Student Support Services

Student Services helps students succeed and make the most of their college experience. Student Services offers a broad range of services and resources to support the student from their first semester at the College through graduation. The offices and centers assist students in achieving their academic goals and strive to enhance students’ personal, intellectual and social development through a broad range of programs and services. Students have access to a comprehensive system of services that includes assessment of academic needs, orientation, transfer, and career fairs, academic and personal counseling, co-curricular activities, services for international students, services for students with disabilities, learning and library resources, computer labs, the College bookstore and distance learning.

Academic Testing Center

The Academic Testing Center offers testing services for the following groups of students:

• Students who may have missed a test due to an absence
• Special needs students
• Online students

We are located in Room 212 on the second floor of the library at the Kitty Hawk campus.

Distance Learning Exams

Students enrolled in a Distance Learning Course (Internet Courses, Telecourse, etc.) at any of the Alamo Colleges may utilize Northeast Lakeview Academic Testing Center as a proctor site.  Students must make arrangements with the instructor of record to insure all passwords and access codes are provided to the Academic Testing Center staff at least 24 hours prior to the test appointment.  Alamo Colleges students will not be assessed the $10 proctor fee.  All students enrolled in a college or universtiy not affiliated with the Alamo Colleges will be charged a $10 external testing fee.  Students should contact the Academic Testing Center at 210-486-5450  for an appointment or additional information.

Make-Up Exams

Faculty have the opportunity to use the Academic Testing Center to administer make-up exams. Faculty must complete a proctor request form for each student and submit the form with testing materials at least 24 hours in advance. Allotted time for all tests is one hour unless otherwise noted by the instructor on the proctor form. Students are not allowed to leave the Assessment Center for a break until after the test has been completed. Requests for exceptions must accompany documentation from a health care provider.

The Academic Testing Center offers reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. For questions regarding special testing arrangements and accommodations, please contact the Academic Testing Center at 210-486-5450. For additional information on what services Northeast Lakeview College provides for students with disabilities, please contact the Disabilities Support Services Office at 210-486-5496.

Academic Dishonesty of any kind is strictly prohibited. Students observed cheating on an exam will be asked to leave the Academic Testing Center and the instructor will be notified of such activity. Students having been reported for a prior academic dishonesty offense may be prohibited from taking future exams in the Academic Testing Center will be subject to disciplinary action under the student code of conduct.

The Assessment Center is located on the second floor of the Student Commons Building and provides a range of services to meet the needs of students attending Northeast Lakeview College. The Center provides a quiet, conducive testing environment with flexible hours to accommodate day, evening and weekend students. Students must arrive one hour before the Testing Center is scheduled to close and should contact the Center at 210-486-5450  or visit the NLC website at (www.alamo.edu/nlc) for a current test schedule. A valid picture ID is required for exams.

Accuplacer

Reading, writing and fundamental mathematical skills have been identified as the important entry-level skills for college transition. The identification and adherence to basic skills in these three areas are essential to insure that students enter Northeast Lakeview College with the academic preparation necessary for success.

The Accuplacer is a State approved exam administered by Northeast Lakeview College to measure basic entry-level skills. The Accuplacer is offered on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday and by appointment on Saturday. The exam fee is $15 and students must present a valid picture ID at the time of testing.

The computer-administered exam consists of four sections:

• 90 minute timed essay
• multiple choice non-timed Sentence Skills
• multiple choice non-timed Reading Skills
• multiple choice non-timed Elementary Algebra

Results are available immediately following the exam. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment to take the Accuplacer exam after completing a Pre-Enrollment Seminar.

Retest Policy:  Students must wait six weeks before retaking the Accuplacer. A $5 fee will be charged for each portion retaken.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved the Accuplacer as an exam for Texas Success Initiative (TSI) required assessment testing. The scores entered from the Accuplacer for TSI purposes will transfer to any college if results are posted on a Northeast Lakeview College transcript. Accuplacer scores are placed on a Northeast Lakeview College transcript when credits are earned with the college.

Accuplacer test scores may expire if no college credits are earned two years after the test date. Students with no intent to enroll at Northeast Lakeview College, but wishing to test only and have their scores used at another college/university should first check with the receiving institution to determine acceptance. A score report will be furnished to the student to submit to the receiving institution upon request.

