Human Services Technology

 Department Student Handbook

(Please read this as you are responsible for knowing and adhering to the material herein.)

Welcome! This handbook has been designed to help you successfully complete your professional training in the human services field!

▫   You must meet the Department’s criteria to be formally accepted into the Program.

▫   This involves:

°         Formally declaring your major as Human Services Technology.

§  This can be accomplished by meeting with a counselor/ advisor in Student Services.

°         Obtaining 3 letters of recommendation.

§  These must not come from family members.

§  These do not have to be lengthy- just a paragraph or two that attests to your capacity for becoming an exemplary social services professional.

§  Letterhead is preferred.

§  These must be signed by the individual writing the letter.

§  Examples of individuals that students commonly use and that suffice as references include:

·         Former employers

·         Professional co-workers

·         Teachers

·         Clergy

·         Social service personnel

▫   You should have your letters of recommendation completed in full and turned in by the end of your first semester at the latest.

°         These are to be given to your advisor.

▫   You should read the handout titled “Guidelines for Students at Risk”.

°         You can obtain one of these from your advisor or possibly through the AB Tech website at www.abtech.edu.

°         Although many of its points do not apply directly to Human Services/ Social Services majors, some do.

°         Please be aware that human service professionals are at some risk for exposure to communicable diseases.

°         Please be aware that the part under the subsection, “Requirements for Current Applicants and Students”, does apply to Human Services/ Social Services majors.

§  It reads as follows: “To protect the safety of A-B Tech students and those they come in contact with during clinical training, the following polices and procedures will apply to any applicant for or student enrolled in a health or related program.  Upon enrollment, the student must inform his/ her… department head of any medical, psychological, or psychiatric conditions that affect his/ her ability to provide safe clinical care.  The student will be required to be individually assessed by his/ her personal physician [or a licensed mental health professional] at his/ her own expense to determine eligibility for continuation of the program.  Eligibility for continuation will be based upon the following:  The potential harm that the individual poses to others; the ability of the individual to accomplish the objectives of the course curriculum; whether or not a reasonable accommodation can be made that will enable the student to safely and efficiently accomplish the objectives and/ or tasks of the course or curriculum without significantly exposing the student or other persons to the risk of infection.”

§  You are responsible for notifying the Department Chair immediately about any previous, current, or newly developing medical, psychological, and psychiatric conditions that might interfere with a successful completion of the program, especially internship.

▫   You are responsible for meeting all College and departmental admission requirements.

°         Failure to meet acceptance requirements will prevent you from being eligible to complete an internship which affects your eligibility for graduation.

▫   Being enrolled in the Human Services/ Social Services Program means that you are pursuing credit toward an A.A.S. (Associate of Applied Science) degree in Human Services Technology with a concentration in Social Services.

°         You will not be a social worker when you graduate as you are not earning a degree in the Social Work field.

°         However, once you complete your degree, you will be trained to perform several of the job functions that social workers traditionally perform.

▫   You are responsible for making certain that your advisor has a copy of your current PI Form (i.e., “Student Placement Information Form”).

▫   This form contains your academic placement information, your test scores, and possible transfer credits.

▫   AB Tech has mandatory placement.

▫   This means that you are placed in classes on the basis of test scores, on college credit previously completed at AB Tech, and on any college credit successfully transferred into the AB Tech system.

▫   This might also mean that you will have to do some developmental coursework before you are eligible to take some of the classes required for the completion of your major.

▫   You must pass all departmental courses with a “C” or above for them to count toward the completion of your degree.

°         Departmental course are those with a SWK, HSE, DDT, SAB, MHA, and COE prefix.

▫   If you earn below a “C” in such a course, you will be required to retake the course and pass it with a “C” or above in order to have it count toward graduation.

▫   All 060, 070, and 080 classes must be taken together and passed with a “C” or above.

▫   If you must take more than one developmental course, you must take ACA 115 at the same time you take these courses.

▫   If you do not feel ready to take CIS 110, you can elect to take a keyboarding or a preliminary computer science course before taking CIS 110.

▫   You are free to take as many different kinds of courses as you would like.

°         However, be aware that only the successful completion of certain courses will count toward the completion of a Human Services/ Social Services degree.

▫   The “College Catalog” that is in effect at the time that you declare your major as Human Services/ Social Services outlines the specific courses that you must successfully complete in order to graduate with a Human Services/ Social Services degree.

°         Please be aware that this Catalog cannot be dated more than 5 years prior to the date of your graduation.

°         You are advised to pursue Human Services/ Social Services coursework in the sequence listed in this Catalog.

°         You are advised to use this Catalog to keep close track of the coursework that you take and appropriately pass.

▫   Taking classes out of proper sequence can affect when you will be eligible for graduation and your course load in future semesters.

°         Because of this you are advised against switching back and forth between day and night classes offered by the Human Services Technology Department and against dropping or adding courses without first consulting with your advisor.

▫   You should consult with your advisor before substituting courses during registration periods, including drop/ add periods (i.e., schedule adjustment periods).

°         It is generally okay for you to substitute one section of a no departmental course for another section of the same course.

°         However, you should not substitute courses with different prefixes for a course without first consulting with your advisor.

▫   Please be aware that some courses require you to pass the course lab in order to be eligible to pass the class.

°         This is true for several departmental courses.

▫   To protect your grade point average, you should discuss the prospect of withdrawing from a course with the course instructor before the last day designated in the semester to withdraw if you are not passing a course sufficiently enough.

°         Remember that you must pass all departmental courses with a “C” or above.

▫   If you fail to adequately pass a required course with the designated grade, you must pass the course prior to being eligible for graduation.

▫   You can retake a course as often as necessary in order to pass it.

▫   If you repeat a course and earn a higher grade, the higher grade becomes the official grade and is used in tabulating your grade point average.

°         All grades that you have earned for a course will appear on your transcript.

°         Only a grade of “D” or above can replace an existing grade in a particular course.

▫   You are responsible for notifying the Registrar’s Office about any course that you repeat in order to eliminate a previous lower grade for the same course.

▫   Students have 6 weeks to contest a grade.

▫   You are establishing a college record during your attendance at AB Tech.

°         Therefore, it is important for you to keep your grade point average as high as possible, particularly if you want to apply to another institution and if you want to qualify for financial aid.

▫   Being successful in the human services field generally requires that workers have strong English communication skills.

°         Please be aware that in order to pass departmental courses you will need to demonstrate good English communication skills, particularly written and oral skills.

▫   If you earned college credit at another institution, you are responsible for making certain that the AB Tech Registrar’s Office receives a sealed copy of your transcripts.

▫   Nondepartmental courses are evaluated by the Admissions Office for consideration for acceptance.

▫   Departmental courses may be forwarded to the Department Chair for consideration for acceptance.

▫   You must complete a certain portion of the coursework required for your degree at the College to be eligible for graduation.

