MySite helps students plan their future
To transfer out of Saddleback Community College you need to do two things; map out all of the classes you need to take and then pass those classes.
When you first come to Saddleback the counselor should give you the Student Handbook, which will have three different transfer planning charts. Depending on where you want to transfer, it is supposed to help you figure out which classes you need to take before transferring to a Cal State or UC.
But for those of you that need a little extra clarification, MySite is here to help. With MySite’s My Academic Plan, MAP, you can figure out all the classes you need to take before you transfer and also figure out when you should take them.
MAP, a newly developed program, went online in late April 2006. The program took two years to develop before it was ready to become active.
Project Director Jim Gaston is very pleased with the program and is proud of its accomplishments, including the state award it received. Gaston said that the state was so impressed with MAP that it’s looking into expanding the program for other colleges to use as well.
Over 10, 000 students have made plans using MAP since it became active. The best part of MAP, said Gaston, is that students are getting a service other colleges can’t even touch yet.
“I like My Academic Plan because now I have all my classes planned correctly and I know which classes to take so I can transfer,” said Taylor Dunham, 18, History.
This new innovative tool lets you not only figure out which classes you need to take, but also lets you plan which semesters your going to enroll in them. MAP is customized for each student just like MySite is customized for each individual. You can rearrange your plan at any time.
“I’ve already had to change my plan twice. I really like how it works with my schedule and l can change it when I need to so I can still see what I need to do to transfer,” said Heather Tackett, 19, Undecided.
MAP is not the only new attraction on MySite. MySite, which students and faculty members use for most of their Saddleback needs, has been going through some work over the past two years. These renovations are apart of a four year plan, which Gaston said is right on schedule.
The renovations being made on the site are more technical and are being made to help the system run better.
“It’s all under the hood stuff work really,” said Gaston.
After the four year plan is complete, more plans are already made for more improvements on the site. Plans include having a higher integration between registration and MAP said Gaston.
“MySite will help students see and reach goals, as well as be more helpful in the years to come,” said Gaston.
MySite will eventually be everything you need when it comes to registering at Saddleback said Gaston. MySite will make registration as easy as walking into a bookstore or ordering online from Amazon.
“It will be the Amazon of community colleges,” said Gaston.
Faculty working on MySite hope to also integrate text messaging into MySite. Students will soon have the option of getting text messages from teachers about class cancellations and class announcements. This leads to one of the other things faculty working on MySite hope to accomplish. In time they hope to secure a better integration between MySite and Blackboard.
A calendar will also be a new feature that will be on MySite soon. It will show the finals schedule, events on the Saddleback campus, and any deadlines that students or faculty members may have.