The mission of Academic Advising at Piedmont Technical College is to create a shared educational partnership, which involves the development of meaningful planning consistent with the student’s academic, personal and professional goals. Using a holistic approach to empower students, sharing available resources, providing accurate and timely information, and assisting students with clearly defining their goals are all essential to this outcome.

Advising Syllabus

The college has implemented an Advising Syllabus to guide advisors and students through the advising process. The Advising Syllabus is designed to ease the transition to college and includes information on what to expect from the academic advising process at Piedmont Technical College. Refer to Piedmont Technical College Advising Syllabus for more details: www.ptc.edu/advisingsyllabus.

Enrollment Advising

After completing the Admissions process, new and readmit students (those students returning to PTC after an absence of one year or more) will meet with an Enrollment Advisor who will review the student’s vocational, academic and personal goals and needs, assist the student with selection of first semester courses and provide information about the next steps in the advising process and resources for college success. The Enrollment Advisor will provide information about the Academic Advisor.

Academic Advising

A student’s assigned Academic Advisor assists a student in planning the academic career and accessing college resources. A student should meet with an Academic Advisor regularly to discuss career goals, review academic progress towards graduation and plan for upcoming semesters. An Academic Advisor is a faculty member within the student’s major of study. A student may identify the assigned Academic Advisor in Pathway.

County Campus Advising

Students taking courses at one of our county campus locations may meet with an Advisor at the county campus. Students are also encouraged to contact an Academic Advisor within their program of study. 

Virtual Advising

Virtual advising is available to all students, and may be scheduled with the appropriate advisor or advising unit. Students should be prepared to access the PTC website and log in to Pathway during the advising session.

Health Care Advising

Students in the Health Care Certificate will be advised through the CARE Planning Center. Advising for these students on the Greenwood Campus will be available by appointment in the Care Planning Center in Suite 149-A, and by appointment on all county campuses. Advisors will be available to assist students with developing Academic Plans, learning about various health care programs, and understanding program requirements and secondary program application processes.

Student Responsibility for Advisement

The student is ultimately responsible for his/her academic progress, and needs to understand clearly the requirements of the academic major. A student should consult with an Advisor, review the program requirements on the website or in the catalog and use the DegreeWorks tool in Pathway to ensure that all classes are appropriately selected.

DegreeWorks

The DegreeWorks tool in Pathway can be used by students to monitor progress towards graduation. By using this tool, a student can see how completed coursework meets the graduation requirements for the selected major. The Academic Advisor can assist the student to develop a semester by semester educational plan that is accessible in DegreeWorks. This audit is not your official academic transcript and it is not official notification of completion of degree or certificate requirements. Students preparing for entrance into health care programs should review program application eligibility requirements and deadline dates, by visiting your specific program page on the catalog website. 

Navigate

Navigate is a planning and registration tool. Students may download the Navigate app to view To Do's, research careers and majors, and make appointments for college services such as advising, academic coaching, career services, and financial aid. Students will also use Navigate to plan for upcoming terms and register for classes. The desktop version of Navigate is required for registration. 

Time Commitment for College Study

In general, students should commit two hours of study time each week for each credit hour enrolled. For example, a typical three-credit hour course would require a commitment of six hours of study. Each course and major are different and study time may vary by student. It is important for students to consider program length, time to graduation, as well as outside commitments when registering for courses.

Course Selection - Prerequisites and Major of Study

Prerequisites are courses or placement test scores required for enrollment in a specific course. Students should carefully review the prerequisites of each course prior to registration. Some courses require a grade of “C” in the prerequisite course for enrollment. If errors occur, students should consult with an Academic Advisor. Courses not required for a student’s current program may only be taken with advisor permission and may not be covered by some forms of financial aid, including Title IV federal financial aid.

Course Expiration

Due to changes in some technical fields and/or accreditation issues, some courses have an expiration date. Courses with the following prefixes have an expiration of eight years: AOT, AMT, CPT, CGC, ECD, EEM, EET, IMT, IST, MET and SAC and courses MTT 250 Principles of CNC, MTT 251 CNC Operations and MTT 253 CNC Programming and Operations.

Courses with the following prefixes have an expiration of five years: EGR and EGT.

The following courses have an expiration of two years: AHS 171, AHS 172, & AHS 173.

Prior health care coursework is reviewed by the respective department.

Advising for Students on Academic Probation

Students who are on Academic Probation must first meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss and select courses. To register for classes, the student must meet with an Academic Probation Counselor or the Registrar, and complete an Academic Probation contract. Refer to the Academic Probation section of the catalog for more information.

Advising for Students Receiving Veterans Educational Benefits

Students receiving VA Educational Benefits must submit a request for certification via Pathway after registering for classes. Only courses required for the student’s current program of study may be certified to the VA.

Withdrawals must be reported to the VA and can impact a student’s educational benefits from the VA. Enrollment in online, as well as campus locations of some classes may also impact VA benefits.

Each chapter has different requirements and different benefits. Students should carefully review this information on the college website and consult with the Veterans Services Coordinator.

In order to continue receiving VA benefits, a student must maintain satisfactory progress. When a student is suspended from the college, VA benefits are automatically terminated. The Veteran Services Coordinator is available to review individual situations.

Academic Fresh Start

Academic Fresh Start is a program designed for a student who may have done poorly in a previous attempt at college to gain a “fresh start.” Refer to the Academic Fresh Start section of the catalog for more information.

Curriculum Changes

Students who wish to change their major of study will need to complete a Change of Major Form and meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss the new program of study and develop a new educational plan. Refer to the Curriculum Change Form section of the catalog for more detailed information.

Career Planning

Career Planning is available to new, current, and returning students who are seeking assistance in the exploration of their career options. Career counselors will discuss information regarding PTC academic program choices and share an array of resources about hiring trends in our area, duties one might expect to have on the job, as well as what salary one might expect for a selected program upon graduation. Assessments to assist students in the career planning process are available. There is no cost to obtain any of these services. Appointments may be made through Navigate Career Services or by calling (864) 941-8356. 

New Student Orientation

New students are encouraged to learn about college programs, policies and services. There is a live orientation prior to each semester that will provide information and introduce students to staff and faculty who may be able to offer assistance. Additional information is available via D2L. For more information, please visit www.ptc.edu/orientation.

Registration

All students should consult with an Academic Advisor prior to registration. Students should also review degree requirements in the catalog, website and through the DegreeWorks tool available in Pathway. Registration will be conducted through Navigate. 

VIP Registration

Students who register within the VIP registration period get first choice of classes and avoid the $25 registration fee. These dates are posted in the student semester calendar and on the college website.

Online Registration

After meeting with an advisor, students should register for classes using Navigate. Students must use the desktop version of Navigate. The link to Navigate is located on the home page in Pathway. Registration error messages indicate that the student is not eligible to take a course. Prerequisites are courses or test scores required for enrollment in a specific course. A Major Restriction error would indicate that the course is outside of the student’s current major of study. Consultation with an Academic Advisor can help prevent or solve these issues.

Required Advising

Students will have a required Registration Pin, which must be entered during the registration process. The code is different each term. Students receive the Registration Pin from their Academic Advisor during the advising appointment.

Add/Drop and Withdrawal

Students should consult with an Academic Advisor prior to making schedule changes or withdrawing from courses to discuss the implications on the student’s educational plan. Schedule changes and withdrawals can also impact a student’s financial aid and/or veterans benefits. Students should clearly understand the implications of any academic decisions.