Advising Hours

OSDS Advising Hours are designed to give you flexible ways to get the support you need. Whether you prefer a quick drop-in question or a scheduled appointment with your advisor, you can connect with the right resource at the right time to stay on track with your academic goals.

Which Should You Choose?

Peer Advisors

Peer Advisors are a tremendous resource for quick questions and clarification on most common registration topics. Examples include:

Registration Questions
First-Year Progression Requirements
Summer Classes & Transient Study
Understanding your Academic Plan of Study and DegreeWorks

See below for drop-in hours!

First-Year Advisor

You should schedule an appointment with your First-Year Advisor for assistance with more complex topics, such as:

Changing/Declaring a major
Discussing academic and/or personal challenges
Dropping or withdrawing from a course

See below for directions on how to schedule an appointment with your first-year advisor!

Peak advising times are from the beginning of October through the beginning of November and the beginning of March through April. This means meeting with an advisor will be in high demand. Students who cannot find an advising appointment are encouraged to check weekly for new advisor availability or drop in with a Peer Advisor during open drop-in hours in Smith 228.

Important note: Advisors are intricately involved in Summer Orientation programs from mid-May through mid-August, so they cannot consistently hold Advising Hours over the summer.

Drop-In Advising

During peak times in the semester, first-year advisors will offer In-Person Drop-In advising in Smith 228 and/or Virtual Drop-Ins through Connect. When drop-ins are not available, OSDS students should utilize drop-in hours with peer advisors or email their assigned advisor directly for assistance. When you sign in for virtual drop-ins, you will be added to a waiting queue for the first available advisor. Drop-ins are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

In-Person Drop-Ins

First-year advisors do not currently have drop-in availability. Students should either utilize drop-in advising with peer advisors or schedule a meeting with their first-year advisor in Connect.

Steps to Check-In for In-Person Drop-In Advising:

Come to Smith 228
Scan your student ID or enter your student ID at the Advising Kiosk computer
Select “Peer Advisor Drop-in Services”
Select “First Available”
Have a seat! An advisor will be out to get you as soon as they are available

Virtual Drop-In Advising

First-year advisors do not currently have drop-in availability. Students should either utilize drop-in advising with peer advisors or schedule a meeting with their first-year advisor in Connect.

Steps to Check-In For Virtual Drop-In Advising:

Log into Connect
Click “Appointments”, then “Make an Appointment”
Select “View Drop-In Times”
Under “Service”, select “Academic Advising”
Select “Find Available Times”
Select the location, “Engineering/Engineering Technology (OSDS), Virtual Drop-Ins”
Click “Check-In for First Available”

Once an advisor removes you from the queue, you will receive an email with a Zoom link to join their drop-in meeting. You will have 5 minutes to join the Zoom meeting. If you do not join within 5 minutes, the advisor will close your session and you will need to follow the steps above to rejoin the queue.

In-Person Drop-In Hours with Peer Advisors

Peer advisors are available to answer general registration questions, assist with course planning by provide guidance/explanation of Academic Plans of Study and DegreeWorks, as well as answer other questions about being a student in the College of Engineering. Please note that Peer Advisors will be unavailable during Spring Break.

Spring 2026 Drop-in Hours:

No Peer Advising available on: April 30

Limited Availability during Finals Week: May 1-2, 4-7

Monday: 12:00PM – 3:00PM
Tuesday: 9:00AM – 5:30PM
Wednesday: 12:00PM – 4:00PM
Thursday: 9:00AM – 5:30PM
Friday: 11:00AM – 1:00PM

These are standing hours. If a Peer Advisor is unavailable, you will find current, up-to-date hours in the Smith 228 office on the Drop-In Hours calendar.

Steps to Check-In for In-Person Open Advising Hours

Go to Smith 228 and check in at the Advising Kiosk
At the iPad Kiosk, type your Student ID in the box and Click Submit
Select: I’m Here for Drop-In Services
Select Option to Wait For The Available Person
Click Okay, got it!
Have a seat! Students will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

To Schedule an Appointment with your First-Year Advisor:

Note: Advising availability will be limited during pre-registration advising seasons (October – November and March – April)

Log in to Connect
Click ‘Appointment’ (in the left menu)
Click ‘Make an Appointment’ (blue button at top right)
What type of appointment would you like to schedule? Select ‘Academic Advising’
Service: Academic Advising
Select a Date that works for your schedule and click ‘Find Available Times’
Select a Time that works for your schedule (right side of the screen)
After choosing a time, select the “Location” drop-down to select in-person or virtual (Zoom)
Provide comments or questions you wish to discuss
Review Appointment Details and click ‘Schedule’ (bottom of page)

Advising for Non-College of Engineering Majors

Students who are currently in a non-College of Engineering degree major can meet with :

Dr. Cricket Bonnetaud, Director of Transition Advising
Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment by emailing Dr.Bonnetaud at cdbonnet@charlotte.edu.
A Peer Advisor during Drop-In Hours
Peer advisors are also available to assist with general questions during their listed drop-in hours.

The OSDS front desk staff cannot answer specific questions about registration or course requirements.

Connect With Us

Have a question or need support? Reach out to the OSDS team and we’ll connect you with the right resources to help you succeed.