°         Please refer to the “College Catalog” for more details about this requirement.

▫   All degree-seeking students must take ACA 115 in their first or second semester.

▫   If you are a previous or a returning student who has taken the course, you do not have to take this course.

▫   If you have more than 20 hours of course credit with the College, this course can be substituted for a course worth 1 or more credit hours.

▫   If you have two or more developmental courses, you must take ACA 115 at the same time that you take these courses.

▫   A full course load is considered to be 12 credit hours and above.

▫   The amount of course credit hours that you carry per semester affects the rate at which you will be eligible to graduate.

▫   Students pursuing a Human Services/ Social Services degree normally carry between 12 and 17 hours per semester when they are pursuing their degree on a full-time basis through the day program.

▫   You should be certain to consider any financial aid course load requirements when you are ready to design a schedule and sign-up for classes for an up-and-coming semester.

▫   You should select a reasonable course load relative to program requirements, financial aid requirements, and the demands in your personal and vocational life.

▫   Going to college full-time is about equivalent to holding down a full-time job.

▫   It is better to take fewer courses, relative to your demands, and be successful than to take too many and be unsuccessful.

▫   Although the first path takes longer, you still successfully remain on the road to achieving your dream for which persistence, even in the face of adversity, often proves critical.

▫   At times, a course that you intend to take might be cancelled due to low enrollment.

°         If this happens, please contact your advisor promptly to see if you can enroll for another course.

▫   Some courses have prerequisites which means that you have to complete preliminary coursework before you can take such a course.

▫   You should be aware that the prerequisites for courses can change and that you are required to meet the prerequisites that are in place at the time a course is taken, regardless of the version of the “College Catalog” that applies to your degree completion.

▫   Some courses have corequisites which means that you have to take any courses that are designated as course corequisites at the same time that you take such a course.

▫   Courses listed in the “Curriculum Schedule” might have additional abbreviations in front of their section numbers.

▫   Such abbreviations have specific meanings:

°         W = the class is web-supported.

°         O = the class is online and is an internet class.

°         L = the class is a late-start class.

°         V = the class is a telecourse via TV.

°         Z = the class is delivered via the North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH).

°         + = the class is an honors course.

°         Y = the class occurs primarily on-line with some limited meeting times.

°         C = the course is a co-op

°         D = the class is a day class.

°         N = the class is an evening class.

°         S = the class meets on Saturdays.

°         RD = the class is a day class that meets at the Madison Campus.

°         RN = the class is an evening class that meets at the Madison Campus.

°         ED = the class is a day class that meets at the Enka Campus.

°         EN = the class is an evening class that meets at the Enka Campus.

°         XD = the class is an off-campus day class.

°         XN = the class is an off-campus evening class.

°         MD (odd #) = the class is a first mini-mester day class.

°         MN (odd #) = the class is a first mini-mester evening class.

°         MS (odd #) = the class is a second mini-mester day class.

°         MN (even #) = the class is a second mini-mester evening class.

°         MS (even #) = the class is a second mini-mester class that meets on Saturdays and/ or Sundays only.

°         I = the class is an independent study.

▫   Courses designated with an “O” or “Y” are online courses, either fully online or partially online.

▫   In order to register for these courses, you must have completed a previous online course or the online course orientation which is available at www.abtech.edu through the “Distance Learning” link.

°         The online course orientation can also be found at http://its.waketech.edu/ncnet/index.php?cid=2.

°         If you have not taken an online course before, you must provide your advisor with documentation that you have completed this online orientation before your advisor can register you for an online course.

▫   The online component of courses at the College are administered through a program called BlackBoard.

▫   To access your course through BlackBoard:

°         Go to www.abtech.edu

°         Click on the “Distance Learning” link.

°         Once there, click on the link that allows you to access BlackBoard.

°         Once you arrive at the BlackBoard website, you must login.

§  Your username or userid should be your first name, middle initial, last name all in lowercase letters and run together with no commas.

·         E.g., “johnfkennedy”

§  Your password should be your student identification number.

▫   Once you are allowed entry into BlackBoard, you will arrive at your homepage for BlackBoard which should have all of the courses that you are currently registered for listed to the right.

▫   You should click on the course that you wish to access.

▫   Under each course’s site, you will find links related to announcements, course information, staff information, assignments, communication, discussion boards, external links, tools, and the Holly Library.

°         You should familiarize yourself with all of these links to learn how they relate to each particular course that you are taking; they should possess information that you need to succeed in the course.

▫   You should check the homepage of each of your courses, especially courses that are 100% online, regularly in order to stay on top of what is occurring in the course (i.e., 2-3 times or more per week).

▫   If you run into problems using BlackBoard, you should do the following:

°         If you can login okay and access your course(s) okay, but the course materials that you need are not there as they should be, promptly contact your instructor.

°         For all technical issues, please click on the “Distance Learning” link found at www.abtech.edu and use the contact information found there to try to resolve your problem.

▫   All students pursuing a Human Services Technology degree take courses offered in traditional, hybrid, and online formats.

°         Approximately 50% of the course contact hours needed to complete the degree can be earned through a distance format.

▫   You are welcome to audit a course.

▫   However, audit work does not receive credit and does not count toward degree requirements.

▫   Financial assistance does not cover audit work.

▫   All prerequisites must be met before a course can be audited.

▫   Simply stopping class attendance does not withdraw a student from a course.

▫   In order to withdraw from a course, you must complete this process formally through the Registrar’s Office.

▫   If you stop attending a class, have excessive absences, and do not properly complete the withdraw procedure through the Registrar’s Office, your grade will turn into a “U” (an “unofficial withdraw grade”) which equates to an “F”.

▫   If you are not passing a course sufficiently enough, you should discuss the prospect of withdrawing from the course with the course instructor before the last day in the semester designated for withdraw.

°         Remember that you must pass all departmental courses with a “C” or above.

▫   You should discuss the prospect of adding, withdrawing, or substituting courses with your advisor before doing so.

°         Failure to do so can alter the rate at which you graduate.

▫   You should remain aware of how financial aid affects your course load requirements when making a decision to add or withdraw from a course.

°         You should contact your financial aid officer as you decide to add or withdraw from courses.

▫   If you drop a class, you should seriously consider when that course will be offered again.

°         Human Services/ Social Services courses are only offered at certain times during the academic year.

§  Most departmental courses are offered only one time per year.

°         If a course is a prerequisite for another course, this can impact when you will be eligible to sign up for the second course.

°         Such occurrences can delay the rate at which you progress toward graduation.

▫   You should be certain to consider any financial aid course load requirements when you are ready to design a schedule and to sign-up for classes for an up-and-coming semester.

▫   You are responsible for working out the details of any financial aid that you receive with your financial aid officer at the College.

▫   Some financial aid agreements have special rules about course load requirements, attendance, dropping out of classes, adding classes, and passing classes.

