Academic Advising

All first-year students begin advising in a group format before moving to individual advising. Group advising sessions help students build an academic plan, understand expectations, and connect to campus resources early in their college experience.

The first group advising session for students who are new to Bunker Hill Community College is Start Now. This includes students who are enrolling in college for the first time, entering a degree or certificate program after completing non-credit courses or participating in dual enrollment, and students transferring from other colleges.

Before signing up for a Start Now session, view the New Student Checklist to ensure you are eligible to register for courses. 

New students are assigned an advisor during the second week of the semester. Before being assigned an advisor, new students who have completed Start Now may use advising services for time-sensitive questions. These services do not replace the required New Student Pathway Advising session.

New students who have completed their new student orientation and attended group advising, will be able to schedule a 1:1 appointment with their assigned advisor.

For academic advising and assistance with course registration, returning students should make an appointment with their assigned advisor.

If your assigned advisor is not available, you can use virtual and on campus advising services in Advising & LifeMap.

Virtual Advising Options

• Chat in Self-Service with an advisor, Monday & Tuesday 12-6 p.m., Wednesday & Thursday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m.
• Schedule a virtual appointment with an advisor
• Connect with an advisor via email advising@bhcc.edu

On Campus Advising Hours

• Students who are on the Charlestown Campus may speak with an advisor during our normal operating hours.
• Advising services are also available on the Chelsea Campus.

Faculty and Academic Department Advisors 

• Students who have completed one semester of a certificate program or who have earned 30 college credits are assigned to either a specific faculty member of an academic department. When assigned to a specific faculty member, students can find their advisor’s contact information in the college directory. Students who are assigned to an academic department can find their advisor’s contact information on the academic departments page.

Students who have earned fewer than 24 BHCC credits are assigned a Pathway Coach. Pathway Coaches serve as academic, career and transfer advisors who are assigned to students enrolled in degree and certificate programs by pathway. All students assigned to a Pathway Coach are required to attend a New Student Pathway Advising session during their first semester.

New Student Pathway Advising is an interactive group session that helps you clarify career interests, confirm or change your program of study and pathway, understand academic standing expectations, and create your education plan.

During this session, pathway coaches will lift the Advising Hold on your account. After this hold is lifted, once registration opens, you will be able to register for classes. Invitations to the New Student Pathway Advising sessions are sent out via email to all students required to attend one.

After completing the New Student Pathway Advising session, students continue working with their assigned Pathway Coach through individual appointments as needed.

Success Coaching is an embedded model of advising whose purpose is to provide an additional layer of support to students who may be new to the United States and learning English. Success Coaches work with students in their Academic English Language Learning (AELL) classes.

Although success coaches are not assigned advisors, they can help students in AELL classes achieve their goals at BHCC and beyond. Students begin working with Success Coaches in their classes, but can also meet with coaches by appointment.

Meeting with a Success Coach does not replace the requirement to attend a New Student Pathway Advising session.

Faculty and Academic Department Advisors (drop down)

Once students earn 24 credits, the assigned advisor is changed to either a specific faculty member or the academic department.

Faculty Advisor: Students assigned to a specific faculty member, can find the name of the advisor in Self-Service by navigating to Plan & Schedule and clicking on the Advising tab. There students can email their advisor by leaving a note. If students prefer to use their BHCC email, please use the college directory to locate the advisors email address.

Department Advisor: Students assigned to an academic department, do not have a specific faculty member. Rather all faculty in the academic department are the advisor. Students can connect with their academic department in different ways.  

• Log into Self-Service. Navigate to Plan & Schedule and click on the Advising tab. There students can email their academic department by leaving a note.
• If students prefer to use their BHCC email, please use the college directory to locate the email address for any faculty member in the department. It is recommended that students email the Department Chair or Program Coordinator.
• Visit the academic departments page and copy the department email address. Log into BHCC email. Compose a new email. Paste the department email address.

Students returning from the previous semester (continuing students) can find the name of their assigned advisor on their SelfService accounts by navigating to Plan and Schedule and clicking on the Advising tab. On this page, students can email their advisor by leaving a note. If the assigned advisor does not respond to the note or is unable to meet with the student, continuing students may use virtual and on campus advising services in Advising & LifeMap.

Virtual Advising Options

• Chat in Self-Service with an advisor, Monday & Tuesday 12-6 p.m., Wednesday & Thursday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday 12-4 p.m.
• Schedule a virtual appointment with an advisor
• Connect with an advisor via email advising@bhcc.edu

On Campus Advising Hours

• Students who are on the Charlestown Campus may speak with an advisor during our normal operating hours.
• Advising services are also available on the Chelsea Campus.