Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Summer and Fall Registration Dates Available

Log-in to WebAdvisor, click on "Current Students," and under the "Registration" section, click on the link that states "My Priority Registration Dates" to find out when you can register for summer and fall terms. If you need to see me before you register, make an appointment now. Available slots are filling up fast, and remember that I am not here in the summer. There will, however, be counselors available to see you.

Your registration date and time is based on the number of units you have completed, and registration dates cannot be changed. Log-in just as soon as you are able to register for the classes you want. If they are filled already, remember that you can go to the class on the first day and ask the instructor if you can take the class. If the instructor consents, s/he will give you the add code, and you can add the class using a Schedule Request Form, available in the Admissions and Records office.

Remember: The early bird gets the worm...er, class!

Monday, March 30, 2009

What is a "good" school?

So many international students want me to tell them whether or not a school is "good." Very often, I will recommend a school, and the student asks me, "But is that a good school?" Well, I wouldn't recommend it if it weren't good, would I? But I think what students really want to know is, "Will people in my country recognize the name of that school when I return to look for a job?" For that answer, you will have to ask employers in your country, since I am not from your country and do not know which schools they may or may not be familiar with here in the U.S. I can, however, give you some information that might help you decide for yourself whether or not a school you are considering attending is "good."

First of all, you should consider whether or not the institution is regionally accredited. DVC, all CSU's and UC's, and most private institutions in California are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Every region in the U.S. has a regional accrediting commission that examines schools to determine whether or not the school is continuing to meet the high standards set by the accrediting commission. It is important that you attend a regionally-accredited institution so that your units will more easily transfer.

Second, see if the program you want to study at that institution has special accreditation. There are national and international professional accrediting agencies that give their stamp of approval to programs that meet their standards. This type of accreditation is important, especially if you plan to seek a license of some sort related to your program of study. Some professional accreditation programs include:
1. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, or AACSB [http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/standards.asp]
2. For engineering programs, ABET, Inc. [http://www.abet.org/index.shtml]
3. The National Architectural Accrediting Board, or NAAB [http://www.naab.org/]
4. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design [http://nasad.arts-accredit.org/index.jsp]

These are just a few examples of professional accrediting agencies. Visit the Career and Employment Services office for more information about professional accrediting agencies, or come see me in the Counseling Center if your program is not business, engineering, architecture, art, or design, and we'll see what we can find out together.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Welcome to the DVC International Counselor's Blog!

Hello, DVC international students! I've created this blog as a way to get academic planning information to you on a regular basis. I'll blog about upcoming deadlines, changes in academic policies and requirements, planning practices you should be performing, and more. Here are some things for you to consider:
1. If you will complete the requirements for an AA degree, the deadline for petitioning for the degree is March 31. Visit the A&R office in the Student Services Building to get and submit the form, or click this link: http://www.dvc.edu/pdfs/Application_for_Degree.pdf.
2. The deadline to drop a full-term course is April 24. Remember you will receive a W for the course (W's are not bad; they do not affect your GPA, and in most cases, they will not affect your admissibility for a university). Be cautioned: F-1 international students have to maintain full-time enrollment each semester. If you drop a course and it causes you to be enrolled in less than 12 units, you will be out of status! Use the Schedule Request Form, available in the A&R office, or here: http://www.dvc.edu/pdfs/Schedule-Request.pdf.
3. The summer and fall 2009 schedules are now online: http://www.dvc.edu/org/info/schedules/. Now is the time to make a counseling appointment for academic planning for those terms. If you wait too late, there might be no more appointments available. Call 925-685-1230, extension 2276 to make an appointment.

Thanks for reading, and check back daily for updates!