DISTANCE EDUCATION

Online Courses – Online courses make it easy as possible for you to balance commitments of schedule and studies by allowing the classroom to come to you, wherever you are! Apart from textbooks, everything you need is accessible via the internet using a standard web browser. Each week you will log on to ANGEL to access the online course(s) you are enrolled in. MCC's Online Courses are built upon a tradition of over 20 years of delivering alternative learning. Online Credit Courses are equivalent to on-campus courses and maintain the same academic standard in content, assignments and credit.

Every course is managed by a qualified MCC instructor who will provide information, guide you, prompt discussion, help you with assignments, answer your questions and grade your work. Any student may use the College computers in the Academic Resource Centers, computer labs or libraries. One-on-one assistance is available to students at the Academic Resource Centers who wish to learn how to take online classes. Additionally, services from the writing and math centers are available for online students.  Librarians are available by phone, and in person, to help with resources including over 50 online research databases. MCC is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. International students and students for who English is not their first language must provide a current TOEFL report or take the on campus Michigan (ESL) assessment. Online courses are offered only in English. If English is not a first language, please contact Admissions at 1-800-228-9553 extension 2421 or email intladmissions@mcneb.edu. They will provide guidelines for international students wanting to take online courses.

Hybrid courses – Hybrid courses combine classroom learning with a significant online component. The benefits of on-site classroom learning and the convenience of an online class are rolled into one. Typically students in hybrid courses work online during portions of the week and/or term and then come to campus to apply and refine their skills, participate in labs etc.

Students in hybrid courses will receive orientation materials from their instructors prior to the beginning of the quarter.

Support Services – Any student may use the College computers in the learning centers, computer labs or libraries. One-on-one assistance is available to students at the Academic Resource Centers who wish to learn how to take online classes. Additionally, services from the writing and math centers are available to e-learning students.  Librarians are available by phone, and in person to help with resources including more than 50 online research databases.

Course Conferencing–Course conferencing offerings enable students to attend classes with students at other MCC locations. You interact with the instructor and students at other campuses via video and audio connections.

COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

Adult Education – Adult Education (AE) is a program sponsored jointly by the Nebraska State Department of Education and MCC. This program is for the adult 19 years of age or older with less than a ninth-grade level of attainment; however, a person between the ages of 16 and 19 who is not enrolled in a regular high school program may enroll with special permission from the Nebraska State Department of Education. The student is offered the opportunity to develop basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Upon completion of this course of study, the student is ready to prepare for the General Educational Development (GED) examination. Classes are free.

Apprenticeship – MCC offers a four-year apprenticeship training program in electrical and plumbing trades. The program is offered at the Industrial Training Center located at South Omaha Campus. The electrical curriculum is approved by the State of Nebraska Electrical Board, and the plumbing curriculum is approved by the City of Omaha Plumbing Board. All instruction is during the evening.  For more information, call 738-4034. 
Students who have successfully completed an approved apprenticeship program through one of the local unions or an approved in-house apprenticeship program through a company may receive up to 56 credits towards their associate degree. For more information about this program, contact the Coordinator of Programs at 738-4034.

Continuing Education – Continuing Education is focused on providing the community with a variety of noncredit learning opportunities such as using Excel and Word, learning a language or writing a résumé.  Continuing Education may also provide the community with personal enrichment activities like learning to dance, trying watercolor painting, repairing your house or improving your mental and physical health.

Corporate Education & Training – Whether a small business, Fortune 500 company, or nonprofit the Corporate Education & Training (CET) Division of MCC helps businesses meet and exceed their unique goals. Partnering with CET provides businesses with cutting-edge education and training custom-made for each business and also offers personal, one-stop services. CET’s value-add services include:

• One-stop, dedicated customer support
• On-site customized training
• Online training
• Accelerated credit degree programs on-site or on-campus
• Business employee enrollment program
• Dedicated client academic advisor
• Personalized registration
• Business summary billing option
• Deferred payment option

English-as-a-Second Language Classes (ESL) –
MCC's English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) program offers both credit and noncredit learning options for the student who needs to develop his/her English language proficiency. Both credit and noncredit classes are offered to provide a sequenced program of instruction. An intensive credit program is also offered. This enables the student to begin his/her study of the English language at basic literacy levels and progress through ESL courses at intermediate and advanced levels.

The student who enters the ESL program is required to complete assessment testing to determine appropriate placement into the sequence of courses. To register for assessment testing, the individual should call a Student Services Office at any location.