Correspondence Exams

Correspondence exams may be proctored by appointment only at Northeast Lakeview College. There is a $10 fee per exam for the service and the Assessment Center requests that students confirm arrival of the exam materials 24 hours prior to appointment time. Students are required to present a valid picture ID. Any associated postage fees required to return exam documents to the home institution will be the responsibility of the home institution or the student. Northeast Lakeview College will not incur any associated postal fees.

The NLC Bookstore is located on the first floor of the Student Commons Building. The bookstore is a comprehensive operation that provides textbooks, supplemental reading materials, and auxiliary supplies for students and staff. The bookstore is a leased operation run by Follett Higher Education Group and is responsible for its own income and expenses. The hours of operations at the Northeast Lakeview College campus during regular semesters are Monday through Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on Friday 7:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Hours will change during registration, between semesters, and during the summer. The bookstore staff can be reached at 210-507-3941 or http://www.bkstr.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=98404&demoKey=d&catalogId=10001

Every student attending classes operating a motor vehicle and parking on the College campus must purchase and properly display a “Student Parking Registration.”

To be valid, the Parking Registration must be affixed to the outside rear window, drivers’ side. A registration placed in any other manner will be classified as “No Registration.” Parking registrations are valid for one (1) academic year (September 1 through August 31.)

The purchase of a Parking Registration DOES NOT guarantee the student a parking space on the College campus.

It is imperative that the student operating a motor vehicle obtains a copy of the Traffic and Parking Rules and Regulations at the time he or she purchases the parking registration. This will minimize misunderstandings and penalties involving the issuance of parking citations.

The Alamo Colleges Department of Public Safety Officers are commissioned Peace Officers vested with the power and authority to issue traffic citations and summons and to arrest and file charges in the City or Justice of the Peace Courts. A student found in violation of the Traffic and Parking Rules and Regulations will be issued a Traffic/Parking Citation. Each Campus citation is $12 if paid within ten (10) days of the issue date on the citation. Fines shall be paid at the Business Office or mailed to the address on the citation. If not paid within ten (10) days of the issue date on the citation, the fine increases to $18.

The integration of technology in many NLC courses provides students with the opportunity to use computer-based technology to communicate, solve problems, and acquire information.  For example, students will access the Internet to research, use PALS to access class content and e-mail, participate in blogs, take online quizzes, submit assignments, participate in online forums, and use basic Microsoft software among other technology activity.  NLC provides student with access to technology and supports student learning in using new technologies through the creation of the eLearning Center.  The staff at the eLearning Center will assist students who might need assistance with technology-related assignments.  The Center also works closely with the Student Services Offices to offer online support services to Northeast Lakeview College students.  The Center is located on the third floor of the Library (NLIB 306), the phone number is 210-486-5372.

Networked computers are loaded with general and special-use software and connected to the Internet so users can access their e-mail. Computers are available on the second floor of the library (NLIB) and the Academic Building (ACA101) and student commons location on a first-come, first-served basis during open lab hours.

Students are expected to follow all acceptable use guidelines. These guidelines are posted in the student computer labs and on the College web site at www.alamo.edu/nlc.

Counseling services, located on the 2nd floor of the Student Commons Building, provides crisis counseling for students, and linkage to community resources. Contact the Staff Counselor at 210-486-5496 for information or to schedule an appointment.

Federal law guarantees a learning environment that provides reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. At Northeast Lakeview College, students requesting accommodations must disclose their disabilities and complete the required process through the Counseling Office. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states: “No otherwise qualified individual…shall solely by reason of …handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

Section 504, as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, prohibits discrimination in the recruitment, admission or treatment of students. Students with documented disabilities may request accommodations that will enable them to benefit from all educational programs and activities. The ADA requires each academic accommodation to be made on an individual or case-by-case basis. For more information on services available to students with disabilities, contact the Disability Support Specialist at 210-486-5487 or visit the Student Services office in the Student Commons building.

The Early Alert Program is an outreach program that focuses on students who are experiencing academic and attendance difficulties to facilitate early intervention. The Early Alert Program is initiated when a faculty member identifies students who are experiencing academic difficulties or when the student has missed several consecutive class sessions. As a result of a faculty initiated referral, an advisor contacts the student to ascertain the problem and provide assistance with appropriate resolution. A follow up report is provided to the referring faculty regarding the outcome of the contact with the student.