▫   If you are a student receiving financial aid, you are responsible for appropriately keeping up with any required paperwork in order to continue your financial aid.

▫   The Financial Aid Office can help you learn about scholarship availability and with any other funding issues that you might have.

▫   You should remain aware that the quality of your past and current academic records can impact your eligibility for future financial aid.

▫   The Financial Aid Offices is located in the Bailey Building.

▫   You are responsible for keeping track of your progress toward meeting the department’s academic requirements for graduation.

°         You should not rely on your advisor to do this for you.

▫   You should remember that you are required to pass specific courses with a grade of “C” or above before they will count toward graduation requirements.

°         All departmental courses have this requirement.

°         Nondepartmental courses might also have this requirement.

°         If you earn below a “C” grade in such a course, you will need to retake it until you pass it in order for it to count toward graduation.

▫   You are advised to keep track of your academic progress in the appropriate “College Catalog”, your “official” Catalog.

°         You can use this information as a point of comparison against the College’s record of your progress.

§  Your “official” Catalog is determined by your academic advisor in consultation with you.

§  It should be the Catalog that is in effect at the time that you formally declare your major as Human Services/ Social Services in the AB Tech system.

§  The official Catalog that is used to assess your progress toward graduation must be dated no more than five years prior to the date of your graduation (e.g., a student graduating in 2007 cannot use a Catalog dated earlier than 2003-2004).

§  You should be aware that prerequisites for courses change frequently and that you will be required to meet the prerequisites which are in place at the time a course is taken, regardless of the information about prerequisites that are listed in your official Catalog.

°         You are advised to keep track of your academic progress in your official Catalog as you complete each semester instead of waiting to assess your progress when you believe that you are eligible for graduation.

▫   The College and the Department rely predominately on two types of instructors—those who are full-time instructors and those who are adjuncts.

▫   Full-time instructors are employed on a full-time basis by the College in a specific department(s).

▫   Adjunct instructors usually have expertise in a specific subject-matter, are not full-time or part-time College employees, do not maintain an office at the College, and contract with the College to teach a specific course(s) on a course-by-course, semester-by-semester basis.

▫   Departmental adjuncts come from varying professional backgrounds, are often actively engaged in human services practice in the community, and bring a wealth of practice experience to the classroom.

▫   You should be provided with contact information for your instructors when you sign up for courses taught by them.

▫   Please feel free to inquire about the professional backgrounds of your instructors as you become curious.

▫   The Department Chair is Megan Getty-Odom, M.S.W./ L.C.S.W..

o   She functions as the primary administrative coordinator for the Human Services Technology program and as the department’s sole full-time instructor, advisor, and intership coordinator.

o   She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Social Work (M.S.W.).

o   She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (L.C.S.W.) in North Carolina which entitles her to practice independently as a psychotherapist in the State.

o   She worked for several years in the human services field prior to obtaining an M.S.W. in 1990.

o   Her post-masters experience has predominately involved community college teaching and providing psychotherapeutic services, including:

§  Case management and treatment for those experiencing developmental disabilities/ delays, substance abuse, medical disorders, and, primarily, psychiatric difficulties.

§  Case management and treatment for children, teens, adults, and the elderly.

§  Individual, family, and group therapy.

§  Clinical supervision and program administration.

ú  Your fellow Human Services Technology majors and future colleagues:

°         Are of varied ages and backgrounds.

°         Are typically, but not always, female. (Males work and are needed in the profession but they happen to be a minority in number.)

°         Are often, but not always, more “mature” students.

°         May be a member of a minority group and may be bi- or multi-lingual.

°         Often, but not always, have a history of previous employment either inside or outside of the social services field.

°         Often, but not always, have experienced or witnessed significant life events, especially human struggles, and may have been consumers of services themselves or have had significant others who have been consumers of services.

°         Are not primarily gratified by money.

°         Have a sincere desire to help others.

°         Are very interested in human behavior and how the mind works.

°         Are “people people” even if they aren’t overly socially outgoing.

°         Are individuals who are interested in learning about and in developing their capacities in the following areas of human functioning:

§  Relationship boundaries

§  Problem-solving

§  Assertion

§  Patience

§  Cognitive flexibility

§  Self-awareness

§  Other-awareness

§  Congruence

§  Responsibility

§  Acceptance

§  Genuineness

§  Integrity

§  Empathy

§  Cultural Sensitivity

§  Respect

§  Resourcefulness

§  Objectivity

§  Fairness

§  Character development

§  Ethics

§  Professionalism

§  Compassion

§  Etc.

▫   Student Services exists to help you with admission issues, financial aid issues, disability support services, counseling, and etc.

▫   It includes the Counseling Center which exists to help with child care assistance, academic counseling, personal counseling, placement testing, Veteran’s services, and etc.

▫   Within Student Services there are personnel who are dedicated to help you problem-solve ways to overcome barriers that you might face in completing your education; these individuals are called “Student Success Advocates”.

▫   Please contact an instructor if you would like the support of a “Student Success Advocate” so that an instructor can refer you for assistance.

▫   Both Student Services and the Counseling Center are located in the Bailey Building.

▫   Information about Student Services and the Counseling Center is available through the College’s website at www.abtech.edu.

▫   The support services provided by Student Services, the Counseling Center, and the Student Success Advocates are free to students who are enrolled at the College.

▫   The Academic Learning Center is located in the Laurel Building.

▫   It provides open computer labs, a writing center, and English and Math tutoring labs for students.

▫   If you are interested in the English and/ or Math tutoring labs, you must have an instructor’s referral before you will be allowed to take part in them.

▫   You should contact a course instructor regarding such referrals.

▫   Information about The Academic Learning Center is available through the College’s website at www.abtech.edu.

▫   Students who are currently enrolled at the College are provided with a free College-sponsored email account to help them progress through their studies.

▫   Students should check their email account a couple of times per week to stay current on events that affect them.

▫   The College relies on the student email system to communicate important information that affects students.

°         For instance, final grades for each course will be mailed to this email account at the end of each semester.

▫   In order to access your student email account:

°         You will need your student identification number.

°         Go to www.abtech.edu.

°         Click on the section for “students”.

°         Click on the link to email.

°         Follow the instructions listed on that link.

▫   Please report any access problems that you have to the webmaster.

▫   The College’s website offers many online resources for students.

▫   The website’s address is www.abtech.edu.

▫   It is the site for accessing on-line course information, including BlackBoard.

▫   It contains a link to the College’s bookstore which allows you to look at the required texts for various courses and their costs.

▫   This site provides information including: College news and events, College announcements, registration, payment, distance learning, financial aid, the library, inclement weather, activity days, security, parking, academic programs offered by the College, career development, continuing education, disability services, transfer advising, records, regulations, and faculty/ staff/ department/ division contact information.

