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How do I get started in classes at SFCC?
What is the difference between an A.A. degree and an A.A.S. degree?
What are general education classes?
How do I know who my advisor is?
What is mySTAR?
How do I use mySTAR?
Do I need to do anything special because I plan to transfer?
How do I know which classes to take?
What should I do if I don't know my major?
How does SFCC use the results to my placement test?
Do basic skill courses (BSKIL) count towards my degree?
What are web classes?
Is it true that web classes are easier and take less time than a class that meets on-ground?
How many credit hours am I allowed to take each semester?
How do I know how many credit hours I should take each semester?
What do I do if I must drop a class?
How do I add classes once the semester has begun?
I began classes under one catalog and now the College has another catalog; which do I use?
How do I change my major?
Ask a question not listed here.
How do I get started in classes at SFCC?
If you are interested in taking classes at SFCC, click here to visit the Admissions Department pages or call (660) 530-5800 ext. 7216 for information about the admissions process.
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What is the difference between an A.A. degree and an A.A.S. degree?
The type of degree you intend to pursue at SFCC will drastically affect the sequence of courses you will complete to meet your degree requirements, also known as your program of study. An Associate of the Arts degree, or A.A., is designed for the student who wants to start at SFCC and then transfer to a four-year institution to earn a Bachelor's degree. Students must acquire a minimum of 64 credit hours; about 2/3 of these credits are earned by taking courses known as general education courses or gen. eds. The remaining 1/3 of the credits are earned by taking elective courses, preferably related to the student's major. With an A.A. degree, students typically have more freedom in choosing classes they want to take. If you choose to pursue an A.A. degree, it is imperative that you consult the catalog or program advisor at the college to which you are transferring for their specific admission procedures and degree requirements early on in your time at SFCC. You may also click here to access the Advising and Resource Center online services that provide information and resources for students planning to transfer.
An Associate of Applied Science degree, or A.A.S., is designed for the student who wants to attend SFCC for only a couple of years and then enter the workforce after graduation. In some cases, an A.A.S. may transfer to another college. The program of study with an A.A.S. degree focuses on providing the student with in-depth knowledge and skills specific to his or her major. For this reason, most of the credits, about 2/3, will be earned by completing coursework relevant to the student' major while the remaining 1/3 of credits are earned through general education classes. All A.A.S. degrees require a minimum of 64 hours; however, the exact number of hours required differs between majors. Finally, most A.A.S. degrees have a specific outline of classes a student must take; therefore, students will not have as many decisions to make about which classes to complete.
In addition to offering two different associate degrees, students also may choose to pursue a Certificate (CT) program. Earning a Certificate takes less time than a degree, typically about a year, and usually does not require that the student complete general education courses.
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What are General Education classes?
By definition, general education classes, or gen. eds., are courses that fall into certain academic area or category, such as Math, Science, Communications, Humanities, and Social Science. The purpose of gen. eds. is to help students become well-rounded individuals with good writing and critical thinking skills. Regardless of which degree you pursue, you will still be required to take some general education courses. Students pursuing an A.A. degree should refer to the college catalog to view a list of courses from which to choose to fulfill each category of general education coursework. Students who are pursuing an A.A.S. degree should follow the program of study as listed in the course catalog.
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How do I know who my advisor is?
Partway through your first semester at SFCC, you will be assigned an academic advisor from your area of study. Listings of these advisor assignments will be posted in the Fielding, Hopkins, Yeater, and Stauffacher buildings. Your advisor assignment will also be listed on Campus Web under the My Schedule link. When you click on your advisor's name in Campus Web, you will access information about his or her office location, office hours, phone number, and email address.
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What is mySTAR
mySTAR is your Internet access to your schedule, grades, course history, financial aid and personal account information. It allows you to create your schedule without having to visit an advisor to enroll you in classes. mySTAR is not meant to replace your advisor and you should continue to work with him or her when deciding which courses to take. mySTAR can be accessed from any Internet connection.
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How do I use mySTAR?
Students are unable to access mySTAR until they have met with an advisor and registered for their first semester at SFCC. At that advising appointment, a student learns to log in, register for classes and navigate mySTAR.
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Do I need to do anything special because I plan to transfer?
Students who plan to transfer to another school are advised to visit that school as soon as possible. Each school sets it's own admissions criteria for transfer students and some programs at some 4-year institutions have certain courses a student must complete in order to earn their Bachelors's degree. For general information about the transfer process and links to resources, click here.
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How do I know which classes to take?
There are a number of ways to find out exactly which classes you need to complete your degree requirements. Your initial advising appointment will outline your first semester and help you look ahead. You should consult your assigned advisor every semester to review your educational goals and help you decide which courses to take. You may also refer to the course catalog for information about degree requirements. Lastly, you can click here to access degree requirement checklists for every major offered at SFCC as well as suggested programs of study for students transferring on for a Bachelor's degree.
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What should I do if I don't know my major?
