Academic Advising

Academic advising at Delaware Technical Community College engages all students and the campus community in collaborative and supportive advising grounded in teaching and learning that empowers students to achieve their educational, professional, and life goals.

What is Academic Advising?

At Delaware Tech, academic advising is a resource to help you navigate your college experience, understand program and course options, connect to campus resources and activities, and identify, develop, and implement plans to successfully achieve your goals.

Initial Advising and the Front Door Experience

After applying to the College, you should make a QuickStart appointment to complete any placement testing requirements and meet for initial advising with an academic counselor in the campus Academic Advising Center. During initial advising, the counselor will help you explore your educational goal and develop a plan for a successful first semester at the College. This meeting is required before you can enroll in your first semester classes. The counselor will also help you identify the best courses for your first semester so that you can register for classes. The Front Door Experience is a First-Year Experience Program at Delaware Technical Community College.

Program Advising

Ongoing advising is important for your success. Advisors provide guidance, resources, and educational and career planning support. As you begin your first semester, you will be assigned a program advisor, typically a faculty member from your program of study. Your advisor's name will be listed on your Student Schedule Bill and on Self-Service Banner, our online student records system.

You will need to meet with your program advisor before registering for your second semester. We suggest this meeting be approximately 5-9 weeks into your first semester. However, if you have questions or concerns, you should meet with an advisor sooner. Additionally, you should regularly meet with your program advisor to discuss your progress and review your goal completion plan. We suggest you meet with your advisor at least once per semester. October and March are designated as academic advising months because these are good timeframes to discuss your current semester as well as finalize a plan for the subsequent semester.

Career Advising

Advising can help you develop or confirm your career goal. Be prepared to share with your advisor how your interests, values, and skills relate to your career goal. If you are unsure, ask your advisor about completing a career assessment to explore career paths. If you are interested in changing majors, you must first meet with an academic counselor in the Academic Advising Center. After reviewing your goals, the counselor will refer you to the appropriate program advisor for your new program. Both the counselor and program advisor will sign your Change of Campus/Program form to authorize the change.

Student Educational Plan

A Student Educational Plan (SEP) is your customized roadmap to achieving your educational and career goals. It is your responsibility to work with your program advisor to develop your SEP.

By meeting with your program advisor and counselors in the academic advising center, you will develop your SEP. The first step is to work with an advisor to identify goals giving careful consideration to your interests, strengths, and challenges. Then, you and your advisor will develop specific strategies to work towards those goals. You and your advisor will continue to update your SEP as needed. Discuss with your advisor how often you should meet to review your SEP and remember to visit an advisor anytime you have questions, concerns, or need to make a change to your plan.