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Academic Support

   Oakland Community College provides a number of student support services, including counseling and career planning, financial assistance, placement and student activities. These services help students discover, define and, finally, realize their needs, interests, goals and potential.

Counseling / Oakland Community College provides students with comprehensive counseling services at each campus location. Licensed Professional Counselors are available to assist students in the development of decision-making skills which will enable them to establish and attain appropriate educational, vocational and personal/social goals.

The following Counseling courses are available:

• Orientation to College (CNS 1100)
• Enhancing Self-Esteem (CNS 1120)
• Human Potential Seminars (CNS 1140)
• Career Planning (CNS 1150)
• Personal Assertiveness (CNS 1160)
• Career Portfolio Development (CNS 1900)

   In addition, individual and group counseling, academic skills assessment, vocational interest assessment, computer-assisted career information programs and academic advisement are offered and designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population and to assist students in attaining their optimal, individualized development. The Counseling faculty coordinates a guidance program enabling each OCC student to help achieve academic, vocational and social success.

Academic Support Center (ASC) / The ASC offers instructional support for all registered OCC students. Students wishing to expand the opportunities offered in regular classes as well as those students who are experiencing difficulty in their course work may receive assistance in the ASC.
   ASC faculty can provide academic assessment and instruction in curricular and developmental areas. ASC faculty will tailor an instructional support program based on academic needs to fit the student’s individual coursework, interest and learning style.
   In addition to the instructional support provided for Mathematics, Science, English and ESL courses, the ASC offers enhancement programs, including:

• Study skills
• Reading comprehension and vocabulary
• Critical thinking

Additionally, the ASC provides:

• Student Success Seminars
• Supplemental Instruction/study groups
• Tutoring for individuals as well as for groups

   The services of the ASC are available without charge to all OCC students and, for a minimal charge, to members of the community aged sixteen or older.

Developmental Education / Because OCC is an open-door institution, it sees the value and importance of developmental education. The goal of developmental education at OCC is to enable students to perform at the college level, develop holistically and realize their potential.

Programs for Academic Support Services (PASS) /  Acknowledging the diversity of its student population, Oakland Community College has created Programs for Academic Support Services (PASS) to provide a network of support services for:

• students with disabilities
• students whose first language is not English
• academically disadvantaged students (below a 2.0 GPA)
• students who are single parents, teen parents, displaced homemakers or other non-traditional students.

   PASS provides accommodations to students with disabilities including, but not limited to, sign language interpreters, note takers, alternative testing arrangements, specialized equipment and tutoring.
   PASS provides tutoring and services to students whose first language is not English and to students who are academically disadvantaged.
   Supplemental assistance/support services are available through the Attendance Cost program (formerly Single Parent/Displaced Homemaker, Non-Traditional Grant) to eligible PASS students, including single parents, teen parents, displaced homemakers, non-traditional students, and students with disabilities. Assistance may include tuition, books and supplies, child care, transportation and/or other support services for students whose goal is to obtain job skills in an approved occupational educational program.
   All students requesting PASS accommodations and/or support services must meet eligibility guidelines. PASS offices are located on every campus. For more information, contact a campus PASS office.

Services to Non-Native Speakers / OCC provides its growing number of international students with services at each campus location. International Student Advisors help students with admissions, orientation and immigration-related issues. Additionally, OCC offers courses and programs to help non-native speakers of English establish proficiency in English. Each campus has English as a Second Language (ESL) courses to help foreign-born, non-native speakers of English develop academic English skills. Group and individual tutoring is available for all students for whom English is not their first language.

Libraries / The five The five OCC campus libraries offer a wide variety of information resources and services to support and enhance learning across the College curriculum and beyond.

Collections and Connections
   The onsite collections at each library include books, periodicals, newspapers, microforms, videos, DVDs, audio-cassettes, CD-ROMs, pamphlets, and maps. These materials are selected by the librarians with suggestions from other faculty. The Orchard Ridge Campus library is a selective depository for U.S. government publications.
   The online library catalog is available from any computer with internet access and a standard web browser. The library catalog provides information about materials held by the five libraries. It also has links to digitized collections, electronic books, periodicals in electronic format, U.S. government documents, and resource Websites.
   The libraries provide access to a wide-range of electronic resources. Featuring easy-to-use web-based search engines, they include full-text electronic periodicals, newspapers, encyclopedias, general reference resources, books, and indexing/abstracting services. These resources are available from internet connected computers on the OCC campuses, as well as from home or work to any currently registered student or College employee.    OCC is a member of the Detroit Area Library Network (DALNET), a consortium of more than 20 academic, medical, law, art, and public libraries in the metropolitan Detroit area. In addition to providing access to materials held by the five OCC libraries, the library catalog is a gateway to searching for materials held by other DALNET libraries.    An OCC library card, available at all campus library circulation desks, is required to borrow materials. Students and employees with valid OCC library cards can check the library catalog to review a list of materials they have checked-out and the dates the items are due. Materials that are not yet overdue may be renewed online.

Services
   Librarians offer assistance in the libraries, by phone and email, and via real-time chat. They also teach library research skills to classes and individuals. Students can connect into a live chat reference service, Research Help Now, for one-on-one assistance through the internet. Students may use any OCC campus library regardless of the location of their classes. Materials can be sent from one campus to another, and students may obtain books and periodical articles not in the OCC collections via interlibrary loan. Students may also obtain materials in person from selected metro area libraries through OCC’s reciprocal borrowing agreements.    In addition to the many full-text articles, reference materials, and web guides available to all students via the library Website, special services are available to OCC students enrolled in online courses. These may be accessed through the library home page at www.oaklandcc.edu/library.

Bookstores / The OCC Bookstore is organized as an auxiliary service of Oakland Community College. The mission of the OCC Bookstore is to support and enhance the educational processes of OCC. To fulfill this mission, the bookstore works as a partner in the College community, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and members of the local community. The store strives to provide exemplary customer service, appropriate goods/services in a timely manner, and reasonable and competitive prices as well as to generate income to supplement College resources. There is a bookstore located on each campus. The bookstore stocks required textbooks, supplies, paperback books, College insignia items and software. OCC Bookstores are happy to place special orders upon request. Used textbooks are purchased from students during final exam week. Exact dates and hours for the buy-back will be posted. Refunds on textbooks are authorized during a period of 10 working days after the first day that classes meet at the beginning of each semester. Contact any campus bookstore for further details of the return policy.

Children's Centers / The OCC The OCC campuses all have licensed, on-site child care facilities. This service is available to all OCC students who attend classes on campus. These centers are staffed with professional teachers and care givers who offer a wide range of experiences to the children. Contact an individual campus for questions concerning hours, age requirements and fees. A brochure is available upon request at the individual centers or from the Counseling Departments.