Students can get anxious when they start college without having any clear sense of direction about which major they should pursue. If this is your situation, DON'T PANIC! Many students are unsure of a major when they first arrive and many change their mind throughout their college career. Visit the Career Services web site for some career planning tools and links. In the meantime, take time to explore your interests and your options. You could talk informally with different departmental advisors and instructors. You can also schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor located in Student Services by calling ext. 7294. Spend some time discussing careers with those who work in the field and use the career resources in the Student Services office to help you in your search. Finally, for your first semester of coursework, select some classes you think will be interesting. You should also consider taking Career Choice, an elective worth one credit that is designed to help you explore your career options.
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At SFCC, the results of your placement test are used to determine the most appropriate level of coursework for you in terms of math, English, and reading. Some students will be required to take prerequisite, basic skill classes (the course prefix is BSKIL) their first semester before they are eligible to take college-level coursework. This procedure is in place to be sure that you are not enrolled in courses that are above your current skill level. At SFCC, we want to improve everyone's chances for success. Basic skill courses can help to build your skill level up in an area so you are prepared for your college-level coursework and equipped with the skills needed to be successful.
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Do basic skill courses (BSKIL) count towards my degree?
No, basic skill courses do not apply towards the credits you need to complete your degree and graduate.
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What are web classes?
A web course, or an on-line course, is where the instructor and student are separated by time and space and interact through use of the Internet. Similar to our on-campus classes, on-line classes are 16 weeks long in the fall and spring semesters and start the first day of the semester. You will participate in your on-line class through Blackboard (Bb), an Internet based program, and use of other tools such as email and a word processing program or presentation program such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. On-line courses are not self-paced. Although you are able to take the course on your own time rather than coming on campus to attend classes, there are usually weekly deadlines for assignments. You enroll for an online class the same as you would for an on-campus course.
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Is it true that web classes are easier and take less time than a class that meets on-ground?
NO! Web classes are not any easier nor do they take less time than a class that meets on-ground. You should expect to spend the same amount of time completing work for an on-line course as you would for an on-campus class. Although the exact amount will vary from class to class, you should anticipate spending about 7 to 10 hours per week per class on your assignments.
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How many credit hours am I allowed to take each semester?
Students are restricted to 19 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters and 10 hours in a summer semester. Students wanting to take more must visit the Registrar to request permission for an overload.
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How do I know how many credit hours I should take each semester?
The number of credit hours you should take each semester depends on a number of factors. One key consideration should be your other commitments, such as employment, family obligations, commute time, social activities, and other obligations that require your time. Generally, you should anticipate spending 2 hours outside of class for every hour you spend in class. Therefore, a 15- credit hour semester means you will be in class for about 15 hours a week and should expect to spend about 30 hours each week outside of class completing homework, reading your text, studying for tests, and writing papers. Another consideration when deciding your course load is how many semesters you want to spend at SFCC. Some students want to meet all their degree requirements within two years. If that is the case, you will need to take 15-17 credit hours every semester to meet your degree requirements. To view a sample two-year plan for a student who wants to finish the A.A. degree requirements in 4 semesters, click here. Please keep in mind that some A.A.S. degree programs require you take slightly more hours each semester, in addition to summer classes to meet your requirements in two years. Lastly, some students must take basic skill courses, marked with the course prefix BSKIL, before they are eligible to take college level coursework. These courses can extend your time at SFCC. To view a sample two-year plan for a student who must take basic skill courses, click here. To help you decide how many hours you should take each semester, we encourage you to create your own two-year plan; click here for a blank one.
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What do I do if I must drop a class?
If you must drop a class before the semester has officially begun, you may do so either on mySTAR or by contacting your advisor. Please note that mySTAR will not allow you to completely withdraw from all coursework; you will need to call or visit the Student Services Office or your advisor to completely withdraw. If you wish to drop a course once the semester has begun, you must turn in a Petition to Change Registration (add/drop) form with your instructor's signature to the Student Services Office. Once the semester has begun, the amount of refund you will receive varies from 100% to none depending on when you drop the class. For information about refund periods for each semester, contact the Registrar's Office located in Student Services. The last date a student may withdraw from a class with a grade of 'W' is the end of the 12th week of a 16-week semester or the 6th week of an 8-week session.
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How do I add classes once the semester has begun?
You will need the instructor's signature on the Petition to Change Registration (Add/Drop) form after the the third day of the semester in order to add a class to your schedule.
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I began classes under one catalog and now the College has another catalog; which do I use?
You use the catalog that was in place at the time you started your classes unless you stopped attending SFCC for 4 or more consecutive Fall and Spring semesters or you changed your major after a new catalog was implemented.
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How do I change my major?
If you wish to change your major, you must notify Registrar's Office. You may either visit them in the Student Services Office or call ext. 7291. If you notice that your major on mySTAR is incorrect, be sure to follow this procedure so we can correct the error.
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