Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of our most frequently asked questions.
(If your question is not answered here, then you can Ask a Counselor.)
closeA counselor assists with academic advising, career planning, personal counseling, transfer services, problem solving and decision making. Counselors offer guidance throughout the time you are enrolled at Butte and it is recommended that you work with a counselor on a regular basis. Potential students are also encouraged to meet with a counselor.
closeYou may choose to meet with any of our counselors. You can choose to work with one particular counselor or you may choose to see any counselor that is available. We do not require students to meet with a particular counselor based on last name, major, grade level, etc.
closeYou can schedule an appointment by telephone at (530) 895-2378 or in person at the Campus Center Counseling Office. Appointments usually last 30 minutes. We schedule one-hour Financial Aid Appeals, Veteran's Plans, Personal Counseling,, and Student Education Plans. Please remember to check in for your appointment when you arrive. Counseling appointments are also available at the Chico Center (530) 879-4363 and at the Glenn County Center (530) 865-9728.
closeCounselors normally see students by appointment. We do offer drop-in counseling times for brief questions. Please check with the Counseling Office for the specific times and days.
closeYes, At the Chico Center. Call (530) 895-2378 or (530) 879-4363 for times and days.closeYou will want to bring a list of questions and any paperwork you want to review with the counselor. If you have transcripts from a previous college you will want to review them with the counselor.
closeCounselors do not register students for classes or "sign off" on a student's schedule. They are there to assist you in course selection, goal setting and planning. It is recommended that you work with a counselor on a regular basis. New students will meet with counselors and register for classes during START (New Student Orientation).
closeA new student has never attended Butte College before. A continuing student has attended the previous semester and is continuing to the new semester. A returning student is one who attended Butte in the past and is returning to Butte.
closeA major is an organized program of courses within a discipline leading to an Associate Degree, Certificate, or Transfer to a college or university. It is not mandatory for a student to declare a major. Normally, when you apply for admissions, there is a space for you to declare a major. If you haven't declared a major, and you would like to or if you have declared one and would like to change it you would need to fill out a form in the Admissions and Records Office. You may want to meet with a counselor for assistance in major selection.
closeGeneral Education courses are sometimes called "breadth requirements". These are courses outside of your major, required of everyone to obtain a degree, regardless of your major. They are designed to make you a "well rounded" person. It is recommended that you work with a counselor to ensure that you are following the correct General Education pattern.
closeButte College offers many different certificate programs. Certificates are designed to provide students with applied training in specific occupational areas. Students will be prepared with employable skills by completing a certificate program. Certificates are recognized favorably by business and industry, and they are often required for job classification advancement.
closeCompleting an AA/AS does not guarantee that you are ready to transfer to a four year college. It requires careful planning to transfer. It is strongly recommended that you see a counselor as soon as you begin thinking about transferring. If you work closely with a counselor, you can fulfill your AA/AS and transfer requirements at the same time.
closeA grading system by which units of credit may be earned but no letter grade (A-F) is assigned. Such units are not used in computing the grade point average. The transcript will reflect a CR for credit received or a NC for no credit received. For courses that are not regularly offered as CR/NC only or graded (A, B, C, D, F) only, students must complete an "optional CR/NC" with Admissions and Records to elect CR/NC grading.
closeThe grade point average is calculated by assigning a value to letter grades A - F (A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1 and F = 0). Units are multiplied by the value of the letter grade to obtain a grade point for each course. To calculate the overall grade point average you will need to divide total grade points by total units attempted. There are two types of grade point average. There is a term GPA, which is for an individual term. There is also a cumulative GPA, which is for all terms at Butte. The grade point average is used as a level for academic achievement, good standing, probation, disqualification, dismissal, eligibility for graduation and transfer to another college or university.
closeYou may want to meet with a counselor in order to decide whether or not the course requires repetition. In most cases, you will want to earn a "C" grade or better. Students are allowed to repeat a course once, without an Academic Council Petition, where a D or F grade was earned. Once a course has been repeated, the original or lower grade will remain on your transcript but will be removed from your gpa. Beginning with the Fall '08 catalog, all courses use to meet Associate Degree requirements must be completed with a "C" grade or better.
