Success Insider
Everything Student Development - December 2015
In the world of academic advising
Important Dates to Keep in Mind
December 7
- Fall Final Exams Begin
- Fall Grades Available through WebAdvisor - Students may check grades from 8 p.m.-8 a.m. After Dec. 11, grades are available at any time.
December 8
- Winter Minimester Payment Deadline 6:00 p.m.
December 10
- Fall Final Exams End
December 12
- Fall Commencement at 10:00 a.m. - Waco Convention Center’s Chisholm Hall - See all the important registration dates at www.mclennan.edu/dates/registration.
- Winter Holidays: Campus Closed from December 12-January 3 - Highlander Central in the Enrollment Services Center will be open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 14-17 with limited staff available (includes a representative from the Business Office who can process payments). The Michaelis Academic Center Welcome Desk will be open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 21-23 & 28-30. Tarleton State University Administrative Offices will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 14-23. Texas Tech University Administrative Offices will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 14-18. All of campus is closed Jan. 1.
December 15
- Winter Minimester First Class Day
- Winter Minimester Payment Deadline 6:00 p.m. - If you register between 6:01 p.m. Dec. 8 and 6 p.m. Dec. 15, you must pay by 6 p.m. on Dec. 15 or you will be dropped from your classes. You will NOT receive a bill by mail. Go to WebAdvisor to see your Account Summary (tuition bill) and to make a payment. Or visit the Business Office. Learn more about paying for classes.
December 16
- Winter Minimester Census Date - If you drop from a class after this date and before the last day for student-initiated withdrawals, the class will appear on your transcript with a grade of "W" but will not affect your grade point average. However, courses dropped after this date will count against your six-course drop limit and will factor into your completion percentage when calculating your Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid purposes.Registration for Spring Through Jan. 9. See all the important registration dates at www.mclennan.edu/dates/registration.
December 22
- Last Day for Student-Initiated Withdrawals from Winter Minimester Classes
December 24-25
- Winter Minimester Holidays: Campus Closed
December 30
- Winter Minimester First Class Day
December 31
- Winter Minimester Final Exams
January 5
- Payment Deadline
- First Day to Purchase Books Using Financial Aid
- Spring Registration Continues
January 9-12
- Class Changes through WebAdvisor
January 11
- First Day of Spring Classes
January 12
- Spring Payment Deadline
January 14
- Financial Aid Census Date
January 15
- Last Day to Purchase Books Using Financial Aid
- MCC Foundation Scholarships Application Due - Visit www.mclennan.edu/foundation/scholarships to apply.
January 18
- Holiday - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 27
- Financial Aid Balance Disbursement
- Census Date
New Student Orientation for SPring 2016
New student orientation continues for students coming in for Spring 2016. Student Development will continue our two-part process with the on-line Orientation followed by the face-to-face Connections sessions offered in November, December, and January. Once students complete Orientation, they will be prompted to choose a Connections date from the on-line calendar via Registerblast.
Both parts are required for all students new to MCC.
Remaining dates offered:
January 5, 6, 7, 8
Once each of these dates reaches capacity, the date will disappear from the Registerblast schedule. All times will be at 1:30 p.m. except for January 8 (10:00 a.m.), the sessions will last about ninety minutes, and advising will occur immediately afterward.
Please direct questions to the Student Development main number, 299-8614.
Career Corner
We are still continuing with our College Central Network (CCN) Software system.
At this point, we have 45 employers registered, 150 students registered, and 16 alumni registered! We would sincerely appreciate your help in spreading the word about this system. Please tell students to go to the Career Services page by hovering over the “Students” tab and clicking the bottom-right link underneath “Campus Services.”
We’ve been BUSY! After putting a master presentation together, we understand that over since the onset of career services, we have:
- Seen 80 students for one-on-one assistance (resume writing, interview prep, and personality assessments)
- Given 17 classroom presentations and workshops
- Helped with 5 career fairs and special events (College & Career Night; Greater Waco Career Fair; Veteran’s Red, White, & You; Community Resources Fair; MCC Business “After Hours”)
- Attended or hosted 21 campus-partner meetings
- Hosted 5 employers on campus: Adecco, Chick-Fil-A, C3, American Insurance Company and EAOC
We are excited to announce the Allied Health Career Fair was a success. We stopped counting at 150 students. Providence, Hillcrest, CSL Plasma Center and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs have already committed to our next Career Fair on April 6, 2016. (More info to come)
Upcoming Career Services Events for December:
- December 1st, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM, Joint Hiring Event: Economic Opportunities Advancement Corporation (EAOC), and Staff Management, LTC
- December 2nd, 9:35 AM-10:35 AM, 1:00PM-2:00PM PSYC 1100, Career Services Presentation
- December 2nd, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM, Allied Health Career Fair, Health Professions Common Area
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor, please call Tina Lyles, 254-299-8681 or Jessica Robinson, 254-299-8495.
