Welcome to the J.A.L.C. Advisement Blog!

Jane Minton, Director of Advisement at John A. Logan College, is the author of this blog.
She will attempt to inform you of important events relevant to academic advisement at the College.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Self Registration and Advisement

Registering one's self for classes can be an easy or a tricky thing... depending on how well prepared one is.  Here's a step-by-step procedure for successful self-registration: You need to know what you're doing!  Do some homework before registering for classes.

1.  What is your major?  Check your curriculum guide before choosing your classes.  You probably want to take classes you need rather than classes that won't count toward your degree.  If you know what your major is, you can find your curriculum guide here:  JALC Degrees and Certificates  The curriculum guide is a list of classes you need to complete in order to earn your desired degree or certificate.  If you're uncertain but want to transfer, you should use the Associate of Arts (General) or the Associate of Science (General) degree NOT the Associate in General Studies degree.

2.  Look at the required classes on your curriculum guide and think about what you might want to take.  Some curriculum guides are very specific as to what classes you need.  Others give you choices.  If you have choices, they will probably appear as "Fine Arts Elective," "Humanities Elective," "Social Science Elective," or "Science Elective."  This is the tricky part!  For example, don't just assume that because a course is an "art" course that it will count as an "Art Elective."  The same holds true for all of the specified electives.  You can find exactly which courses count as which electives here: Choosing Electives  This is very important!  The courses listed in the left hand column meet specific elective requirements.  The course in the right hand column are general electives that all transfer but don't necessarily meet the specific requirements for fine arts, humanities, social science, and science electives. Very few of the specified majors allow for general electives.  The Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees allow for as few as 12 or as many as 23 hours of general electives.  Your total credits for these two degrees should add up to 62. You subtract all of the required classes on your curriculum guide from 62 to find how many general electives you can take. If you don't see the words "General Elective" on your curriculum guide, you must stick with the courses listed or choose courses from those specified in the left hand column.  Make a list of what courses you need and might want to take for the coming semester.

3.  Now look at the schedule of course offerings for the semester you want.  JALC Schedule Summer 2014 and/or JALC Schedule Fall 2014 Find the courses on your list and see when they're offered. If you want more information about a particular class, look it up in the JALC Catalog.  If you're still not certain, you can look at the syllabus for the course from the current (or previous) semester. You can find syllabi back to 2005 at:  JALC Syllabi Portal   Decide which classes you want and work out a schedule that pleases you.  Perhaps you want a particular teacher?  Perhaps you can only come to school or certain days or at certain times? Maybe you MUST have certain classes in order to graduate at a certain time?  It is your choice!

4. Keep in mind that, if you receive financial aid, your financial aid will cover ONLY classes required for your degree -- the courses listed on your curriculum guide or their prerequisites.

5.  If you have questions at this point, contact your advisor.  Make an appointment to talk or to ask questions rather than an  appointment to register for classes. Your advisor is there to help you make the right decisions but can't put you in classes until a week after online advisement becomes available.

6.  Now that you know what you want, it's time to log in to WEBLINK using your JALC ID number and password and register for classes. WEBLINK will only work with Internet Explorer so please use it rather than Firefox or another browser.  If you don't know your ID or password, go here: I.D./Password Request Form.  Complete the form and your ID and password will be emailed to you.

7. Using WEBLINK is pretty easy!  Once you're in, click on Registration (left column) and choose the semester for which you want to register.  You will then be able to see your schedule as it exists for the semester you've chosen.  If you're registering for the first time for that semester, you won't be in any classes.  You can find your classes by searching Schedule of Classes or by clicking on Add Courses.  Add the courses you want and be sure to hit Save when you are finished. If you can't add the courses you want (perhaps because there's a prerequisite) or you run into any other kind of problem, contact your advisor.  He or she may be able to help you immediately or may need you to come in for an appointment.

Registering one's self for classes is a great option for students. It does require the student to accept responsibility for what he or she signs up for.  If you choose to participate in online registration, it's always a good idea to make an appointment with your advisor to be sure you're in the correct classes for your degree.

Remember... your advisor is there to help you get it right so don't hesitate to contact him or her with questions before or after you register!

Good luck!

Spring Transfer Day - March 26, 2014

Spring Transfer Day is an event for all students interested in transferring to a college or university after they leave Logan.  About twenty-five college, universities, and organizations will be on campus to provide information on transferring.  From all over the midwest, reps will come to share information on different programs their school or organization offers.  All will be able to provide information on admissions requirements and dates.  Most will have financial aid information and some will even have scholarships to award on the spot.

Any student interested in transferring will find it profitable to visit as many tables as possible in order to compare options and opportunities.

Come join us for Transfer Day!  Tables will be set up in the Lower West Lobby from 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 26.  This is an event you will enjoy!

