BCC provides confidential advising and counseling services free to all students through the Department of Academic Advisement and Transfer. The Academic Advisement staff is committed to helping you plan an academic program consistent with your degree and/or career objectives. Counseling services include academic, career, transfer, vocational and personal counseling in both individual and group settings.

Advising

Counseling Services

• Individual Appointments
• Walk-in Advising
• Staff
• Career Resources

Academic Advising

• How to utilize the BCC Catalog
• When should I see my advisor?
• What if my major is incorrect?
• What if I'm undecided?
• Directory of Advisors
• Ask Your Advisor!
• Counseling Website

Counseling Services
BCC's counselors and academic advisors are available to:

1. Aid you in making decisions about career choices, educational programs, majors or other developmental issues;
2. Help you assess your skills and motivation in academic matters;
3. Enable you to gain greater self-understanding, acceptance and a positive, yet realistic self-image; and
4. Assist you with choosing appropriate courses for your major and transfer goals.

In addition, our counselors can:

1. Provide support for students during an emotional crisis and make appropriate referrals to an outside agency, and
2. Assist students in improving social and family relationships.

Individual Appointments

Appointments can be made in person in Room 311 Parker Center, Pemberton Campus or by calling the office. You may schedule your appointment for the Pemberton or Mt. Laurel Campus or the Willingboro Center. Day and evening appointments are available at Pemberton and Mt. Laurel. Always schedule an appointment when you wish to discuss career concerns, personal issues, transfer assistance and change of majors due to uncertainty of your present choice of major.

Walk-in Advising

Walk-in advising times, limited to 10-15 minutes, are provided when you wish to obtain information and assistance shouldn't require a longer scheduled appointment time with a counselor or advisor. Most often, these walk-in appointments involve questions concerning the catalog, simple registration issues, or referral to other offices or resources. If more time is required to meet your needs, a follow-up appointment will be scheduled. Advising assistants may refer you to an academic advisor or counselor for more in-depth coverage of issues, if appropriate.

Staff

Counseling services through the Department of Academic Advisement and Transfer is staffed by a Director and four master's-level counselors or advisors. All staff counselors are Professional licensed Counselors through the State of New Jersey and nationally certified through the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.

• Louvenia Harmon, MA, NCC, LPC (lharmon@bcc.edu, 7214) - Counselor, Assistant Professor
• Louise Rubalow, MA, NCC, LPC (lrubalow@bcc.edu, x7218) - Counselor, Assistant Professor
• Kristen Bocci, MA  (kbocci@bcc.edu, x6533) - Academic Advisor
• Janet Correa (jcorrea@bcc.edu, x1461) - Counseling Assistant
• Donna Podolski (dpodolskbcc.edu, x7337) - Assistant, Academic Support Services
• Dr. Robert Ariosto (rariosto@bcc.edu, x3889) - Transfer Coordinator

Career Resources

Need help making career decisions? Counseling services offers the following career services to assist you in finding the career that's right for you:

• Interest surveys
• Values Inventories
• Personality Inventories
• Career Resources

Career counseling for presently enrolled students is available free of charge. Please ask for a scheduled one-hour appointment.

The second floor of the BCC Library on the Pemberton Campus houses the College's Career Resources area. This area includes materials, books and other information on issues connected with careers, transfer, job search, interviewing and employment issues.

For additional resources, visit the counseling staff's career exploration web page: http://staff.bcc.edu/counseling/career4

Academic Advising

• Assignment to Faculty Advisors
• How to utilize the BCC Catalog
• When should I see my advisor?
• What if my major is incorrect?
• What if I'm undecided?
• Directory of Advisors
• Ask Your Advisor!
• Counseling Website

The College's Academic Advisement system is designed to provide you with the academic information you need to manage BCC's graduation and transfer requirements. When appropriate, the staff may refer you to outside agencies.

Assignment to Faculty Advisors

If you are a full-time student who has taken or is currently registered for ENG 101, and you have declared an academic major, you will be assigned a faculty advisor who specializes in your major. It is important, therefore, that your major be accurately recorded in your student records. If you are unsure of your major or want to change your major, contact Counseling or Advising in the Student Service Center (Pemberton) or the main office in the Technology & Engineering Center (TEC) in Mount Laurel. You are strongly encouraged to meet with your advisor prior to registering for the next semester.

