May 3, 2013

ENROLLMENT PRIORITY

In September 2012, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved a regulation to establish system-wide enrollment priorities designed to ensure classes are available for students seeking job training, degree attainment, or transfer to a four-year university; and to reward students who make progress toward their educational goals.

Beginning fall 2014, new students who have completed college orientation, assessment, and developed education plans, as well as continuing students in good academic standing, will now have priority over students who do not meet these criteria. To be in good academic standing, a student cannot be on academic probation or progress probation for two consecutive terms. In addition, students who have accumulated 100 or more units–excluding most basic skills English and math and English as a Second Language classes–by fall 2014 will lose priority enrollment. Students who feel they may be at risk of losing priority status are strongly encouraged to see a counselor to discuss their educational plans. College of Marin’s revised enrollment priorities can be found in Administrative Procedure 5055.

Back to top

STUDENT SUCCESS SCORECARD

The Student Success Scorecard Report for COM, an annual report produced by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's office to meet the requirements of Assembly Bill 1417, is available now available. The report, which shows how well community colleges are doing individually and collectively to support transfer, degree and certificate attainment, provides student demographics to compare with state totals.

Back to top

PE and ATHLETICS

Congratulations Raquel Newman!! The Bay Valley Conference Swimmer of the Year!!

Raquel won the maximum allowable 3 events at BVC’s (plus on a first place relay), took a 2nd at California State Community College Swimming and Diving Championships in the 50 yard breaststroke, and 3rd in the 100 yard breaststroke.

COM’s Baseball Team Wins the 2013 Bay Valley Championship

Congratulations to Coach Steve Berringer and COM student-athletes for winning the 2013 Bay Valley Championship. As a result of winning first place status, COM will be hosting the first round of the regional playoffs on Friday, May 3rd (2:00 p.m.) and on Saturday, May 4th (11:00 a.m.). Come on out and watch!!

Back to top

OUTREACH and SCHOOL RELATIONS

College Success Saturday on May 4th will feature priority registration for high school seniors who have completed the application, testing, Orientation and Student Ed Plan process. 

Separate student and parent orientations will cover important program and student services information that will support student success. Faculty and staff will be on hand to meet incoming freshmen and their parents, and campus tours will be available. High school seniors may register online and should indicate their contact information, high school, and the number of family members who will attend. COM looks forward to welcoming these new students to the campus! The month of May also will include campus tours and community workshops as well as annual end of year events such as Commencement on May 25th. Congratulations to all of our graduates and transfer students!

Back to top

DISABLED STUDENTS PROGRAM and SERVICES (DSPS)

The Student Disability Club is having a small retirement party for Chris Schultz, DSPS Coordinator and Counselor, on Thursday, May 23rd, 3:00 p.m., LC 115. There will be light refreshments.

Back to top

STUDENT AFFAIRS

The 86th annual COM Commencement honoring the Class of 2013 will take place on Friday, May 24th, 6:00 p.m., Diamond Physical Education Center. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom will be the speaker. The event will be followed by a reception for students and their families. Everyone’s participation makes a great difference to our campus community as we celebrate our students’ achievements.

Electric Vehicle Club Hosts Hamburger Tuesdays at IVC

Tuesdays, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm in the Cafeteria, Library, and MB 27

This is a weekly fundraiser to support the restoration of one of the College’s classic electric vehicles. The club will be selling beef and vegetarian burgers with the works for $3, or a burger with soda and chips for $5. The club is also selling energy drinks, water, fruit and ice cream.

Back to top

TRANSFER and CAREER CENTER

Transfer applicants for Fall 2013 are being notified of acceptance outcomes. This process will continue through May and it may take longer for students to hear from some private schools. Students should pay close attention to deadlines for enrollment deposits, orientation and registration dates. COM students have worked hard to navigate the transfer process. Many are receiving multiple offers and getting accepted into competitive schools with impacted programs. Kudos to all of you who have helped COM students meet their goals!

The May schedule for visits from College Representatives includes Trudy Noren from Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in San Francisco. She will be on campus Tuesday, May 7th, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, entrance to SS Cafeteria.

The Seventh Annual Transfer Recognition Reception

The Transfer and Career Center will host this event to honor and celebrate the successful transition of COM students to four-year colleges on Thursday, May 23rd, 5:30 pm, SS Cafeteria. There will be a recognition ceremony, catered reception and live music. To RSVP, students should stop by SS 202 with a copy of their acceptance letter. For more information, call 415.485.9671 or email Cynthia Lavi. Mark your calendar!

Back to top

SINGLE STOP

As the semester comes to a close, has all of your hard work taken its toll on your finances? You could be eligible for benefits that could take a lot of stress off your mind and ensure success with your school work! Visit Single Stop today! All their services are FREE and include:

Benefit Screenings - Visit them to see if you are eligible for:

• Up to $200 per month for groceries
• Free or low cost health insurance
• Reduced utility bills
• Referrals for child care services
• Affordable housing

Financial Advising - Outside of a bank, this service could cost up to $300 per session and Single Stop brings it to you for FREE! Ask their professional financial advisor about:

• Reducing your debt
• Building a budget
• Increasing your savings
• Pulling your credit report for FREE
• Increasing your credit score

Legal Advising - Speaking to an attorney for legal counsel could cost hundreds of dollars per hour to thousands of dollars per case. Meet with a licensed attorney at Single Stop to receive legal advice for FREE. The attorney can help with issues regarding:

• Consumer rights (e.g., unfair debt collection)
• Housing/tenant rights (e.g., eviction notices)
• Employment rights (e.g., wage claims and wrongful termination)
• Medical debt rights
• Bankruptcy

Single Stop also has referral information based on the type of legal advice you need.

