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Student Orientation Advising & Registration (SOAR)

 

 

Congratulations!
We are excited that you have selected
MassBay Community College!

 

Congratulations on taking the first step to further your education! We hope to ease your transition into the MassBay community for both you and your family and look forward to meeting you at Orientation! The goal of MassBay’s Orientation is to provide you with the tools you need to succeed.

 

Information for starting classes in the Spring 2022 Semester:

If you plan on starting classes in the spring semester, please note ALL members of the MassBay community -- including students, faculty, and staff -- must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the campus for any reason, including taking on-campus classes and accessing on-campus services or resources. For more information on this and instructions for uploading proof of vaccination please visit: https://www.massbay.edu/immunization.

Orientation is required for all new students interested in earning a degree or certificate. The spring semester orientations will be virtual and offered starting December 16th, 2021. 

You can sign-up for available dates by clicking the green bar below (you will need your student ID #, which is a seven digit number that can be found on your acceptance letter). 

If you need additional help, please email Julie Schleicher, the Coordinator of Orienation at jschleicher@massbay.edu.

*New students pursuing seats in selective Health Science and Automotive programs have special requirements, if you are pursuing any of the following programs, please contact the Office of Admissions at 508-280-4059 or 781-239-2506 regarding orientation requirements for your program: BMW, Chrysler, General Motors, Toyota, Central Processing, Computed Tomography, Emergency Medicine, Nursing/Practical Nursing, Paramedicine, Phlebotomy, Radiological Technology, or Surgical Technology.

Sign-up for an Orientation Here

 

Information for starting classes in the Fall 2021 Semester:

The fall semester began on September 7th, 2021, therefore, will not be offering any more new student orientations for the fall semester.

However, we do have an online orientation course you can complete called LAUNCH Point!

We strongly encourage you to complete the LAUNCH Point in order to learn about MassBay services, offices, resources, and next steps that will ensure your success this semester!

In addition, we have provided important new student information and resources below.

General Overview of MassBay | Important Resources

Set-up your MassBay Technology

  1. Search your personal email inbox for an email from our Office of Information Technology (IT), if you can’t find it, please check your spam/junk folders. The email will have your credentials (username and initial password) and instructions for activating your accunt in OneLogin.

    Follow these instructions to set up this account: Setting up OneLogin Presentation.
  2. Log into Bay Navigator! Bay Navigator is how you will register for classes, pay your bill or set-up the payment plan, and view your anticipated financial aid.
  3. Open your MassBay Email! All students have a Microsoft Outlook email account connected to their MassBay accounts (your email address will be username@massbay.edu).  Email is our PRIMARY form of communication, you will receive important messages from your faculty, information about classes, upcoming events, financial resources and more! Overview of Office 365 & Email Video
  4. Log into BlackBoard! BlackBoard is how you will access all your Online Classes.  Many  of our remote and in-person classes will use it as well!

    For help or questions with this process, please contact the IT Help Desk: helpdesk@massbay.edu or 781-239-2440

Class Registration & Advising

 
 

Academic Advising Video

 
 
 

During the first week of the semester, our Academic and Transfer Advising Team will meet with you to select your classes! You can continue to make adjustments to your schedule by adding new classes to your schedule and/or dropping classes during our Add/Drop Period. This is a good time to review the syllabi for each course and make sure that your course load is manageable. This is also a good time to review if the learning modality is right for you — would this course be better for you if it were online entirely, remote entirely, or perhaps, in-person?

 

While we recommend that you take this time to make sure your schedule the right fit for you, we also recommend that you’re mindful about when you make these changes. It’s always best to make these early in the add/drop period, so you aren’t joining any classes too late into the semester. If you are unsure of how to handle this add/drop period, speak to an advisor in the Virtual Advising Center.

  • Last day to add and drop Day & Online Classes is September 13
  • Last day to add and drop Evening Classes is September 20

If you haven’t done so already, register for classes by visiting our Virtual Advising Center (VAC)! If the VAC open hours don’t work for you, send them an email at advisingcenter@massbay.edu — they’ll work with you to find the best time. Please keep in mind that there may be some wait time associated with your visit!

ACCESS VIRTUAL ADVISING CENTER HERE →

Paying your Bill

Financial Resources

Check out financial resources that can help you pay for college:

Finding Your Classes

How to find your remote class

Most classes are online or remote. There are three possible ways to find your fall 2021 remote course link to join your virtual class at the scheduled time:

  • Check your MassBay e-mail account. Your faculty member(s) may have e-mailed you your course link directly.
  • Log into your Blackboard account and view your classes. Many faculty will list the link to the virtual class on the announcements page. Faculty may activate your class between today and the first day of class.
  • Check your fall 2021 course schedule in Bay Navigator. Classes & Enrollment Tile > My Class Schedule

The Fall 2021 schedule may contain a link to access your remote course(s). Please note that not all courses will have this link.

 

Course Offerings Sample Class. The class location link is shown in red and yellow.

 

If you need more help, please visit the Virtual Q&A Center (www.massbay.edu/ask) to connect with a MassBay staff member.

Get your Textbooks and Course Materials

Once you are enrolled in classes, you will need to look up (and purchase) your required course materials and textbooks. Use this Step by Step Guide on how to look up and purchase your textbooks!

Academic Resources

We recommend that ALL students visit our Academic Achievement Center to connect with our tutoring services, studies groups, and more!

Also, be sure you know how to navigate your online & remote courses in BlackBoard:

 

Need Help? Have questions? Meet with us! Staff in the Virtual Q&A Center are ready to assist you with any of the above items!

Check your MassBay email frequently!

 
IMPORTANT LINKS

Sign-up for a Student Orientation Advising & Registration (SOAR) Date LAUNCH POINT: The Pre-Orientation Online Course Visit the MassBay Family Resources page Need help? Have questions? Visit the Virtual Q&A center by clicking here!

 
for questions, contact:

Julie Schleicher | Coordinator of Student Engagement & Orientation

jschleicher@massbay.edu | 781-239-3053