▫   This site also provides access to the College calendar, class schedules, the “Student Handbook and Calendar”, the “College Catalog”, and the “Curriculum Schedule”.

▫   The Department’s webpage can be accessed through the College’s website or through www.abtech.edu/ah/ss/default.asp.

°         It, too, has several resources available to help Human Services majors.

▫   All ABS (Adult Basic Skills) work is to be completed at the Pines Building.

▫   If you have to complete any ABS work, you are responsible for initiating contact with the staff in the Pines Building to arrange for the completion of this work.

▫   ABS work is completed once you are able to test into a relevant English, reading, and/ or math course.

▫   You are responsible for providing your advisor with verification that you have tested into a relevant English, reading, and/ or math course.

▫   You should begin any ABS work that you have to complete promptly so that it will minimally affect when you are eligible to graduate.

▫   Computers are available for student use at the Academic Learning Center which is located in the Laurel Building and through the Holly Learning Resource Center which is the College’s library.

▫   Many public libraries also have computers available for public use.

▫   You should not assume that you will be entitled to use the computers and printers located in the College’s classrooms or those of College staff (including your instructors) for the completion of academic assignments or for personal use.

▫   Information about the Academic Learning Center and the Holly Learning Resource Center can be found through the College’s website at www.abtech.edu.

▫   When an advisement period occurs for an up-and-coming semester, you should contact the Hemlock Building secretary by calling 254-1921 x 355 to request an advisement appointment.

▫   The secretary will schedule you with an appropriate advisor.

▫   You should be certain that your appointment time does not conflict with a time when you are supposed to be in any class.

▫   Before meeting with your advisor, you are encouraged to write out a prospective course schedule for the up-and-coming semester that is based upon degree requirements, your financial aid requirements, and your personal needs.

°         You can pick up a copy of a “Curriculum Schedule” for the semester that you plan to take courses in or you can access it through the College’s website at http://www.abtech.edu/publications/schedule.asp

°         Additionally, you can use “WebAdvisor” which is located at this address to develop your course schedule.

°         When selecting courses through the use of a printed copy of the course schedule, pay attention to course sections that are listed with an indented line underneath them.

§  Such information includes additional meeting times for the course that you must participate in order to successfully complete the course.

▫   You can check the cost of your books, prepay for them, and pay your tuition on-line through the College’s website at www.abtech.edu.

°         The College bookstore and Business Office are located in the Bailey Building.

▫   If you have outstanding fees with the College, this can prevent you from being able to enroll in coursework.

▫   According to College policy, you are responsible for:

°         Knowing your advisor and for seeking out academic assistance when needed.

°         Developing the skills of decision-making and a commitment to self-evaluation.

°         Accepting responsibility for your academic choices and planning.

°         Scheduling and keeping appointments with your advisor.

°         Being knowledgeable about general College policies and procedures.

°         Knowing the academic requirements of your chosen area of study to plan progress toward the completion of your educational plan.

°         Identifying problems affecting your academic progress in order to obtain referrals to support services or agencies.

°         Accepting the responsibility for making decisions and accepting the consequences of those decisions.

▫   Because of limitations on the number of credit hours that can be required for an A.A.S. in Human Services Technology/ Social Services, you do not have to take any foreign language courses to complete your degree.

▫   Never-the-less, you are heavily encouraged to take foreign language courses.

°         Being multilingual will assist you in understanding your clients, will help you develop multicultural competence, makes you more competitive in the job market, and is becoming more and more vital in general as globalism progresses.

▫   When at all possible/ appropriate, it is professionally advisable for you to address your complaints with the person with whom you have them, especially if it is a classroom instructor.

°         This is consistent with the “Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals” which have been established by the National Organization for Human Service Education and the Council for Standards in Human Service Education.

°         If this is not possible/ appropriate, you should address the complaint with your advisor and/ or the Department Chair when at all possible/ appropriate.

▫   The College also provides a policy for handling student complaints.

°         Please refer to the “College Catalog”.

▫   Helpful suggestions are encouraged!

°         Please relay these to any Department instructor and/ or to the Department Chair.

▫   All Human Services/ Social Services majors must participate in one semester’s worth of field placement in order to gain experience in applying professional concepts in an actual practice setting.

▫   Internship experiences are meant to be of educational benefit to the student and are meant to be of benefit to the agency by providing it with some measure of free labor within the context of providing an educational experience for the student.

▫   Internships provide students with real-life experience in professional settings.

°         All settings function with strengths and challenges.

°         It is important for students to realize that internship experiences that do not meet their ideal can offer an acceptable and valuable learning experience.

°         It is important for students to realize that the College has no authority to control how an agency functions.

°         To date, internship experiences have been markedly positive overall for both students and agencies.

▫   Your conduct while in the Human Services/ Social Services Program can be revealing of your readiness for internship.

°         You are expected to be a professional role model.

°         When you are nearing readiness for internship and when you are in internship, you are expected to be particularly diligent about not being tardy for classes and with assignments, about missing classes and assignments, and about your conduct in general.

°         Failure to do so can have an adverse effect on your programmatic standing.

▫   You should consult with your advisor about your interest in and readiness for an internship.

▫   Before you will be considered eligible for internship you must have formally declared your major as Human Services/ Social Services.

▫   Before you will be considered eligible for internship, you must have met the Department’s admission requirements (i.e., successfully provided 3 letters of recommendation and declared your major as “Human Services Technology”).

▫   You also should have successfully completed at least 3 semesters’ worth of full-time Human Services/ Social Services coursework.

▫   Feedback from your instructors in the Department will also be a factor in verifying your eligibility for internship.

▫   Internships are unpaid and can not occur with a current employer.

▫   Internships can not occur during nights or on weekends.

°         You should be ready to dedicate a significant portion of your time during the weekdays to your field placement.

▫   Internship sites must be located within the immediate vicinity of Asheville.

▫   Internship credit is offered only during the Spring semester of an academic year.

▫   If your advisor indicates that you are ready to pursue an internship, you should contact the Department Chair about 6 weeks before the start of the Spring semester that you desire to pursue the internship in.

▫   At this time, you should have an idea of the type of internship experience that you would like to have.

°         You should be prepared to submit a list of 5 internship sites that are of interest to you.

§  Buncombe County’s United Way’s 2-1-1 website, www.211wnc.org, might prove very useful to you as your perform your research on prospective agencies.

°         Until you have been given the go-ahead by the Department Chair, you should not contact a prospective internship site!!

°         The internship experience must be appropriate for an associate-level human services intern.

°         The Department Chair will verify that you are eligible for internship by:

§  Checking to see that you have a 2.0 GPA.

§  Checking to see that you have passed relevant preliminary coursework.

§  Checking to see that you have met the Department’s admission criteria.

§  Checking to see that you are prepared to meet the obligations of the internship experience and, among other things,:

·         Are able to conduct yourself as a serious professional (including ethically and legally) at all times.

