Counseling & Advising Services
SVC Academic Advising is a part of the Counseling and Advising Center. We are dedicated to promoting student success by helping you achieve your full academic potential.
Our staff assists current and prospective students to:
- Select quarterly courses and review program requirements
- Select a career and area of study
- Find the right educational path and support to stay on the path
- Advise students who are transferring in credits from another college
- Plan their transfer to other colleges and universities
- Understand accurate information of college policies
- Identify and connect students with college services such as counseling, tutoring, and other support services
Our advisors provide an environment of encouragement and support that promotes a positive, rewarding experience at SVC.
Counseling services are also available for current or returning SVC students to provide academic/educational counseling, career counseling, confidential crisis intervention, and/or short-term personal counseling. Counselors can also provide referrals to community resources to help students adjust to, cope with, and succeed in college.
Planning Your Program
Determining your class placement is the first step toward student success. To determine the best classes for you, your writing, reading, and mathematics skills will be assessed. This will tell us the level of coursework for which you are prepared, as well as your readiness for entry into specific programs.
If you place into different courses based on different placement methods, SVC will honor the highest of your course placements. Therefore, you want to make sure to review all your options. Go online to learn more information about each option.
Most new degree seeking students are required to complete a First Quarter Experience during their first quarter. This may be CSS 103 First Quarter Experience , BUS& 101 Intro to Business , CSS 109 First Quarter Experience- Career emphasis , or CSS 110 College Orientation and Success , depending on their program of study. This course will provide you with a solid foundation for academic success and ensure that you have the tools and support you need.
In the First Quarter Experience, you will develop an education plan that outlines which courses you need to complete for your degree program. Ensuring that you have an appropriate plan to follow will help you to graduate in a timely manner and meet your goals. You are encouraged to schedule regular quarterly meetings with your advisor, before quarterly class registration, to help you decide on your classes and to update your degree plan. Prior to the advising appointment, you should study the class offerings listed in this catalog and in the quarterly schedule.
In your first quarter at SVC, you will be assigned an advisor to help you choose classes and plan your quarterly class schedule. Your advisor will discuss academic and employment opportunities in your field of study and answer your questions. It is recommended that students meet with their advisor prior to registration each quarter.
Academic Transfer Services
Phone: 360.416.7654
Website: Counseling and Advising Center
Transfer services at each campus and center provide information and resources to assist you in choosing and planning your transfer to a four-year college or university.
SVC highly recommends that you contact the college or university of your choice to learn about their application requirements. Many university or college academic majors have prerequisite courses and admission criteria for entrance, many of which you can take at SVC. It is very important that you contact your desired school directly, or at one of SVC’s transfer fairs, to learn what these requirements are. Contact information is available from your SVC Advisor.
TRIO Student Support Services Program
TRIO welcomes you into a caring community that provides a sense of place at SVC. Our services support you in reaching your academic goals. Your success is our mission. TRIO Student Support Services is a federally funded program, one of more than 900 similar programs nationwide. TRIO staff and tutors provide a broad range of academic support services to first-generation students, low-income students, and students with disabilities. The following services are free to eligible students:
- Tutoring
Our skilled student tutors provide one-on-one or group tutoring to help you excel in math, science, English, and many other classes.
- College Success Skills Classes
Our instructors will help you learn the study strategies used by the most successful college students. These include effective test-taking strategies, memory enhancement, time management, note-taking, reading comprehension and use of technology. You will develop an individual academic plan.
- Academic Planning & Preparation for Transfer
Advisors will work with you to look at your strengths and weaknesses, interests and personal situation, and make a plan that is right for you. We can help you understand our programs and degrees, including the variety of university transfer options and SVC Bachelor of Applied Science programs. You can also join us on university visitations.
- Personal Support
If you would like help dealing with the personal demands, stress and responsibilities of being a college student, our staff will take the time to listen to your concerns and can help you arrive at effective solutions. They can direct you to campus and community resources and opportunities for personal growth.
- Resources for Financing College
Financing one’s education is often a concern. Our counselors and navigators will help you understand the many resources available to you for financing your college attendance, including transferring to the university or staying at SVC for a Bachelor of Applied Science program, and can provide assistance and advocacy within these systems. Additionally, they will provide an understanding of money management concepts, so you are able to make informed decisions about your financial choices.
Tutoring
Phone: 360.679.5393
Mount Vernon: Lewis Hall 221
Whidbey Island: Oak Hall 107
Drop-in and online tutoring is available free of charge if you would like to supplement your classroom instruction. Subject areas most often tutored include math, writing, sciences, and more online and on both the Whidbey Island and Mount Vernon campuses. Tutoring in other subject areas may also be available at either campus. Please contact the Tutoring Center to learn more about tutoring subjects and schedules.
Veterans’ Education Services
Mount Vernon: 360.416.7610 - Lewis Hall 115
Whidbey Island: 360.679.5389 - Oak Hall 203
SVC has two Veterans’ Education offices, located on the Mount Vernon Campus and the Whidbey Island Campus. These offices are staffed by veteran and military-affiliated students and staff who specialize in certifying students for their veteran and dependent education benefits, as well as helping students navigate college resources.
