. • GSD 085 – College Preparation and Study Skills • GSD 100 – College Success

• GSD 110 – Career and Lifestyle Planning

Educational offerings • In order to begin working toward your AA, AS, AAS, or AAT degree, you may need to complete one or more Developmental Courses. • Developmental Coursework will provide you with the foundation to be successful once you reach college-level courses. • Developmental courses begin with the number “0” and are offered in English, math, and General Student Development (GSD).

Educational offerings Developmental Coursework • Your ACT COMPASS placement results determine which, if any, developmental courses are required. • Please be aware that developmental classes – – – –

DO count as credits toward full-time student status DO affect your grade-point-average DO NOT transfer to four-year institutions DO NOT count toward AA or AS degrees

College success Support Services – Tutoring • Academic Skills Center offers free in-person and online tutoring for over 200 courses. • LEAP (Learning English for Academic Purposes) Center offers free tutoring to non-native speakers. • Math Learning Center offers free drop-in tutoring for all math courses. • Nursing Simulation Lab offers free tutoring to all Nursing students at the NURS 140 level and higher.

College success Support Services – Tutoring • Project Achieve offers free tutoring to first-generation students. • Speaking Center offers free assistance with PowerPoint and speaking skills. • StAR (Student Accommodations and Resources) offers free tutoring and other services to students with disabilities. • Writing and Reading Center offers free writing assistance and reading comprehension tutorials by appointment.

College success Support Services – Disability Services • The StAR (Student Accommodations and Resources) Department is committed to providing academic support to – Students with documented disabilities, – Students with limited English proficiency, and – Students enrolled in a Career and Technical major.

• If you meet one or more of these criteria, please contact the StAR office as soon as possible to learn more.

College success Student Activities • Participating in student activities and student employment is proven to increase your chances of college success. • Such activities may include – – – –

Athletics Honors Program Student clubs and events On-campus and off-campus employment

College success • In addition to partaking in support services and getting involved on campus, it is important that you understand how to demonstrate college success in the classroom as well by – Attending class, – Speaking with your instructor during class and during Instructor Office Hours, – Reviewing your course syllabus and keeping a copy with your course materials, and – Checking your JJC email on a regular basis.

College success JJC Email • Important college information sent to this account includes: – – – – – –

•

Instructor communication Billing information and priority registration information Financial Aid information Semester grades and notification of academic progress Support Services appointments Weekly Information You Need to Know email from the Vice President of Student Development

Take charge of your college career by staying informed!

Registration and payment processes • Now that you know what it takes to be a successful college student, let’s discuss how you should go about registering and paying for classes by learning how to – – – – –

Decide whether to be a full-time or part-time student Understand course selection Read a JJC student schedule Add and drop courses Pay for college

Registration and payment processes • Decide whether to be a full-time or part-time student – Remember that becoming a full-time student means that you are enrolled in 12 or more credit hours .

– When building your schedule, be mindful of outside responsibilities including • • • •

Commute Extracurricular activities Family Job

Registration and payment processes • Decide whether to be a full-time or part-time student – You may choose to become a part-time student however, this may impact your • Financial aid • Health insurance

– You must be a full-time student to • Live in Centennial Commons (JJC Foundation Housing) • Participate in JJC athletics

Registration and payment processes • Read a JJC student schedule – Student I.D.– You are assigned a student identification number. Stephanie 0123456

MAJOR: BU120 Business

Registration and payment processes • Read a JJC student schedule – Refund date – Every course has its own refund date; this is the last date you could possibly receive a full refund if you drop the course. Stephanie 0123456

MAJOR: BU120 Business

Registration and payment processes • Read a JJC student schedule – Drop date – Every course has a drop date; this is the last date you could possibly drop the course without receiving a failing grade. Stephanie 0123456

MAJOR: BU120 Business

Registration and payment processes • Read a JJC student schedule – Total credit hours – This information appears at the bottom of your schedule and determines your full-time status. Stephanie 0123456

MAJOR: BU120 Business

Registration and payment processes • Read a JJC student schedule – Current Term Balance and Next Payment Date – Be sure to make payment arrangements with the college on or before the payment date Stephanie 0123456

MAJOR: BU120 Business

Registration and payment processes • Add and drop courses – You may find it necessary to make adjustments to your class schedule. – Schedule adjustments (add/drop) may be made through the myJJC Portal prior to the first day of the semester. – Once classes have begun, schedule adjustments must be made in person or on the phone through the Registration Office.

– It is your responsibility to drop a class; please know that officially dropping a class is not the same as just not attending the class.

Registration and payment processes • Pay for college – Students must pay in full by the payment due date, or can set up a payment plan each semester. – The JJC Automatic Payment Plan, also known as the FACTS plan, incurs a $25.00 fee and allows for monthly payments. – Pay for college with Financial Aid. – You will be dropped from your courses without notification if you have not made payment arrangements or been awarded Financial Aid.

Registration and payment processes • Apply for Financial Aid – Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.FAFSA.ed.gov – Submit additional items to the Financial Aid Office to complete your file. • Your file will not be reviewed until these items are received. • Use your JJC email and my JJC Portal account to receive your financial aid information.

• Veterans Education Benefits are also coordinated through JJC’s Financial Aid/Veterans Office

Next steps for students Students, you will… • Meet with a counselor to discuss course selection • Learn how to register online for your classes

• Pay for classes or set up a payment plan by your payment date • Purchase books • Get your JJC photo ID card - Monday-Thursday: 8:00am - 4:30pm Campus Center

Next steps for parents and supporters Parents and supporters, you will… • Attend an informal Q&A session designed to help you support your student • Provide JJC staff with feedback about today’s experience • Meet with your student at the end of the New Student Orientation.

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