·         Are able to maintain confidentiality during and after the internship experience.

·         Are able to be at the internship for 10 hours per week.

·         Are able to keep up with required paperwork.

·         Are able to apply what you have learned to the internship experience.

·         Are 18 years of age or older.

·         Are free from any health concerns that might interfere with the internship experience.

·         Are committed to client safety.

·         Are aware that an agency is not under obligation to provide you with employment on the other side of your internship.

·         Are able to appropriately balance your obligations and loyalties to the agency site and to the College.

▫   After you have successfully met the criteria for internship and have discussed prospective internship sites, the Department Chair will contact any prospective internship sites that are agreed on.

°         The Department Chair will verify that the site is willing to take on an intern and is willing to comply with the College’s requirements for site agencies.

°         Once the Department Chair has verified that the internship site is willing to accept a student for internship, you will be responsible for contacting the agency to set up an interview in a timely fashion before the start of the semester.

°         After the interview is complete and if both you and the prospective internship site desire to proceed with an internship experience, you will be required to take predominate responsibility for your internship including coordinating all paperwork, your hours, and your supervision with the site.

▫   Some field placements might require that you pass a criminal background check and/ or a drug screen in order to be eligible for participation in a placement at a site.

▫   Some field placements might require you to pass a medical screening/ examination and/ or provide verification of your citizenship status in order to be eligible for participation in a placement at a site.

▫   It is important that the College promptly knows about any name, address, or phone number changes that you make.

▫   If you make any, please fill out a “Change of Vital Data” form and return it to the Registrar’s Office or to your advisor as soon as possible.

°         Your advisor can provide you with a copy of this form.

°         All requests for name changes must be accompanied by legal documentation and must be done in person at the Registrar’s Office.

▫   If you desire a reference from an instructor, you should consult with the instructor about this prior to using him/ her as a reference.

▫   Instructors will commonly base their recommendations on your classroom and programmatic performance/ conduct.

▫   You should be aware that only limited information about your status as a student can be released without your permission.

▫   If you wish to change your major to or from Human Services/ Social Services, you should contact a counselor/ advisor in Student Services promptly.

▫   Student Services is located in the Bailey Building.

▫   The Human Services/ Social Services Program is primarily designed to prepare entry-level human services workers who intend on pursuing employment in the field upon the completion of the degree.

▫   Despite the fact that the Program is not designed as a transfer program, some students who have been involved in the Program have elected to go on pursue advanced degrees in various social service fields such as social work, psychology, and human services.

▫   If you wish to take courses at the College and know that you desire to transfer to another institution to advance or to complete a degree, you should talk to your advisor, you should contact the Transfer Advising Center, and you should pursue changing your major from Human Services/ Social Services to one that will allow for optimum transfer credit.

°         Information about the Transfer Advising Center can be found through the College’s website at www.abtech.edu.

▫   You should be aware that the academic record that you create while at AB Tech can impact your acceptance into another institution as well as your eligibility for financial aid there.

▫   You should be aware that academic institutions establish their own acceptance criteria.

°         Ultimately, it is up to each individual institution to determine whether it will admit a prospective student and to what extent it will accept any of the student’s transfer credits from another institution, including AB Tech.

▫   You should work with the institution(s) that you are interested in attending in order to become knowledgeable about their admission requirements and about which of your academic credits might transfer.

▫   You should also assess if the institution’s program is properly accredited for the type of degree that you wish to pursue.

▫   C.S.W.E. accreditation is the desired credentialing specifically for Social Work programs.

°         Requirements for employment as a Social Worker, for state certification/ licensure as a Social Worker, and for pursuing a graduate degree in Social Work almost always mandate that the degree applicant earned a degree in Social Work from a Council on Social Work Education (C.S.W.E.) accredited program.

°         Social Work bachelorette programs that are accredited by the C.S.W.E. are able to accept relatively few credits from AB Tech’s Human Services/ Social Services Program.

§  This is because Social Work is different field of study than Human Services is.

§  This is because of the strict regulations that the C.S.W.E. requires for Social Work program approval.

°         If you know that you are interested in and are able to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Social Work (B.S.W.), you should initiate contact your advisor as soon as possible to discuss your status and your options.

▫   You are expected to educate yourself about the degree and field of study that you have chosen and any that you desire to pursue in the future.

°         This includes becoming knowledgeable about how fields of study differ from one another, the types of degrees that are offered in differing fields of study, and the academic standards related to such fields of study and their degrees.

▫   You are responsible for being knowledgeable about all College graduation procedures.

▫   Generally, you must apply for graduation 4 weeks before registering for your final semester.

°         The “Student Handbook and Calendar” lists application deadlines for graduation and for ordering your gap and gown.

▫   You are responsible for making certain that you have met all criteria to qualify for graduation.

▫   You are responsible for making certain that you have all required paperwork submitted properly.

▫   In order to qualify for graduation, you are responsible for meeting all of the College’s requirements including:

°         Declaring an academic major.

°         Completing the approved program of study as indicated in your “official” Catalog and according to College policy.

°         You must earn a “C” grade in each of your major courses as well as in any other specified courses.

°         You must have a minimum average of 2.0 (“C”) grade point average for your current program of study.

°         You must submit an application for graduation to Records and Registration before the published deadline.

°         You must be in good standing with the College which includes having fulfilled all financial obligations to the College and be cleared by the library.

▫   You are responsible for keeping track of your progress toward meeting the College’s requirements for graduation which includes keeping track of your academic progress in meeting the Programs’ requirements for graduation.

°         You should not rely on your advisor to do this for you.

°         Failing to accurately keep track of and to meet the College’s requirements for your area of study can delay your graduation.

▫   Please be aware that it is common for employers in the social services to require prospective employees to pass a criminal background check and a drug screen before being eligible for hire.

▫   You should be aware that only limited information about your status as a student can be released without your permission.

▫   Resultantly, you need to follow the procedures established by the Registrar’s Office when requesting any transcripts.

▫   Information about the Registrar’s Office can be found through the College’s website at www.abtech.edu.

▫   You are responsible for following all College policies and procedures at all times.

▫   You are to stay abreast of these as they are listed in each yearly edition of the “College Catalog”, paying particular attention to the information listed in the front of the Catalog.

°         The “College Catalog” contains information on multiple subjects including the College’s “General code of Student Conduct” and its “Classroom Code of Conduct” which you are responsible for following at all times.

°         Among other policies listed in the Catalog, you are responsible for following the College’s policy on the use of personal electronic devices, food, drink, and tobacco products as well as those on attendance and parking- at all times.

§  The College is a tobacco free campus; this means that students are not allowed to use tobacco products while on campus property except in private automobiles.

§  Students are not allowed to eat or drink in the classrooms of the College.