Services offered through the Veterans’ Education Office include, but are not limited to:
- Assistance with obtaining necessary documents to utilize VA educational benefits
- Eligibility requirements for and certification of VA educational benefits
- Information on tuition waivers and residency status for eligible military-affiliated students
- Understanding and assistance with navigating various college policies and processes (registration, applying for other financial resources, etc.)
More information on funding and educational benefits available for military-affiliated students can be found in the Tuition, Financial Aid and Funding section of the catalog.
Disability Access Services
Phone: 360.416.7654
Email: das@skagit.edu
SVC offers a number of support services for students with disabilities to ensure equitable and timely access to content, programs and facilities. Each campus is organized to provide reasonable accommodations, including core services to qualified students with disabilities. You are eligible for services if you have a physical, mental, or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more of your life activities; if you are perceived to have such impairment; if you have a record of such impairment or have a condition that is recognizable and/or diagnosable.
What Services are Available?
Services and accommodations will be determined on an individual basis. They may include, but are not limited to: accessible facilities, alternate educational media, alternate testing, manual and oral interpreters, note-taking, alternative text, scribes, and equipment. Prior to receiving services, students must schedule and meet with the Disability Access Services Coordinator for the purposes of an Access Planning Meeting, to identify for which accommodations the student qualifies.
What are your Responsibilities?
- Identify yourself as a student with a qualified disability.
- Provide documentation regarding your disability.
- Request reasonable accommodations at SVC in a timely manner.
- Meet and maintain academic standards.
Office for Equity & Inclusion Services
Mount Vernon Campus, C-180
Director: 360.416.7789
Services available in Spanish (Servicios disponibles en español)
The Office for Equity & Inclusion Services (OEI) leads and facilitates the development of institutional policies and protocols intended to create a more representative, equitable, and inclusive SVC. The OEI partners with campus departments and units to create inclusive and equitable educational opportunities for all students, faculty, and professional staff. Our goal is to develop programs and resources that promote academic success and completion through programs and programming activities. We support a welcoming, safe, and construction environment for all students.
On the Mount Vernon campus, the OEI is located in the Gary Knutzen Cardinal Center in C-180.
With a collaborative approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, the OEI serves as the primary college resource for:
- Hispanic Serving Institution Status and Initiatives
- ESJ Governance Committees
- Professional Development for faculty and staff
- External and local community partnerships
- Student Leadership Opportunities
- Champions of Diversity Scholarships
Community Integration Program
At SVC we welcome students from all backgrounds, including those who have been incarcerated. The Community Integration Program (CIP) is here to support students who have been incarcerated, to pursue their educational and career goals. Whether just released or out for years, education is a pathway to positive change, growth, and can lead to a stable career. The education available at SVC can lead you anywhere you want to go. Through individualized support, the reentry navigator at SVC assists students with the first steps to getting started through graduation.
CIP assists with:
- Choosing classes and a career path
- Referrals to community resources that assist with housing, and offer counseling and other support services
International Programs
Mount Vernon: 360.416.7734
SVC has welcomed international students from all over the world since the late 1960s. Currently there are international students studying at SVC, representing a variety of countries. Understanding the unique needs of students studying abroad, the International Programs Office provides comprehensive support throughout the student’s tenure at SVC. This means that from the time international students apply, are picked up at the airport, and until their graduation, the International Programs Office is constantly supporting students in their new environment, helping them to succeed.
Please note that the International Programs Office is also the International Admissions Office. This office is where I-20s are issued and students are tracked according to policies set by Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), created by the Department of Homeland Security.
Learning Resources
Technology for Your Use
SVC has a continuing commitment to provide current technologies to assist you in the successful pursuit of your education. The SVC library has laptops for individual student use, general access and tutoring labs are equipped with student computers, and classrooms and study lounges have wireless access and multimedia units to support eLearning and educational networking. For added convenience to students, both Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor campus computer labs operate with extended hours while classes are in session.
Student Online Services (SOS) is available via phone, e-mail, chat, and the walk-in window, as well as various online and face-to-face tutoring sessions. Help and training are available so you can successfully navigate Canvas, SVC’s online eLearning environment. Knowledgeable computer support is available in the multimedia production lab to help you with audio visual projects as well assistance with collaborative computer tools such as Tegrity, Collaborate, and Skype.
Library Services
Mount Vernon Campus Library: 360.416.7837
Whidbey Campus Library: 360.679.5322
The library is an integral part of educational life at SVC. Along with offering online and physical materials to support student success, the libraries offer a variety of options in our spaces to accommodate group and independent study, as well as comfortable seating areas for relaxation. We have some extended evening hours and consistently staffed circulation desks ready to answer any questions. Our reference librarians offer classroom instruction in different disciplines and are available to work one-on-one with students a the reference desk or on Zoom. Students can also utilize the 24-hour chat service for research assistance as well as other online learning options through the library home page. The Mount Vernon campus library has the Cardinal Creation Center, which acts as a maker-space for students, with a green screen, VR sets, podcasting equipment, art supplies, sewing machines, and other items. Both campuses make available office items and other classroom essentials for student use, such as staplers, tape, pencil sharpeners, hole punches, binding equipment, and paper cutters.
