Academic Advising
College can be challenging to navigate! To help, you are assigned a Success Team to help guide and support you throughout your time at BCC.
Your Success Team consists of a:
Faculty Advisor, Academic Success Coach, and Financial Aid Counselor
To connect with your Success Team, log into your Watermark account using your college UserID and Password. Check out your Profile page for your Success Team information.
To register for courses, schedule an Intake Advising Appointment with a Success Coach. Email the Academic Support Office at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.
Accepting in-person or Zoom appointments:
Monday-Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.,
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
We’ll review your program of study, select courses, reserve your seat in your first semester courses, and establish the timeline to complete your Program of Study. Be prepared!
- Before your appointment, think about your personal and academic goals. Do you have any barriers or concerns about attending college?
- How can your Success Coach help you succeed?
During your first semester–
- Make sure you enroll and complete an ACA (Academic Success) class.
- Visit TLC — Building A, 2nd Floor. Research indicates that students who receive at least 3 hours of tutoring each semester are more likely to succeed! In-person, virtual, and online tutoring available.
- Meet with your Success Coach at least two times each semester!
- Meet with your Faculty Advisor prior to the upcoming registration periods. Faculty Advisors need to approve your courses for the upcoming registration and you need their approval before you can register for classes:
- Registration for summer and fall semesters opens in April
- Registration for spring semesters opens in late October – early November
Faculty Advisor
- Log into your Watermark account to locate your Faculty Advisor–the information is provided on your Profile Page. Enter your UserID and Password.
- Schedule a meeting with your Advisor and come prepared to your meeting!
- How are your studies going?
- What classes do you need to complete your Program of Study?
- What classes would you like to enroll in next semester?
- Do you have any barriers that are affecting your studies?
- Have you updated your Academic Plan?
- How can your Faculty Advisor further assist you?
Schedule Changes
You must meet with your Faculty Advisor or Success Coach to add, drop, or change your class schedule. Log into your Watermark AVISO account to send an email directly to your Advisor/Success Coach, or send a general email to Academic Support Services, [email protected] for assistance.
If you are dropping courses, make sure to do so prior to the first day of class to avoid tuition and fee charges. After classes begin, you can only make schedule changes to your schedule during the first two days of the classes, and you may only receive a partial refund.
Once the Course Census Date has occurred (10% point of class) you may no longer drop the course–you must withdraw from the class. Course Census dates may be found on the Course Schedule.
Withdrawing from Class
If you want to withdraw from a class, you must meet with your Faculty Advisor or Success Coach. Log into your Watermark account to send an email directly to your Advisor/Success Coach, or send a general email to Academic Support Services [email protected] for assistance.
Official withdraws will be issued a grade of “W”, which appear on your transcript. A grade of “W” does not factor into your calculated GPA, but for financial aid eligibility purposes, may affect your total credits attempted.
Note: Financial Aid and Scholarship recipients must contact the Office of Student Financial Resources, [email protected] to assess the impact of withdrawing on financial aid received and future financial aid eligibility. Speak with a Financial Aid Counselor before you make a decision to withdraw from a class!
Withdraw deadlines are posted on the Academic Calendar.
Program of Study Changes
Changes to your Program of Study may affect financial aid and scholarship eligibility as well as increase your time to credential completion. If you want to change your Program of Study, meet with your Faculty Advisor or Success Coach. Log into your Watermark account to send an email directly to your Advisor/Success Coach, or send a general email to Academic Support Services, [email protected] for assistance.
It is important to discuss this change with your Faculty Advisor/Success Coach before deciding on a new program of study. Your success coach will help you determine the program that best fits your academic and personal goals.
NOTE: Financial Aid and Scholarship recipients must contact the Office of Student Financial Resources, [email protected] to assess the impact of changing a Program of Study on financial aid eligibility. Some financial aid/scholarship programs may limit or not allow you to change your Program of Study.
Program of Study changes are made effective with the start of the following semester.
If it has been more that one year since you were enrolled in courses at the college your records may no longer be active. Click on the “Re-Apply to the College” button below to complete Steps 1. and Step 2 of the admission process to reactivate your record.
Once you have been readmitted to the college, contact the Office of Academic Support, [email protected], to schedule an advising appointment to register for upcoming classes.
Before Registration
- New Students:
- Set up your username and password – Your username is the first four letters of your first name and the last five digits of your student ID number. Click on the link below and then select “Reset Password”. If you have trouble, call Distance Learning at 910.755.7390. or contact them by email, [email protected].
- Current Students:
- Log in to Self-Service and select “Student Planning”, and then select “My Progress” to view the classes you still need to complete your degree.