The Student Services Office is the first point of contact for a prospective international student who seeks information regarding admission procedures for the College.

International students must enroll full-time (12 semester hours or more) and pay hospitalization insurance (Alamo Colleges Board Policy) every semester. The deadlines to submit all required documents (application, transcripts, verification of financial resources, TOEFL) are June 1 for Fall, October 1st for Spring, and March 1 for Summer. For additional information, contact the Student Services Office at 210-486-5401.

Learning communities at NLC can be presented in a variety of ways, including interdisciplinary, where subjects generally taught as individual courses are combined into one integrated course. The learning communities may be team-taught by two or more faculty and their disciplinary perspectives are integrated, or the learning communities may be theme-based where a complex contemporary intellectual inquiry from several different  perspectives is examined collaboratively. In all cases, both faculty and students have the chance to learn from, and teach, each other.

 The Northeast Lakeview College Library is a technology embracing facility that enables users to pursue research goals and lifelong learning.   Students, staff, and community members are encouraged to take advantage of the services and resources offered.  Materials owned by the NLC Library can be identified in the Alamo Colleges Online Library Catalog.  (http://library.alamo.edu)  Materials from the other Alamo Colleges libraries are also part of this database.  NLC students and staff may directly borrow materials from other district libraries with a validated I.D.  If you prefer, Library staff can place in-district borrowing requests to the other Alamo Colleges libraries on behalf of NLC students and staff.  Materials will be sent to us with pick-up at the main service desk.

As the NLC Library grows, it will focus on building a collection that includes paper resources, electronic books and journals, licensed databases, multimedia and streaming media resources.  The library provides access to over 40,000 e-books and approximately 32,000 unique online periodical and journal titles through electronic databases and directly to the online publication.  Specific periodical titles and issues availability can be identified through our A to Z Online Journal Locator.  (http://atoz.ebsco.com/Search.asp?id=8525)  To access all library resources, students and faculty can link directly to the NLC Library main page.  (http://www.alamo.edu/nlc/library) 

TexShare is our statewide library consortium and many services and resources are offered to NLC Library users as part of this network.  NLC students and staff have access to over 60 licensed databases and search tools on-campus and off-campus through our proxy server. NLC students and staff may also participate in the TexShare Borrower’s Card program which allows them to directly borrow materials from participating TexShare libraries (both academic and public) outside of the district.  In addition to in-district and TexShare borrowing, NLC Library users may request materials from libraries throughout the country via Interlibrary Loan which is a library to library lending service.  Requests can be made in person or online.

If you need assistance, a friendly face is available to get you on the right path.  Reference librarians will assist students and other library users with research questions in person, by phone, [ 210.486.5388 ], through our Ask-a-Librarian link. nlc-reference@mail.accd.edu, and by chat.   Students may make appointments with reference librarians for more in-depth questions that require more than the typical reference transaction.
Assistance and resources are available to faculty and students in distance learning environments through the Library’s online resources and are customized to support specific assignments or courses.  Faculty, whether teaching students in a face-to-face classroom or as part of a distance learning course, can take advantage of our information literacy and instruction program.  The Library features a technology instruction classroom where faculty can bring classes in for tailored library instruction.  We can put something together for distance learning classes and will support all online users with library course and library resource guides.  Librarians are also available to teach library instruction sessions through the ELLUMINATELIVE platform.

Over 50 workstations provide library users with access to Internet resources, course software, and Microsoft office products.  The library hosts printing and photocopying capabilities.  Students working on group projects my take advantage of the Library’s group study rooms which are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Multimedia players are available for viewing materials which are reserved for faculty circulation only.  NLC students will soon be able to check out Library-Use-Only wireless laptops.

The NLC Library staff hopes that you’ll make our facility and services a regular part of your college experience.  Our physical library is open over 70 hours a week and our virtual library is available 24/7.  It is our goal to enable our users to feel comfortable using the library and its services and to assist our users in identifying the most appropriate resources out of the myriad now available to all information seekers.