If you can't make it to Transfer Day, stop by C204, the Academic Advisement Center, where we have a library of information on many schools to which you might want to transfer. The advisement staff will be happy to assist you.

Upcoming Important Dates for Summer 2014 and Fall 2014


Summer Semester 2014

Advisement Continuing students........... April 1
New students...................................... April 14
Walk-ins............................................. June 2
Last day to register.............................. June 5
Late Registration.................................. June 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.
See Summer Class Schedule for Fee Payment Due Dates
Instruction begins...............................June 09
Last day to withdraw with 100% refund... June 12
Last day to withdraw with “W” grade....... July 24

Holiday—Independence Day.............. July 4

Final exams (Thursday)......................... July 31
Summer semester ends........................ Aug. 15

Fall Semester 2014
Advisement Continuing students........... April 1
New students...................................... April 14
Walk-ins..............................................August 4
Late Registration
August 4—7........................... .8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.
August 8..................................8:30 a.m.—3:30 p.m.
August 11—14......................... 8:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.
August 15 (last day to register). 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m.
See Fall Class Schedule for Fee Payment Due Dates
Instruction begins.............................. Aug. 18
Block Scheduling
first half................................... Aug. 18 (M)—Oct. 9 (Th)
second half.............................. Oct. 10 (F)—Dec. 8 (M)
Last day to withdraw with 100% refund
first half block.......................... August 22
full semester courses............... August 29
second half block.................... October 16
Last day to withdraw with “W” grade
first half block.......................... October 1        
full semester courses and......... Nov. 25
second half block.................... Nov. 25
Holidays

Labor Day............................................ Sept. 1

Veteran’s Day...................................... Nov. 11

Thanksgiving Break (Wed.—Sat.).......... Nov. 26—29

Christmas Day..................................... Dec. 25

Final exams (Tues.—Fri.)...................... Dec. 9—12

Fall semester ends............................... Dec. 31

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Illinois College Exposition

Join us for the Illinois College Exposition on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.  Approximately 50 colleges, universities, and other groups from several midwestern states will have booths set up with staff to tell you about their school.  This event is aimed at high school students but everyone is welcome!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Fall 2010

School is now in its third week  Hard to believe!

During walk-in registration we registered slightly over 1,000 students.  Most of the students were registering for their general studies for an Associate of Arts degree.  This is a good time to mention that a student who has some idea of what he wants for the future probably needs to tell his advisor rather than just asking for his "generals."  There a very few general studies classes that absolutely everyone needs. 

Working on an Associate in Arts or Science means the "generals" will be completed by the student choosing which classes he wants to fulfill certain requirements. Some majors have specific requirements for the general studies classes and some do not. It's important to find out if the major one is interested in has specific requirements so those classes can be chosen for the Associate of Arts or Science degree.

It's not necessary to choose a major right away (and sometimes that's the BEST idea) but even if you have a rough idea of what you might like... maybe science or business or teaching... it's good to discuss this with your advisor so you can find out what is required and try some of the classes to see if you like them or not.

Your advisor is there to help guide you on the right path.  We like success!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Fall semester 2010 -- right around the corner!

Wow!  Fall semester is right around the corner! What an exciting time for all of us! Here is some info for students, both new and returning...

We now have student IDs! The JALC OneCard is your ID, your library card, your pass to the Saluki bus, your ticket for movie theater discounts, and the way you’ll receive any financial aid funds. New students will have their photos on the cards. The first week of school, campus safety officers will be set up in the west lobby to take photos. After that, students should go to the Campus Safety Office, E105, to have their photos taken. You'll receive your OneCard a week or two after your photo is taken. It looks like a credit card so be sure NOT to throw it away -- there is a charge for replacement.

Be sure to sign up for weather/closure text alerts through our VOLtxt Alert System. This system will send a text message to your phone to let you know if the campus will be closed. This is particularly important in the winter.  Who wants to drive 30 miles in a blizzard to find the campus is closed?  Of course, you can find this information on our local radio and tv stations but the text message will let you know as soon as the decision is made.

WebLink is our online system to register for classes, make changes to your schedule, pay your bill, and a way to order your transcript. To access Weblink, you'll need your student ID number and a password. The following link takes you to the WebLink portal: Click here to log on to your account via WEBLINK. And another important link:  Click here if you do not know your JALC id number or password

Be sure your information is up-to-date with the Admissions Office. Many advisors and teachers (and the Financial Aid Office) communicate by email.  If the teacher is going to cancel class or the financial aid office has important information for you, they might send an email. You want to be sure your email address is in the system and is correct. If you don't have an email address, you'll want to get one and let the Admissions Office know what it is.

If you have questions about any of these things, ask your advisor!