Student Support Services

Academic Advisement

Academic advisors are generally the first point of contact for a new student. They also assist students with identifying and developing an educational plan to support their academic, career and personal life goals. They help connect students to valuable resources and information about MCC’s programs, services, policies and procedures and work collaboratively with students, program faculty members and other College officials.

Academic Counseling

Academic counselors assist students who need to strengthen their basic skills in reading, writing and/or math and students who are English language learners. Academic counselors are available at the Elkhorn Valley, Fort Omaha and South Omaha campuses and the Sarpy Center. Academic counselors and faculty teaching basic skills courses establish partnerships to help students succeed. Academic counselors provide intervention or professional community referrals to students experiencing personal problems and/or crisis situations. All MCC students are encouraged to contact an academic counselor for assistance with various needs including academic advising, career counseling, study skills and general resource information.

Assessment Services

A basic skills assessment program is available at each MCC location. Students participate in basic skills assessments in reading, English, science and mathematics. Academic Resource Centers (ARCs), Math Centers and Writing Centers provide assistance and preparation for placement tests. Assessment results are provided to new students working with academic advisors during the first term of classes.

Career Centers

A wide range of career, employment and support services are available at the Elkhorn Valley, Fort Omaha and South Omaha campuses and the Fremont Area Center through the Career Centers. The Centers provide assistance to students in making career decisions, obtaining employment and upgrading skills to retain employment through friendly, individually-tailored services.

The Career Centers provide no-cost services to MCC students and to any person in the community seeking career services. Services offered include career planning, career assessment tools that help match interests and skills with specific occupations, career exploration through Internet access, résumé tools and resources, job search resources and career counseling.

Career Connection

An online center allowing MCC students and alumni to connect with local, regional and national job opportunities and provide employers with a user-friendly means to connect with MCC students is available at www.mccneb.edu/careercenter/. The center provides:

• Electronic job management with online profiles, résumés and resources
• A database of employers interested in hiring MCC students and alums
• Listings of internship hosts and volunteer opportunities

Single Parent Displaced Homemaker Program

Single Parent/Homemaker Services (SPHS) provide a wide range of workshops and personal assistance to single parents, single pregnant women and displaced homemakers. Referral to other College offices and relevant outside community agencies is also available. SPHS staff assist students at the Elkhorn Valley, Fort Omaha and South Omaha campuses.

Disability Support Services

MCC is committed to providing appropriate services and accommodations to any student with a documented disability through Disability Support Services (DSS). To be eligible for services, students must identify themselves to DSS and provide documentation of their disability. Once appropriate documentation is received, DSS will determine the appropriate accommodations for a student. These accommodations may not always be the same as the student received in high school or at another college or university. DSS counselors are available to assist students with disabilities on an appointment-based system. Appointments may be made by contacting Student Services.

TRIO

Specialized retention advisors and counselors are assigned to the Elkhorn Valley, Fort Omaha and South Omaha campuses to provide assistance and support to the student from a low-income, first-generation, disabled or educationally disadvantaged background. Students must apply to the program and fit criteria as determined by the Department of Education. Program objectives help the participants address educational deficiencies and overcome barriers to higher education while instilling a sense of responsibility and accountability to their futures. Services include career, academic, personal and college transfer advising and counseling; skills-building leadership experiences; professional mentoring and cultural enrichment activities. The Single Parent Displaced Homemaker Program for pregnant or parenting single students and displaced homemakers is part of the TRIO program funded in part by a Perkins Grant. See the Single Parent Program for more information.

Academic Resource Center

The College’s Academic Resource Centers provide resources, technologies and services to support the learning needs of students in various areas of the College’s curriculum. Students have access to state-of-the-art equipment, including printers, microcomputers and specialized software. The Academic Resource Centers are located at the Elkhorn Valley, Fort Omaha and South Omaha campuses and the Fremont Area and Sarpy centers. Services are provided free to currently enrolled students.

