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 empowering students to create personalized pathways toward these goals. It guides you through key stages of your journey—getting acclimated to college, progressing toward a degree, and preparing for graduation. LifeMap helps you make informed decisions and become more self-sufficient by centralizing resources and engaging faculty and staff in their use, both inside and outside the classroom.

In addition to co-curricular LifeMap activities, the LifeMap Commons offers a central on-campus hub designed to support you throughout your academic journey. At the Commons, you can access a variety of resources, including Academic, Career and Transfer Advising and support for students who need to improve their GPA and/or completion rate. These services are offered by two LifeMap departments; Advising and LifeMap and Retention and Student Success. Together they are a dedicated team of advisors, coaches, navigators, administrators, and other professionals committed to helping you achieve your academic, career, transfer, and personal objectives. These professionals also provide referrals to other college support services.

The LifeMap Commons is in Room N-210. For questions about LifeMap, contact Jacqueline McMillion-Williams at jrwillia@bhcc.edu.

Financial – Academic – Career Planning

As you navigate your academic journey at Bunker Hill Community College, financial, academic, and career planning will each play a vital role in your success.

Financial Planning

Financial planning empowers you to make informed decisions that support your current needs and long-term goals. It begins with budgeting for everyday expenses and extends to planning for transfer and future savings.

Ask yourself:

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

Through financial planning, you’ll learn to calculate expenses, understand your spending habits, and become more aware of financial challenges associated with college.

Take action:

Meet with Single Stop to discuss your financial situation and create a plan for managing current or future debt.
Visit Student Central for help applying for financial aid and to learn more about available scholarships.

Academic Planning

Academic planning helps you design an educational pathway that aligns with your career and personal goals.

Consider the following:

Do I want to complete a degree or certificate?
Should I take courses for personal or professional development?
Am I preparing to transfer to a four-year institution?
What courses will help me reach my goals?

Use BHCCselfservice—available through the BHCC homepage—to:

Register for and drop courses
Access financial aid and payment information
Print your course schedule or unofficial transcript
View grades and placement test results
Create and manage a payment plan
Waive health insurance

Key tools within BHCCselfservice:

Program Evaluation helps you track progress toward your program requirements.
Student Planning allows you to create and register from a personalized academic plan.

If you need help, visit the LifeMap Commons for in-person support.

Career Planning

Career planning helps you identify and pursue employment opportunities that match your interests, values, and skills. It supports students in narrowing their focus, clarifying career direction, and developing a strategy for employment.

Reflect on these questions:

What do I want to do with my life?
Is my current major the right fit?
Where can I learn more about careers?
How can I gain experience in my field?
What steps should I take to prepare for employment?
When do I want to reach my career goals?

Get started:

Take the Career Coach assessment to explore careers aligned with your strengths and interests.

Visit the Internship and Career Development office for help with internships, job searches, and employment strategies.

Academic Advising

Pathway Coaching

Pathway Coaches serve as academic, career, and transfer advisors for students with fewer than 24 credits in degree or certificate programs. Pathway coaches are assigned to students based on pathway. In your first semester, your coach will help you create a Financial-Academic-Career (FAC) plan and guide you through course registration, career exploration, and transfer planning. Coaches engage student in LifeMap activities and also connect students to BHCC resources.

Success Coaching

Success Coaches support students enrolled in Academic English Language Learning (AELL) classes. Although not assigned advisors, they assist students with course planning, academic success, transfer preparation, and career exploration.

Faculty and Academic Department Advisors

Once you have earned 24 or more credits, you’ll be assigned to a faculty advisor or your academic department. You can find contact information in the college directory or on your academic department’s webpage.

For academic advising questions, contact advising@bhcc.edu.

Career Advising

The Advising & LifeMap team supports current students and alumni in aligning their program of study (major) with long-term career goals. Programs of Study are grouped into Pathways, which help organize majors by fields of interest.

Through workshops, career assessments, and one-on-one advising, students can:

Identify a suitable program of study
Explore career paths related to their major
Learn about in-demand job skills and educational requirements

Tools for career exploration:

Career Coach: A free online tool that matches your strengths and interests to potential careers and BHCC programs. It also provides insights on job skills, education levels, and salary data.
MassHire 360: A state-provided career resource with assessments, job data, real-world interviews, career videos, and licensing information for specific occupations. It also lists Massachusetts colleges that offer programs related to your career goals.

Career exploration and planning is a continuous process that requires time and commitment. As students learn more about themselves and their goals, their educational and career goals may change.

Program Add/Change. Changing Your Program of Study

Your program of study (major) can be changed by completing an online form with an advisor.

Keep in mind:

Changing your program may extend your time to graduation and affect financial aid.
You must complete all requirements for the new program. The old program may still appear in BHCCselfservice temporarily.

Steps to change your program:

If you have an assigned advisor in Advising & LifeMap or HOPE, meet with them to discuss the change. If approved, they will submit the form.
If assigned to a faculty or departmental advisor, consult with them, then follow up with Advising & LifeMap to complete the change.
If you don’t have an assigned advisor, meet with one on campus, schedule a virtual advising appointment, or email advising@bhcc.edu.
New students who haven’t started classes must attend a Start Now event to change their major.

For career advising questions, contact careeradvising@bhcc.edu.

Transfer Services

Transferring to Bunker Hill Community College

We are committed to giving you credit for courses you’ve already completed at other colleges or universities so you can finish your certificate or associate's degree at BHCC. Transfer Services accept transfer credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities in the United States and from countries all over the world!