Stop in to Single Stop today and see what you may be missing!

Contact the Single Stop Coordinator Edwin Towle at 415-457-8811, ext. 7761 to schedule an appointment. Their office is located at KTD, SS 124, and they are open Monday - Friday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Back to top

JOB PLACEMENT and HOUSING CENTER

IVC Services

The Job Placement Center now has a small office at IVC, in Bldg. 27, Rm. 103.  A Technician is available on Mondays, 11:00 am – 7:00 pm to assist anyone with questions. A Reader Board is also maintained with current job openings, along with a binder of open positions. Posted also are housing opportunities for Novato students/alumni.

KTD Services

They are located in SS 206 and open Tuesday – Friday, 10:30am – 4:00 pm. Please call 415.485. 9410 for an appointment for a resume review or individual job coaching.

The Annual Spring Healthcare/Dental Employment Fair took place Monday, April 22nd. Medical and dental recruiters from all over the Bay area attended, along with 200 participants. The entire graduating class from the Nursing Department and Dental Assisting Department attended to meet 20 employers and acquire information from 13 resources who presented continuing education and healthcare information. Healthcare agencies, as well as some hospitals, were on hand and accepted resumes and applications. Job Placement Fairs are open to the public as are all of their services. 

A special thank you to the Seed Bank of Petaluma! The Seed Bank donated a wide variety of seed packets to hand out to participants at the Annual Spring Healthcare/Dental Employment Fair. 

Summer is here! Get a new job for a new season! City Park keeps on growing. If you are interested, here’s how to apply:

• Apply online at City Parks SF under the “Employment” page, or
• Schedule an appointment with Josh at (415) 813-4239

NOTE:  All applicants must bring their DMV “H6” driving history ($5 MDV fee)

Don't forget to check the free online job search provided by COM, powered by NACElink. It has local, national, and international positions available for students, alumni and community members. You may also contact them through Job Placement Center or call (415) 485-9410.

Back to top

FINANCIAL AID OFFICE

Apply for Financial Aid for the 2013-2014 Aid Year

If you haven’t already done so, you can apply for 2013-2014 at the FAFSA website. Once logged into the website you will see two tabs. Make sure to click on the front tab if you are applying for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014.

The Financial Aid Office continues to process FAFSA applications for the 2012-2013 academic year. If you’re applying for aid for this semester, you must complete the process as soon as possible in order to receive funding. Students can apply on-line for free at the official FAFSA website. Other websites may charge a fee to file the FAFSA. The official site is always free. 

Here are a few frequently made mistakes to watch out for will filling out your FAFSA:

• Stating ‘other’ as a degree objective—You must be working towards a degree, certificate or planning to transfer in order to receive financial aid.
• Reporting that you paid the same amount of taxes as your income during the prior year—Look closely at these numbers to make sure they are not the same.
• Stating that you’re working on a Master’s or Doctorate degree when you have not yet received your first BA degree—Once you answer yes to the Master’s/Doctorate question it’s assumed that you have a BA degree, which makes you ineligible for a Pell grant.
• Inputting your Social Security or Tax ID number one or more digits off—This is one mistake that cannot simply be corrected. Students who do this will need to file a new FAFSA instead.
• Stating that you were in legal guardianship when your parents had custody of you—Legal guardianship does not mean that your parents were your legal guardians. This only applies to a child whose parents have lost custody of him or her, generally due to the parents inability to care for the child.

New Financial Aid Procedures for 2013-2014

Beginning with the Fall 2013 semester the Financial Aid office will no longer be mailing multiple letters to students regarding their financial aid requirements and/or awards. Instead, students will be mailed one letter with instructions for accessing the MyCOM portal. From then on all communications regarding financial aid will be posted in the MyCOM portal and emailed to students. Students have the option of having their MyCOM email forwarded to their personal email account.

To find financial aid information in MyCOM click on the Financial Aid tab, then click on Financial Aid Status to see your requirements. Any needed forms can be printed from the Financial Aid tab. These forms are now fillable online. The forms will also be made available outside of the Financial Aid office.

College of Marin Foundation Scholarship Ceremony May 22nd

The COM Foundation is holding a ceremony on May 22nd to honor the recipients of the 2013-2014 Scholarship. Applicants will be notified of their status in early May and the scholarships will be disbursed sometime in the beginning of the Fall 2013 semester.

Other Open Scholarships:

Gordon Stafford Architecture Scholarship: $1,000 - $2,000, Deadline - June 27, 2013

Thermo Scientific Pierce Scholarship: $5,000 - $10,000, Deadline - July 2013

Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The IRS data retrieval tool is a new feature that is available for both financial aid years. However, students will not be able to use it for 2013-2014 until several weeks after filing a 2012 tax return. It’s a convenient way to transfer tax information directly from the IRS database and can save you the time and effort of ordering a tax transcript if you’re selected for verification. For students who wish to use the IRS data retrieval tool to submit their tax information, the Financial Aid Office has created a step by step visual aid to finding and using the IRS data retrieval tool to submit your tax information.  

Hours Open

The IVC Financial Aid Office is open Mondays, 11:30 am - 7:00 pm., and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm.

The KTD Financial Aid Office is open 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Thursday, and 9:00 am - 12:00 pm on Fridays.

Students can avoid waiting in line by checking their financial aid status on the MyCOM portal.

Time cards are due in the Financial Aid office by 4:00 pm on Tuesday, May 28th for the pay period April 25th - May 28th. 

Back to top

ADMISSIONS and RECORDS

New and Readmitted Students may begin registering @ mycom.marin.edu - May 30th

Back to top

Student Services Newsletter
Technical Contact and Content Responsible: Rhonda Jones, Administrative Assistant, 415-485-9618