Advising

An academic advisor will assist you with the transition to KCC, and with course selections for your first semester. They also provide information about KCC’s programs, resources, and services.

Make the most of your advising meeting and ask questions — we’re here to help! Connecting with your advisor is important for academic success. Advisors can help you:

Assess your interests, abilities, and career goals
Select the courses required to complete your degree
Make full use of the resources and facilities at KCC
Understand college policies and procedures
Develop strategies to be successful in the college environment and beyond

Meet With an Advisor

An appointment is required to meet with your advisor except for “Walk-in Wednesdays.” and other select dates. During walk-in advisement, all advisors are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hours:.
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday (Closed most Fridays May - July)

Schedule an appointment Walk-in days

Student Responsibilities

Contact your assigned advisor.
Work with your advisor to develop a Master Academic Plan (MAP). Meet with your advisor to make updates/changes as needed.
Bring a list of questions and materials such as your MAP and schedule to your appointment.
Meet academic deadlines. Know when to register and when drop/add deadlines are.
Seek assistance from your professors and/or advisor when you encounter difficulties in your courses.
Learn the graduation requirements for your program of study.

Advisor Responsibilities

Information about academic programs and procedures. Clarifies policies, regulations, programs, and procedures.
Advice on selecting courses and assists in developing a Master Academic Plan (MAP) to obtain educational goals.
Offer a welcoming environment and help to become more academically independent.
Refer you to additional college resources as needed.
Assist in exploring your interests, abilities and goals.
Review the classes you need to graduate from your program.

Phone 815-802-8500 or email studentaffairs@kcc.edu to learn more about advisement procedures.

Student Planning

With the Student Planning tool you can make academic plans and register any time, from any device. With this web-based tool, you can:

Plan courses and build a schedule for a particular semester/term
Communicate and work with your advisor
Register for courses
Track progress toward fulfilling degree requirements

Your advisor can provide tips on using this interactive tool to save time and trips to KCC.

Master Academic Planning

If you are a new student, or have changed your academic goals at KCC, you will want to make your Master Academic Plan (MAP). The MAP is a customized guide that you and your advisor will create to help you stay on track, monitor your progress, and plan/budget for future semesters.

Advising Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know who my advisor is?
Advisors are assigned based on your intended program of study. This allows the advisor to assist with your unique educational goals. Advisement areas are Health Careers, Transfer, and Occupational/technology. To find out who your advisor is: log in to my.kcc.edu > Self-service > Student planning > Go to my progress

What is a MAP?
A Master Academic Plan (MAP) is a comprehensive guide designed to familiarize students with the degree requirements meant for your declared program. It is literally a road map of what courses are needed to complete a degree. If you don’t have a MAP, make an appointment with your assigned advisor to create one.

If I am undecided about my educational goal, should I be a non-degree student?
Undecided students are advised to choose a “general” A.A. or A.S. degree. These degrees give you maximum flexibility. It will also help ensure that courses will satisfy degree requirements. If you do not select a degree program, you are not eligible for financial aid.

Will my courses transfer to a university?
All Illinois community colleges use the same general education core requirements. The Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) degree plans are designed to simplify the transfer process. When you complete the core courses for a degree, you satisfy requirements to transfer to all Illinois public universities as well as other participating four-year colleges and universities. Learn more at iTransfer.org

Your KCC advisor will work with you to select courses for specific majors but you are responsible for working with the transfer college/university to fulfill their requirements. For more FAQs specific to transfer, please visit Transfer Services.

What is a credit hour?
Credit hours relate to the total number of hours of instruction and lab/clinical time for the course. The last digit of the course number indicates the number of credit hours earned for the course. For example: ARTS 1613 (3 credit hours), and MATH 1704 (4 credit hours).

What is considered full-time study?
To be classified as a full-time student during a 16-week semester, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours. For the 6 or 8-week summer term, 6 credit hours is the minimum.

How many hours should I be able to work at my job?
To decide how much you can work, consider your individual responsibilities. Generally, full-time students should limit themselves to 20 or fewer hours per week during the transition to college. It is better to be successful with a lighter load than to over-extend and struggle or fail.

Can I attend KCC then transfer to another community college for a degree not offered at KCC (ex. dental hygiene or veterinary technician)?
In most cases, your general education courses need to be taken at KCC. Meet with an advisor at the transfer college to determine which courses will be accepted toward their program. Your KCC advisor can work with you to plan the appropriate sequence of the courses to take here if needed.

How do I get into a health careers program?
Many of KCC’s health career programs use a competitive application process. There are limits to the number of students who can enter each program annually. Therefore, admission to KCC does not mean acceptance into a Health Career Program. New students should meet with a health career advisor to determine eligibility. For more information, view program eligibility requirements and HESI A2 testing information.