Frequently Asked Questions

SEEING A COUNSELOR :

• How do I make a counseling appointment?
• What is the difference between a scheduled appointment and drop-in counseling?
• Do I need to see a counselor every term?
• Am I assigned a particular counselor?

ATTENDANCE AND GRADUATION:

• What must I do to graduate with an Associate in Arts Degree?
• What do I do to graduate and receive my diploma?
• What is a “unit”?
• How many units do I have to take in order to be considered a full-time student?
• If I am a full-time student, does that mean that I have to go to school every day?

TRANSFERRING INFORMATION:

• If I get an A.A (Associate in Arts degree), can I automatically transfer to a 4-year college?
• Can I get help filling out an application for transfer to a 4-year school?
• How do I transfer to a 4-year college? What are the requirements for transfer? How many units do I need for transfer?
• How can I find out which courses at Butte College fulfill lower division major requirements at a 4-year college or university?
• How and when do I need to apply for admission to a California State University campus?
• When do I need to apply for admission to a University of California campus?
• When do I need to apply for admission to a private/out of state college or university?

HOW DO I CONTACT AN INSTRUCTOR?

ARE THERE DEADLINES FOR ADDING AND DROPPING CLASSES? (PDF)

HOW CAN I GET TUTORIAL HELP ?

How do I make a counseling appointment?

Drop by or call the Counseling Office at the Main Campus (530) 895-2378. Appointments can be made in person or over the phone (appointments cannot be made via email). Drop-in counseling is also available on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to counselor availability. Counseling is also available at the Glenn Center (530) 895-2429 and Chico Center (530) 879-4363. The best time for continuing students to make an appointment is mid-semester. Peak periods in Counseling are May through early June, mid-July through September, and November through January.

What is the difference between a scheduled appointment and drop-in counseling?

Scheduled appointments (30 minutes) are made in advance either in person or by the phone. They are appropriate for clarifying your academic records, eligibility for graduation or transfer, probation or dismissal questions, and many other issues. Appointments can be made for long term student educational planning (60 minutes) as well as resolution of personal issues (60 minutes). These appointments can be made with a specific counselor of your choice.

Drop-in counseling (30 minutes) is on a walk-in/drop-in, first come/first served basis. The office starts taking sign-ups at 7:50am for the morning appointments and at 11:50am for the afternoon appointments. These accommodate most of the issues listed above with the following exceptions: long term student educational planning, veterans’ educational planning, personal issues (crisis excepted) and financial aid petitions.

Front desk drop-in counseling (10 minutes) follows the same sign-up procedure as regular drop-in counseling.  It is offered during our busy registration periods to accommodate quick scheduling questions, special permissions, repeat petitions, assessment evaluations, and general questions regarding admissions and registration.

Do I need to see a counselor every term?

It is not required unless you are involved in a particular program. It is a good idea to check in with a counselor on a regular basis to see that things are going smoothly for you.

Am I assigned a particular counselor?

A student may request to have an appointment with any counselor. Once you have seen a counselor you may wish to continue with that counselor or you may see another counselor, if you wish. Some students are required to see counselors if they are in particular programs or receiving financial aid or on probation.

What must I do to graduate with an Associate in Arts Degree?

The state and district requirements for the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degrees are as follows: (1) completion of a minimum of 60 degree applicable units with a C (2.0) average or better, etc. The length of time it takes a student to graduate depends on how many units/classes he/she takes per semester. Your counselor can give you specific information using the education plan.

What do I do to graduate and receive my diploma?

You must apply for graduation by making an appointment with a counselor to go over all of your courses. Make this appointment for prior to the end of the 7th week of instruction in the term you are planning on graduating in. To graduate during the summer session, make the appointment prior to the end of the 2nd week. Call the Counseling Office (530) 895-2378 for the appointment. You and the counselor will file a “Petition to Graduation” with Admissions and Records. Please refer to the current Schedule of Classes for exact dates.

What is a “unit”?

College credit is measured in terms of the “unit”. Some colleges also refer to it as a “credit”. A unit typically means an hour in class (for lecture-only classes) each week per semester, or three hours of lab each week per semester.

How many units do I have to take in order to be considered a full-time student?

A student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units in fall or spring term or 4 units in a six-week summer session to be considered a full-time student. Fifteen units is the usual load for students who wish to complete the AA or AS degree in two years (four semesters).

If I am a full-time student, does that mean that I have to go to school every day?

No, classes are scheduled in a variety of formats. Some are scheduled three days a week, some two days. Evening classes can be either one evening or two evenings, and there are also weekend classes. You choose the format that fits you. Generally students spend one hour in class for each unit (3 unit class = 3 hours in class per week)

If I get an A.A (Associate in Arts degree), can I automatically transfer to a 4-year college?

No, an Associate in Arts degree from Butte College means that you have completed a 2-year degree program. In the process of completing your requirements to transfer, you may obtain an A.A. degree if you select classes carefully.

Can I get help filling out an application for transfer to a 4-year school?

Yes, counselors can assist you with completing a college application. You can make an appointment or see a counselor on a drop-in for quick questions.

How do I transfer to a 4-year college? What are the requirements for transfer? How many units do I need for transfer?

Questions like these are important to your future, so you should contact the Counseling Office to make an appointment to plan your program for transfer. The following links will provide you with some basic transfer information 

How can I find out which courses at Butte College fulfill lower division major requirements at a 4-year college or university?

There are several ways to do this. There is an excellent web site called ASSIST (www.ASSIST.org) available to let you know how Butte’s classes count toward most majors at CSU’s and most UC’s.

How and when do I need to apply for admission to a California State University campus?

To apply to a CSU, go to www.csumentor.edu. Applications must now be filed on-line through the csumentor.edu site.

CSU campuses accept applications until they are full. Some majors at some campuses are impacted and require students to apply early. Check with your counselor to see how your major of choice is impacted. The following indicates when applications are first accepted by the CSU campuses. Applications sent before theses dates will not be processed.

When do I need to apply for admission to a University of California campus?

It is important to get your application in during the priority filing periods because most UC campuses fill by the end of these periods. The UC campuses will not accept applications sent prior to these filing periods.

UC Berkeley only accepts applications for Fall semester during November 1-30 of the previous year.

When do I need to apply for admission to a private/out of state college or university?

Private and out of state colleges and universities vary in their admission dates and deadlines. Interested students should visit the Transfer Center and ask to view the college catalog of the school you wish to transfer to. The college catalog will give you this information.