A: Students are assigned a faculty advisor in their academic department.

• Look on your Plan of Study (in your SIRS account). Your advisor’s name should be at the top.
• View your academic department’s web page. Most departments display a listing of advisors.
• Ask at the Help Desk in Payne Hall or at the Rome Registrar’s Office
• Ask your academic department secretary.

A: If you are not matriculated, but want advice on selecting a course or courses to take at MVCC, e-mail advisement or call 315.731.5818.

A: Your advisor will help you to clarify your educational, career and life goals and assist in selecting the most appropriate courses to meet your needs. Both students and advisors have important roles and responsibilities in the advising process. Ultimately, you are the one who schedules and registers for your courses.

A: When you first begin an academic program at MVCC, you will need to see an advisor. The advisor will open your Plan of Study and explain it to you. Your Plan of Study is a tool you can use to stay on track toward your degree or certificate. We recommend that you see your advisor at least once per semester, and especially prior to scheduling your next term’s courses. If you want to register for a course that is not a part of your plan of study or you want to register for an elective course, your advisor must enter those selections into your Plan of Study prior to your registration.

A: You should meet with your advisor whenever you have a question about academic issues, your plan of study, campus resources, or possible graduation. You should also meet with your advisor every semester before you register for classes.

A: An MVCC student contemplating changing his or her major must meet with a Counselor to start the change. After exploring requirements and goals, the request to change majors will be submitted to the new program for approval. The entire process may take several days for completion. After the request has been submitted, students must meet with their new Academic Advisor to choose classes and ensure program requirements for graduation. Requests for change of major must be submitted in person. Students do not need an appointment to meet with a Counselor.

A: The Counseling Center offers career resources including a software program called "CHOICES" that can help students identify areas of strengths and interest, and point them toward possible careers. In addition, Counselors are available to discuss your interest in possible majors as well as to explain how those majors relate to employment and/or transfer to four year colleges. Students do not need an appointment to meet with a Counselor.

A: MVCC courses are listed in our online course search. You can search by campus and campus or academic department. A more extensive search function is available from within your SIRS account. There you can search by day of the week, time of day, and other criteria. It is usually possible to view at least one semester in advance. In general, the schedule for Fall is available the previous March, and the schedule for Spring is available the previous October.

A: Yes, you need to secure your classes with the Business Office. Whether you use financial aid, pay by FACTS (online payment or payment plan), credit card, check, cash, or third party payer such as an employer, you always need to secure your schedule by notifying the Business Office of how you will be paying.

A: You can drop a course until the last day to withdraw on the Academic Calendar. However you should check with the Financial Aid office about whether withdrawal from a course will affect your full-time status for financial aid eligibility. You may add a course to your schedule during the first week of the semester without any special permission. After the first week, you need the instructor's signature. After the second week, you need the signature of both the instructor and the academic Department Head.

A: Billing hours includes non-credit courses such as preparatory math, reading, chemistry, and writing. These courses do not offer college credit or count toward your degree. However, they do count toward your tuition bill, and they count as part of your course load for the purposes of financial aid eligibility.

A: Based on your placement test results and the requirements of your degree or certificate program, you may be required to take preparatory non-credit courses. The purpose is to help students strengthen skills in critical areas so that they will be successful in subsequent credit bearing coursework.

A: The higher grade will count in your GPA. However both grades appear on your MVCC transcript. Students should be aware that repeating a course when a passing grade was received (D or above) could affect financial aid eligibility. Be sure to consult a financial aid counselor or academic advisor.

A: Make an appointment with your academic advisor to review your Plan of Study together. It is best to do this before you schedule your courses for the next semester, and always before you schedule your courses for the semester in which you intend to graduate.

A: In addition to completing all degree or certificate requirements, you need to file an "Application to Graduate" card at the Registrar’s Office. You should complete the card and submit it at the start of the semester in which you intend to graduate. There is a graduation fee of $25.

A: Generally courses completed with grades of C or better are transferable. However, each college has specific program requirements and criteria. For transfer questions contact the Counseling Office, your academic advisor, or the Admissions Office of the college where you plan to transfer.

A: Yes! Students first matriculated at MVCC Fall 2000 or after must complete the SUNY General Education Requirements. Be sure to review this information with your academic advisor.

At MVCC the following courses may be counted toward the SUNY General Education requirement.