parent's corner

Welcome to Dutchess Community College. We hope that these pages
will answer some of the questions you may have about the college process.

How to Help Your Son or Daughter Register for College Classes.

As a parent, what can I do to help my son/daughter register for classes? One of the biggest differences between high school and college, and perhaps the biggest adjustment your son/daughter will make, is the leap from dependence on you, to thinking and acting independently.

Each college faculty member has his/her own policy governing attendance, punctuality, exams, handing in work on-time, etc.
The student has sole responsibility for meeting these requirements.

There are no bells, no attendance officers, and often no acceptance of late papers or “make-up” exams. No one will call you if your son/daughter stops attending classes, is not submitting required work, or is failing tests. The student is responsible for his/her college education.

Another difference between college and high school is that in high school, teachers teach their students; in college, students learn from their professors and fellow students. This puts much more of the responsibility for learning on the student.

As a college student, your son/ daughter will be required to make decisions and take responsibility and be accountable for his/her actions. For many students, this is a new experience. As a parent, you can help with this adjustment by listening and encouraging your student to make his/her own decisions. Registration is just the first of a long series of decisions and independent actions which college requires of your child.

Encourage your student to make his/her own decisions about how many and which classes to take, as well as the days and times which these classes meet. Your child will meet with an advisor who has been trained to register new students, and the advisor will work with your son/daughter to help them plan a schedule that is right for them!

What's a credit?
One credit hour is approximately equal to one hour of class attendance. There are some exceptions to this. Most courses at Dutchess are three or four credits each.

What is full-time?
A student is considered to be full-time if s/he takes at least 12 credits each semester. We often recommend a student take a maximum of 12-15 credits during their first semester at DCC.

What is part-time
A student is considered to be part-time is s/he takes fewer than 12 credits in a semester.

How long is a semester?
The academic year is divided into two semesters; each semester is 15 weeks.

• The Fall semester runs from the end of August until the middle of December.
• The Spring semester runs from the middle of January until the beginning of May.

What is a college major or curriculum?
A college major or curriculum consists of courses leading to a degree (example: BAT = Business Administration Transfer)

Please keep in mind that it is very common for a student to be confused or undecided about his/her major. One of the purposes of a college education is for students to explore different academic and career paths. If you child is undecided about which major to choose, here are some options - they can:

• Talk to their advisor.
• Meet with a DCC Career Counselor.
• Register for Career Exploration And Planning (CLP 101), a three credit course that allows your student to examine and research the right study path for them.

My son/daughter placed for a “credit-equivalent” class. What does this mean? Because DCC is an open admissions college, in that we accept everyone with a high school diploma or GED, we enroll students with a wide range of high school preparation — from very prepared, to under-prepared.

We have students who took the most difficult and challenging courses in high school in order to prepare for college, and received 80's and 90's on their Regents exams.

We have students who took less challenging courses in high school and got 60's and 70's on their Regents. And we have students in between.

In other words, not all high school graduates are equally prepared for college level work.

At Dutchess, we pride ourselves on the success of our students. In order to help the under-prepared student succeed, we have created a series of “credit-equivalent” courses, designed to teach students what they didn't learn in high school but need to know for college-level study. Because these “credit equivalent” courses are preparatory, they do not meet the criteria needed to be able to offer them as “credit” bearing. So if a student needs to take a “prep” course, they will not earn any credits.

On campus, when your son or daughter meets with his/her academic advisor, the advisor will use both the ASSET/ COMPASS scores, and the high school transcript to help your son or daughter select the proper courses for them. Generally, a course that begins with “0” is a “credit equivalent” class (example: ENG 092; MAT 091).

Is my son/daughter required to take these credit-equivalent courses? If your son/daughter placed for ENG 091 or 092, s/he is required to take this class. If your son/daughter received a score that places them in the “appeal” range, they may make arrangements to take the “Writing Appeal” test. The results of the Writing Appeal are binding.

While the advisor uses ASSET/COMPASS as a guide for placement in Math courses, the math courses that your son/daughter took in high school, and the grades s/he received, are the most important factor in placement in college level math courses.

What's the difference between an A.A., A.S., A.A.S., or Certificate Degree? Generally, the A.A. (Associate in Arts) and the A.S. (Associate in Science) are designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college.

The A.A.S. (Associate in Applied Science) is designed to prepare students for immediate employment after graduation. Please keep in mind that some students do go right into the workforce with an A.A. or A.S. degree, and some students successfully transfer with an A.A.S. degree.

The Certificate degree prepares students for employment after one year, rather than the 2+ years it takes to earn an A.A.S. degree.

Does my son or daughter have to finish his/her degree in one or two years? No. Students can graduate in two years if they attend DCC full-time, taking more than 12 credits a semester, and if they did not require any “prep” courses. However, the vast majority of students take three or four years, especially if they are attending part-time.

Most of our students do not complete their degree requirements in one or two years, because most of our students (52%) need at least one credit-equivalent or prerequisite class, and/or work more than 20 hours a week. That's OK.

The most important goal for a student is to do their best! Many of our students find that they achieve higher grades when they take fewer credits each semester.

We especially stress light loads for the first semester when the student is getting used to the whole college scene, particularly if we learn that the student plans to work more than 20 hours a week.

Remember, being a college student is a full-time job! Working more than 20 hours a week will feel like having two full-time jobs!

Even though taking 12 credits means that a student will only be in the classroom for approximately 12 hours a week, colleges make up for this by requiring the student to do significant work outside of class.

The rule of thumb is that for every credit a student takes, s/he will be required to do 1-2 hours a week of work outside of class. This means that a student taking 15 credits can count on averaging between 15 - 30 hours a week of reading, writing, researching, etc., outside of the classroom!

You have done your job well as a parent!

The next phase of parenthood involves giving your son/daughter the opportunity to grow, become independent, and make mistakes. This is part of their growth process, which will ultimately lead them to become happy, healthy and productive adults.