Testing Center...Shhhh, Quiet Please.
New this semester, our first test will be at 8:30 am (instead of 8:00 am) Monday-Thursday. Doors will open at 8:00 am, but testing will start at 8:30 am. This is reflected for all tests on RegisterBlast.
Upcoming Testing Dates
TSI will be offered on Friday, December 11 at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00 p.m. as usual.
Instructional Testing
Instructors may send students to take exams. Please contact mjohnson@mclennan.edu or call 299-8453 to make arrangements for your students to test.
Instructional Testing information for Students:
Instructional testing offered Monday-Thursday from 8:30 am-6:30 pm for students on a walk in and scheduling basis.
If you need to take an instructional exam for an instructor in the Testing Center, please make sure you do the following:
- Students are welcome to schedule an appointment online. Click on Register Blast button on left-hand menu. Choose MCC Classrooms exams. Follow prompts to complete your registration process.
- Make sure and bring you photo id with you come to test.
- Bring only the items that you need to complete your test on the testing day.
Cell phones are not permitted in the testing room.
TSI Assessment
The TSI Assessment is an untimed test offered every Monday-Thursday from 8:30 am-4:00 pm and Fridays from 10:00 am-12:00 pm for both walk-in and scheduled appointments.
Student may schedule appointment times and pay testing fee online through Register
Blast button from left-hand side. Fees may be paid in MCC Business Office. Please bring receipt to Testing Center on test day.
All students must complete the pre-assessment activity (PAA) using MCC ID number prior to taking TSI Assessment.
Other forms of testing
- The CLEP hours are Monday - Thursday at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. and Fridays 11:00 a.m., and 2:00 p.m.
- Correspondence tests can be proctored for students attending other colleges
- See posted schedule for Health Sciences exams (TEAS & HESI.)
- National SAT & ACT tests are Saturday administrations.
Other News
We are also in the process of interview candidates for our evening part-time assistant. We hope to have a candidate announced very soon!
Student Services Center, Second Floor • 254-299-8453
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Disability Services wants you to know...
There is a universal design for learning
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.
TRIO Student Support Services NEWS
Important Information
- We have had A LOT of staffing changes this year, but we are finally ready to move forward in a permanent capacity. After over 25 hours of service to MCC students, Ms. Johnnie Talton has officially retired from MCC. She has left her mark, and will be missed. In her place, we have hired a new advisor named Kari Tingle that will start January 4th (picture attached). Kari is a native Floridian and joins the TRIO staff having earned her Bachelor’s from Palm Beach Atlantic University and her M.Div from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Since graduating she has spent her time working with in the greater Waco area with VOICE, a local non-profit which seeks to promote healthy lives in the people of the community.
- Laura Crapps will be officially moving over from Student Development to TRIO SSS, where she has fantastically connected with students on a personal, academic, and emotional level. Laura will still be working some hours in Student Development, until she starts full-time in TRIO SSS starting on Jan 18th.
- The program is almost full! We have about 15 spaces available and are currently interviewing students for the spring semester.
- Our first ever TRIO SSS Learning Framework Class is coming to a close. The students did well, and we look forward to doing this again next fall (in accordance with our grant).
- Two students received scholarships from the SWASAP TRIO association; Adriana Arredondo and Dawn Schulz won $500 scholarships!
- TRIO T-shirts have arrived! Students in the TRIO Scholars Association have worked at all 6 Baylor home games at the McLane Stadium and made approx.. $600 each game! It has been awesome.
TRIO SSS Dates to Remember
- Friday, Dec 4th- TRIO SSS Holiday Party
- Saturday, Dec 5th- SSS students work the last Baylor football game at the concessions stands
- Friday, Dec 11th- Community Service Event at the Children’s Methodist Home
- January 11th- Spring Intakes Start
- January 22nd- New Student Orientation
FIRST PERSON TO SOLVE THE BELOW PUZZLE RECEIVES A $5 SONIC GIFT CARD!
