What is an Student Educational Plan (SEP) and why is it important?
Your Student Educational Plan (SEP) is an online plan you create through the PCC Portal. Your SEP helps you plan what classes you will take each semester. Your SEP helps ensure that the classes you are taking will help you meet health science program admission criteria, requirements and that you will be a competitive applicant. It is a clear road map of what classes you need to complete and in what order to satisfy admissions requirements to be eligible to apply to your program. Successful students dedicate time to creating their SEP and consulting their advisors regarding their SEP.
Your SEP and Registration:
Every student at PCC is required to complete an SEP each semester before they are allowed to register for classes. In addition, SEPs must be approved by me, your academic advisor, before you are able to register for classes. You are only able to register for classes that are on your SEP AND that have been approved by me.
Remember that academic planning is the responsibility of students (i.e. you). While I am here as your advisor to assist and guide you, creating your SEP and registering for classes is your responsibility. This allows you to take control of your education. Learning to academically plan and use your SEP can help empower you to makes choices about the classes you take instead of having someone else decide for you. In addition, being an active participant in creating your SEP can open meaningful academic planning dialogue between you and your advisor (me) that will help you understand why you are taking the courses you are taking, ensure that you are taking classes that will meet program requirements, allow your voice to be heard, and help you practice academic planning.
Use Your Curriculum Sheet to Plan Your SEP:
When creating your SEP, consult your PCC Health Science curriculum sheet to determine what classes you need to register for. Using your PCC degree health science intended program curriculum sheet to develop your SEP will help you stay on track and ensure that you meet program application requirements for your intended program. Not utilizing your curriculum sheet could set you back a whole year from entering your intended program. Click here to locate your intended program's curriculum sheet.
Need help reading your curriculum sheet? View the curriculum sheet section of my webpage for assistance.
SEP Resources:
Video Instructions: How to Build and Submit Your SEP
Ms. C's Tips and Other Information for Creating & Submitting Your SEP:
Important: Remember that submitting your SEP and having it approved does not mean that you are registered for classes. After your plan as been approved you will still need to log back into your plan and register for the classes on your plan on your registration date (see the academic calendar or your SEP for your registration date). HINT: If the courses on your plan are yellow, then you have only planned the course and you are NOT registered for them. When you register for classes they turn green on your SEP.
As stated above, use your intended health science curriculum sheet
Plan all prerequisites as early as possible. Delaying taking a prerequisite course will delay your ability to take any upper level courses that requires you to complete the prerequisite first. This can delay your admission into a program and/or graduation date.
Use the search for classes bar in your SEP to pull up courses and review the course descriptions and prerequisites. You can also locate course descriptions in the college catalog
Before you submit your SEP leave a note for Ms. C indicating your intended program. Do this each semester. This helps me assess if you are still working towards your current academic goal or if you have changed your intended program. Please note that I will never approve an SEP if I do not know what your intended Health Science program is.
Use the notes tab to leave other messages for Ms. C. However, remember that I do not receive an alert if you entered a note, but did not click the request review button. If you want to leave a note for me, please make sure you click the submit review button so that I am alerted to read your note.
BIO-163, BIO-168 and BIO-169 expire after 10 years.
Biology Retake Policy: Points will be deducted from the quality point total for each repeat attempt in anatomy and physiology that is within 10 years counting back from the date of enrollment in the program up until the highest grade is accepted. Five points will be deducted for each repeat attempt in BIO 163, four points will be deducted for each repeat attempt in BIO 168, and four points will be deducted for each repeat attempt in BIO 169. Unofficial withdrawals (W), official withdrawals (OW), and/or incompletes (I) will count as an attempt. A withdrawal emergency (WE) is waived from penalty. Also waived from penalty are students who repeat BIO to earn an A, B, or C grade after having received a pass or satisfactory grade (often noted on transcript as a P or S grade) and students who repeat BIO after having previously earned an A, B, or C and earn an equivalent grade. Waivers only apply one time.
I advise all health science students to develop multiple back-up plans in the event that they are not accepted to their intended program. Back-up plans include, but are not limited to, applying to two health science programs (you are allowed to apply to a maximum of two program simultaneously), applying to programs at multiple schools, and planning for non-health science program. Whatever your back-up plan(s) is please be sure to share it with me so that I can adequately help you academically plan with your back-up goals in mind. Also, feel free to reach out to me to help you develop a back-up plan(s). Click here to learn more about back-up plans.
If a course you need is not currently offered at PCC or the class is already full, you can take the course through another NC community college and transfer the course back to PCC. The course will transfer as long as you make a grade of a 'C' or higher. You can use the NC Community College System (CCS) Virtual Learning Community to search to see what colleges are offering the class, the delivery method being offered, and the last day to register for the course. Click here to access The NCCCS Virtual Learning Community. You should contact the school you are interested in for more information about the course and how to register for the class.