LifeMap - Bunker Hill Community College

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Get to Know LifeMap

Bunker Hill Community College is committed to supporting students in achieving their educational, career and life goals. LifeMap re-imagines the student experience by enabling students to develop an individualized pathway to meet these goals.

You can use LifeMap tools to create educational, financial, transfer or career plans; connect with support services; take part in social networking; and reflect on your learning. LifeMap enables you to make informed decisions and become more self-sufficient by centralizing resources and enlisting faculty and staff in their use both in and beyond the classroom.

In addition to exposure to LifeMap through activities in the classroom, the LifeMap Commons serves as a central location on campus to support you throughout your journey. There you can find resources that include Academic, Career and Transfer Advising, Job Search Resources and referrals to other college support services. The LifeMap Commons is in Room E235.

LifeMap will help you understand your success as you progress through key stages of your student experience: becoming acclimated to college, progressing toward a degree and approaching graduation.

To learn more about LifeMap, visit bhcc.edu/lifemap.

The Six Components

Six components form the foundation of LifeMap. As you navigate and move through your path, each of these components will play a critical role.

Career Planning will help you prepare for employment that matches your interests. Career Planning helps students identify their interests, values and abilities while narrowing their educational vision, establishing a career direction and then designing an employment strategy.

How would you answer the following questions?

What do I want to do with my life?
How can I make sure my college major is right for me?
Where can I find information about specific careers or occupations?
How can I try out or gain experience in my field of interest?
What do I need to do to prepare to get a job?
When will I reach my goal?

To find the answers to these questions and more, visit the LifeMap Commons in Room E235. You will also find information on the Learn and Earn Program, career and life planning, job search activities, job fairs and internships.

Education Planning helps you create an educational plan that is aligned with your career and personal goals.

Have you asked yourself the following questions?

Do I want to complete a degree?
Do I want to complete a certificate?
Should I take courses for personal or career development?
Should I enroll in courses to prepare for transfer?
How am I going to get there?
Which courses will help me meet my academic and personal goals?
When will I reach my goal?

An advisor or Success Coach can help you create a plan for academic and career success as well as personal development.

Financial Planning helps you make financial decisions that are right for you. The process begins with budgeting day-to-day personal expenses, but looks ahead to transferring to a four-year college or university and saving for the future.

Have you considered the following?

How much do I need to budget for classes?
How can I finance my education?
Are there any scholarships available?
Is there any financial help for emergencies?

Through this component, you will learn how to calculate your expenses and become aware of both your spending habits and any financial issues related to college. Set up an appointment with Single Stop to discuss current or future debt and your financial situation to come up with a financial plan.

Integrated Support Network connects you to people and services that meet your unique needs. Through this component, you can explore links to the College’s support services and community resources. The College is committed to providing academic and personal support services.

The network can help you answer such questions as:

Where can I go for help with my classes?
What programs does the College have to help me be successful?
What kinds of support services does the College offer to students?

Social Networking connects you with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the larger community. It allows you to be informed about both personal and professional opportunities. Social Networking addresses such questions as:

What ways exist for me to become active in student life at the College?
How can I get involved to help support my community?
How can I network with people who share my educational, professional and personal goals?
How can I learn about different cultures and customs from around the world?

Through this component, you can explore ways to expand your social network and maximize the relationships you develop as part of your academic experience at the College.

E-portfolios are the perfect way to display your skills, growth and achievements to future employers as well to reflect on what you have learned. Beginning in the Learning Community Seminar for First Year Students and continuing in other courses throughout their college careers, BHCC students construct e-portfolios in which they display and reflect on written, visual, audio and other work they create at the College.

Advising Center

As an institution that embraces diversity, Bunker Hill Community College recognizes the individual needs of its students. Our advisors provide ongoing advising services to strengthen, nurture and empower you to make sound and responsible decisions through your educational career at the College.

Academic and career advising and resources are available for all Bunker Hill Community College students and include individualized advising, group advising, workshops, online advising as well as online resources and assessments. Information about academic and career advising sessions and opportunities are posted on the events calendar on the BHCC website and are emailed to students throughout the year—be sure to check your BHCC email daily.

