Keys to Success

1. Keys to Success Mills College New Student Orientation Fall 2006

2. Schedule • Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) • Transfer Credit Information • M Center Records • Advising • The Curriculum and Registration • 15 Minute Break • Financial Aid • Student Accounts • myMILLS • Online Registration • Public Safety

3. Services for Students with Disabilities • Division of Student Life • Jess Miller, Director • disabilty@mills.edu • 510.430.2264

4. Transfer Credit • M Center – Records • Kristen Smith, Associate Registrar • 510.430.3131

5. M Center Records • Oversees registration • Evaluates transfer credit • Oversees the study abroad and domestic exchange programs • Reviews students for graduation and prepares diplomas • Provides transcripts and enrollment verifications • Maintains all academic records

6. M Center Records also: Supports the Provost’s Office by: • Creating the Course Schedule • Preparing petitions and reports for the Academic Standing Committee • Assigning students to advisors • Providing support for advisors by: • Creating and updating your Mills Academic Plan (MAP) • Performing Junior Evaluations

7. Mills Academic Plan (MAP) MAPs are prepared • On entrance for transfer students • Indicates where transfer credit is place in General Education area of requirements OR • When Major is Declared

8. MAPs are Updated by Records • When a transfer student declares her major • When any student requests a junior evaluation • Just before the fall of a student’s senior year

9. MAP Distribution When MAPs are created or updated, a copy goes to: • The student • The advisor • The student’s file

10. What does my MAP tell me? • Your progress toward your degree or certificate objective • Specific courses meeting General Education Requirements • Specific courses meeting Major and Minor requirements • Summary of credits earned, in progress, and remaining

11. The Curriculum

12. Overall Requirements • 34 semester course credits (will refer to as “credits”) for a Bachelors of Arts Degree • 34 credits for Bachelor of Science Degree • 17 credits for the Pre-Nursing Certificate

13. Residency Requirements • At least 12 credits must be taken at Mills for Bachelor’s Degree; 8.5 for the Pre-Nursing Certificate • At least the final two semesters of courses must be taken at Mills.

14. The Bachelor of Arts Degree • In addition to the overall requirements, students must complete: • the 11 course/10 credit General Education Program • the major requirements • the minor requirements (optional)

15. The Bachelor of Arts Degree • the second major or minor requirements (optional) • 17 elective credits (outside the major) • at least 9 upper division credits (numbered 100 – 199) during the junior or senior year

16. The Bachelor of Science Degree • Same as the Bachelor of Arts Degree except: • Includes a Natural Science and Mathematics Core of 10.75 credits • Includes an Independent Experience (1 credit) • Requires 10 rather than 17 electives which must be non-science.

17. The Pre-Nursing Certificate Requires set series of courses, including: • 5 science courses • ENG 001 • COLL 005 • 10 courses in various fields such as history, sociology, psychology, and education • Nursing Leadership Seminar (recommended) Offers opportunity to enter the professional nursing (BS) program at Samuel Merritt College

18. Course Restrictions Certain types of courses have limits as to how many times they can be taken: • PE Activity Courses: 4 max @ .25 each = 1 scc; further PE activity courses can be taken as “audits.” • Courses graded P/NP instead of letter grades: 2 credits maximum outside the major or minor

19. Where Do I Find out More? • Complete listing of programs, requirements and academic regulations can be found in the Catalog either in print or online. • Ask your advisor!

20. Graduation Application • All students must file a Graduation Application by November 1st of their senior year.

21. Advising

22. Advising at Mills • Is a faculty role, rather than an administrative role • Creates an immediate connection between the student and the Mills faculty • Is a partnership between the student and the faculty member, with each responsible for the success of the relationship

23. Who is My Advisor? • Your advisor was listed in an Advising Assignment Letter sent to you in the Orientation Packet. • The letter contained the name of your advisor, his or her department and contact information. • If you are unsure of who your advisor is, ask Dr. Workman at the next session.

24. How was My Advisor Selected? • Advisors are assigned according to the field of interest expressed by the student on the Admissions Application. • The advisor will be from a department that was listed as one of the student’s top three fields of interest.

25. What if My Field of Interest has Changed? • All advisors can help a student through orientation and registration, even if the advisor is from a different department than the student’s field of interest. • After registration, a student is welcome to change advisors if she wishes. Contact the M Center for instructions.