Math Center Services

Math Centers are located near the Academic Resource Centers and are available to students taking MCC math classes. Math Centers provide drop-in assistance, solution manuals and tutorial software, instructional videotapes, graphing programs and assessment test preparation.

Writing Centers

Writing Centers, staffed by experienced English teachers and writing consultants, provide professional assistance, writing workshops, Teacher Talk sessions and assignment design feedback to help students and faculty with written communication across academic disciplines and beyond. Simply stated, it is a place where writers invite other writers to dialogue about writing. Writing Centers are available at all College locations. For more information, visit resource.mccneb.edu/WritingCenter/.

Tutoring

Tutoring is available to students enrolled in credit courses for selected subjects. A student experiencing academic difficulty may request assistance through Tutor Services located in the Academic Resource Centers. Other eligibility requirements may apply. For more information, contact the Academic Resource Centers at (402) 457-2677 or visit www.mccneb.edu/tutorservices.

Learning Communities

Learning communities are a cohort group — a group of students who share interests and take classes together. The goal of these communities is to provide student and course connections that make classes and learning more interesting and students more successful. Benefits include:

• learning in a cooperative environment
• integrated curriculum
• individual advising/counseling
• direct contact with quality instructors
• making new friends
• small class size
• better chance for academic success — increasing the likelihood of staying in college

Examples of current learning community opportunities include:

AIM for Success

AIM (Academic Improvement) for Success is a learning community program designed for students who need to develop their reading and writing skills to achieve proficiency at the college level. AIM is offered in a block schedule and requires students to enroll in reading and writing courses for completion of 10.5 credits during the one-quarter program.

For more information about the AIM program visit www.mccneb.edu/learningcommunities/aimforsuccess.asp. To register, students should call Student Services.

Passport Program

The Passport Program is a learning community for students interested in starting their degrees at MCC and then transferring to a four-year institution. The learning community includes 25 students who will complete their first academic year of college together. Students attend full-time during the day, taking three courses each quarter, completing a total of 40.5 quarter credits (27 semester) that will transfer to a four-year institution.

Students have the opportunity to attend seminars and tour four-year colleges and universities. An academic advisor is assigned to the Passport group to help ensure student success. For more information, visit www.mccneb.edu/passport.

Paired Learning

Paired learning courses emphasize the relationship between two subject areas by providing students with the opportunity to learn about common topics from different points of reference. Instructors organize curriculum around projects and problem-based instruction.

TE@M

The Teacher Education @ Metro (TE@M) learning community gives students the opportunity to explore teaching as a profession. Through a partnership with the University of Nebraska–Omaha, MCC offers three transferable professional core requirement education courses. These courses, completed over two or three quarters, start students toward their Bachelor’s Degree in Education and provide an economical way to determine if teaching is the career path for them. Additional information and the TE@M application can be found at www.mccneb.edu/team.

Bridge to Success

Bridge to Success (BTS) is an initiative conceived by the African American Achievement Council in collaboration with Omaha Public Schools and area colleges and universities. The program provides high school students with an opportunity to have an on-campus experience while in high school. Students enroll in courses designed to promote student success by enhancing study skills and exposing them to college curriculum and resources. The BTS program provides a seamless transition for students from high school into college as well as prepares them to meet the academic expectations of colleges and universities. Classes are offered during MCC’s Winter and Spring quarters. Additionally, students may take an optional course during the Summer quarter. For more information, visit fwww.mccneb.edu/learningcommunities/bridgetosuccess.asp.

Campus Services

Bookstores

The College contracts with Follett Higher Education Group to manage and operate the bookstores. The bookstores located at the Elkhorn Valley, Fort Omaha and South Omaha campuses and the Sarpy Center are open throughout the term. Hours, which vary during peak times, are prominently posted at each store or online at www.mccneb.edu/bookstore.asp.

The Fremont Area Center has temporary bookstore services available on site at the start of each quarter. Off-campus course and online textbooks must be purchased at the South Omaha Campus. The Applied Technology Center also has a temporary bookstore available on site at the start of each quarter. Questions regarding the ATC Bookstore can be directed to the Fort Omaha Campus Bookstore.