To transfer courses to BHCC, you must be accepted to a degree or certificate program and submit official transcripts from all institutions previously attended to the Academic Records office. To review BHCC’s transfer credit policies and to view our database of transfer equivalencies, please visit the Transfer to BHCC website.

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 toward a Bachelor’s degree. Transfer Services organizes information sessions, college visits, transfer fairs, workshops, and other resources to guide you through your options and the application process. A great place to start your transfer journey is to join our Transfer 101 workshop where you will learn about our transfer partnerships and the statewide MassTransfer program. Preparing for transfer early in your academic career will give you the best options and ensure your credits at BHCC will transfer toward your Bachelor’s degree. Visit the Transfer Services website to check our calendar of events, sign up for a workshop or review our resources.

Joint Admissions

Joint Admissions agreements provide a seamless path with individualized guided support for earning an Associate degree at BHCC and a Bachelor’s degree at one of our partner Universities. Benefits of Joint Admissions include:

Guaranteed admission
Special scholarships
Seamless transfer of credits
Personalized advising
Access to University facilities
Simplified application
Special events and celebrations

We have three Joint Admissions programs to meet all students’ needs and goals:

UMass Boston Future Beacon Joint Admissions Program. The Future Beacons Joint Admissions partnership provides guided support and a seamless transfer experience to ensure a successful transition from your Associate degree at BHCC to your Bachelor degree at UMass Boston.
UMass Lowell Joint Admissions Program. Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) and UMass Lowell (UML) have partnered to create a clear path toward bachelor degree completion and enhance the transfer process.
Lesley University Joint Admissions Program. The Lesley University Joint Admissions transfer program for BHCC students allows students to gain admission to Lesley University while enrolled at BHCC. Participants complete their Associate degree at BHCC with in-depth advising support and an integrated transition plan to complete their Bachelor’s degree at Lesley on campus or online.

Transfer Articulation Agreements

Articulation agreements are developed with partner colleges to ensure credits from specific programs of study at BHCC will transfer to aligned 4-year degree programs. Review the Articulation Agreement webpage for a full list of agreements with colleges and universities across the Commonwealth.

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 and cost of earning 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).

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.

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 join the Transfer 101 workshop.

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. Students who are not attending one of the Massachusetts state universities or UMASS campuses may also participate in Reverse Transfer. To learn more about reverse transfer visit the Reverse Transfer webpage.

Contact: transferservices@bhcc.edu

Retention and Student Success

At Bunker Hill Community College, your academic success is our priority. The Office of Retention & Student Success works in collaboration with departments across the college to monitor and support students' academic progress throughout each semester and at the end of each term.

We review midterm and final grades, cumulative GPA, completion rates, and faculty alerts to identify students who may benefit from additional academic support. Our goal is always to help students stay on track and succeed in their coursework.

Supporting Your Academic Success at BHCC

To facilitate academic student success, we begin from a place of accountability by undertaking a yearly review to assess how each student is doing academically, via our Academic Standing review process.

Academic Standing

To foster accountability and promote success, BHCC conducts an Academic Standing review every May to assess the academic performance of all students.

Academic Standing is based on your cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) from all college-level courses completed at BHCC.

You are considered in Good Academic Standing if you meet the following criteria:

If you have attempted 12–30 credits: You must have completed at least 67% of those credits and earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.79.
If you have attempted more than 30 credits: You must have completed at least 67% of those credits and earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Students who do not meet these standards are placed on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, or Academic Suspension.

Academic Support Programs

G.R.O.W. – Get Ready, Opportunity is Waiting!

GROW is a re-enrollment and re-orientation program designed for students who have experienced academic challenges and need to reconnect with the college’s support services.

During GROW sessions, students receive information on:

Academic Standing requirements
How to calculate GPA and completion rate
Key college deadlines and the academic calendar
Academic and non-academic support resources
Students also work with Retention Navigators to:
Plan coursework for the next two semesters
Register for upcoming courses
Create an academic success plan

Ongoing Support:

In addition to their faculty and staff advisors, GROW participants are supported by GROW Navigators until they achieve Satisfactory Academic Standing.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

If you are not in Good Academic Standing, you may also be considered not maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress, which can affect your eligibility for financial aid.

To maintain SAP, you must:

Complete at least 67 percent or more of the total number of credits that they have attempted at BHCC
Meet the following minimum cumulative grade point average:

Credits Attempted	Cumulative Grade Point Average
Below 12 credits	no minimum
12-30 credits	1.79
Above 30 credits	2.00

Support for students not meeting SAP:

Invitation to attend a GROW session to understand SAP policies
Review of past academic performance to identify barriers to success
Creation of a two-semester academic plan with a Navigator
Assistance from a Navigator with drafting and submitting a Financial Aid SAP Appeal

Fresh Start Policy

The Fresh Start Policy offers former BHCC students an opportunity to return without the burden of a previously low GPA or poor completion rate.

Eligibility Requirements:

You must be a former BHCC student with previously earned BHCC credits.
You must have no coursework attempted at BHCC in the past 5 years.
Credits from over five years ago will be treated as transfer credits:
- Only courses with grades of C or higher will be accepted.
- These credits may count as electives or program requirements depending on your current academic plan.
- Only new coursework completed after your return will count toward your GPA and completion rate.

Important Notes:

This policy can only be used once.
It does not override program-specific requirements, particularly in fields like health sciences, computer technology, and nursing where content may become outdated.
In all cases where BHCC policy differs from federal financial aid guidelines, federal regulations will take precedence.

For more information or questions about Academic Standing, GROW, SAP, or the Fresh Start Policy, contact: Collen Yee at cpyee@bhcc.edu.

LifeMap: Academic, Career and Transfer Planning