26. What Does My Advisor Do? • Assists you with your academic plan • Approves your selection of courses and releases your registration hold allowing you to register online • Provides resources if you need assistance in non-academic areas

27. When Do I Meet My Advisor? • You will meet your advisor in a group session following this session. • Your advisor will be available for an individual appointment with you starting at 1:00 this afternoon and through tomorrow at 4:00. • You may arrange your appointment by phoning or emailing your advisor.

28. What Do I Need to Bring to my Advising Appointment? • Registration Agreement Form • Trial Worksheet with at least a tentative schedule worked out • Any questions

29. Are there Specific Classes I Need to Take Now? • COLL 005 • ENG 001 (if you are required to take it based on the English Placement Test results) • COLL 060 (if you are entering as a sophomore)

30. Registration

31. When and How Do I Register? • Registration takes place Tuesday through Friday, August 22 through 25, from 9:00 am to 11:59 pm. • Registration is done online (or in person at the M Center during regular business hours)

32. How Do I Prepare for Registration? • Make sure you can access your myMILLs account. • Meet with your advisor prior to registration. • Bring a Registration Agreement Form to the meeting • Bring a tentative schedule to this meeting.

33. Selecting Courses • Use the online or printed catalog to look up course requirements. • Use the online or printed course schedule to find out when classes meet. • The online schedule is the most up-to-date. • The online schedule allows you to click on the CRN to see the course description.

34. Other Resources for Selecting Courses Links to the right of the online schedule provide additional information: • “Search the Schedule” allows you to search the schedule by subject, time, etc. • “Curriculum Listings” gives you a list of the General Education courses that are being offered this fall.

35. Other Resources for Selecting Courses • “Special Topics Course Descriptions” provides descriptions not available in the catalog. • “Course Loads and Credits” defines full-time (3.5 credits) and a normal course load (4.25 credits).

36. Registration Agreement Form • The courses that you and your advisor agree on are listed on the Registration Agreement Form • You keep this form to refer to when you register online. • If you register at the M Center you need to bring this form, signed by your advisor. • Your advisor may use this form as a contract between the two of you.

37. Do I Have to Register Before Classes Begin? • You do not have to be registered before classes begin, but you must register by 11:59 pm on August 25 (or 4:00 pm if registering in the M Center). • Faculty understand that students may be attending the first one or two sessions of their class without being registered.

38. How Do I Register? • Your advisor releases your online registration hold • You go into your myMILLS account to “Registration Information” • All the instructions for registering are under “Register/Add/Drop Classes”

39. Signature Requirements • To register online, advisor electronically releases online registration hold • To register in person at the M Center, advisor signs the Registration Agreement Form • To add a class after online registration, advisor must sign Add/Drop form • If class is closed the instructor must sign the Add/Drop Form • To drop after online registration, advisor must sign add/drop form • Instructor must sign if drop is after September 6

40. Special Issues • Don’t register for science labs

41. Important Dates and Deadlines • Classes begin Wednesday, August 23, 2006. • Courses must be added by the end of the 2nd week of classes (Sep. 6) • Courses may be dropped through the 8th week of classes (October 18) • Always check the Academic Calendar for specific deadlines and dates

42. M CenterRecords Staff • Alice Knudsen, Registrar • Kristen Smith, Associate Registrar • Teresa Liu, Administrative Assistant • Stacey Duschl, Administrative Assistant • We hire 3 work/study students each year

43. M Center Records Contact Information General Records Assistance: • Email records@mills.edu Academic Standing Petitions • Email aknudsen@mills.edu Transfer Credit Evaluations • Email krsmith@mills.edu

44. 15 Minute Break

45. Financial Aid • Recordkeeping • Reapplying for financial aid • Requirements for receiving your financial aid • Check-In • Registration/full-time enrollment • All documents received/requirements met

46. Financial Aid • Maintaining eligibility for financial aid • Effect of changes in enrollment, housing status, etc. on financial aid award • Outside scholarships/private loans • How and when your financial aid will be disbursed

47. Student Accounts Refer to Student Bill in Handout

48. Student Accounts • Compilation of Charges (tuition and fees) and Payments(payments and financial aid) • You must “clear” your account by August 1 for Fall semester and January 3 for Spring semester by paying in full, having financial aid that covers your balance or paying your first installment payment to Tuition Management Systems.

49. Student Accounts • Medical waivers must be completed and received by August 1 for Fall semester, and January 3 for Spring semester.

50. Student Accounts • Bills are sent to the student using the hierarchy of: • PO- post office box assigned to residential students • MA- mailing address if living off campus • PR- permanent address • If the bill should be sent to someone other than the student, then a billing address (BI) must be provided.