If you are on academic probation or dismissal status, you are required to meet a member of the academic advisement/counseling staff in order to register for classes.

If you are one of the many students who have not been assigned to an advisor for a variety of reasons, the Academic Advisement Office and one of the many faculty members on campus can assist you with questions. You do not have to be assigned to receive advice or counsel from an advisor.

Walk-in counseling and advisement appointments are available during days and evenings at the Pemberton and Mt. Laurel Campuses, and the Willingboro Center. Students are encouraged to call Extension 7349 for information on weekly hours and/or to schedule an appointment.

How to Utilize the BCC Catalog

BCC will be happy to work with you to bring any Career Development or credit courses to your worksite and customize it for your business applications.

See also:
The BCC Catalog

Donna Podolski of the Academic Advising staff offers these helpful tips on using one of your most important student resources -- the BCC Catalog -- to your best advantage.

So.... you are now a student. Here's the first important rule of thumb: The college catalog is your academic bible and road map for the duration of your enrollment at BCC. DO NOT LOSE IT! There is more information compressed in the pages of this important tool then you could ever guess.

For those of you who have opened the catalog, and read (at the very least) your "program description," I congratulate and thank you. You are on your way to self-reliance! For those who have not, let's get acquainted with the catalog together:

• First, open to pages 37-40. It is here you will learn into which Associate's program your declared major resides. You will also read about the degree requirements and the basic General Education (GenEds) requirements. Please note that these are just general requirements needed for graduation! These courses will allow you to graduate after you take additional coursework to complete at least 60-68 credits. You will need that many credits (dependent on your program) in order to graduate with an Associate's Degree. Now, turn the page to your declared major.......
• This is where you will find the additional courses needed in your specific major.
  Advising Forms for the AA, AS, and AAS degrees appear on pages 43-48. Pick the form that matches your degree goal. Utilize the "GenEds" page to begin to fill in the front pages (This is a very useful tool). Turn the form over and you will find spaces for your program courses and electives needed to graduate.
• Now, go to your declared major page - (pages 50-107). On that page, will be a listing of program courses. Some of you may get a choice as to what courses you will take. Others will have no choice at all. Please fill in the blanks of your form.
• Electives are courses that you either took for personal interest or career exploration or just to fulfill college transfer requirements. The total elective credits needed are also listed on your program page.
• Now you are ready to see an advisor, or if you are planning to transfer, to compare the courses you picked at BCC to area colleges to see what will transfer best. If you prefer, you can use the articulation books located at the college libraries front desks for a reference or check various online resources.
• Last but not least - - - Course Descriptions can be found on (pages 108-131). If you are unsure of what the class is, now is the time to look at the descriptions. Also listed are prerequisites, credit hours and which semesters the courses will be offered.

The BCC catalog is also full of information on clubs, rules and regulations, academic information/regulations, grading systems, special programs, financial aid, student services and much, much more. Don't delay ...PULL UP THAT CHAIR AND READ. Reading your College Catalog is fundamental to your success here at BCC.
Any questions or comments? Contact Donna Podolski at dpodolsk@bcc.edu

When Should I See My Advisor?

Students assigned an Academic Advisor should schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

The earlier in the semester the better. The advisor is available to help you decipher all the catalog language that confuses you. They can relate BCC's requirement to your career and/or transfer goals and help you with problems that occur within the academic year.

Inside the BCC catalog there are blank degree sheets which should be completed in reference to your degree and major. Take this planning tool along with you to see your advisor. If adjustments need to be made, the advisor can guide you toward your ultimate goal.

Consult the Directory of Advisors. Please note that if you wish an appointment with an advisor, you should call ahead. If you talk to the College's audix system here -- Leave a CLEAR message with your name, phone number, question, and a time when you can be most easily reached. You may also send an e-mail message to your advisor. Remember---

Be flexible. Advisors have office hours, and teach classes, often at multiple BCC locations. They have travel time and class prep time to consider. They also know that a lot of you out there have jobs and families, so they also try to be flexible to your needs. To make advising work we must all work as a team.

What If My Choice of Major is Incorrect?