- Reach out to your advisor to schedule a meeting with them as soon as the course schedule is released to ensure you get the classes you need.
- After meeting with your advisor, plan the classes you discussed in Self-Service.
To Register
- New Students:
- You must complete an intake advising appointment.
- Email [email protected] to schedule an intake advising appointment to register for classes! Accepting appointments: Monday-Thursday 8-4 and Friday 8-2:30.
- Current Students:
- View the Class Schedules page to see what classes are available.
- Log into your Self-Service account
- Select “Student Planning”
- Click on “Go to Plan & Schedule”
- Add the classes you discussed with your advisor to your plan.
- Select the “Advising” tab on the “Plan and Schedule” screen on Self-Service.
- Click the “Request Review” button
- You will receive an email as soon as your advisor reviews your plan.
- Log back in to Self-Service to ensure that you are registered for your planned classes!
Click on the “Self-Servce How-To User Guide” for a step-by-step guide on how to plan and schedule your courses.
After Registration
- Pay for classes through Self-Service or by calling the Business office at 910.755.7318 to pay over the phone.
- View the Academic Calendar for important dates regarding payment.
- Search for and purchase your textbooks through the BCC Campus Bookstore.
- If you plan to use Financial Aid to purchase your books, you will need to wait until ten days prior to the start of classes.
- If you need to make changes to your class schedule, reach out to your advisor or success coach for assistance.
- View the Academic Calendar for important add, drop, and withdraw dates.
How to Transfer Credit:
- During your time at BCC, you will want to discuss your transfer plans with your faculty advisor or success coach. Your faculty advisor or success coach will help you create an academic plan to ease your transfer process and ensure that you are able to transfer as many credits as possible.
- Your academic plan will heavily rely on the Baccalaureate Degree Program (BDP) posted by the university that you plan to transfer to, so make sure to look through your options on your own or with your faculty advisor or success coach.
- Once you have determined the college or university and the program you would like to transfer to, make sure to review their admissions process and criteria to ensure that you do not miss any important dates!
- Request your BCC Transcripts
BCC Partnerships
- Pathway to Excellence – UNCW
- Community College Collaboration(C3) – NC State
- Pirate Promise – ECU
- Wesleyan WORKS – NC Wesleyan University
- UNCP
- University of Mount Olive
- And More!
Transfer FAQ
- Who do I talk to about transferring?
- You should talk to your faculty advisor or success coach about your interest in transferring. They will help you review your options and develop an academic plan to get you to where you want to go!
- What is a CAA and how does it help me?
- CAA stands for Comprehensive Articulation Agreement. The CAA allows graduates of North Carolina Community Colleges the ability to transfer to UNC system universities with junior status.
- Am I in the right program to transfer to a university?
- The CAA allows students in the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science programs the ability to transfer to institutions in the UNC system with junior status; however, there are other articulation agreements that allow students in Associate in Applied Science (AAS) programs to transfer to specific colleges and universities. Look through all of your options on our Articulation Agreements Page!
- Can I transfer to another college or university before I complete my Associates degree?
- While you can potentially transfer to another college or university prior to completing your degree at BCC, you will not be covered under the CAA. Additionally, other colleges and universities will likely give you more transfer credit if you complete the degree.
- Should I retake classes that I did not do well in?
- If you failed any classes that are requirements for your degree, you will need to retake them to successfully complete your degree. Additionally, any grades lower than a “C” will not transfer to another college or university.
- Does my GPA follow me to my next college or university?
- Your GPA will not follow you to another college or university; however, potential transfer universities may review your BCC GPA as part of their admissions process.
Are you ready for Graduation?
- Log into your Self-Service Account to assess your progress.
- Select “Student Planning” and then “My Progress” to review the required courses for your Program of Study.
- Ensure that you are registered for all remaining classes needed for graduation
- Reach out to your Faculty Advisor or Success Coach to confirm your eligibility!
- Once you are registered for your final courses, apply to the Registrar’s Office to Graduate. Graduation Application, select the “Graduation Overview” section.
Program Evaluation
- Contact your faculty advisor or success coach to review your program evaluation
- Your faculty advisor or success coach will ensure that you are registered for all remaining classes needed for graduation and will review your GPA to make sure that you are ready to complete the graduation application.
Applying for Graduation
- Once you and your advisor or success coach have determined that you are ready to apply for graduation, complete the graduation application by clicking the button below! Click on the “Apply to Graduate” button below, log into your Self-Service account, and select the “Graduation Overview” tab to begin your application.
Need additional help? Reach out to us via one of the following methods for assistance:
