College Catalog 2009 - 2010

Specialized Programs

Act Now/Act 101
Act Now/Act 101 is a college-and state-funded academic support program providing opportunities both in and out of the classroom for students to gain the academic, personal and leadership skills necessary for success. Qualified students meeting academic and financial requirements will be invited to interview for the program.

The program helps enhance students’ potential through a structured learning environment and various support services. During their first semester, Act Now/Act 101 students are enrolled in courses to strengthen basic skills such as reading, writing and math. Students receive study skills instruction in addition to weekly lab sessions and tutoring. Workshops, cultural events and individualized assistance are an important part of the services provided. This support continues throughout the student’s career at the College. For more information, please call 215-751-8362.

Adult Basic And Literacy Education (ABLE)
Free classes are available to adults to help improve their basic reading, writing and math skills to a level of competency that would permit them to lead more productive lives. Basic education classes are available to out-of-school adults 17 years of age and older. For more information about the ABLE program, please call 215-751-8250.

Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP)
The Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) is a consortium of institutions in the Greater Philadelphia area that has the shared mission of increasing the number of under-represented minority students receiving degrees in Science, Engineering and Mathematics. The College’s specific role is to advise and encourage students to transfer to other AMP institutions and ultimately earn baccalaureate degrees. Services and activities include specialized advising, book stipends and research. For more information about AMP, please contact Linda Powell at 215-751-8242.

Collaborative Learning Community (CLC)
The Collaborative Learning Community (CLC) serves first-year students in a variety of curricula. Students whose placement tests indicate a readiness for college-level courses but a need for extra support services are eligible for the program. The services include academic, career, transfer and personal counseling; advising and registration with CLC faculty advisors; orientation and success workshops; tutoring; peer mentoring; and smaller student/teacher ratios in some classes. For more information, please call 215-751-8474.

College Achievement Partnership (CAP)
The College Achievement Partnership (CAP) is an extensive combination of courses and support services for students who need to strengthen their skills in English and mathematics. Class size is limited, and students are scheduled in small groups to take two or more classes together, forming cohesive learning communities. The instructors, counselors, academic advisors and Learning Lab specialists work in partnerships to provide an instructional setting that promotes student achievement. Counselors meet with students at the start of the semester, help students manage the transition to college, as well as offer group and individual career planning and guidance. Learning Lab instructors reinforce and strengthen the classroom instruction and provide individual tutoring. For more information, please call 215-751-8980.

Developmental Education Program
The College is committed to assisting students in successfully attaining college-level skills in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics; therefore, the Developmental Education program collaborates with other College departments and programs to provide students with a variety of academic courses and support services. The College requires students to complete placement tests in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics so that if students need help in developing one or more of their basic skills, they can be placed into appropriate courses and provided with important academic support services. The primary mission of the Developmental Education program is to prepare students to succeed at the College. For more information, please call 215-751-8980.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs and Services - Academic Preparation
The ESL program and services provide students who speak English as a Second Language with the opportunity to improve their English language skills so that they are better prepared for the College’s educational programs. In addition, several College courses are offered specifically for ESL students. Classroom instruction is supplemented by small group workshops, tutoring, academic advising, individual counseling and counseling workshops.

The overall goal of the program and services is to assist students in improving their English language abilities to the degree that will lead not only to their success in the College’s academic and career programs, but also to their effective participation in the community at large. For more information about ESL, visit www.ccp.edu/site/academic/departments/esl/ or call 215-751-8829.

English as a Second Language (ESL) - Community Education
Classes are designed for non-native speakers of English who wish to improve their basic English language skills so that they may improve their participation in the larger society or prepare for citizenship. The program provides three levels of ESL instruction. There is a $70 per class fee. ESL classes are available to adults 18 years of age and older. For more information about the ESL program, please call 215-751-8531.

General Educational Development (GED^®)
Preparation classes help prepare students for the battery of GED^® tests. There is a $70 per class fee. Students must be at least 18 years of age and not enrolled in high school to enroll in the GED^® program. Students must make their own GED^® test appointments. For more information, call the GED HOTLINE at 215-751-8376.

Honors Opportunities
Community College of Philadelphia is pleased to recognize academic excellence and provides a number of opportunities to promote student success. These opportunities vary from a specialized Liberal Arts curriculum to honors courses and the recognition of graduation with Departmental Distinction.