Additional information concerning noncredit ESL instruction can be obtained through the Adult Basic Education Office at (402) 457-2312.  Information about credit ESL courses can be obtained from the South Omaha Student Services Office at (402) 738-4505 or the office of the Dean of Learning Design and Support at (402) 457-2366.

General Education Development (GED) – General Education Development (GED) is a high school completion program jointly sponsored by the Nebraska State Department of Education and Metropolitan Community College for the adult 19 years of age or older. However, a person who is at least 16 years of age and not in a regular high school program may enroll with special permission.

This program consists of GED preparation classes and GED testing. Classes are free. These classes prepare the adult for the GED examination, which is a nationally standardized test of high school equivalency for adults. There is an application fee for the high school diploma and a testing fee; the high school diploma is issued by the Nebraska Department of Education upon successful completion of the examination.

The GED examination consists of the following five timed tests:

• Language Arts/Writing...... 50 quest. + 1 essay (2 hours)
• Social Studies................. 50 quest. (1 hour, 10 minutes)
• Science............................ 50 quest. (1 hour, 20 minutes)
• Language Arts/Reading.... 40 quest. (1 hour, 5 minutes)
• Mathematics...... 50 quest, 2 parts (1 hour, 30 minutes)

MCC is authorized by the Nebraska State Department of Education as a testing center.

Independent Study – Independent study allows a student to pursue, for credit, subject areas of interest outside of the existing College course structure. In certain instances, independent study may be used to complete the requirements for regularly offered courses.

The student wishing to take an independent study course must have the course approved by the faculty member and appropriate academic dean. The interested student should begin this process by contacting a faculty member teaching in the area of study.

Internship/Co-op Work Experience -- MCC's Internship/Cooperative Education program places the student in a working and learning environment for on-the-job training in his/her particular field of study before graduation. The student is placed with business, industry or social services agencies.

An internship or co-op may be applied to many programs of study. Variable credit is granted for successful completion of training periods.

The interested student should contact the appropriate academic dean for eligibility requirements and application procedures.

Secondary Partnerships – MCC has established numerous partnerships with area high schools for the benefit of students. Dual enrollment courses, career academies and high school-to-college transfer classes benefit students at the high school level. Other partnership activities enhance career relevance and rigor to prepare students for a wide array of postsecondary options.

Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Program –
The ROTC program at MCC is a joint venture between the Army ROTC program at Creighton University and the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Nebraska –Omaha (UNO). The program provides leadership training for the student who has an interest in becoming an officer in these services. Through written agreements, an MCC student may take the first two years of ROTC courses. While these courses are offered at Creighton University or UNO, by enrolling in the equivalent courses at MCC, students only need to pay MCC tuition. The required courses appear in this catalog under ROTC.

For further information, interested students should contact either the Army ROTC program at Creighton University (402) 280-1152, the Air Force ROTC program at UNO (402) 554-2318 or an MCC Student Services Office.

Service-Learning and Cooperative Education – MCC understands how important it is to provide real-world experiences to reinforce what our students learn in the classroom.

• Service-learning – projects that reinforce academic learning and promote civic engagement
• Cooperative education – internships and practicum experiences for MCC students

High School Articulation –High School Articulations is a course of study that prepares the high school graduates to continue their postsecondary education in technically oriented careers and enhances school-to-career transition. It is a partnership effort between secondary and post-secondary institutions that promotes seamless educational pathways through career pathways and articulation agreements.

Career pathways provide a coherent sequence of courses that blend secondary education with two-year associate degree programs at Metropolitan Community College, which may furthermore provide articulation with four-year institutions. Secondary program areas include agriculture, business, family/consumer science, industrial technology, marketing and trades/industry. The career pathway serves as a guidance tool for counselors by presenting a four-year planof study, two of which are spent at the secondary level and two at the postsecondary level.

For more information about High School Articulation and how students can take advantage of articulated credit, visit www.mccneb.edu/k12

Weekend College -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday weekend offerings include:

• college credit courses leading to a certificate or associate degree
• credit and noncredit courses to make a person a more effective employee and to facilitate job advancement
• special credit and noncredit courses to meet the particular needs of industrial, business, professional and civic groups

A student may enroll in a single course or a combination of courses to meet a special need or interest. She/he can improve or acquire special skills by enrolling in technical and occupational courses.

A course taken in the evening and/or on the weekend carries the same credit as a course taken in the regular day program, unless it is a noncredit course offering.

Admission requirements, academic regulations and student policies, as set forth in this catalog, apply to the evening and weekend student as they do to the day student.