closeThere may be an option for you to be added to a waiting list for that particular class. If you are on the waiting list, you will want to attend the first day of class as if you were able to register for it. If registered students do not show up, the instructor will add students to the class from the waiting list first. The instructor will then add the students who are not registered and not on the waiting list until the class is full. The first week of school is when most students are trying to finalize their schedules and as their schedules change, there may be openings in classes that were previously full. This is not a guaranteed way to get into a class. You may want to register for another section that is open to ensure that you are able to take that particular class.
closeButte's Schedule of Classes and college catalog is available for purchase at our bookstore and at the Chico Center. This information is also available online. Click here to view the Schedule of Classes.
closeButte provides a number of services to assist students when they need help. The Center for Academic Success in the LRC provides tutoring in a variety of subjects. You may want to meet with a counselor to discuss the services that are available to you. You will also want to speak with your instructor.
closeIt is the student's responsibility to drop classes. Teachers are not responsible for dropping students from classes. If you fail to drop classes, you may receive a "F" grade. You can drop classes on WebAdvisor. There are deadlines to drop classes. Please refer to the calendar in the front of the current Schedule of Classes. Note that there is an early deadline to drop classes, where the course will not appear on your transcript. There is also a later deadline, where the course will appear and you will receive a "W" letter grade for withdrawal. Once the last deadline has passed, you will receive a letter grade. Note: Late starting classes list their drop dates in the Schedule of Classes under each course.
closeYes, you can speak with a Counselor about personal topics. All of our counselors are skilled professionals that are able to assist you with personal counseling and everything you say is strictly confidential. They are also able to refer you to outside assistance if needed. Crisis counseling is also available to students. Call (530) 895-2378 for an appointment or stop by the Counseling Office in the Campus Center.
closeYes, you can send a general counselor a quick question by using our online form.closeThere are required prerequisites for some classes. A prerequisite is previous background or course completion that is required before entry into another class. You must have completed the prerequisite at Butte College or submit evidence of meeting the prerequisite in order to register for the class. Some programs (Nursing, Respiratory Care, Paramedic) require prerequisites prior to admission to the program.
closeIt depends. There are some courses that have prerequisites; you cannot register for them unless you are able to demonstrate that you are at the skill level necessary to complete the course. At this campus, many of the math and English courses have prerequisites. The assessment score is one way to demonstrate readiness for those courses. All students who wish to enroll in more than two classes, or for an English or Math course must take the assessment.
closeIt is a good idea to check in with a counselor on a regular basis to see that things are going smoothly for you, but it is not required.
closeA student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units in fall or spring term to be considered a full-time student.
closeThe Admissions & Records Office is the place to get verification that you are enrolled in college. If you have a form that needs to be filled out verifying enrollment in college for insurance, for example, please take it with you to the Admissions & Records Office.
closeNo. Currently, registration fees for students who have completed any type of degree or certificate program are the same as those for students who have not. The only difference in fees applies to non-residents of California. You may continue to take classes at Butte College if you have received an A.A.or A.S. degree or certificate of achievement.
closeThere are probably as many ways to find out about 4-year schools as there are schools. Butte College's Counseling Services Office houses a collection of resources. Local libraries often carry college resources as well. Websites such as www.petersons.com can provide a wealth of general information on colleges throughout the country and most colleges have their own Web page with a myriad of specific information. For anyone interested in campuses of the University of California system, connect to www.ucop.edu/pathways Those who are interested in the California State University System can connect to www.csumentor.edu.
closeButte College is an accredited institution making its courses recognized by other institutions. Depending on the individual institutions requirements, there should be no reason why an equivalent class taken at Butte College could not be considered for transfer.
closeAcceptance of "D" grades is based upon individual campus decisions. Butte College will not certify "D" grades for inclusion in the IGETC.
closeThe 4-year institution will sometimes accept Credit/No Credit grades. However, required courses for the general education or major should not be taken in this manner. Check with the transfer institution for more information.
closeContact the school you wish to apply to for a complete application packet. Additionally, many schools now have Web sites, which allow for on-line or downloadable hard copy applications.