For further information, contact any bookstore:

• Elkhorn Valley Campus (402) 289-1208
• Fort Omaha Campus, Bldg. 10 (402) 457- 2308
• Sarpy Center (402) 537-3850
• South Omaha Campus, Connector (402) 738-4508

Campus Dining

Campus dining is available at the Fort Omaha Campus, Bldg 10, in the Brick Hearth Café. Breakfast and lunch is served Monday through Friday while classes are in session. In addition, a café is located at the Elkhorn Valley Campus providing a wide array of beverages, snacks and sandwiches. The South Omaha Campus offers daily vendors for peak time dining options. Hours of operation may vary by location.

Libraries

The MCC libraries provide research materials and instruction in support of the College’s curriculum. Staff members are available to assist students with their research assignments and other reference questions. Libraries are located at the Elkhorn Valley, Fort Omaha and South Omaha campuses. Current students, faculty and staff are also welcome to use the City of La Vista Public Library at the Sarpy Center.

Each campus library houses a collection of print and audiovisual materials including books, journals, magazines, newspapers, DVDs, videos, CD-ROMs and audio books. The library’s web page includes links to more than 40 databases providing access to online books, journals, magazines, newspapers and reference sources. Off-campus access to the databases is available for current students, faculty and staff.

Other resources available to students include:

• Library orientations/instruction
• Computers equipped with Internet access as well as Microsoft Office products (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher)
• Interlibrary loan to obtain materials not available through MCC's libraries
• Photocopiers and microform reader/printers
• Audiovisual equipment including DVD and VHS players
• Reciprocal borrowing agreements with Omaha Public Library, the City of La Vista Public Library and other college libraries in Nebraska
• In addition to serving MCC’s students, faculty and staff, the three campus libraries also provide library service to the residents of the College’s four-county service area (Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties).

For more information about library resources and services including hours, locations, phone numbers and policies, visit the library’s web page at www.mccneb.edu/library or contact a campus library:

• Elkhorn Valley Campus (402) 289-1206
• Fort Omaha Campus (402) 457-2306
• South Omaha Campus (402) 738-4506

Public Safety

Public Safety’s primary objective is to provide a safe environment that enhances the learning environment and the College’s educational mission. The department is responsible for providing security, responding to emergencies and traffic accidents, enforcement of campus rules and regulations and various other services. Some of these services include:

• Patrolling campus property
• Assisting students, staff and the general public with information and directions
• Assisting students and staff with automotive problems such as jumpstarting and opening vehicles when keys are locked inside
• Providing escorts for staff, students and visitors as requested

Annual Security Report

Public Safety prepares the Annual Security Report to comply with the Jeanne Clery Act. This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on-campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by MCC and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from MCC campus locations. The report also includes policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning reporting sexual assault and other matters. The full text of the report is online at www.mccneb.edu/asr.pdf.

To reach Public Safety, call (402) 457-2222.

Distribution Of Literature

Student groups, staff members or organizations may not distribute written material on campus or on vehicles without prior approval of the campus dean.

Specialized Technology Areas

To enhance the student learning experience, MCC provides state-of-the-art equipment and up-to-date software at numerous locations throughout the College. A dedicated IBM iSeries lab is located at the Fort Omaha Campus, and networking labs are located at the Fort Omaha Campus and Sarpy Center. Visual Arts Technology and AutoCAD labs can be found at the Elkhorn Valley and Fort Omaha campuses. Remote access is available to all students learning Information Technology. Examples include Windows, Linux, AIX, security and database management technologies.

Parking And Traffic

All motor vehicles used by students and staff should be registered with the College. Each campus has parking zones and traffic signs prominently displayed. There is no charge for parking permits at the College, but all rules and regulations must be observed. Parking permits are issued through Student Services.

Student Identification Cards

Picture student identification cards are available for all students and can be obtained at Student Services.