▫   You are to stay abreast of College policies and procedures as listed in each yearly edition of the “Student Handbook and Calendar” which includes information about services for students with disabilities, student insurance, tuition, veteran’s services, financial aid, parking, counseling services, record privacy, inclement weather, activity days, codes of conduct, student rights, grade appeals, harassment, transfer credit, declaring and changing majors, Academic Fresh Start, transcripts, credit by examination, auditing courses, the responsibilities of advisees, student involvement in institutional decision making, student activities, and etc.

▫   You are to stay abreast of the information found in each semester’s “Curriculum Schedule” which includes details about tuition and fees, eligibility for registration, bookstore hours, course withdraw dates, drop/ add dates, and etc.

▫   Information related to the College policies and procedures and its “Curriculum Schedule”, the “Student Handbook and Calendar”, and the “College Catalog” can be accessed through the College’s website at www.abtech.edu.

▫   A copy of the “Curriculum Schedule”, the “Student Handbook and Calendar”, and the “College Catalog” can be obtained at the Registrar’s Office.

▫   “Academic Dishonesty- You may not deceive any official of the College by cheating on any assignment, exam, or paper.  This includes plagiarism, which is the intentional theft or unacknowledged use of another’s words or ideas.  Plagiarism includes (but is not limited to) paraphrasing or summarizing another’s words or works without proper acknowledgement, using direct quotes of material without proper acknowledgement, or purchasing or using a paper or presentation written or produced by another.  The faculty of A-B Tech may also consider presenting as original work a paper written for one class to satisfy a requirement in another class to be academic dishonesty.

▫   Alcoholic Beverages- You may not possess or use alcoholic beverages on campus.  You may not be under the influence of alcoholic beverages on campus.

▫   Animals- You may not have an animal of any kind on campus.  This includes animals left within a vehicle.  Working dogs, such as police dogs and Seeing Eye dogs, are permitted.

▫   Damage to Property- You may not damage property of the College or of any other person working at or attending the College.

▫   Disobedience- You may not disobey the reasonable direction of College employees, including administrators, faculty members, security officers, and other staff employees.

▫   Disorderly Conduct- You may not conduct yourself in a way which will interrupt the academic mission of the College or which will disturb the peace of the College.

▫   Disruption- You may not disrupt the normal activities of the College by physically or verbally interfering with instruction, meetings, traffic, or scheduled administrative functions.

▫   Drugs- You may not possess, use, or be under the influence of any narcotic or illegal drug on campus in violation of the laws of the state of North Carolina or of the United States.

▫   False Information- You may not present to the College or its employees false information; neither may you knowingly withhold information which may have an effect on your enrollment or your status in the institution and which is properly and legally requested by the College.

▫   Assault- You may not strike or threaten to strike another person for any reason whatsoever.  Threatening to strike another person is defined as assault, and striking another person is defined as battery.

▫   Gambling- You may not gamble on campus.

▫   Possession of Weapons- You may not have a weapon of any kind, including a knife, stun gun, or any firearm in your possession on campus.  Law enforcement officers are exempt from this prohibition.

▫   Professional Conduct- Various curricula have specific codes of professional conduct for which you may be held accountable, if you are enrolled in those curricula.

▫   Theft- You may not steal the property of another individual or of the College.  Students who are caught stealing will be required to make restitution and may be eligible for civil prosecution as well as College discipline.

▫   Public Laws- You may not violate the laws of the state of North Carolina while on campus.  Doing so may lead to legal action as well as campus discipline.

▫   Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassment- You may not harass any member of the College community, including other students, employees, or other persons on the College campus.  This prohibition includes sexual, verbal or physical harassment for any reason including race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, creed, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

▫   Use of the Internet- The College has an extensive policy on appropriate use of the Internet.  Users of College computers acknowledge the policy whenever they sign on.  You may not use the College’s access to the Internet for sexually explicit material or for downloading music.”

▫   “Attendance- You are expected to be in class the entire class time.  Do not enter late or leave early.  Rare exceptions may be excused, particularly under emergency circumstances, but you should be prepared to explain your tardiness to the instructor after class.  Likewise, the need to leave early should be explained to the instructor before class.

▫   Absences- Inform the instructor in advance, if you know you are going to miss class.  Also, take responsibility for getting missed assignments from other students.  Do not expect that you will be allowed to make up work, such as unannounced quizzes or tests, after an absence.  Instructors are not responsible for reteaching the material you missed because of absence.

▫   Conversation- Do not carry on side conversations in class.

▫   Other Activities- You may not work on other activities while in class.  This includes homework for other courses or other personal activities.

▫   Internet- In classes where Internet access is provided, you may use the Internet for valid, academic purposes only.  You may not use it for open access to other nonacademic sites, which are unrelated to the course.

▫   Sleep- Do not sleep in class.

▫   Attitude- You are expected to maintain a civil attitude in class.  You may not use inappropriate or offensive commentary or body language to show your attitude regarding the course, the instructor, assignments, or fellow students.

▫   Profanity and Offensive Language- You may not use profanity or offensive language in class.

▫   Cell Phones and Beepers- You may not receive or send telephone calls or pages during class.  You are responsible for turning off cell phones and beepers upon entering class.

▫   Guests- You may not bring unregistered friends or children to class.

▫   Food, Drink, Tobacco Products- You may not have food or drink in class.  You may not use tobacco products in the buildings of A-B Tech.

▫   Personal Business- You may need to transact personal business with the instructor, asking him or her to sign forms.  Plan to do this before instruction begins or after class.”

▫   You are responsible for being knowledgeable about and for molding your conduct so that it conforms to all College policies and procedures at all times, especially its policies on academic honesty, its “Student Code of Conduct”, and its “Classroom Code of Conduct”.

▫   The College allows departments to impose additional conduct expectations on students who are enrolled in a professional training program.  

▫   The expectations of A-B Tech's Human Services Department parallel those of the world of work in the human services/ social services field.  

▫   As a Human Services/ Social Services major at the College, you are engaged in a professional training program.  

▫   It is assumed that you are highly motivated, that you are very serious about your education and your development as a professional, and that you will strive for excellence in your field.

▫   The aim of the program is to prepare you to assume the role of a professional human services worker- one who is psychologically mature and who embodies the values, skills, knowledge, ethics, boundaries, and conduct of the profession.  

°         This requires that you develop and act from a professional self versus a personal self. 

°          As you progress through the program, your professional self should become increasingly developed and should become more predominate not only in the classroom and internship environments but also in all of life’s arenas.  

°         Taking great care in developing a solid professional self should positively impact your reputation as a professional, your employer’s reputation, the reputation of the human services profession as a whole, your chances of becoming gainfully employed, and, most of all, your service delivery to clients. 

▫   Since you are training to become a Human Services professional, you are expected to conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times.  Resultantly, you are expected to follow the National Organization for Human Service Education and Council for Standards in Human Service Education’s “Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals” at all times.  This code can be found at www.nationalhumanservices.org. 