The Liberal Arts Curriculum - Honors Option provides rich academic experiences to qualified students. The curriculum encourages students to be self-reflective about their own intellectual processes and to become more aware of the requirements of academic discourse in the humanities and social sciences. For additional information, including program entry requirements, please see page 126 or contact the Division of Liberal Studies at 215-751-8450, Room BR-21.

Specialized Honors courses in a variety of disciplines including English, Earth Science, History, Interdisciplinary Studies and Psychology offer students challenging activities and additional research opportunities. For additional information, contact the Division of Liberal Studies at 215-751-8450, Room BR-21.

Students with a strong background in science are invited to participate in special honors sections of general Chemistry coursework. Interested students may contact the chair of the Chemistry Department at 215-751-8416 for additional information.

Departmental Distinction recognizes student achievement and is conferred on students at graduation from a wide range of programs. In order to qualify, students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.2 and complete a project (separate from required coursework) which has been approved by the department. For more detailed information on eligibility and requirements, please contact the department chair of the program in which you are enrolled.

Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS)
Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS) supports students who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in pursuing postsecondary education. Students enrolled in the program have the opportunity to meet regularly with program staff who help them address barriers to completion of their educational goals. Students are connected with appropriate support services both in and outside the College. Academic performance is monitored and students are referred to needed services such as tutoring, mentoring, and career and personal counseling. In addition, KEYS can assist students in accessing benefits and services through the County Assistance Office and other community agencies.

KEYS is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Eligible students who are interested in enrolling in KEYS should contact their caseworker for referral or the KEYS office at 215-751-8025 or e-mail keys@ccp.edu.

New Choices/New Options Program
The New Choices/New Options program, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, serves a variety of audiences including the unemployed, underemployed, adult single parents and teen parents. Participants have the opportunity to assess career interests and to develop career plans and job readiness skills. Job placement assistance is provided. Students currently pursuing career programs considered nontraditional for females or nontraditional for males are eligible to receive career planning and job placement support services.

For additional information about the New Choices/New Options program, please call 215-751-8933.

TRIO Student Support Services
TRIO Student Support Services is a U.S. Department of Education grant-funded project for TRIO-eligible college students who are low-income, first-generation college students and/or have disabilities. Services and activities offered through TRIO Student Support Services include academic support, summer bridge program, intersession activities, orientations, career and skills workshops, college visits, cultural activities, study abroad and grant aid. For information about TRIO Student Support Services and eligibility requirements, please call 215-751-8532.

Programs for High School Students

Advance at College
The Advance at College program offers motivated and academically talented 11th- and 12th-grade Philadelphia students the opportunity to take college-level courses while still attending high school and seeks to facilitate a successful transition from high school to college. Application and other general College fees are waived for students in the program. Advance at College students are not eligible for financial aid. A special admissions application must be completed and signed by parent/guardian and school principal. Entrance into the program is determined by the College’s placement test and is limited to students who place into college-level courses. High school students are not permitted to enroll into developmental/pre-college programs or courses. For more information about Advance at College, please call 215-751-8779 or visit http://www.ccp.edu/site/prospective/advance_at_college.php.

Advanced College Experience (ACE)
The ACE program provides motivated Philadelphia students entering the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades the opportunity to experience a college atmosphere and earn college credits. Courses are offered in a variety of subject areas and designed with additional hours of instruction to give participants the best possible chance for success.

Classes begin in early July and run for four and a half weeks. Tuition for the program is offered at a rate that is less than regular College tuition and includes all fees and instructional materials. For additional information on the ACE program, please call 215-751-8779 or e-mail ace@ccp.edu.

Gateway to College
The Gateway to College program at Community College of Philadelphia serves at-risk youth, 16 to 20 years old, who have dropped out of school. The program gives students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma while achieving college success. Students simultaneously accumulate high school and college credits, earning their high school diploma while progressing toward an associate’s degree or certificate.

Gateway to College, an Early College High School initiative, is supported by Portland Community College, a national intermediary of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and its partners — the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The Philadelphia Gateway to College Program is funded through Community College of Philadel-phia and our partner in student success, the School District of Philadelphia. For additional information about the program, please call 215-751-8540, e-mail gateway@ccp.edu, or visit us at http://www.ccp.edu/site/gateway.

