Mission | Enrollment
Services | Advising & Counseling | Career
Services | Job Placement
Job Shadowing | Personal
Counseling | Students
with Disabilities | Students
with Learning Disabilities
Health Services | Visions | Vocational
Education |Web
Services | Student Email
The Division of Student Services and Enrollment Management at MWCC offers an extensive array of support services and programs to enhance each student’s academic, career, and personal development. These services include academic advisement; financial aid; records; transfer guidance; job placement; career planning; personal counseling; student life; health and wellness center; and services for students with disabilities. Students are encouraged to become thoroughly familiar with these resources and to use them as often as they wish.
Mission
The Division of Student Services & Enrollment Management is committed to providing services to students to aid them in developing a better understanding of their individual values, ethics, goals, and responsibilities as well as an increased ability to resolve problems and engage in critical thinking and reasoning. The division establishes standards of behavior to teach students to accept personal responsibility for their learning and their actions. The Division of Student Services & Enrollment Management works with the Division of Academic Affairs and other college departments to support students in their career and personal growth through educational activities and programs. These include opportunities to experience, appreciate, and contribute to the multitude of ideas and experiences contained in the diverse college community. The division strives to continuously improve the quality and convenience of the services by effectively managing both human and fiscal resources to ensure the provision of services that support individual and institutional goals. The Division of Student Services & Enrollment Management conducts formative evaluation of the students’ needs and the division’s performance in meeting the determined needs.
Enrollment Center
After placement testing is completed, students meet with an adviser in the enrollment center. The adviser will guide students in initial course selections to meet his or her degree requirement. The adviser will also explain academic standards, college policies and procedures, and provide information regarding support services.
Advising & Counseling Center
Advising and counseling services for current MWCC students are housed in the Advising & Counseling Center. The staff is comprised of professionals with expertise in various counseling areas including transfer, career, job placement, and personal counseling. Students are assisted with general advising concerns and guided to their individual faculty advisers. Resources are available to assist students in personal decision making, course selection, access to web-based services, full-and part-time job opportunities, and other student-centered needs.
Advising Services
Students are assigned faculty or staff advisers at the beginning of their first semester. Throughout their enrollment at MWCC, advisers guide students by: helping them select courses that meet degree requirements; explaining academic standards, college policies, and procedures; and helping students access support services. Students should meet with advisers often to ensure they are making wise academic and career decisions. They should also consult with their adviser prior to adding or dropping courses, before changing curricula, if they are experiencing difficulty in courses, or having problems that interfere with educational progress.
Although faculty and staff advisers are available to assist students in achieving educational goals, students are responsible for making sure they meet degree requirements and other graduation criteria. It is extremely important that students follow their advisers’ recommendations to prevent unnecessary problems. Students may request a faculty adviser other than the one assigned to them. Evening students have advisers available to them through the enrollment center in Gardner or by appointment at the Leominster or Devens campuses. To schedule an appointment with an adviser, please call, (978) 630-9274 or (978) 630-9362.
Career Services
Establishing a career goal should be a thoughtful and deliberate process. Students interested in exploring career opportunities for the first time, or those changing career direction, are encouraged to work closely with the career counselors.
A variety of career assessments are available to students for identifying their personality type or interests and skills, valuable information that will assist them in making appropriate career decisions. Counselors will direct students to available resources that can provide the most current information on the world of work and employment trends. In addition, career counselors work closely with the job shadowing specialist to further assist students in the career decision-making process.
Job Shadowing
Job shadowing provides an opportunity for students to enter the private/public job sector to observe someone in a particular career field of interest. Students may spend anywhere from a few hours to a full day in a job shadowing experience. Students benefit by clarifying career goals, learning positive work habits, obtaining first-hand information from those experienced in the field, adding experiences to their resumes and portfolios, and enhancing personal growth and development. For more information, contact the Advising & Counseling Center.
Job Placement
Job placement services are offered to students seeking either part or full-time employment. Full-and part-time positions are posted on the job board outside of the Advising & Counseling Center for all interested students. Job openings from employers in business, industry, social services, and health fields are included. MWCC’s job referral system assists students in obtaining employment related to their field of study. Seminars and individual sessions on resume writing and interviewing techniques are also offered. An annual job fair is held during the spring semester, giving students the opportunity to meet and interview with employers. Employers visit the college campus during the academic year with full-and part-time openings. For assistance with the job search process, including resume preparation and job postings, stop by the placement office in Room 135.
