College Urges Early Academic Counseling

Moorpark College is encouraging students to receive academic counseling earlier in the semester.

The program is aimed at students who don’t make routine counseling appointments but use drop-in periods to do their academic planning.

Instead, students are asked to make appointments before mid-November, which is the busiest season in the counseling department, college spokeswoman Jeanne Bailey said.

“By making an appointment to see a counselor in October, students can enjoy a comprehensive planning session of 30 minutes or more,” she said.

During the session, a student can receive help exploring career options or developing an education plan to transfer, earn an associate’s degree or occupational certificate, Bailey said. The student can verify his or her transfer certification or pre-graduation status.

The goal, Bailey said, is to graduate more students with associate’s degrees, reduce the time it takes the student to complete a transfer program by completing the right courses, and to balance the counseling department’s workload.

Nearly 16,000 students sought academic counseling in 1999, more than 10,000 of them without appointments during peak periods, Bailey said.

An information table will be open from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 2, 3, 11 and 12 in the Campus Center at the college, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark.