College is complex and comes with a lot of questions! Below are suggestions to help navigate your way!

Not finding your answer or still have a question? Email us at eccadvising@csuchico.edu.

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• Who do I...?

  -contact for major advising? See the Major Advising Directory for ECC majors.

  -talk to about GE courses? Us in the ESSC or Academic Advising Programs!

  -talk to about internships? The Career Center uses Handshake to post internship opportunities they receive. Additionally, your major department, faculty advisor, or CSC2 can help with internship ideas and placement.

  -contact to see if I can set up a payment plan? Student Financial Services can determine your options and eligibility for budgeting tuition.

  -reach out to for help navigating campus resources? Start with us in the ESSC! If we don't know the answer to your question, we can guide you in the right direction to find out! All seven academic colleges also have College Advising & Retention Specialists (CARS) that are a network to get students connected with services throughout campus.

• What do I...?

  -enroll in next semester? Run your Degree Planner to determine what you should consider next. Meet with your faculty advisor or the ESSC if you are unsure about what is projected.

  -do if I have a hold? Review the details of the hold to see what is needed to complete it and the office that is placing the hold. The Financial Agreement hold is an item on your to-do list. Past-due balances require payment to Student Financial Services. Not Anymore and Alcohol EDU require completion of training.

  -do if I see a written communication and/or math/quantitative reasoning hold? First year students are required to attempt the written communication (A2) and college-level math (A4) requirements in their first year. Students required to complete support courses with those requirements will see reminder messages (these are not holds preventing you from registering) until you complete A2 and A4.

  -do if I get an error message when trying to add a course? Review what the error message is indicating.

  Do you have a time conflict with an enrolled course? If so, choose another section or course requirement. For extenuating circumstances, contact the ESSC.

  Is the course/section reserved for a special population? Sometimes programs (EOP, REACH, major departments, placement, international students) have specific sections designated that are not intended for all students. Choose another section if you are not part of the identified group.

  Are you missing a prerequisite course? You are not eligible for the course without special permission or manual enrollment.

  Did you take a course at another school and the official transcript has not been received, processed and posted? Show proof of passing to the department and request your official transcript ASAP. May need manual enrollment.

  Do you need a coexisted (connected class) such as a lab, U-Course, Course link, major requirement that needs to be enrolled with your course? Add both courses to your shopping cart and check out with both. 

  -use for the school code to send AP scores? School test code: 4048

  -use for the school code for financial aid (FAFSA or CADAA) applications? School code is 001146.

• Where do I...?

  -get access to food resources? Visit the Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry, get info about Cal Fresh, and connect with the amazing folks at the Basic Needs Project.

  -reach out to connect with mental health support and tools? Utilize the resources and the staff of all WellCat Services including the WellCat Counseling Center for mental health care and tools, WellCat Health Center for medical and health needs, WellCat Safe Place for advocacy and support, and WellCat Prevention for awareness and education.
  

  -get help with writing assignments? The Writing Center can help discuss your assignment, develop ideas, and give feedback.

  -go to prepare for an interview? What about resume or cover letter help? The Career Center has awesome people and tools to help!

  -look for a student job with CSU, Chico? Student positions are either posted on Handshake,Associated Students (AS), Chico State Wildcat Store, or Chico State Enterprises.  

  -find financial advice and resources? Check out the Financial Wellness Clinic hosted by the Center for Excellence in Finance. Visit the Financial Aid and Scholarship website for information about grants, loans, scholarships, FAFSA, CADAA, and private funding advice.

  -find ways to connect with peers? We may be virtual, but we are still WILDCATS! Find a place that feels like home with the CCLC, STAR, PATH Scholars, and Dream Centers. Celebrate diversity and inclusion and enhance cultural awareness at events hosted by GSEC, MCGS, IEGE, and the Office of Tribal Relations. Become a first-year student leader (FLO), apply to be an orientation peer advisor (ONSP), or participate in AS Student Government. Take a virtual tour of Yosemite with Adventure Outings, or a spin course with the WREC, or a creative way to volunteer with CAVE. Join a student club or organization related to your interests or participate in an event on Wildcat Sync or student announcements. Consider pledging a Greek organization If you are in a support program (EOP, REACH, CSC2, SSS) attend virtual social events or plan study groups. We are all in this virtual environment together, so might as well meet new people and have some fun!

• When do I...?
  

  -see courses show up in Blackboard Learn (BBL)? Course material in BBL typically is  available prior to school starting. Courses enrolled in after school starts take a few hours to populate, so it is important to contact your instructor to obtain materials, Zoom links, or coordinate activities until you have access.

  -reach out to my faculty advisor? Every spring semester, ECC students are required to complete mandatory advising for your major. You will be required to follow the Degree Planner instructions and contact your faculty advisor. Keep an eye out for department emails in spring. You can also reach out to your major advisor in the fall for help with spring course planning.

  -apply to graduate? Ideally, file for graduation a year or more in advance of when you will complete your degree. This is not the same as walking (participating in commencement) so be sure to indicate the term you will complete all of your requirements.

