GET SEMESTER READY – JULY NEWS!

For back issues of the news, go to http://www.mtc.edu/semesters/news

Hello MTC faculty & staff!

As we move forward in the Semester Conversion process, the advising committee wanted to be sure that we all had the same set of talking points when informing students of the Semester Conversion and what it means to them.  Here are some important bits of information that every student needs to know about the move to semesters (which will occur Fall of 2012).  Please keep these handy when talking to students.  Remember that we have little business cards to hand out to students that will lead them to the web site where all of this same information can be found (and more). To get some of these cards, please see Diana Rodman in the Public Relations office.  Review the information at the Semester Conversion web site.

General Facts about Conversion

• Marion Technical College will change its academic calendar from the quarter system to the semester system effective Fall 2012.
• This means that MTC will move from three 10-week quarters, with an additional week for final exams, to two 15-week semesters, with an additional week for final exams.
• This move will align MTC's calendar with other 4-year public institutions in the University System of Ohio (USO) and with more than 90% of higher education institutions across the country.
• Such a move will thus make the transfer of students between institutions easier and more efficient.
• The college has pledged to students that the move to a semester calendar will not increase the time to graduation or the cost to students.

Terms of Pledge to Students

Marion Technical College is committed to a smooth transition from quarters to semesters. Advisors are available to guide each student with an individual plan for completion of his/her degree. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with his/her advisor in a timely manner. Those who do so can count on the following:

• No Loss of Academic Progress
  
  Students will not lose earned credit as a result of the semester conversion. Earned quarter credit hours will be converted to semester hours based on the following formula:
  
  Number of Quarter Hours x .6667 = Number of Semester Credit Hours.

• No Delay to Degree Completion
  
  This pledge ensures that those students who are on track to complete their curriculum requirements when the Fall Semester of 2012 begins, and who continue to adhere to their curriculum guide or degree completion plan after semester conversion, will not experience an extension of the time-to-degree completion.

• No Increased Costs for Degree Completion

Student tuition and fees under the semester system will not be greater than they would be under the term system for a two-semester academic year. The total full-time cost of two semesters equals the full-time cost of three quarters. In addition, the total tuition and fees cost over the length of the degree program (based on two semesters per academic year) will be the same for students following an approved DCP under the semester-calendar system as it would have been under the term-calendar system. Tuition and fee payment schedules will be aligned with the semester calendar. The college, however, may implement annual tuition increases as deemed necessary and authorized by the Board of Trustees.

Creating Awareness

The communications committee felt it would be a great idea if all MTC employees would add the Semester Conversion Logo to our signature line in our email as another means of creating awareness about the transition.  Attached is a logo for you to use if you would like to add the logo to your signature line. 
Here are the instructions to do so:

Open an email
Go to the “Insert” tab at the top
Click on the “Signature” option
From there you will see a choice that says --  “Signatures…” click here
It will open your current signature if you have one
place your curser below your content
hit the icon that looks like a mountain with a sun shining over it (far right side)
attach the logo from wherever you saved it on your hard drive