We Help You Navigate Your Academic Path
Academic advisors are mentors who build relationships with their advisees, pay attention to their academic progress, recommend resources and assist advisees in identifying and fulfilling their goals while they work towards completing their degrees.
Advisement at USCB is a collaborative, continuous process of evaluation and clarification leading to student development, growth and maturity. All students are required to meet with their advisors during Advising Days to discuss their goals, academic progress and any other issues before registering for classes for the upcoming term. While the advisors' role is critical in this process, the ultimate responsibility for registration decisions rests with students.
Our Services For Students Include:
- Academic advising for course selection and registration
- Academic and degree progress updates
- Assisting students in identifying transfer and transient courses
- Connecting students with relevant academic and other support services
- Assisting students in making realistic academic plans and decisions based on their goals, interests and abilities
- Addressing concerns over grades, GPA and/or academic standing
- Interpreting institutional policies and procedures
Meet Our Advisors
Advising and Academic Success
Candice Sutton
, MA
Director of Academic Advising
Candice began working at USCB in 2013 first starting as a Residence Life Coordinator, and later transitioning to Academic Advising in 2017, serving now as the Director of Advising and Academic Success. Originally from a small town, Waterford Wisconsin, Candice enjoys life as a Bluffton resident basking in a snow-free lifestyle and embracing the beach as a Midwesterner living in the south. She shares her home with her husband, dog (Milo), and cat (Callaway). A travel enthusiast, she combines her love of exploring new places with her passion for the ocean as an avid cruiser!
As a First-Generation college student, Candice strives to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for all students seeking additional guidance during their transition into college, including those who are First Generation college students themselves.
- MA in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education. Ball State University
- BA in Psychology & Religion. Kalamazoo College
Chelsea Ponce
, MA, MS
Academic Advisor
Chelsea serves as an Academic Advisor at the USCB since 2021, where she primarily works with Biology majors, undeclared students, and student-athletes. She also teaches University 101 (First-Year Seminar) and University 102 (Academic Recovery).
Chelsea takes a holistic approach to advising, drawing on her background in mental performance coaching to help students strengthen motivation, resilience, and confidence in their academic journeys.
She serves on the Steering Committee for NACADA’s Advising Student-Athletes Community, where her research focuses on the graduation rates and success of transfer student-athletes. Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Chelsea now lives in Beaufort with her husband and two daughters. A lifelong sports fan, but mainly LSU, she can often be found cheering on her daughters at soccer games or supporting Sand Shark athletics.
- MS in Coaching with an emphasis in Mental Performance. University of South Carolina
- MA in Higher Education Administration. Louisiana State University
- BA in English and History. Aquinas College
How to Reach Us
Location:
Student Success Center - Library 2nd Floor
USCB Bluffton Campus
Hours:
Monday-Friday
8:30am - 5:00pm
Contact Us:
advising@uscb.edu
843-208-8049
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: USCB Academic Advising
Insta: @uscbadvising
Twitter: @USCBAdvising