Counseling

A Mendocino College counselor can assist you in the selection of appropriate coursework for your academic goal and help you develop a student education plan to achieve it. The Counseling Center offers the following services:

• academic counseling
• career counseling & major/career exploration
• transfer planning
• personal/mental health counseling
• bilingual counseling in Spanish
• referrals to campus & community resources

Fall and Spring Hours:

Ukiah Campus: MacMillan Hall, Room 1000; Monday through Friday: 9 am - 5 pm; Additional hours available through Week of Welcome.
North County Center, Coast Center, & Lake Center: Please call for current hours.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: Counselors are available 5-7 p.m. Our centers also offer evening appointments as a convenience to you. 

Additional Spring Semester Drop-in Hours Starting Late February 2025!

The Counseling Department will be offering drop-in appointments 

Feb. 26, 2025 - May 21, 2025 (excluding holidays):

• WEDNESDAY
  • In-person: 9am-1pm & 2pm-4pm (In-Person - Ukiah)

Important information for Drop-In Counseling Sessions: 

• In-person drop-in sessions are available at the Ukiah Campus 
• Each session is limited to 15 minutes to serve as many students as possible 
• Wait times may vary based on the number of students in line 
• Drop-in sessions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis

Questions? Contact us: (707) 468-3048

**Si usted desea una cita de consejería en español, por favor llame al Departamento de Consejería al (707) 468-3048.

Welcome Students,

Mendocino College is offering three styles of appointments for your convenience. You may meet with counselors face-to-face, via zoom, or by phone. Each of our centers also offer these same choices to you. Your preferences are important to us. 

Fall & Spring Hours:
Monday thru Friday: 8 am - 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: Appointments also offered 5-7 p.m. in Ukiah

Current Spring 2025 

Drop-in Appointments (by phone or face-to-face) Wednesdays (9am - 1pm) and (2-4pm). 

Additional Spring Semester Drop-in Hours Starting Late February 2025!

The Counseling Department will be offering drop-in appointments 

Feb. 26, 2025 - May 21, 2025 (excluding holidays):

• WEDNESDAY
  • In-person & via Phone: 9am-1pm & 2pm-4pm (In-Person - Ukiah)

Important information for Drop-In Counseling Sessions: 

• In-person drop-in sessions are available at the Ukiah Campus or by phone
• Each session is limited to 15 minutes to serve as many students as possible 
• Wait times may vary based on the number of students in line 
• Drop-in sessions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis

To schedule an appointment with a counselor:
Email: counselingappointments@mendocino.edu OR Call: (707) 468-3048

**If you are receiving services through the following Student Support Programs, you can also schedule an appointment by contacting:

CalWORKs: )707) 467-1034
rfink@mendocino.edu

DRC/DSPS: (707) 468-3031
drc@mendocino.edu

EOPS/CARE: (707) 468-3113 or 468-3115
eops-mc@mendocino.edu

Academic Counseling includes assistance with the following:

• Get assistance exploring career pathways that are right for you
• Explore which certificates and degrees we offer to help you achieve your career goals
• Gain understanding of your opportunities to transfer to a University
• Determine specific courses to achieve your academic goals (certificate, degree, transfer)
• Identify which courses are required for you to transfer to the University of your choice
• Develop a timeline to map out your academic and career goals. This is called a Student Education Plan (SEP).
• Discuss your academic concerns and get support if you are on academic or progress probation
• Learn your anticipated graduation date
• Provide information and referrals to campus support programs and resources
• Referrals to community resources

The Student Education Plan (SEP) is essentially a timeline. You will create this with the help of your counselor to select the courses you will need to complete to achieve your education goal. A SEP may include your courses required for your program (also referred to as major) courses that satisfy the general education graduation requirements and/or additional courses you need if planning to transfer to a University.

An education plan will keep you on track with your goals. As you identify which courses to take each semester and be efficient with your time at Mendocino College. Our goal is to help students to save time and money by planning with our assistance. Counselors can provide additional guidance to support efficient planning. 

There are two types of SEP’s:

1. Abbreviated SEP – A short-term plan that includes your initial one or two semesters of courses needed for your goal(s).
2. Comprehensive SEP – A long-term plan that incorporates all of the courses & semesters needed to complete your goal(s). To complete a comprehensive SEP you must first select a major and an educational goal(s). 

Tips to get the most out of your appointment:

• Come to the appointment with your questions.
• Be prepared to discuss your career interests.
• If applicable, bring a copy of any AP or IB score reports.
• Bring a copy of your unofficial transcript(s) if you attended other college(s).
• If you are planning to transfer, what careers are you exploring? Are there specific Universities that you would like to learn more about? Please share if so.

All of our counselors can assist you to explore your career interests and choose a major/program that helps align with your long-term goals. However, sometimes you are not sure about what career choices are best for you. We have a dedicated counselor who can assist you as you explore your interests and learn which careers might be the best match. Our goal is to help you make a choice that is right for you. Our services are designed to help you learn more about yourself so that you may select academic goals with more confidence. Meeting with our career counselor, helps ensure you make informed decisions when it comes to setting and reaching your goals. 

Virtual Career Counseling Workshops are offered, please see Career Counseling link for details.

Schedule an appointment with Brenda Estrada, Adjunct Counselor by calling (707) 468-3048 or emailing bestrada@mendocino.edu.

We would like to help you to understand if your career goals will require you to transfer to a University. Meeting with counselors to share your long-term goals is the first step towards knowing and planning. Mendocino College has multiple degree choices that can assist you to be efficient with your coursework. Ask your counselor about Associate Degrees for Transfer that might be right for you. 

In addition to what our counselors can provide, we have a counselor who dedicates his sessions to support students as they learn more about transferring to a University. They regularly offer workshops to students virtually to help students learn more. We also have a dedicated space on campus, where you can pick-up University brochures and information while exploring your options. Our counselor has created a special canvas to share updates with you. Click here to join. You can expect to receive regular announcements and updates to help you feel confident as you explore your options. The Transfer counselor also meets with students at all locations. Let us know if you would like this specific style of appointment when you call. 

Annually, we hold an event where we invite University representatives to campus so that you have the opportunity to ask them questions directly. We hope you will join us next Fall! These events are open to both high school students and college students. 

College catalogs are available in the Transfer Center or online.