Academic Advising Handbook

Inquiry and Pre-Enrollment Advising

• Career Interest and Aptitude Assessment
• Campus Tours
• Shadowing Opportunities
• Liaisons with High Schools
  • Youth Options
  • 118.15 Students
• Liaisons with Outside Agencies

Career Interest and Aptitude Assessment

Assessment tools are available at each of the WITC locations to assist prospective students in determining their areas of interest and ability. The actual instruments being used vary by location. They may include the Strong Interest Test, Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory, COPS Interest Inventory, CAPS Ability Exam, COPES Values Inventory, and Career Scope.

Students may contact the Student Success Center at the respective campuses for more information.

During the counseling process, a counselor may suggest this assessment and enroll the student in an individualized assessment course.

These assessment tools can also be administered to groups of students (i.e. to a high school group visiting the campus). To schedule assessments for a group of students, contact the Student Success Center.

Campus Tours

Individuals who wish to tour any of the WITC campuses should contact the Admissions Advisor on each campus.

• Prospective students are encouraged to make an appointment for a tour, rather than just "showing up." This will ensure that the Admissions Advisor is available at a time that is convenient for the student.
• Whenever possible, prospective students are encouraged to meet major instructors of the program(s) in which they show an interest. Again, it is recommended that students make an appointment. Faculty class schedules must be taken into consideration; classes should not be interrupted to introduce a touring student to an instructor.
• Parents, guidance counselors, high school instructors, etc. are encouraged to participate in campus tours at any time.

Shadowing Opportunities

The next step after a campus tour is often a shadowing experience. This means that the prospective student will spend all or part of a day accompanying current program students in their classroom activities.

Shadowing opportunities may be scheduled by contacting the Admissions Advisor. The Admissions Advisor will make the appropriate contact with program faculty when arranging a date for shadowing. If applicable, the prospective student’s high school should also be made aware of the scheduled shadowing experience. WITC instructors should be notified in writing, by e-mail, or by voice mail when a prospective student is scheduled to shadow in their classes.

Shadowing experiences will be scheduled when the program students will be attending their regularly scheduled classes. Students who are shadowing are not allowed to accompany program students on field trips or to internship work sites off-campus.

Liaisons With High Schools

Youth Options - The Wisconsin Youth Options program makes it possible for high school students to attend a technical college to take courses that count toward high school graduation and to earn technical college credit at the same time. Students may attend one or more courses, or even attend the technical college full time in lieu of attendance at their local high school.

High school students must meet the following criteria to participate in a Youth Options Program:

• The student must be enrolled in a public high school in Wisconsin and have completed the 10th grade.
• The student must be in good academic standing and meet technical college course entry requirements.
• The student must have an acceptable disciplinary record and not be a "student-at-risk."
• The student must have the written approval of a parent or guardian to participate.

The first contact a high school student makes in the Youth Options process is with their high school counselor and/or school board. At the WITC campuses, high school students should be directed to the Student Services Office and the counselors if they have questions.

The Youth Options decision is in the hands of the local school board. WITC does not actively promote this program.

Additional information and forms for the Youth Options program may be found on the WITC Web site. Select the "Future Students" link from the WITC home page.

118.15 Students – Wisconsin Statute 118.15 makes provisions for high school students to attend WITC in lieu of high school on a full- or part-time basis. As with Youth Options, the student’s first contact is the local school board. Before a student identified under 118.15 provisions is admitted to WITC, a formal contract outlining a program of study, etc. will be established between WITC, the high school, the student, and the student’s parent or guardian.

Students enrolled under this program are typically completing coursework leading to their high school graduation or to the completion of a high school equivalency diploma. For additional information regarding this program, please refer to WITC District Policy J-106 and the accompanying administrative procedures.

Liaisons With Outside Agencies

In addition to federal and state financial aid, students can sometimes qualify for funding to help with educational expenses. Each of the agencies listed below work separately, but in conjunction with the financial aid offices at each WITC campus. A two-way relationship exists with many of these agencies as they also refer their clients to WITC for training.

• Northwest Wisconsin CEP, Inc.
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
• West Central Wisconsin Workforce Resource (formerly known as PIC)
• Bureau of Indian Affairs

The financial aid advisor at each campus can provide contact names and phone numbers of the local agencies. Students will be directed to contact the local offices of each of these agencies.

Students should be encouraged to make their contacts with agencies in a timely manner. Current WITC business processes require authorizations for payment of tuition and fees to be received 30 days prior to the start of classes.