Academic Advising

Advising is a shared responsibility between the student and advisor.  Your advisor provides guidance on developing meaningful academic and career goals, understanding degree requirements and navigating your college experience.  Your advisor is committed to your personal and academic success and will assist you in achieving your goals.

Advisors are knowledgeable about academic programs, college policies and procedures, degree requirements and campus resources.  Your advisor will help answer questions and refer you to appropriate resources as needed.  Advisors assist with goal-setting, academic planning, course registration and more! 

COTC requires all new and returning students to meet with their assigned academic advisor during their first semester of enrollment or re-enrollment. 

Why should I meet with my advisor?

• Set educational and career goals
• Evaluate progress towards educational goals and develop an individual academic plan
• Check progress toward completing admission requirements to competitive, selective programs
• Discuss academic concerns
• Discuss transfer credit and applicability to your program
• Ask questions about COTC policies and procedures
• Explore opportunities to shorten your degree pathway
• Schedule courses for upcoming semesters
• Discuss schedule changes, including withdrawals

Who is my advisor?

Academic advisors are available at each campus location.  At the start of your first semester, you will be assigned to an advisor based upon your campus location, veteran/military status and program.  You can view your assigned academic advisor on the Success Team card in myCOTC. 

Why don’t I have an assigned advisor?

Advisors are assigned at the start of a student’s first semester or a returning student’s first semester back at COTC. New and returning students work with the admissions team to apply, complete orientation, submit transcripts, and register for classes. For more information visit Steps to Enroll. 

If you think you should have an assigned advisor, please contact cotcadvising@mail.cotc.edu for assistance. 

How do I meet with my advisor?

Schedule an appointment. Appointments are required so that you can have individual time with your assigned Advisor. To make an appointment, contact your academic advisor directly or contact The Gateway front desk to be directed to your advisor.

Remember to have the following for each advising appointment: 

• Photo ID 
• List of any questions or concerns you want to discuss

Where do I go to find important dates and deadlines, including when I can register for classes?

Important dates and deadlines are listed on the academic calendar to help students know when semesters and terms begin and end, as well as when the college is closed for holidays and breaks. 

Additional important registration dates help students know when they can register for classes.

When do I meet with a Success Coach vs. an Academic Advisor?

Academic Advising

All students at COTC are assigned an Academic Advisor after the start of their first semester to map academic and career goals, register for classes and help students stay on track to graduate. 

Student Success Coaches

Success Coaches help students build academic and college-life skills to help prevent, prepare for and respond to common obstacles they may encounter in higher education. These skills include time management, learning styles, resource utilization, active notetaking, study skills, and many others. Success Coaches are assigned after a student registers for their first semester classes. 

Find out more about Success Coaches and other Success Center Services here. 

Mission Statement

The mission of COTC Academic Advising is to provide guidance to students in the development, implementation and achievement of their educational goals.

• We provide accurate and timely information regarding academic programs and college policies and procedures
• We offer guidance to enable students to make informed decisions
• We connect students to college and community resources
• We are friendly, accessible and supportive