fcc-catalog

175 / 209

2018/2019 fcc catalog
170 • 301.846.2400
Students with Disabilities –The Testing Center has
provisions for ADA accommodations. Students with
disabilities who need accommodations for placement
testing or departmental exams must contact the
Director of Services for Students with Disabilities
(SSD) at 301.846.2408 before coming in for a test.
CLEP and DSST –Both credit-by-examination exams
provide individuals the opportunity to receive credit
for college-level achievement. Examinations are fee
based and are administered in the Testing Center
by appointment by calling the Testing Center at
301.846.2522.
Community Proctoring Services–External
distance and professional certification exam
proctoring is a fee-based service that extends
the Testing Center services into the community.
Examinations are arranged through the Testing
Center in conjunction with the student’s educational
institution or employer. Please contact the Testing
Center Director for further information.
Distributed Learning
Students can expect that technology is utilized to
enhance learning and promote information literacy.
Online courses provide distance learning options for
students. All campus-based course sections require
access to the course Blackboard website. Students
enrolled in those courses are expected to participate
through the Blackboard format using their own or
appropriate college-available computers.
Counseling & Advising
Mission Statement
Counseling & Advising strives to empower all
students to achieve their personal, academic,
and career goals by providing tools and
resources to encourage self-directed learning.
The office offers innovative, student-centered
programs and services to meet the diverse and
ever-changing needs of the community.
Department Overview
The Counseling & Advising Office has a wide range
of services and resources to assist students with their
career and transfer planning. Whether you need
assistance exploring options, making decisions,
preparing and implementing an action plan, and/or
moving on to your next destination in reaching your
career and transfer goals, we are here to help. For
more information, call 301.846.2471.
Career Planning Services
The college offers many types of career planning
assistance to help students make appropriate choices.
Students who are not sure where to begin their career
and college major exploration are encouraged to
make an individual appointment with a career advisor
within the office of Counseling and Advising. This
personal approach to career and major exploration is
recommended to begin early in a student’s college
experience. To make an appointment with a career
advisor, call 301.846.2471.
Students may also be interested in a structured
approach to career planning through the classroom
and enroll in courses such as ACE 110- Career
Assessment & Planning or ACE 111-A – Choosing
a Major or Career. A planned approach to career
development is facilitated by the instructor and
students have the opportunity to reflect on their
experiences with other students who are going
through the same process.
There are numerous online career resources to assist
students. This is an option for students who want to
begin career exploration on their own as a starting
point. On the Career Services website at www.
there is a specific section
on Major and Career Exploration where students
can begin to evaluate their skills, interests, values,
and personality. Focus2 is a comprehensive online
platform that allows students to assess all of these
areas and generate possible career options and major
areas of study. Students can also begin to explore
what they can do with their major with regard to
careers and then research careers through a number
of comprehensive resources. The career services
website also includes information on the Job Search,
Experiential Learning, and a link to the Library’s
Resource Guide on Careers and Jobs.
Career Services also hosts a robust recruiting program
with a diverse pool of employers. Throughout
the academic year, employers schedule days on
campus to talk with students about part-time jobs,
internships, and full-time career opportunities. A
full list of employers participating in the on-campus
recruiting program can be found on the college
events calendar, in addition to the Student Portal
and College Central Network. College Central
Network ) is
the online recruiting platform where students can
search for part-time jobs, internships, and full-time
jobs. The recruiting platform is also a robust portal
of job search information and includes Podcasts,
videos, and documents to helps students with
resume development, interviewing, the job search,
networking, cover letters, and internships.
Networking with employers is very beneficial for
students to help explore options in the workplace
and gain experience. Students are encouraged to
stop by the on-campus recruiting tables throughout
the academic year, as well as attend Career Fairs.
Career Fairs are usually organized by industry and
are planned in collaboration with academic program
managers. Career Fairs can be found on College
Central Network where students can also find
the valuable information about the organizations
attending and how to prepare for the events.
Students are encouraged to utilize the varied career
resources available to them during their time at
Frederick Community College. Alumni are also able to
access career services. For more information, visit the
Career Services website at
Career Planning Courses
The three-credit course Career Assessment and
Planning (ACE 110) is beneficial to students who
need a comprehensive, structured approach to career
planning. In this elective course, students will first
assess their skills, interests, personality and values.
Not only will they uncover many hidden talents,
they will also identify what they need to be satisfied
in a job. After completing this self-assessment, they
will explore the occupational world for careers that
match their attributes. In addition to developing
decision-making skills, students will learn how to
develop objectives and action plans to help achieve
their goals.
Transfer Planning Services
From the time students select their first course, they
are making decisions that greatly affect their transfer
plans. For this reason, it is important that students
work closely with an advisor for course scheduling
and transfer planning.
The Counseling & Advising Office has a variety of
print and electronic resources available to help
with transfer planning. The center has Internet
access so that students can view college websites
and access online transfer resources. ARTSYS, a
computerized articulation system created especially
to help community college students transfer to
Maryland four-year institutions, is available, as well
as College Board, which is an online resource that
enables students to conduct a college search using
criteria such as major, size of enrollment, geographic
location, cost and available student activities. College
Source also allows students to view college catalogs
from across the nation.
A library containing in-state and many close, out-of-
state college catalogs and brochures is available for
student use.
Transfer guides outlining the majors offered
and requirements of the colleges to which our
students most frequently transfer are maintained
in the Counseling & Advising Office. Resource
books such as Peterson’s Guide to Four-Year
Colleges, The College Board Guide to Campus
Visits and College Interviews, and The College
Board Index of Majors are also available.
Transfer workshops covering topics such as how
to select a transfer school, the application process,
transfer scholarships and practical information
on the transfer process are offered throughout
the year. Transfer counselors are also available to
meet individually with students to help develop
individualized transfer plans.