  Fall Grads= Dec 15 of the prior year  |  Spring Grads= May 15 of the prior year  |  Summer Grads= Aug 15 of previous year

  -get my financial aid disbursement? If your financial aid file is complete (no outstanding to-do list items) first disbursements go out the Thursday before the start of the semester. Disbursements continue on a weekly basis. 

  -end up on academic probation? When your cumulative (overall) or Chico GPA falls below a 2.0 you are placed on academic probation. You may be subject to academic disqualification if your GPA continues to decline. Reach out for help from Academic Advising Programs and the ESSC to talk about goal setting and realistic expectations to set you on a successful path forward.

  -need a University form? Do you need to drop a course? Take a leave of absence (PEL)? Want to take more than 21 units? Utilize a repeat with forgiveness? Declare a major, remove a minor, or add a second major? Provide proof of immunization records? Documents related to your academic record can be found on the Student Records and Registration page. 

  -see an Academic Advisor vs. Major Advisor vs. Graduation Advisor vs. Program Advisor? We all have our speciality areas. For questions about general education (GE) requirements, changing to undeclared, exploring other majors, or GE pathway minors, see an academic advisor in Academic Advising Programs. For questions about GE substitutions or approvals, transfer or test credit, filing for graduation, and overall degree requirements, see a graduation advisor in Graduation Advising. When you have questions about major coursework and requirements, see your major advisor. If you are interested in studying abroad, are an international student, participate in Honors in GE, or part of a formal support program (EOP, REACH, CSC2, SSS), meet with a program advisor for the program. Feel free to start with the ESSC and we will get you connected to the right office to speak with.

• Why do I...?
  

  -need to meet with my instructor? Office hours are a great way to connect with your instructor one-on-one. Maybe you need a concept explained again from lecture, or are stuck on a problem, or want to know how to improve after getting an assignment or exam back. Office hours are noted on your syllabus to provide dedicated times to be available to students. 

  -want to attend tutoring or supplemental instruction (SI) sessions? Tutoring and SI are great ways to work through concepts learned in lecture and lab. Your peer tutor or SI leader may help you get "unstuck" on a problem, identify important concepts, offer accountability and dedicated time to work through assignments, prepare for exams, or guide you through ways to study. Good advice is to go early in the semester and often. Tutoring/SI is not a cram session before a big exam, but rather a space to practice, gain confidence and offer strategies to study.

  -benefit from attending a career fair early? College goes by faster than you think. Attending career fairs as a freshman or sophomore can help identify what jobs are out there, what companies come to CSU, Chico to recruit, and what you can do in college to make yourself stand out.

  -want to get a resume together? Attending career fairs, applying for internships or jobs, asking for letters of recommendation, or researching scholarships may require a resume for submission. Get a resume draft together and meet with a career advisor- Art Cox is the College of ECC liaison- to get started!

  -need to check my Wildcat email weekly? Campus uses your Wildcat email to send important information and announcements. Sending a text is great for reminders, but hard to communicate complex information. Keep your school email organized as great practice for the professional world.

  -care about the Degree Planner? The Degree Planner is designed to plan your requirements out to graduation. However, it is only as Degree as the information it has and can predict. By reviewing the plans and identify your specific academic needs and goals with an advisor can map out an individualized plan for you thru graduation that will adapt as you complete each semester. Learn more about the Degree Planner and other tools.

• How do I...?

  -know what important dates are coming up? Check out the class schedule and academic calendar and our registration help page.

  -change my major outside of ECC or go undeclared? Use a plan change form and meet with an advisor for your new major.

  -contact an instructor? If you are currently enrolled in their course, consult your syllabus for preferred email method. Contact information for all CSUC employees can be found in the campus directory (@csuchico.edu). Your instructor may prefer a personal email, communication through your BlackBoard course, or other forms.

  -check my GPA? Access your Degree Progress Report (DPR) in your Student Center. Pay attention to your Overall GPA (all college coursework), Chico GPA (all coursework taken at Chico), and major GPA (courses taken within your major). If you have a declared minor, that will also have a minor GPA. For EECE majors: you also have a GPA for EECE specific courses. Undergraduates are required to maintain a 2.0 or higher in all of these GPA areas.

   -get involved? Clubs and organizations often hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings and host events throughout the semester. Get involved with clubs related to your major, hobbies or interests, opportunities to volunteer or meet new people. Check out the Wildcat Sync for events- one big virtual bulletin board of activities happening daily! You can also see upcoming events under student announcements located on the homepage of your Portal account. 

  -pay tuition and registration fees or a past-due balance? You can make a payment to campus using the CashNet payment system.

  -sign a University form if I do not have access to a printer or scanner? Until further notice, when it is not possible to provide physical signatures, emailing from @mail.csuchico.edu or @csuchico.edu can be accepted. (No level 1 or 2 data can be emailed: SSN, Bank#s, Medical Records, etc.)

  -check out a book from the library? If you are in the Chico area, you are arrange a pickup. You can also check out books from other participating CSU campuses that may be near your area. You can also access librarian chat support 24/7!

  -unlock my Portal account? You may need to reset your password. However, you can also lock your account. If you need technical assistance contact ITSS.

Learn more...

• Need to know when to register for courses?
• Looking for tutoring or academic support resources?
• Not sure how to navigate your Degree Planner?
• Want to get involved?
• New to CSU, Chico?