Personal Counseling
The counseling staff is available to assist students with personal, social, academic, educational, and career concerns. Professional counselors provide a confidential atmosphere for students to discuss and explore feelings, attitudes, values, and lifestyles. No issue is too big or too small. When appropriate, counselors will assist students with a referral to a community resource. Although there are several professional counselors throughout the campus, the college counselor, located in the Advising & Counseling Center, is available to assist students directly or to introduce them to a counselor who will best meet their individual needs.
Services for Students With Disabilities
All curricula at MWCC are open and accessible to all qualified individuals with disabilities. A disability, defined as a “handicap” under Federal law, is any significant disabling condition that interferes with any substantial life activity. Substantial life activities include: the ability to care for oneself, the ability to walk, the ability to hear or see, or any other ability considered to be a major life activity. Examples of disabilities include, but are not limited to: spinal cord injuries, visual impairments, specific learning disabilities, head injuries, hearing impairments, arthritis, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, mental/emotional disabilities, seizure disorders, and communication disorders.
MWCC has various types of assistance available to support qualified students with disabilities. Appropriate documentation is required. Available supportive services include, but are not limited to: reserved parking, elevator privileges, note-takers/scribes, extended time exams/alternative testing, study skills/tutoring, personal/vocational counseling, consultation with faculty addressing individual issues, assistance in obtaining auxiliary aids (e.g., tape recorders, spell check, etc.), and the use of adaptive computer technology. Services are provided by a team of professional counselors who are available to assist students with disabilities. To access these services, contact the coordinator for students with disabilities, (978) 630-9120.
Services for Students with Learning Disabilities
Students who wish to access services based on a learning disability must provide current appropriate documentation. They are assisted with understanding their individual learning profiles. Appropriate adjustments are then recommended. Services, based on the recommendation, are provided through the academic support center. To access these services, contact the counselor for students with disabilities, (978) 630-9120.
Health Services
Health and wellness services are provided by the college nurse. The health services office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The nurse is available for walk-in visits and by appointment. Nursing assessment and education is provided. Referrals are made to appropriate health care providers. The staff offers holistic health care that is respectful of each individual’s mind, body, and spirit.
The Student Support Services Program: Visions
The Visions Program is an educational opportunity TRIO/Student Support Services program funded by the US Department of Education. It is designed to help students persist in college through graduation and to assist those who wish to transfer to a four-year institution. Services include personal, academic, and transfer counseling; professional tutoring; career awareness and study skills seminars; a computer lab and study center; learning communities; services to students with learning disabilities; and supplemental instruction in biology and mathematics. In accordance with TRIO eligibility requirements, the Visions Program provides services to students from families where neither parent has earned a four-year degree; who have disabilities; or who come from limited-income backgrounds. MWCC students who meet at least one of these criteria, and who are in need of academic support, are strongly encouraged to apply. For applications and additional information, please contact the Visions Program, (978) 630-9297.
The Vocational Education Program
The Carl D. Perkins Basic Allocation Federal Grant funds the vocational education program that provides a variety of services to students enrolled in occupational programs at the college. These services assist students in reaching their academic and career goals through academic support and career education. Individual job placement and career counseling services are provided for students, along with group workshops, printed information, and seminars on topics such as portfolio development, all aspects of industries, job requirements, non-traditional occupations, gender equity jobs, resume writing, interviewing skills, and job readiness.
Web Services
The college offers students easy access to many of their student records through online services via WebConnect at www.mwcc.edu. Currently enrolled and former students may access their records by using a college- assigned username and password. Students’ personal information, academic transcript, course schedule, billing information, and financial aid information are available at this secure location. Additionally, students or prospective students may access the college catalog, general financial aid information, and course offerings (schedule information) without a username or password.
Currently enrolled students may register for a class and add or drop courses using the WebConnect system. It is always recommended that students consult with a faculty advisor prior to making course selections. Students may also pay their bills online at any time after the completion of their registration.
Student Electronic Mail (email)
At point of acceptance at the college, students are issued passwords and usernames for a college sponsored email account. The email system allows enhanced communication between faculty, staff, and students. Students may still use their own non-college sponsored email accounts on campus.