A Lake Tahoe Community College student met face-to-face with a UC Davis admissions adviser last week without either of them having to leave their campuses. Tiffany Arnold, who plans to transfer here next fall to study sociology, was the first student to use a new videoconference "distance advising" program being pioneered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach Services. The program uses tiny videocameras and computers linked by the Internet to expand admissions advising services to prospective transfer students at far-flung community colleges. Larry Estes, special projects coordinator for undergraduate admissions, said UC Davis is the first UC campus to use such a system. Estes said the tool allows admissions advisers to display on the students' computer screen written evaluations of their coursework and to pull up a number of UC Davis Web sites that might help them. At the same time, both the admissions adviser and student can see the other's image and hear each other talk. So far, community colleges at South Lake Tahoe, Weed and Reedley have invested in the necessary equipment and are participating in the distance-advising program, Estes said. Another two campuses in Fresno and Merced may join the program soon, he said. Undergraduate admissions plans to expand the program to additional California community colleges this fall.