If you are a transfer student who has come to us with 30 credits or more, or if you have taken a Freshman Seminar course at another institution that is transferring in, then you won't need to take our FFCS course. This may initially feel like a relief to not have more work to do, but you are missing out on valuable information that is designed to help you be successful here at SUNY Cobleskill. However, don't despair! We aim to provide you with a framework of support to get you the answers that you need. Please take the time to explore the information and links provided to get you up to speed on all that SUNY Cobleskill has to offer you from support services to advisement and course selection guidance.
The Basics
First things first. Where are my classes? Don't stress. Take a look at the campus map and walk around before classes start to see where your classrooms are.
Abbreviations of Buildings/How to Read a Schedule
Save the embarrassment of walking into the wrong class by taking a look at the abbreviation chart to make sure that you are identifying the right building. Wheeler (WH) and Warner (WA) are commonly confused.
Our Campus Events Calendar gives a broad view of the coming months. Take a look to make sure you know when breaks, midterms, and finals are amongst all of the other important dates.
Support offices are located all across our beautiful campus. They are here to help you to be successful, so don't be afraid to stop in and talk with our friendly staff.
Your Cobleskill email is the primary method of communication on campus. Instructors, staff, and other students use this email to contact you about important things like homework, class cancellations, financial aid information, and Residential Life matters to name a few. Please check it often, or better yet sync it to your smart phone.
Moodle is the current Learning Management System. It is used by many instructors for tracking attendance and grades, as well as a place for online discussion and homework submission.
Sharepoint is designed to be the place for campus information. Nearly everything that is happening on this campus is posted on this page from academic, social, and sports events to scholarship information and study abroad opportunities to name a few. Don't miss out on the amazing things happening daily on this campus!
Finally, the last part of the basics is the information about our amazing clubs. Join a club to meet new people, make some friends, gain invaluable experiences, and round out your education -along with your resume- by participating in the activities and leadership roles available for students of all backgrounds, majors, interests, and ages.
Advisement
FFCS walks students through the advisement process beginning with career and educational plans, to degree program exploration and course selection. Check out some resources to help you in your process
Each student will be assigned a Faculty Advisor or Campus Wide Academic Advisor. This person is the one to develop a strong relationship with because he or she helps to advise you on what courses you need each semester in order to graduate, can guide you in career paths, and may someday be a reference to get you into that internship or career that you are working so hard toward. This person also has your unique PIN number that you will need to register for classes each semester. Make contact with your advisor early to kick start that relationship. You can find out who your advisor is by looking at the top of your class schedule, or you can also find it in BANNER Web and Degree Works.
Campus Wide Academic Advisors are highly trained advisors who serve to help Faculty Advisors and their students who have more advanced advisement needs. You are always instructed to work with your assigned Faculty Advisor first, but the Advisement Team is here to answer questions and help with course selection. If you have questions about Advisement at SUNY Cobleskill, then please contact us at: advising@cobleskill.edu.
Course Selection/Degree Program
When it comes down to selecting courses to complete a degree program there are several places to give you information:
DegreeWorks is a degree audit program, or in other words, the official computer program here at SUNY Cobleskill to tell you what courses you have taken or need to in order to graduate. Our Registrar's office has made a DegreeWorks Student User Manual to help you to effectively use the feature of this program.
If you haven't already looked at our College Catalog, take some time (yes, more time needed) to thoroughly read your chosen degree program requirements. Everything that you need to know about your program is in the College Catalog from required classes and degree sequencing to GPA and internship requirements.
General Education Requirements
Lastly, is the list of the SUNY Board of Trustees General Education Requirements. These are courses within ten categories that SUNY has designated as important for students of certain majors to take in order to produce well-rounded, educated college graduates. Your degree program requirements will let you know if you need to complete "Gen Eds" and how many credits worth.
Coming to college can be very overwhelming, especially without the proper support. When you have issues or questions, please don't hesitate to use SUNY Cobleskill's resources to help you. We are here to support you in your educational mission. Your success is our success!
If you have any additional questions about the information given, or if you have decided that you are interested in taking the FFCS course even if you are exempted please contact me.
Christina Poor
Freshman Year Experience Coordinator
poorcr@cobleskill.edu