For students, there is an office that can take some of the pressure off for picking out their spring class schedule.
The advising office, located on the second floor of Rogers’ Student Center, employs 10 advisors, five for University Studies, three for Allied Health and Nursing, and two for Applied Studies – that are available during all office hours to answer any questions students have regarding their majors and courses.
“We’re here to set students on the right path for their four-year universities,” Academic Advising Director Jan Adams said.
The purpose of the advising center is to advise on classes and degree plans, prepare students for graduation, and to assist in seeing what schools fit them for transferring.
“The whole partnership between students and advisers is important,” Adams said.
The advising office has created an articulation agreement or the “2 + 2” program where a student will take all of their core curriculum here at TJC and be provided with a “seamless transition” to UT-Tyler in degrees such as art, art history, biology, business, chemistry, education, engineering, health and kinesiology, nursing and surveying.
The administration is also working on setting up a “2 + 2” program with Texas A&M University in College Station.
While UT-Tyler is a popular choice among students who plan on transferring, the center has helped students apply to many unique schools including Stanford and Annapolis.
“Staying on top, being goal-oriented, and understanding where you are and where you need to be are all very important things to remember,” Adams said.
With a record enrollment of over 11,000 students this year, the advising office has taken on a policy of setting appointments and also allowing students to do walk-in sessions. However, when it gets closer to the end of the semester, an appointment is recommended.
Within each department of study, there are typically instructors who have gone through advising training in order to earn the title of ‘faculty advisor.’ Within the Speech and Theatre Department over five instructors have completed such training.
“Within our specific field of study, I take speech and theatre majors and get with them before they register, go through their degree plan, and make sure they are taking the right courses in the right order,” Speech and Theatre Instructor/Faculty Advisor Rebecca Faulds said.
The major-specific advisors are typically experts in their fields and, as a result, are able to provide assistance with students who have questions and concerns regarding particular programs and/or degree plans.
“I feel confident that by doing this (advising), we aren’t steering people wrong,” Faulds said.
The advising office makes the journey through coursework and deciding between classes seem a little less stressful to the students they advise.
“I’m so glad to be able to have any and all of my questions answered. The office has really given me a jump-start on my planning for my next semester,” sophomore Daniel Hatoum said.
The advising office is hosting mini-registration on the second floor of Rogers’ Student Center from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Nov. 18 and 19, and Dec. 15, 16, and 17.
During these mini-registration times, students can sit with a full-time or faculty advisor, before they can either have the advisor plan their schedule or go register online for themselves.