Philadelphia Tech Prep Consortium
The Philadelphia Tech Prep Consortium is an initiative funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education that integrates newly developed technical and academic curricula for students beginning at the high school level. Students follow a planned sequence of courses that begin from high school through associate’s degree in a variety of technical areas. Teams of high school and College faculty across various disciplines work with industry representatives to prepare students for college-level work and for technical careers. Please call 215-751-8994 for more information, or visit us on the Web at http://www.ccp.edu/vpacaff/divess/tech_prep/.

TRIO Upward Bound
TRIO Upward Bound is a U.S. Department of Education grant-funded project designed to provide targeted high school students with the academic skills and motivation necessary for persistence and completion of secondary and post-secondary education. The program provides students with a variety of services including supplemental instruction, tutoring, counseling and transition programs. For more information about TRIO Upward Bound and eligibility requirements, please call 215-751-8780.

Transfer Opportunities and Services
After successful completion of course work at the College, many students continue their education at a four-year college or university. The success these students enjoy is a reflection of the transfer curricula and related support offered by the College.

Career and Transfer Center
The Career and Transfer Center maintains detailed information on other colleges and universities. College catalogs, course selection guidelines, computerized college search and scholarship search programs, and national directories of colleges are available for student use. Students may also develop a file of recommendations to be used for college applications. Shortly after enrolling at the College, students are urged to visit the Center, W2-3, 215-751-8168, to enhance their transfer preparation. Transfer workshops and individual counseling are available.

Students who need assistance in choosing a major or career are encouraged to use the resources of the Career and Transfer Center. Resources include: computerized career guidance for self-assessment, occupational information, government publications and internet links to career information. Professional counselors are available to guide students through the career assessment process and the use of career resources.

The Career and Transfer Center is located in the Counseling Department, Room W2-3. To access the department Web site, click on www.ccp.edu/site/current/counseling.php.

Transfer Agreements
There are three types of transfer agreements: dual admissions, core-to-core and program-to-program.

To participate in dual admissions, core-to-core and program-to-program agreements, students must earn an appropriate associate’s degree before transfer. These agreements are not exclusive of one another. If a student transfers to a school with more than one type of agreement, the agreements can complement one another.

Dual Admissions - Community College of Philadelphia has developed dual admissions programs with area colleges and universities. These programs are designed to assist students in seamless transition to enrollment in four-year institutions. Support and financial incentives, including scholarship awards, are built in to offer students the best opportunity for success.

Students who are interested in dual admissions should complete an intent form early in their academic career. Many of the institutions listed below require that students signal their intent to participate by the time they have completed 30 college-level credits. Students should meet with a counselor or academic advisor for assistance in identifying the appropriate courses at Community College of Philadelphia in order to transfer into the program of their choice.

The College maintains dual admissions programs with the following institutions:

For additional information, please visit the Division of Educational Support Services in Room W1-1, e-mail dualadm@ccp.edu, or view our Web site at http://www.ccp.edu/prospective/ dual_admissions/.

Core-to-Core - These agreements specify the acceptance of approved associate’s degree programs in which the general education reflects the core requirements of the four-year institution’s curriculum. If a student earns an appropriate associate’s degree (usually an A.A. or A.S.), the four-year institution’s core requirements are satisfied except for core courses required by the intended major and possibly other requirements that reflect the specific values of the transfer institution (e.g., religion, foreign language). Below is a list of four-year institutions with which Community College of Philadelphia has core-to-core agreements:

Program-to-Program - These are agreements in which an entire curriculum or program of study is accepted to provide a graduate of a specific associate’s degree advanced standing in a specific bachelor’s degree program. The College maintains selected program-to-program agreements with the following colleges and universities:

The College continues to seek and implement new agreements. Students should confer with their academic advisor or the curriculum coordinator in their area of interest to find out about specific agreements. Transfer agreement guidelines are available in the Career and Transfer Center and on the College’s Web site at www.ccp.edu/site/prospective/transfer_agreements/.

PATRAC
PATRAC (www.patrac.org) facilitates exploration of colleges, universities and community colleges that belong to a consortium dedicated to the seamless transfer of courses within a 30-credit framework. Students can explore information about the institutions and obtain information on course transfer. Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges are consortium members. Four-year institution consortium members are the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (Bloomsburg University, California University, Cheyney University, Clarion University, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Millersville University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University, West Chester University). Lincoln University, Saint Francis University, Seton Hill University and Lackawanna College are also consortium members.

Study Abroad
Studying in another country while earning credits toward graduation can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a student’s undergraduate career. Study abroad can be a program or courses, through which a student completes part of the formal college program while studying in another country.

Recognizing that time constraints and personal obligations may make a full semester study abroad experience impossible for many students, Community College of Philadelphia has developed several non-traditional short-term programs to help students experience different cultures. These programs range from one to four weeks in length and offer noncredit or credit experiences. Recent programs have included a noncredit study tour of Mayan culture in and around Mérida, Mexico during spring break. Summer program offerings include an intensive language program in Costa Rica, an archaeology program in Belize, and a one-week experience in locations such as Turkey, China and India following enrollment in a humanities course.

The study abroad coordinator can provide students with information and applications for Community College of Philadelphia study abroad programs.

Students receiving financial aid can usually apply most sources of aid to study abroad fees. The Higher Education Act of 1965, amended in 1980, says that a student enrolled in a formal program of study abroad may be considered for federal financial aid for “reasonable costs” associated with such study. Contact the Office of Financial Aid and the study abroad coordinator for more information about financial aid and other options for financing study abroad.

Information about non-Community College of Philadelphia study abroad programs is also available. Students who want to study abroad on a non-Community College of Philadelphia study abroad program must meet with the study abroad coordinator and complete the appropriate form. Students interested in receiving more information about study abroad and international education should contact the study abroad coordinator and visit the International Education Web site.

Degree Programs at Regional Centers
The three Regional Centers provide a convenient entrée to all of the College’s more than 70 degree and certificate programs. In 19 program areas, the Regional Centers offer students the added advantage of taking all of the courses needed to satisfy the full degree requirements.

Each Regional Center has designed curriculum guides assuring that certain degree programs can be completed within two years of full-time study, including attendance in one or more summer sessions if fewer than 15 credits are taken during each fall and spring semester. With part-time attendance, completion will take longer than two academic years and will depend upon the number of credits the student can manage to take each semester.

Completing all degree requirements within a two-year time span does assume that full-time students are English 101 and Math 118 “ready” based on SAT scores or the results of the College’s placement tests. Some students find it necessary to take developmental courses to acquire the skills needed to be successful in college study. In the case where a student needs to take developmental English and/or mathematics courses, some extended time will be needed to complete graduation requirements.

The term “full degree option” means that all of the courses needed to earn the degree are offered at a Regional Center site. Full degree options available at the Regional Centers are:

Northeast Regional Center
• Accounting
• Business
• Culture, Science and Technology
• Education
• Justice
• Liberal Arts (General, Humanities and Social/Behavioral Science Options)

Northwest Regional Center
• Behavioral Health/Human Services
• Business
• Culture, Science and Technology
• Education
• Justice
• Liberal Arts (General, Humanities, and Social/Behavioral Science Options)

West Regional Center
• Automotive Technology
• Culture, Science and Technology
• Liberal Arts (General Option)

Even if the student is interested in a program not listed above as a full degree option, a Regional Center can still be the place to start. A student may begin his/her college career at a Center in any one of the College’s more than 70 degree or certificate programs and take the remainder of the courses at the Main Campus. In these cases, students can complete at least 30 or more credits at a convenient Regional Center before moving on to the Main Campus.

Shared Programs
In cooperation with Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery County Community Colleges, students from Community College of Philadelphia may enroll in some programs offered by the other area community colleges that are not offered at Community College of Philadelphia. Shared program students may complete some or all of their general education and elective courses at Community College of Philadelphia while taking the program-specialty courses at the community college offering the program. Students enrolled in shared programs at another community college pay only the in-district tuition rate and not the out-of-county tuition which would normally apply. Community College of Philadelphia students may enroll in:

Bucks County Community College
• Fine Woodworking
• Historic Preservation

Delaware County Community College
• Computer Service & Repair Technology
• Machine Tool Technology
• Mechanical Technology

Montgomery County Community College
• Health and Fitness Professional
• Technical Studies

To review a list of Community College of Philadelphia programs that are shared, please visit www.ccp.edu.

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