Welcome Back! Classes Begin Next Week!

CLASSES BEGIN THE WEEK OF JANUARY 19:

We're just about set for the start of the spring semester and hope you are as well. This newsletter is going out primary as a reminder that classes begin next week. Classes begin on Tuesday; the campus is closed on Monday, January 18 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

In addition, we are including some important information to help you as the semester begins.

Getting classes this semester is tougher than it has been in the past. If you haven't already read the letter from Dr. Kasler that we sent out last week, it is included later in this email.

PARKING PERMITS AND STUDENT ID:

One common question I get relates to parking hangers and ID cards. If you registered before January 8, the parking hanger and stickers will be mailed to you. You do not need the parking permit for the first two weeks of school. Our general recommendation is that if you have not received the mailing by the end of the first week of classes that you come in to the Bursar's Office (Line "C" in the Student Center) to pick it up some time during the second week.

You will need the stickers and a picture ID to have your photograph taken for your Student ID card. In most cases, this can be done during the second week (or later) when the lines are not as long. This is also done on the first floor of the Student Center.

INFORMATION, PLEASE:

If you need help with anything, please visit the information table near the campanile. It is open this week from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Next week, it is open Monday-Thursday, opening daily at 8 a.m. It closes at 6 p.m. next week, with the exception of Thursday (2 p.m.).

In the case of inclement weather, the booth will move indoors and team up with our year-round Information Center, just inside the Student Center Building.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THEFT:

Cypress College is a safe environment, but in these tough economic times it is important not to have a false sense of security about our personal belongings.

There has been a noticeable increase in the theft of personal property from vehicles and unattended property in our community, including on our campus. We, of course, are not in a unique situation, as is evidenced by this LA Times story.

For that reason, we ask that you heed these tips and share these warnings with your friends and family:

• Secure your vehicle by locking the doors and rolling windows up.
• Do not leave items in plain view on the seats or floor of your car.
• Placing expensive belongings in your trunk can be risky since you may be observed putting them there, tipping off potential thieves.
• Better still — don't leave valuables in your car.
• Keep belongs such as laptop computers, cell phones and mp3 players at arms length.

Cypress College maintains a 24/7 Campus Safety schedule and works in partnership with the Cypress Police Department to maintain our safe environment.

EMERGENCY TEXT MESSAGES:

While on the topic of safety, one of the features of the "MyGateway" portal is the ability to sign up to receive emergency text messages on your cell phone. To enable this service, click on the "Set Text Message Alert Preferences" link under "Personal Information" in the "Student" tab of the portal.

This feature is intended to provide the ability for college administration to send text messages to cell phones on an opt-in basis. Please understand that this feature is part of our best efforts to share information in emergency situations, but it is not a guarantee of service. You may opt in or out at any time.

We will utilize this communication method in an effort to share urgent information in a rapid manner. It is not intended for ongoing or routine communications, so your phone won't be bombarded with information from us.

PETITIONING CLASSES:

To help you find classes, the Spring 2010 Class Schedule is available online in a searchable format. It can be viewed at http://www.cypresscollege.edu/onlinesched/. If you are unable to click on this link, copy and paste the link into your browser. The page also includes links to the pdf version and to the open class listing.

If you're petitioning a class, attend the first meeting and ask for an add code. If you're one of the lucky ones to get an add code, you can then type that number right into "MyGateway" — avoiding lines at Admissions and Records.

Speaking of MyGateway, status updates are available on Twitter via http://twitter.com/mygatewaynocccd.

TWEET! TWEET!:

Check out Cypress College on Twitter and get the latest headlines about your favorite college campus.

Twitter is just one of the ways that Cypress College is connecting with our students. We also maintain a presence on Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. Learn more by reading this article, or by visiting the social media page of our website.

A MESSAGE FROM COLLEGE PRESIDENT MICHAEL J. KASLER:

Dear Students -

These are extraordinary times. No matter who you are or what you are doing, we know the State's budget situation and the current recession have had major impacts.

Cypress College is experiencing both record enrollment and historic levels of budget reductions. Those two things combined are likely to mean you'll be waiting in line somewhere at some point on campus.

In these difficult times, Cypress College is committed to helping you. Together, we can do it! Today, more than ever, it is important to plan ahead. Here are some tips:

      1) Do not let your registration appointment pass!

      2) Select alternate classes in case the ones you want are full. Counselors can assist you with this.

      3) Consider classes at other locations, including the NOCCCD Anaheim Campus and Fullerton College.

      4) Pay your fees on time. Fees are due at the time of registration. Students may be dropped from classes for not paying fees.

      5) Allow extra time for parking and potentially longer lines.

      6) Attend the first class meeting. Missing class may result in the instructor dropping you from the class.

Watch the Cypress College website and MyGateway for up-to-date announcements.

We are committed to helping you achieve your academic goals.

Sincerely,
Michael J. Kasler
Cypress College President

GETTING HELP:

Of course, if you need help with the registration process, of if you're stuck somewhere in mygateway, we've got friendly staff who can help you out.

Here are some other tips:

Many questions are answered in our schedule of classes. You can view the class schedule as a .PDF file and use Acrobat's search feature to find the answer to what you're looking for. The document contains a list of offices, their locations and phone numbers.

Want to know where you're going before you get on campus or even how to get here? View the current map or download a printable version. This page also contains driving directions to the college from the various freeway around the campus.

Mygateway asks for an "add authorization code" if a class is full. Each instructor is given a list of authorization codes that they may provide to students if they are able to accommodate more people in their class. How (and if) they are used and distributed is completely up to the faculty member. To get into the class, it's most likely that you'll need to attend the first class meeting. Show up early and let the instructor know that you're interested in adding the class if at all possible.

JUST SO YOU KNOW:

This e-mail is sent by a real, live human being at Cypress College. I'm Marc Posner from the Public Information Office. If you need any help, please reply to this message. You'll hear back from either me, or Rhonda, as soon as we can respond. You can also catch us (usually) on AOL Instant Messenger at CypressCollPIO.

Thanks for reading. We look forward to serving you here.
Marc

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