• The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has emergency phones located throughout the campus for immediate assistance.
• Courtesy Patrol Assistance is available for locked keys and dead batteries during the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Telephone 210-485-0099 for assistance.
• Escort service is also available for anyone needing assistance to his or her vehicle. Contact the officer on duty at the College.
• Lost and Found

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER 210-222-0911
NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER 210-485-0099

Police protection is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The primary objective of the patrol officer is to provide a safe environment for employees, students, and the community. Police duties include the following:

• Patrol functions (vehicle, foot, and bike);
• Identify suspicious activities and persons;
• Conduct field interviews;
• Conduct field investigations;
• Respond to call(s) for service;
• Provide escorts;
• Non-emergency requests;
• Traffic enforcement;
• Traffic accident investigations;
• Respond to alarms;
• Community relations;
• Crime prevention activity;
• Disturbance calls;
• Record the above (written reports).

Calls are assigned to the patrol officer on a priority basis. Criminal calls have priority over service calls or non-emergency requests.

Service learning provides students with a connection between classroom instruction and projects that serve the community. Service must be completed at a non-profit, state-funded (e.g. K-12 schools), or government agency.

The SAFAC is authorized to make annual and supplemental recommendations to the President of the College regarding the allocation of student services fees. Full membership includes five students and four faculty/staff members for a nine-member voting committee. The SAFAC meets on a monthly basis throughout the academic year to facilitate allocation requests from student services fees.

The Office of Student Leadership and Activities is responsible for coordinating non-instructional activities and programs that focus on the well being and personal development of students. Activities and programs include co-curricular activities, student clubs and organizations, and leadership programs/development. Co-curricular activities are designed to appeal to a variety of interests for students and the surrounding community. These activities include lectures, cultural activities, welcome activities and performance events. Through these activities students can make friends, develop social skills and practice leadership skills. Programs are often coordinated with various instructional departments to provide the student with valuable educational experiences. Student clubs and organizations are an important and vital component of the total educational experience. Student groups provide opportunities for training in leadership skills, personal satisfaction and fulfillment through campus and community volunteerism and development of social growth through involvement in the student organization. A list is available in the Office of Student Development, Leadership and Activities and the College website (www.alamo.edu/nlc/). Leadership programs/development includes opportunities to become involved in conferences, retreats, and volunteer opportunities to develop skills that enrich the College experience and the student’s quality of life.

The Director of Student Leadership and Activities, located in on the first floor of the student commons building, also oversees the operation of the College food services, vending and bookstore.

The Transfer Center provides a variety of services and information for students who are interested in transferring to a four-year college or university. While attending Northeast Lakeview College, a student may complete a joint admission agreement and follow a degree plan designated by a specific university. The degree plan guides the student to take only those courses which will apply towards a specific major at a specific university.

The objectives of the Transfer Center are:

1. To assist students who are planning to transfer to another college or university by providing them with information for admission, college costs, financial aid, housing, and core requirements.
2. To provide a college catalog library.
3. To provide course equivalency sheets, 2+2/Joint Admission Agreements, Transfer Core Curriculum Sheets and Transfer Planning Guides.
4. To aid students in making their transfer experience a seamless process.

The Transfer Center is located in the Student Services Office on the first floor of the student commons building. For additional information, contact the center at 210-486-5401.

The Academic Support Center, located on the second floor of the Library (NLIB), provides tutoring and other academic support services to all students currently enrolled at Northeast Lakeview College. Assistance is provided during the Fall and Spring semesters Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Center’s hours of operation may vary during final exams, between semesters, and during the Summer sessions. Assistance with other courses is available by appointment. All services are free of charge. Students are encouraged to register with the ASC early in the semester to get the help they need.

The Welcome and Advising Center is a comprehensive One-Stop designed to assist students with the enrollment process at Northeast Lakeview College. The Staff is cross-trained in all enrollment services areas to include admissions, residency, assessment, advising, and registration. In addition, student service personnel administer career transfer services and the Early Alert program.

Initial academic advising for new students is conducted through a mandatory group advising seminar. Students must register for a group advising seminar after all required admissions credentials have been received and the Accuplacer has been completed. Group advising appointments are available Monday through Saturday for classroom format and online at www.alamo.edu/nlc/

Returning students have an option of attending group advising session or may see an advisor for individualized academic guidance prior to registration. Students are encouraged to see an advisor whenever they encounter an academic problem or contemplate a change in educational goals.

For additional information, students should contact the Welcome/Advising Center at 210-486-5401 or email nlc-nlcadmin@alamo.edu