When you first applied to BCC, you checked off a little box on the application form indicating your major. If you did not, the College considers you an "undeclared major" and you will eventually have to pick a major in order to graduate. Do this SOONER rather than later.

If the major you did choose is now not the field you wish to continue studying, then we encourage you to spend some time researching alternate programs and careers that better suit your strengths and interests.

1. Talk to your faculty advisor. If you have not been assigned one, do not worry. Just talk to a professor in the subject area you wish to pursue.
2. If you need career counseling, go to the Advisement & Transfer Office and speak with an academic advisor/counselor there. The staff also offers workshops in Career Exploration, Personal Development, Stress & Study Skills.
3. Explore your options by using the Library resources. The BCC Library in Pemberton, for example, offers the SIGI Plus computerized career search computer program. This is a valuable research tool and the library staff is more than happy to help you use it. You may also look up careers in a handy little book called Occupational Outlook Handbook. which includes: job titles, salaries, career options and future growth.
4. Explore your educational options. What do you need to graduate from BCC in your new chosen field and what will you need to transfer to the 4-year institution? ONCE YOU HAVE EXPLORED ALL OF YOUR OPTIONS .....
5. See an academic advisor/counselor and change your major.
6. Take the signed Change of Major sheet to a Registration Representative located in Room 311, Parker Center in Pemberton or the main desk at Mt. Laurel or Willingboro Center and have your paperwork processed.

What if I'm undecided?

You are not alone....

By not declaring a major, you have allowed yourself the option to explore various fields while still fulfilling Burlington County College's general education requirements.

Students like you tend to enjoy many areas of study. Those areas include, but are not limited to, the arts, business, computers, math, science and social sciences. As an Undeclared Major, you have the freedom to explore different areas of academia while working towards a degree.

There are several disadvantages to not declaring a major. First and foremost, you may not graduate with an Undeclared status. By delaying your choice of major, you may also leave yourself insufficient time to prepare yourself for the requirements of your chosen program or of the transfer institution you decide to attend. This could cause you to lose time and/or credits towards your degree and/or transfer.

The Advisement and Transfer Office can assist the undeclared student in selecting courses, meeting graduation requirements and preparing to transfer. Undeclared students also seek out the Advisement and Transfer Office for career counseling, stress management and personal counseling issues. All these services are geared toward helping the student formulate a plan of action and working toward a goal.

The degree program that provides you the most flexibility for a variety of degree and transfer options is LIBERAL ARTS. For more information, talk to an academic advisor/counselor or faculty advisor to see how your classes fit this major, do some career exploring in the library, attend seminars held by the Advisement staff.

Directory of Faculty Advisors

All faculty within the college are academic advisors. Advisors are assigned after the third week of the Fall and Spring Semester to first-time, full-time students who are not enrolled in any English or Reading remedial coursework. The advisement office does its best to match students with an advisor from their declared major.
Note: If you change your major with a counselor, please see our office to have your advisor reassigned if necessary. It is your responsibility to contact your advisor in a timely manner each semester. You may contact your advisor by e-mail or by calling (609) 894-9311 or (856) 222-9311 and the extension listed below. extension.

Alphabetical Listing of Faculty Advisors

Ask your Advisor


Need answers?
You may ask your academic advising, counseling or transfer questions by:

• sending an e-mail message to any faculty advisor or the Advisement Office (where an email address is listed).
• calling your advisor
• making an appointment for an in-person consultation.

If you have a question about specific programs or courses, direct your question to an advisor (either assigned or not). An advisor will answer your question either by phone or by e-mail. Please be sure to include the following information:

Your Name
Your E-mail Address (optional)
Daytime Phone and/or Evening Phone
A precise message would be most helpful in order to be contacted by the advisor or the Academic Advisement Office.
If you have a more general question or you're not sure who to turn to, direct the question to the Advisement Office at dpodolsk@bcc.edu
See the Counseling Website http://staff.bcc.edu/counseling/ for more information on Transfer services available to BCC students and many useful online resources for career exploration and research.


Contacts:
Director
Office of Academic Advisement and Transfer
Parker 311
Burlington County College 
601 Pemberton Browns Mills Road 
Pemberton, NJ 08068

For Appointments and General Questions:
Extension 1349 at (609) 894-9311 or (856) 222-9311
Dpodolski@bcc.edu