▫   Your conduct can be revealing of your readiness for internship.  

°         When you are nearing readiness for internship and when you are in internship, you are expected to be particularly diligent about not being tardy for classes and with assignments, about missing classes and assignments, and about your conduct in general.  

°         You are expected to be a professional role model.  

°         Failure to do so can have an adverse effect on your programmatic standing, including your eligibility for internship.  

°         You must be formally accepted into the Human Services program before you will be eligible for internship.  

§  Don’t forget to turn in your three letters of recommendation and to declare your major as “Human Services Technology”!    

°         Some field placements require students to pass a criminal background check and drug screens before the student will be eligible for participation in a field placement at such a site.   

°         Also, it is common for employers in the human services/ social services arena to require prospective employees to pass criminal background checks and drug screens before being eligible for hire. 

°         Internship sites and employers commonly require documentation verifying citizenship status. 

▫   Being enrolled in the Human Services/ Social Services program means that you are pursuing credit toward an A.A.S. (Associate of Applied Science) degree in Human Services Technology with a concentration in Social Services.  

°         Technically, you will not be a social worker when you graduate because you are not earning a degree in the Social Work field, and it is misleading and considered unprofessional/ unethical for you to represent yourself as a social worker or a social work student unless you have earned or are pursuing a degree in specifically in the Social.

▫   The human services field encompasses some highly controversial subjects. 

°         Part of becoming educated about the field involves exposure to and consideration of such controversial subjects. 

°         All students are expected to maintain appropriate emotional and behavioral boundaries while engaging in the exploration of such subjects. 

°         Part of the educational process in the human services field involves exposure to clients and their circumstances. 

§  In the educational arena, exposure to clients and their circumstances can come through various sources, e.g., audiovisuals, guest speakers, class lectures, written materials, and etc. 

§  At times, clients and their circumstances can be less than appealing and even downright repulsive. 

·         This is a rather natural part of professional human services practice. 

§  Becoming a competent human services practitioner means that the practitioner endeavors to handle such subjects, clients, and circumstances in a professional manner at all times. 

§  It is possible that, during the course of your education, you might find materials presented on a subject, a client, a client group, and/ or the client's or the group's circumstances affrontive and/ or repulsive in some manner. 

·         If you find yourself in such a position, you are free to stop participating at any time and to leave class (if you are part of an in-class session). 

·         However, if you elect to do so, you are expected to initiate, in a timely fashion, a discussion with the instructor about your reaction, are encouraged to recognize the differences between personal values systems and professional value systems, and are encouraged to sort out any conflict between the two. 

·         Again, the goal of the human services education process is to provide exposure to professional theoretical, value-based, intervention, ethical, legal, practice, and case material in an effort to help students develop well-balanced expertise,  maintain healthy boundaries, and put client understanding and needs first.

▫   The expectations of college participation can be demanding and require you to be a proactive, independent adult learner. 

°         This means that you, first and foremost, assume responsibility for becoming a mature active learner who relies on your own initiative and research, resource identification, study, planning, time-management, and problem-solving skills to anticipate and meet your educational needs, to develop your academic interests, and to promote your professional growth as much as is reasonably possible. 

§  Such abilities will help you to become successful in your career and  to become a life-long learner. 

°         The faculty and staff of the College are here to help you as you as you work to actualize these abilities and your academic goals.  

§  If you need help, you will need to ask. 

§  In comparison to high school, you will find that college gives you more freedom of choice while requiring greater self-management and responsibility. 

§  Much of what you learn, you will learn independently. 

·         For instance, if you do not know something, you are encouraged to research it on your own first.  

·         Further, you might find that your instructors often give you more guidance than specific direction.  

°         You retain responsibility for maintaining a healthy balance between the expectations of your personal life and those of your college participation. 

§  You are responsible for making certain that the expectations of your personal life do not overly-interfere with the expectations of your college participation. 

§  In the event that this occurs, you are encouraged to take steps to rebalance the level of your college involvement with consideration for the demands of your personal life in order to remain successful in both arenas. 

§  Your advisor can be helpful in this regard.  Also, the A-B Tech Counseling Center exists to provide support to students who are struggling with learning and life stressors. 

§  The Counseling Center has counselors and the Student Success & Advocacy Center (also located in the Bailey Building) has Student Success Advocates (SSAs) to help students problem-solve circumstances that might affect their educational success-- regardless of whether such circumstances are academic or personal in nature. 

·         If you find yourself experiencing a learning or life stressor that is affecting your academic performance, especially to the point that you are considering quitting college, you are highly encouraged to first contact a Student Success Advocate who very well might be able to help you develop a plan to continue toward fulfilling your academic dreams (you might even have one already assigned to you) . 

·         Information on the Counseling Center can be found through the College's website at www.abtech.edu. 

o   Access to such services is free to students who pay tuition.

▫   Please remember that the choices that you make and your conduct are a reflection of your professional development and maturation and are often used by instructors as a basis for references. 

▫   Going to college full-time is equivalent to having a full-time job while going to college part-time is equivalent to having a part-time job. 

°         Successful learning requires more than just passive listening and note-taking and showing up for class. 

§  It requires active listening, note-taking, and involvement with educational material and a substantial investment of time and energy. 

§  This is why obtaining a college education is referred to as "earning a degree". 

§  Some researchers estimate that successful students put in at least two hours of study for every one hour of class. 

§  You should master all course materials in anticipation of being tested on them, for the good of your future clients, and your professional development in general.

°         The parameters of class participation and assignments for each course are developed for specific purposes; therefore, it is especially important that you adhere to them in detail to be optimally successful. 

§  Students who deviate from them tend to experience less success.

°         In order to grow into and develop as a professional, it is important to be able to take and make appropriate use of corrective feedback, to not overly-personalize it, and to keep it in proper perspective. 

§  This is a sign of psychological and professional maturity. 

§  Please remember that corrective feedback is intended to challenge you to help you grow academically and professionally, is not meant as a personal attack, and is vital for academic and professional growth and development. 

§  There would be no need for ongoing education if everyone automatically knew everything. 

§  College is a place to learn and grow. 

§  Growth and learning occur best with an open mind.

°         If you need some pointers on developing study and academic skills, please ask the Department Chair for a copy of "Tips for Studying & Academic Success".

▫   Please remember that quantity does not always equate to quality when it comes to assignment completion and class participation. 

▫   Persistence, despite obstacles and frustrations, is key to academic achievement.  

°         Those who successfully complete their educational goals persist despite obstacles and frustrations.

▫   Remember that you must earn a “C” or above in all departmental courses in order to count them toward your graduation requirements.

°         Any course that begins with a SAB, DDT, SWK, COE, MHA, and HSE prefix is a departmental course.

▫   You are strongly encouraged to purchase and use a college-level dictionary and grammar book.  