The library collection consist of materials to support multiple disciplines and courses of instruction at the college in the form of print materials, textbook reserves, and a variety of online and digital resources such as research databases, research guides, and eBooks. We also provide non-traditional items such as digital cameras, video equipment, puzzles, tabletop games, musical instruments, pickle ball kits, and more. We provide access to materials between campus libraries through an inter-campus courier service.
THE LIBRARIES OFFER:
- A collection of print books, eBooks, and streaming videos for academic work and entertainment.
- Online and digital materials for research, accessible with SVC username and login information.
- A reserve collection with some classroom textbooks.
- Individual reference through in-person or on Zoom assistance.
- Online 24-hour chat research assistance service available on the library website through the Ask A Librarian chat widget.
- Online Research Guides that provide library research assistance for specific courses and college initiatives.
- Research instruction taught by library faculty in the library or in the classroom.
- Study spaces to suit a variety of student needs.
- Quarterly technology checkouts: laptops, calculators, textbooks, etc.
- Inter-library loan services to enrolled students.
TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES
SVC has a continuing commitment to provide current technologies to assist students in the successful pursuit of their education.
The Oak Harbor and Mount Vernon campus libraries both provide desktop computers, most with stations that have two monitors, that are accessible with SVC login information. Library classrooms and study spaces have wireless access and stand-alone charging stations. Available for quarterly student checkout are laptops, calculators, hotspots, and other materials. The libraries and several other spaces on campus have printers available for student use. Printer accounts are initially set up in the library using a printing fob, and are associated with student accounts. Accounts are pre-assigned a dollar amount per student, per quarter, and if funds run out can be added to by students. Support for problems with technology is provided through the library, eLearning, or IT. Access to most library materials is available from off-campus with SVC username and login information.
Housing - Mount Vernon Campus
Mount Vernon: 360.416.7650
Campus View Village is the affordable and active on-campus student housing complex offered through the Skagit Valley College Foundation. Campus View Village is just steps away from the Mount Vernon campus and is a popular living community among student-athletes, international students, and others looking for affordable housing and close campus proximity.
Leases are quarter-by-quarter, making it an ideal option for students who may not be here for a full year. Also, rent is all-inclusive of utilities - one price covers housing, heat, gas, electricity, garbage, water, cable TV, and WiFi. Each fully furnished unit is a four-person apartment, with individual bedrooms and shared bathroom and kitchen/common space.
Applications are on a rolling basis and occupancy is filled on a first come, first served basis, so apply early! For more information about on-campus housing, or to fill out an application, visit www.skagit.edu/cvv, email us at mv.cvv@skagit.edu, or call 360-416-7650. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (Monday through Thursday during the months of July and August).
Bookstore
Mount Vernon: 360.416.7601
The Cardinal Bookstore is located in the Cardinal Center on the Mount Vernon Campus.
The bookstore stocks a wide variety of items, including required and optional textbooks - both new and used - and class materials, as well as course and school supplies, uniforms, and SVC insignia items.
The bookstore website, www.cardinalbookstore.com, can be used to purchase textbooks as well as to look up textbook information and pricing. These services can also be accessed through the online registration process.
Online textbook orders can be picked up at the Mount Vernon Campus bookstore, or can be delivered via United Parcel Service (UPS) for a nominal fee. Pre-paid orders can also be picked up at the Whidbey Island Campus Library at no additional charge by special arrangement. Please contact the bookstore at the number above for details.
Store hours of operation are posted on the bookstore website.
Cardinal Complete
The Cardinal Complete Program offers funding and scholarship support to cover the cost of tuition and fees for students who are within 15 credits of completion of an eligible degree or certificate program. In addition to being within 15 quarters of completion, to qualify a student must not owe a debt to SVC or be on Financial Aid Suspension. Awards are based on funding levels. For more information, please visit our web page at https://www.skagit.edu/funding-your-education/.
Student Emergency Assistance
The Student Emergency Assistance Fund was established to provide assistance to students at risk of not continuing their education due to unexpected financial dilemmas. The fund is only allocated for sudden, urgent, or unforeseen occurrences that require immediate attention and would impact the student’s ability to stay in college and complete their educational goal. Students must demonstrate “emergency” financial need.
For more information about Emergency Assistance and to apply, click here.
Childcare Assistance
Depending on availability of funding, you could be eligible for the Childcare Assistance fund which can assist you with the cost of out-of-pocket dependent care expenses for dependents residing with you during the academic year for care incurred as a result of attending classes at SVC (that is, during periods that include but are not limited to class time, study time, fieldwork, internships, and commuting time to and from SVC). Dependents can include any children for whom you are the legal guardian, step children, or siblings who reside in your household for whom you are responsible for providing care. The funding is per household and per availability of funding. The Child Care Assistance fund maximum award is $1400 per quarter, per household, depending on availability. Applicants to this program must meet certain criteria.
For more information about Childcare Assistance, and to apply, visit http://skagit.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/emergency-assistance/.
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