Parents- Welcome
Welcome to the College of Charleston and the Academic Advising and Planning Center. This information is for you! You are transitioning from a caregiver to a consultant just like your student is transitioning from high school to college. We recognize that this is not an overnight process. The information here will help connect to valuable information and resources to help you better help your student.
How Advising Works at CofC
Pre-Learning Information for New Student Orientation
All new first-year students, except Honors, student athletes, and new transfers, should access the online learning module that will help them better prepare for orientation. The Academic Advising and Planning Center will email these students prior to their registered Orientation session with instructions for accessing the online learning module. Please note that the completion of this learning module is designed to better prepare students for their advising experience at the College of Charleston. Students are not expected to create a course schedule during this module. This will occur when students come to orientation on Day 2.
Visit our Preparing for Your Orientation Advising Appointment page for more information prior to New Student Orientation.
Calendar
Consult the Academic Calendar on the Registrar's Office webpage for important dates, including: Last Day to Drop/Add, Last Day to Withdraw, and Registration Entry Times.
How to Help Us Help Your Student
We often find that parents are eager to support their student in the advising process as this is a critical part of their student’s success. It is important for parents to understand that it is important to our office that we begin establishing a relationship with their student from the very beginning. Therefore, when parents accompany their new, returning or transfer student to an advising appointment, we ask parents to wait in our lobby or perhaps even enjoy a cup of coffee at a nearby coffeehouse. Please note, we are not trying to exclude parents from the advising process completely, but this is a time for students to begin their journey as independent thinkers and decision makers as it relates to their academic goals. We’ll make sure they are equipped to share all of the information we share with them with you. Keep in mind if the advisor thinks it is necessary for you to be present during the advising process, the advisor will collect you from the lobby after visiting with the student first. Once the student enters college, we are bound by FERPA, a law that protects student’s academic information. Anytime a third party (yes, even parents are defined as third parties in the eyes of the law!) is involved, a FERPA release will be discussed with and signed by your student in advance of your joining the conversation. If the student chooses not to sign the FERPA release, we are bound by this law to honor the student’s request for privacy.
If you have a problem accessing our website or any information on it, please contact our main office at 843-953-5981 or advising@cofc.edu and we'll provide you with the information you need, as well as attempt to address the accessibility problem you bring to our attention.