°         Language and writing skills are critical for success in the human services field and give an impression of a person's level of professional sophistication.  

°         Your college participation should help you to develop in such areas; development in such areas also should be self-driven and ongoing even outside of college.

▫   Respect for diversity is an important human services value and professional perspective. 

°         It is very important for beginning human services professionals to develop this. 

°         Your college participation should help you to adopt such a value and professional perspective. 

°         However, the development of such a value and professional perspective should be self-drive and ongoing even outside of college and professional environments.

▫   Being absent from class can adversely affect your final grade, especially if your absences exceed the number allowed for a course for a semester.

°         You can assume that you will be expected to follow the College’s attendance policy as outlined in the “College Catalog”.

°         According to College policy, you must not be absent for more than 20% of a course’s contact hours.

°         If you miss more than 20% of the course’s contact hours, you may be awarded a “U” grade.

°         According to College policy, arriving late for class (including from breaks), leaving early from class, and being away from class during class time without the instructor’s permission are considered “tardies” and count as missed class time.

°         According to College policy, 3 of such tardies constitute 1 absence.

▫   You are responsible for keeping up with the amount of time that you have been absent from class.

▫   You encouraged to periodically check your record of your attendance against those kept by your instructors.

▫   Please remember that traffic around the College and around the Asheville-area can become congested and that parking can pose challenges.

°         Despite such circumstances, you are still responsible for arriving to class on time and should plan accordingly.

▫   The Student Government Association (SGA) acts as the voice of students in their relations with College officials.

°         Students should feel free to share their suggestions and concerns about the College with their SGA representatives who can forward these to the College’s administrators.

▫   The SGA is comprised of annually elected officers and sponsors many College events.

▫   Students should pay particular attention to when their classes will meet during the last couple of days of the semester.

▫   It is quite possible that a class that has met consistently on one day per week during a semester will meet on an alternate day and/ or that one or more days might be added on to the end of a semester.

▫   When this occurs it is in order to make certain that students have undergone the appropriate amount of instruction time for a course during a semester so that they are to be eligible to receive credit for the course.

°         Holidays, inclement weather, and, possibly, other events can interfere with the regularly scheduled delivery of instructional time during a semester.

°         When this occurs, such time must be made up.

▫   Professional Development Afternoons are held for College faculty and staff and occur once during the Fall and Spring semesters of each academic year.

▫   The days selected for Professional Development Afternoons are listed in the “Student Handbook and Calendar”.

▫   On these days, no classes are held from 12:00 pm- 5:00 pm.

▫   The College’s inclement weather procedure and schedule read as follows:

“The College will close when weather conditions are such that driving is hazardous.  The following procedure will be observed for inclement weather conditions: A message concerning school operation will be made by 5:30 a.m. and posted on the College website at www.abtec.edu.  Students may also tune into local radio and television stations for announcements about day classes.  A voice message will also be recorded on the College switchboard.  One of the following three options will be used: (1) College closed for staff and students; (2) College closed for students, staff report at 10 a.m.; (3) College open at 10 a.m. for staff and students.  If option 3 is used, curriculum students should follow the schedule below.  Continuing Education classes scheduled to begin prior to 10 a.m. will commence at 10 a.m. Continuing Education classes beginning after 10 a.m. will follow their regular schedule. ~Source: ABTCC  “2006-2007 Student Handbook & Calendar”

▫   It is possible that one or more days might be added on to the end of the semester if time is missed due to inclement weather.

o   If this affects a class(es) that you are taking, you are expected to attend class on these days.

o   Very commonly, a class’s final exam will be scheduled to occur on such a day.

▫   The College offers Activity Days for students during the Fall and Spring semesters.

▫   Participation in an Activity Day is voluntary and is free to students of AB Tech.

▫   The days selected as Activity Days can be found in the “Student Handbook and Calendar”.

▫   Class meeting times are affected on Activity Days.

▫   On Activity Days, the College will operate according to its “Activity Day Class Schedule” which follows:

▫   If you are not successful in meeting the minimum required grade point average during a semester, you will receive an academic warning.

▫   If your grade point average falls below 2.0 for 2 successive semesters, you will be placed on academic probation.

▫   If your grade point average falls below 2.0 for 3 successive semesters, you will be placed on academic suspension for one semester.

▫   In all cases, you should meet with your advisor immediately to review your academic plans.

▫   Academic Fresh Start is an opportunity for any returning student who has not attended the College for three years.

▫   If such a student, upon reenrolling, maintains a 2.0  point average for a minimum of 12 semester hours, the student can petition to have grades on all prior coursework that are more than three years old with a grade below a “C” excluded in calculating his/ her cumulative grade point average.

▫   Such grades will not count toward graduation but remain on the student’s transcript.

▫   If you wish to take advantage of Academic Fresh Start, you should contact the Registrar’s Office after you have completed the required 12 semester hours.

▫   Students who graduate with a grade point average of 3.5 will graduate with honors.

▫   Students who graduate with a grade point average of 3.75 will graduate with high honors.

▫   Students who graduate with a grade point average of 4.0 will graduate with highest honors.

▫   Each semester, students who earn a 3.75 grade point average while carrying the designated number and type of credit hours will be named to the Dean’s List.

▫   Each semester, students who earn a 4.0 grade point average while carrying the designated number and type of credit hours will be named to the President’s List.

▫   Each year a Human Services/ Social Services major is selected for the honor of being named “Social Services Student of the Year”.

▫   Throughout the academic year, there are various events that are sponsored by the College that are often free to students and to the community.

▫   The events that are offered year-by-year through the College vary to some degree; some are one-time events while others occur annually.

▫   The events have a wide variety of emphases, and many are educational in nature.

▫   Some are on topics that directly relate to human services, such as the College’s diversity events.

▫   You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of such events as time allows to enhance your on-going professional development and personal-development.

▫   Please do not miss class time to attend these events unless pre-approval has been obtained from your instructor(s).

▫   You can access a listing of such events by visiting the College’s website at www.abtech.edu and by checking the “Student Handbook and Calendar”.

▫   Additionally, information about such events will often be posted throughout the campus, including on bulletin boards.

▫   Often instructors share information about up-and-coming events in class, and announcements can be relayed through student email.

▫   Since you have decided to become a professional human services worker, it makes sense that you would be interested in learning about professional organizations that impact the field.

▫   You can visit the National Organization for Human Services at www.nationalhumanservices.org.

▫   You can visit the Council for Standards in Human Services Education at www.cshse.org.

▫   You can visit the Southern Organization for Human Services at www.sohse.org.

▫   The Human Services Technology Program website which can be accessed through the College’s website, www.abtech.edu, also contains some links to some professional resources.

We’re glad that you’ve chosen to major in

Human Services/ Social Services and to make it your profession!

We wish you well in your studies and want you to succeed!

Please let us know how we can help you!

Version: 6/08