Advisors can help you with choosing or changing a major, building an academic schedule, developing an educational plan for degree completion, using online resources, and understanding campus policies and procedures. They can also refer you to additional support services or resources. For more information visit the LifeMap Commons or the Advising webpage.

BHCCselfservice

All registered students (degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking) have an Online Services account known as BHCCselfservice, which you can access via the BHCC homepage. This account allows you to print a current course schedule or unofficial transcript, view placement test results and grades, search for course availability, access financial aid and payment information, register for or drop courses, pay for courses, create a payment plan and waive health insurance. The Program Evaluation and Student Planning features allow you to monitor your progress toward program completion and make informed decisions about course selection. In addition, the Student Planning feature allows you to create a plan for completing program requirements and even register from that plan. If you need assistance, you can also visit the LifeMap Commons.

Internships and Career Development

Job Search and Career Events

Workshops and individual sessions to help you in all aspects of finding and keeping employment are offered. Offerings include resume writing, interviewing skills, marketing yourself, networking, LinkedIn, how to use online and social networking sites for job searches, mock interviews. Hot jobs are also posted weekly in D-hallway and on LifeMap bulletin boards.

A series of industry-focused Career Fairs are open to students and alumni during the fall and spring. These events offer an opportunity to engage directly with professionals in your field as well as find internships, part-time, seasonal or full-time employment.

Academic Internships

Academic internships combine relevant on-the-job experience with classroom learning in a 3-credit course as part of a student’s program of study. The Academic Internship Coordinator provides support to students who need to find an internship in order to complete their degree. Students who need help finding an internship should email internships@bhcc.edu. Students should begin planning for their internships early in their degree program. This will allow time to find a quality internship and obtain any permissions required.

Career Internships

Students interested in gaining practical experience in an occupation or becoming more marketable in their field of study can explore non-credit internship opportunities. See Internships and Career Development.

STEM Research Internships

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math students may be eligible to apply for competitive, paid research internships at top colleges and other research institutions. Most research internships are offered in the summer and require a full time commitment from students. Previous BHCC students have worked with National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH) funded programs, and programs at area institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Tufts, Boston University, UMass, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Student planning and preparation for these programs begins early in the fall semester with application deadlines as early as November 1. These opportunities are offered in collaboration with STEM Faculty and the STEM Club. Interested students should speak with the STEM Coordinator (stem@bhcc.edu) or the Academic Internships Coordinator (internships@bhcc.edu).

Learn and Earn

Bunker Hill Community College’s Learn and Earn program offers competitive, paid internships at Greater Boston’s top corporations, small businesses, non-profit, civic and cultural organizations.

Some current and previous placement sites include Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Dell EMC, HubSpot, Digitas, Liberty Mutual, SustainServ, MFA, Arabella Insurance, Boston Mayor’s Office, Genetic Alliance, Seven Hills Pasta, SWIA, Boston Municipal Court, Department of Revenue. Students work 16-30 hours per week for at least $18/hour, a travel stipend, and take a three-credit internship course, and receive mentoring and support for career goals.

Students from all majors are encouraged to apply for Learn and Earn internships. A limited number of Learn and Earn positions have GPA requirements. Interested students should e-mail Internships@bhcc.edu.

Transfer Services

Transferring to Bunker Hill Community College

If you have attended another college, you may apply for transfer credit and advanced standing at Bunker Hill Community College. Send official transcripts from all previous colleges directly to the Academic Records Office at the time you apply to BHCC. Once you are accepted and become a matriculated (or degree-seeking) student, college transcripts will be evaluated.

Credit may be awarded if:

A grade of C or better is earned from a regionally accredited college or university. A grade of P may be accepted only if it can be demonstrated that the P grade is equivalent to a grade of C or higher. Some programs require a C+ or higher. Detailed information can be found in the Degree and Certificate Program section of the catalog.
The courses are comparable to those offered at BHCC.

Specific departmental requirements may apply to course eligibility for your program: Anatomy and Physiology I, II and Microbiology for certain health programs cannot be more than five years old. Some programs require a C+ or higher. Detailed information can be found in the Degree and Certificate section of the catalog.

Credits earned at colleges that follow a quarter system will be converted to semester-hour equivalents resulting in an adjustment in the number of credits transferred. The College will accept a maximum of 45 transfer credits toward the BHCC associate degree and 75 percent of the total number of credits required for certificate programs.

Transfer Appeal Process: Transfer students who would like the college to reconsider its decision regarding the awarding of transfer credit may request a meeting with a Transfer Counselor by emailing transferservices@bhcc.edu. The purpose of this meeting is to give you an opportunity to present evidence such as course descriptions and syllabi to demonstrate that the course(s) in question are either the equivalent or comparable and meet the criteria listed above. As part of this review, relevant Faculty, Department Chair and or the Academic Dean will be consulted to review course documentation as needed. If the matter is not resolved through this process, you can appeal in writing to the appropriate Associate Provost of Academic Affairs requesting that the Associate Provost review the materials and findings. The decision of the Associate Provost is final.

Transferring Out of Bunker Hill Community College

Bunker Hill Community College shares partnerships with four-year colleges and universities to help you continue your education if you decide to work toward a bachelor’s degree. Transfer Services provides information sessions, college visits, transfer fairs, workshops, and other resources to help you with this process. We encourage you to research the transfer requirements and expectations of the colleges and universities you are interested in early on so you can make the best curriculum choices at BHCC. Visit Transfer Services to learn about upcoming information sessions and additional information, or come by the LifeMap Commons.

MassTransfer

MassTransfer is a collaboration between the Commonwealth’s community colleges, state universities and the University of Massachusetts. System-wide resources and policies allow you to transfer seamlessly, stay on track and minimize the time it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree.

General Education Foundation. MassTransfer provides any student in the Massachusetts public higher education system who completes the General Education Foundation with the benefit of satisfying the general education/distribution/core requirements at any other public higher education institution (with the receiving institution able to add no more than six additional credits or two courses). For more information, visit the General Education Requirements page.

A2B (associate degree to bachelor’s degree). Beginning your college career at a community college is a smart choice. MassTransfer seeks to reward community college students who complete associate degrees at Massachusetts community colleges before they enroll in linked bachelor’s programs at Massachusetts state universities or University of Massachusetts campuses. Not only does MassTransfer guarantee full transfer of a minimum of 60 credits but, depending on their final GPA and/or prerequisite coursework, students who complete A2B degrees may also receive guaranteed admission and tuition discounts. Visit the MassTransfer page for more information.

Commonwealth Commitment. A2B degree students who attend full-time and earn a 3.00 GPA or higher also can participate in the Commonwealth Commitment. The Commonwealth Commitment (available in “A2B Mapped” majors only) further rewards students with a freeze on tuition and fees for all four years, and 10% end-of-semester rebates.

For more information including a complete list of pathway programs and qualifications for eligibility, visit the Commonwealth Commitment page, or speak with a Transfer Counselor in the LifeMap Commons.

Transfer and Articulation Information for Bachelor’s Programs

Articulation agreements outline the transfer pathway between academic programs at BHCC and other institutions. Articulation agreements are designed to help you make a smooth transition when transferring from BHCC to another institution by ensuring you understand if and how coursework taken at BHCC will transfer into other programs.

For a list of current articulation agreements visit the Articulation Agreements page.

Reverse Transfer

Students who transfer from Bunker Hill Community College to a Massachusetts state university or UMASS campus who have not completed their associate degree may participate in Reverse Transfer. Through Reverse Transfer, students who made progress towards an associate degree prior to transferring may apply credit earned at a four-year institution back to their community college to complete the associate degree requirements. To learn more about reverse transfer and to complete the Reverse Transfer Participation form and FERPA authorization visit Reverse Transfer.

Students who are not attending one of the Massachusetts state universities or UMASS campuses may also participate in Reverse Transfer. You must have an official transcript sent to the Academic Records Office from all colleges and universities attended since leaving BHCC. The Transfer Office staff will then review your academic records to assess your eligibility for reverse transfer to complete your associate degree. To start the process, send an email to transferservices@bhcc.edu.

LifeMap: Academic, Career and Transfer Planning