Email your answer to Natalie James. First person to solve the puzzle by emailing the correct answer receives a $5 Sonic Gift Card!
Thank you to Paul Hoffman for being our Sonic Gift Card donor each month.
Still trying to figure out the puzzle from last month? Here is the answer.
What is unusual about the following words: revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven?
Answer: The first letter of each word can be moved so the word can be spelled backwards or forwards.
Congratulations to our winner, James Cotten!
PROJECT LINK Highlights
EDUCATION. WORKFORCE. COMMUNITY. SUCCESS.
McLennan Community College & La Vega High School Workplace Communication Project
MCC students from Mrs. Jenna Hoefer’s SPCH 1311 classes researched, gathered, and presented a workplace communication skills workshop for CTE and Project Link students from La Vega High School.
The workshops included:
- Looking for a Job - This presentation provided LVHS students information on how to search for current job openings. What to do when inquiring about a job, how to determine if you have the required or desired experience or training, and how to appropriate follow-up on the status of a job you have applied for.
- Mock Interview - Mock interviews were conducted by MCC students. The mock interviews began and maintained throughout the interview as if it were a real interview. After the interview was complete, the interviewer provided constructive feedback on how the LVHS student performed. Additional tips and pointers were provided to the students.
- Resume Building - LVHS students were required to complete (before) and bring with them a career/job resume and a college resume. The LVHS students had the opportunity to sit one-on-one or two-on-one to have their resumes reviewed and critiqued. Additional tips and pointers were provided to the students regarding their individual resumes. LVHS students had the opportunity to ask additional questions regarding what to include, what not to include, and how their overall resume should look.
- Impression Management - This presentation included how to make a good first impression, confidently and firmly shake someone's hands, appropriate eye contact and body gestures, and what to or not to wear for a job interview.
In addition, the LVHS students came together to hear from one of MCC's Success Coaches who talked about the Success Coach program at MCC and other campus resources. Natalie James talked about her role as the Project Link "link" at McLennan Community College, and how the program will work at McLennan Community College. At the end of the workshops, LVHS students were given the opportunity to ask the MCC student presenters any additional questions regarding workplace communication or anything related to being a college student. (You could tell both our LVHS students and MCC students really enjoyed the Q&A time.)
Project Link Leadership Club at University High School
Student Spotlight
Hurray, it is Official! Brandon Chappell is Now a Full-Time Member of the Project Link Team at TSTC.
Brandon Chappell is a native Wacoan but was raised in Houston Texas where he ultimately graduated from Westbury High School. After high school, Brandon chose to attend Prairie View A&M University to pursue his degree in Communications. To pay for his education, he applied for a marching band scholarship and participated in the band while working part-time as well. In 2012, he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a minor in Social Work.
After returning to Waco, Brandon had the opportunity to apply his Social Work minor in the position he held in the Department of Student Life at Texas State Technical College. There, he managed the campus’ Clothing Closet, Food Bank and the TSTC Textbook Lending Library. After two years of hard work in that department, Brandon was hired to be a Success Coach in the Advising and Retention Office. As a Success Coach, he provided academic advising for students needing assistance in their classes and with the registration process. Brandon also served on the Refocus Program Committee, which provides support and help to students who have had faced barriers and difficulties in college with getting back on track and in good academic standings with TSTC.
Brandon’s experience as a Success Coach has made him very excited about his new position with Project Link. He is excited to use his skills in academic advising to help ensure a seamless transition for Project Link students as they matriculate from high school into college. Brandon believes the Project Link program as a whole will be very beneficial to students who believe that obtaining a post-secondary education is not a realistic possibility. Brandon is very excited and happy to be a member of the Project Link Team.
Project Link In the News
Announcements, Accolades, and Kudos
CONGRATULATIONS ARE DUE!
Brittany Johnson would like to congratulate Misty Price...
For being accepted to Tarleton State University! She is starting there in the Spring semester to continue working toward her Bachelors in Criminal Justice.
Congratulations Misty!!
Happy Birthday Too You, Happy Birthday Too You!
Recent November Birthdays
Paul Hoffman - 5
Upcoming December Birthdays
Brittany Johnson - 17
Jessica Robinson - 17
Becky Boggus - 24
Laura Crapps - 26
Gaby Olaguibel - 28
Success Insider will be published on the first Monday of each month. Remember, you may submit information for the newsletter any time up to 10 days prior to the publishing date.