closeThis is an important issue that requires your careful attention. All California community colleges have lists of their courses that will transfer to the CSU or UC campuses at the website www.assist.org. If you are transferring it is important that you consult with the campus to which you are planning to transfer to gain assistance with identifying the specific course necessary to meet the transfer requirements. That institution will make the final decision on what will count toward your 4-year degree. You may also consult your college counselor for assistance in determining which courses will be accepted for transfer credit.
closeYes, however, by taking courses required for transfer, you will more than likely meet the requirements for an associate degree as well. Check with a counselor.
closeSpecific regulations vary from college to college, however, as a general rule, the maximum number of units accepted for transfer will be 70 semester units. (105 quarter units)
closeMost colleges and universities will accept 70 semester units towards the total number of units needed to complete your bachelor's degree; however, if you have taken more units than that, the content of the courses will often be used to satisfy needed requirements.
closeThe minimum GPA needed to transfer to a California State University (CSU) is 2.0.
The minimum GPA needed to transfer to the University of California (UC) is 2.4.
The GPA needed for transfer to private colleges varies so please check the college catalog. Some majors and some colleges are impacted and will require higher GPAs for admission.
closeGE or General Education is a program of courses in the arts and sciences that provides a broad educational experience. Courses are usually introductory in nature provide students with fundamental skills and knowledge in English, arts, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, physical and biological sciences. Butte College offers General Education Plans for completion of the Associates degree, UC and CSU transfer.
closeIGETC, Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, is a general education program which community college transfer students can use to fulfill lower-division general education requirements in either the CSU or UC systems. You must complete the entire IGETC in order to have it accepted as meeting the general education requirements at the transfer institution. IGETC is not recommended for some majors at some UC campuses.
closeCertification of CSU GE or IGETC is an important step in the transfer process. The certification of GE is the official notice verifying that a transfer student has completed courses satisfying lower division general education requirements.
The certification is separate from a student transcript. The request for certification of CSU GE or IGETC is done at the time you request transcripts be sent to the transfer school. To be certified, all courses on IGETC must be completed with a grade of C or better. The CSU GE pattern can include partial certification when only a specific area is completed or by completing the entire 39-unit pattern.
closeAn associate degree is a degree granted by a community college to students who complete a specified program of study, usually totaling 60 units. A bachelor degree or baccalaureate is a degree granted upon completion of at least 120 semester units or 180 quarter units. Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science Degrees are offered by the California State Universities, the University of California and private four-year colleges and universities. Beginning with the Fall '08 catalog, all courses used for an Associates degree must be completed with a "C" grade or better.
closeCompletion of 60 units that meet General Education competency and major requirements are needed to obtain an associate degree.
closeLower division courses are offered for freshman and sophomore level credit. All courses offered at a community college are lower division courses. Upper division courses are offered for junior and senior level credit. These courses are not offered by community colleges.
closeArticulation is the process of evaluating courses to determine whether coursework completed at one college will meet the requirements for admission, transfer credit, general education, or major preparation at another college.
closeButte College has specific agreements with a number of CSU and UC campuses. A complete listing of Butte College's articulation agreements with these systems can be found on the "Assist" Website at www.assist.org.
closeThe articulation agreement simply makes the transfer of credit proceed quicker. If your transfer school does not have an agreement with Butte College, classes will be evaluated for transfer on an individual basis. Butte College counselors are happy to work with your transfer school to assure a successful transfer.
closeNot all colleges require you to declare a major prior to transfer; however, some do. For a specific CSU or UC campus, refer to information in the application for admission (www.csumentor.edu). For other colleges, check the college catalog or call the admissions office for that information.
closeThe California State University (CSU) is the system of higher education in California that grants the most bachelors degrees. The CSU campuses also grant masters degrees. The University of California (UC) is the research system of public higher education in California. The UC grants professional and doctorate degrees, as well as bachelors and masters degrees. The CSU has a more practical, career-oriented approach to education in contrast to the more theoretical approach offered by the UC.
closeThere is a one-month period of time when applications are first accepted for a specific term at the CSU and UC. Visit www.csumentor.edu for specific application information.
