Academic and Career Advising FAQ
Department Information
Location:
Trenholm Campus:
1225 Air Base Blvd
Montgomery, Alabama 36108
Patterson Site:
3920 Troy Highway
Montgomery, Alabama 36116
Contact:
Phone: 1-866-753-4544
Phone: 334-420-4200
Admissions & Financial Aid
Academic and Career Advising Frequently Asked Questions
- You are assigned an advisor based on your program of study.
- You are encouraged to meet with their program advisor before registering for classes for the first time.
- Your Advisors will assist you with course selections.
- You can schedule an appointment to meet with your advisor or meet with your advisors during scheduled registration days.
- You can also use Degree Works to ensure that you are taking required courses in your major.
- Our job is to keep you on the path to success and help you overcome any obstacles that take you off your path.
- Our goal is to provide holistic support for every student.
Trenholm State advisors assist you from the beginning of your first semester, through graduation at Trenholm, and beyond if you plan to transfer to a university or go directly into the workforce. We are here for you every step of the way — not just during registration.
Academic advisors can assist you with:
- Short and long term academic and career goal setting
- Course selection for your program of study
- Transfer information and requirements
- Registration and class scheduling
- Information regarding college policies
- Support services and community resources information
- Academic concerns or issues
Trenholm State will distribute CARES Act funds to 1,218 eligible students.
You are assigned an advisor based on your program of study.
Click Faculty Advisory Directory and select your program of study to locate your advisor.
OR
Follow the steps below to locate your assigned advisor:
- Log into your My Trenholm Portal.
- Enter your Username (Trenholm State email address) and Password (email password) to login.
- Select the Student tab at the top of the page.
- Select Student Landing Page
- Select Student Profile
The advisor will be listed at the bottom left of the page.
Click Faculty Advisory Directory and select your program of study to locate your advisor.
The advisor’s name and contact information is listed under each Program.
Your advisor can be contacted by visiting his/her office and via phone or email. Faculty email is the first letter of the faculty member’s first name and their full last name @trenholmstate.edu. (Ex. Jane Doe: jdoe@trenholmstate.edu).
Click Faculty Advisory Directory and select your program of study to locate your advisor.
Plan to meet with your advisor at least once per semester, especially during your first few semesters and as you near graduation
- Inform students of the nature of the advisor/student relationship.
- Designate and post hours available for advising.
- Assist students in selecting a realistic program consistent with their abilities and interests.
- Discuss relationships between institutional programs and occupational careers.
- Assist students in monitoring and evaluating their educational progress.
- Approve all designated educational transactions.
- Interpret instructional policies, procedures, and requirements.
- Refer students to appropriate campus resources
- Encourage students to accept responsibility for their own actions and decisions.
- Evaluate the advising system, when requested, in order to strengthen the advising process.
- Make contact early in the term with the academic advisor prior to any need for pre-registration assistance.
- Meet with the advisor during the official academic advisement period prior to registration and keep scheduled appointments unless other arrangements are made with the advisor.
- Prepare for advising sessions and bring appropriate resources or materials.
- Communicate personal values, abilities, interests, and goals to the advisor.
- Be willing to seek out the academic advisor at times other than registration for advice.
- Follow through on actions identified during each advising session.
- Become knowledgeable of all graduation requirements and adhere to institutional policies, procedures, deadlines, and requirements.
- Become familiar with campus resources.
- Evaluate the advising system, when requested, in order to strengthen the process.
- Accept final responsibility for all decisions.
Students are encouraged to visit the Student Success Center for a career assessment.
Associate in Applied Science degree programs for students who plan to complete an associate degree and go directly into the workforce rather than transfer to a 4-year institution. Some courses in these programs may not transfer to a 4-year institution as they are designed for employment rather than transferability. Each of these programs have a faculty advisor available to discuss their program in detail.
Each program has a specified required number of credit hours ranging from 60 to 76 hours.
- Associate in Science or Associate in Arts degree programs are for students who plan to earn an associate degree at Trenholm State and then transfer to a 4-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree
- Trenholm State uses the STARS Transfer Agreement to guide students enrolled associate in arts or associate in science to take courses that are guaranteed to transfer to public universities in Alabama.
- Students who utilize the STARS guide, Degree Works, and an academic advisor will take courses that are guaranteed to transfer to a 4-year institution as degree requirements.
For step-by-step instructions on how to obtain a STARS Guide, as well as how to interpret it, please click http://stars.troy.edu/.
- The STARS System allows our students to obtain approved transfer guides for their chosen major. When used correctly, the STARS system will help you navigate through the first two years of coursework and prevent the loss of credit hours upon transfer to your selected public 4-year institution in Alabama. Our advisors will be glad to help you obtain a complete STARS guide including the Area V Transfer Page for your transfer institution.
- STARS is the primary tool used for students enrolled in Transfer Degree Programs to make certain they are taking courses that will transfer to 4-year public institutions in Alabama. It is a list of courses that are guaranteed to transfer based on the major selected on the guide. Students must also print the Area V page for the intended transfer institution to have a complete STARS Transfer Guide.
- STARS is important because it guarantees the transferability of coursework and prevents loss of credit hours upon transfer.
ORI 101 (Orientation to College) is a one credit hour course that aids students in their transition to Trenholm State and integrates new students into the life of the College. Students with 12 or more credit hours are not required to take the Orientation course.
Students desiring to withdraw from their class(es) should view the detailed procedures outlined Withdrawal Instructions
- Discuss your decision with your instructor or contact the Student Success Center staff 334-420-4418.
- Check the tuition/fee refund schedule in the College Catalog to determine the financial consequences of withdrawing.
- Check the Calendar in the College Catalog for the Last Day to Withdraw with Automatic W.
- Complete and submit the Online Withdrawal Form.
- If you are not enrolled in at least one Trenholm State class, you will not be verified as currently enrolled as a student.
Students who have completed between 1 – 29 credit hours toward their degree are considered a freshman. Students who have completed 30 or more hours toward their degree are considered a sophomore.
Many factors should be considered when determining the ideal number of credit hours to take including academic readiness, financial considerations, and personal/family obligations.
A student who wants to attend full time should take between 12 – 16 credit hours
- 12 + credit hours equal full-time enrollment
- 9-11 credit hours equal three-fourth time enrollment
- 6-8 credit hours equal half-time enrollment
- 1-5 credit hours equal less than half-time enrollment.
Nineteen credit hours are the maximum hours a student can take per semester.
Your Trenholm State email is the primary mode of communication. It is important to check this email on a regular basis and use this email when communicating with faculty and staff.
- Attendance must be verified in each course at the beginning of each term. Attendance verification is required for all students to confirm enrollment. Instructors will verify your attendance based on class assignments or course activity participation.
- For online courses, students must login to each course and complete the verification assignment to verify attendance.
- For on campus courses, the instructor generally will use on campus attendance in class to verify attendance.
- For hybrid courses, the instructor can choose to verify attendance using an online verification assignment or on campus attendance in class.
