Starfish for MCC Students

How to login to Starfish

You can access Starfish directly using your campus login credentials.

Click on the menu in the top left hand corner of your Home page and select Dashboard.

• Calendar: Shows you upcoming calendar items such as class meetings and appointments. 
• Notifications: Shows you active flags, referrals or action items that have been assigned to you by members of your Success Network.
• My Connections: Shows people that you are connected to such as instructors or team coaches. 
• My Services: Shows you specific services that you are connected to.  
• Kudos: Show when people have recognized your positive efforts!

Click on the menu in the top left hand corner of your Home page and select My Success Network.

Your network displays the people and offices that are available to help you succeed.

Your Connections

Your Connections lists your instructors and any possible primary counselors you may have.

Services

Your Services lists reflect resources that are available to you based on your connection to specific programs. You are able to schedule counseling appointments through Starfish. Your pathway connection(s) is listed is based on your current active major(s). If you’re looking to see a counselor in a different area of expertise, you can use the search bar on top. You can search by name or service.

Look for MCC services with a Tiger! If you are taking courses at one of the other SCCCD campuses, you may see their services as well. 

Tip! If a service includes a waiting room for walk-in appointments, you can click the “Waiting Room” link to find out how many students are currently in line.

Starfish Tell Us About Yourself Flyer

"Tell Us About Yourself" will be turned on at key times so you may not always see it.  When you complete these questions, it allows us to help connect you with information and resources that will better support you. 

The first time, you will first be asked to complete the The Hope Center #RealCollege Survey. You will only be asked to complete this once.

Next are the SCCCD Starfish Student Intake Questions. You will be able to update your responses each time we turn on the feature, so if your needs change, please make sure to update your answers.

Click on the menu in the top left hand corner of your Home page and select Messages.

Click on any message in the list to display the full contents of that message. These messages were also sent to your SCCCD email and to any alternate address you added to your profile.

Need Some Help?  Request Assistance!

"Request Assistance" is how you can ask for help with specific things.  When you submit a request assistance item, you will automatically be sent a message with information about the resources available at each of the college within State Center Community College District.  You can find this in your Messages Channel and it will also be sent to your student email address.  

We will be able to see that you have asked for help and provide any support you might need to connect with our resources.  

Log into My Portal and then click on the Starfish App to log into Starfish:

Click on the three bars next to Starfish in the top left hand corner and select Degree Planner from the menu options.  

If a counselor has already created a plan*, you will see it here.  Click on the plan to access it:

*If you do not see a plan contact your counselor to create a student education plan (SEP). Click on "My Success Network” to schedule an appointment with a counselor.  Do not try to create your own plan; even though the "I understand" button will take you to a Create Plan page you will not be able to create a plan. 

Once in your plan you will be able to navigate between courses and requirements.  Each view provides you with different information about your SEP.

This view shows you a term by term breakdown of the courses planned in each term.  Each class has it’s own “course card”. 

If you are currently taking the course it will be listed as “in progress”.

If you are registered for the course for a future term, it will say “registered”.

For future terms, you may see a course card with a specific class listed, or you might see course cards for a specific area/list requirement. Click on the course card to view more information.

You may also see additional warnings on course cards about course prerequisites or notices if you did not successfully complete a course.

(*Important Note: Some courses are planned in a specific order, following rules for pre-requisite requirements, etc. Rearranging courses could cause courses to be out of sequence for your pathway. We advise you speak with your pathway counselor or advisor if you would like to make changes.)

Comments: You may have comments on your plan from your counselor that can be viewed in the “Show Comments” section on the right. This can include important reminders, referrals, deadlines, etc. so please be sure to check the comments section when applicable.

This view shows you a list of all the requirements to complete the program(s) that are built into your plan. First you will see the courses that are required in your major, then as you scroll you will see the general education requirements. At the top of the plan you will see the term that the plan has been approved through by a counselor. 

Starfish Degree Planner is an online, mobile-friendly, comprehensive degree audit and academic advising tool that enables students and advisors to track and evaluate academic progress. In Degree Planner, your academic counselor can create a student education plan (SEP) to help you stay on track to meet your academic goals.

Sections are the courses available in the Schedule of Classes for that term. Each section is identified by a five-digit CRN (Course Reference Number). Course sections can be changed on your plan; you do not have to register in that section.

Not currently. Contact your academic counselor for assistance with creating or editing your plan.

Go to "My Success Network" in Starfish for your counselor's contact information. Requests for approval sent through Degree Planner will not be approved or responded to.

Click on the three bars next to Starfish in the top left hand corner and select Degree Planner from the menu options.  If a counselor has already created a plan, you will see it here.  If you do not see a plan, contact your counselor to create a student education plan (SEP).

Click on the plan to access it:

Once in your plan, on the top right hand corner, click on the “More” button and then click on “Plan History”

Click on “view snapshot”.  This PDF “Snapshot” is your Student Education Plan (SEP) that you can print or save. 

IMPORTANT:  only the most recent PDF “snapshot” is your SEP.  Any changes made to your plan after the “snapshot” are not official until they have been approved by a counselor. 

Usually when the scheduled appointment time in Starfish shows up as a different time in your student email your student email time zone settings need to be revised.    

• Instructions to Update Time Zone Settings (PDF)

Not everyone is using Starfish to schedule appointments.

You can view the appointment on your Dashboard and you will receive an email notification to your SCCCD college email.

You may have to search further out for additional dates and times.

Contact the person who raised the flag. Also connect with other individuals in your “My Success Network”.

We are only displaying MCC services to students who either have an active MCC major and/or are taking more than half of their units at MCC. If you need to see someone at MCC, you can either browse through the Other Services on the bottom of your Success Network or use the search bar on top.

At Madera Community College, our Guided Pathways program ensures you receive tailored support and guidance throughout your academic journey. Each Pathway features a dedicated team that collaborates to provide you with specialized counseling and resources for your major. These teams include counselors with knowledge of the specific majors within each Pathway, ensuring you receive the most relevant and effective advice. If you haven't been assigned a counselor through one of our special programs and are still exploring your major options, the Guided Pathways team is your ideal starting point to find the right counselor to help you achieve your educational goals.

Here are the Pathway Services that have appointments available in Starfish. 

• MCC Pathway: Arts and Languages
• MCC Pathway: Business and Information Systems
• MCC Pathway: Health Science and STEM
• MCC Pathway: People and Society
• MCC Pathway: Technical Careers and Trade

If you know the name of the counselor, search his/her name in the search bar. In their profile, you can choose “Schedule”. You can also browse all services by clicking “Other Services” at the bottom of your Success Network or searching for the Service in the search bar on top. Each Pathway Service will list the majors that pathway covers.

Madera Community College Pathway Services: 

• MCC Pathway: Allied Health, Business and CTE
• MCC Pathway: Arts and Humanities
• MCC Pathway: Social Sciences
• MCC Pathway: STEM