Roane State Community College

April Gonzalez, Director of Advising and Articulation Agreements

Contact Ms. Gonzalez for advising assistance at gonzalezad@roanestate.edu or by phone at 865-354-3000 Ext. 2310.

April is based at the Oak Ridge Campus, and serves faculty and students assigned to faculty advisors at the Oak Ridge, Loudon, Campbell and Scott counties. She has over 20 years experience advising and counseling students with roles in career services and academic advising in higher education. She holds a Master of Education degree in College Student Personnel from the Ohio University, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Maryville College. She enjoys helping students discover their dreams and devising plans to help them achieve those goals.

April is a first generation college graduate, who loves baking, and spending time with family and friends.

Tips for success:

• Don't be afraid to take risks, and try something new. You never know what you might learn.
• Ask lots of questions. There are tons of resources at Roane State to assist you with your educational goals. So don't hesitate to ask for assistance.
• Take a break every once in a while, and enjoy this time in your life.
• Find your sources of support, and lean on them for help.
• Get to know your faculty. Go see them during office hours. Ask questions and speak up if you need assistance with a subject. 

Random fact about April: She studied abroad while in college at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. Ask about her experiences and her time in Japan.

Sonja Higgenbotham, Advising Resource Center Coordinator

Contact Ms. Higgenbotham for advising assistance at higgenbothamsr@roanestate.edu or by phone at 865-354-3000, Ext. 4254

Sonja Higgenbotham is the new Advising Resource Center Coordinator (ARC) at the Harriman Campus serving faculty and students assigned to faculty advisors in Roane, Cumberland, Fentress, and Morgan counties. She has built her career in higher education with 18 years of experience in Business & Fiscal Affairs, Academic, and Student Affairs roles at Tennessee Tech University. She found her passion working with students in the College of Engineering at Tech as an Outreach Coordinator for Mechanical Engineering, which led her to her role as a Career Counselor and Cooperative Education Coordinator in the Center for Career Development the last six years. Sonja has a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in English and Communications and has been pursuing her Master of Professional Studies Degree in Training and Development. She is excited to join the Roane State Campus Community in this new role serving both the faculty and students of Roane State.

She enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking road trips, and listening to podcasts and audiobooks.

Tips for Success:

• If you struggle with planning, find what works best for you. There are many free resources that you can try, with online or print options, to see what works best for you.
• Don't discount the importance of any job you have had. You are learning valuable, transferable skills in every position which you can take with you to your next position. Employers value students who can bring their communication skills, leadership, and teamwork skills with them. Those part-time jobs teach you these skills!
• Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you need some help or tutoring in a class, that's okay. We have great resources for you, take advantage of them so you can be successful.
• Enjoy your downtime. Find what makes you happy and take some time to relax and enjoy a break!

Random fact about Sonja: She loves to sing and once sang at the Kentucky Opry Theatre.

What We Do

The Advising Resource Center serves as a resource to faculty, staff and admitted students that are assigned to a faculty advisor. Our staff supports faculty advising, university transfer partners, curriculum development and DegreeWorks. We are located at the Harriman Campus in the Library, L206 or at the Oak Ridge Campus in the Coffee-McNally Building, Rm B115-B. Assistance at the satellite campuses is available on a rotational basis.

What Students Can Expect from the Advising Resource Center Staff (ARC)

• Knowledgable about Roane State curriculum, graduation requirements, college policies and procedures and be able to communicate these effectively.
• Connecting students with their faculty advisor for advising assistance, working with students when their faculty advisor is not available (summer or winter breaks) and navigating through issues or questions related to a student's faculty advisor.
• Accessible via in-person office hours, telephone, e-mail or web access.
• Helping students define and set realistic goals and co-create educational plans to achieve those goals.
• Supporting students by providing referrals to appropriate offices on-campus or services to assist them through their educational journey.
• Assisting students with gaining decision making skills and taking ownership of their educational plans and achievements.
• Providing accurate and prompt information.
• Maintaining confidentiality.
• Celebrating and supporting student success.
• Training faculty advisors on college curriculum, graduation requirements, academic policies and procedures and supporting students in their capacity as academic advisors.
• Developing relationships with 4 year institutions for transfer pathways for students to continue achieving their educational goals.

What Do We Expect of Students

• Schedule and attend advising appointments with your faculty advisor prior to the registration period for the next term.
• Utlize DegreeWorks or the Academic Programs and Requirements Guides to research courses, prerequisites and corequisites required to complete your degree and track your progress toward graduation.
• Come prepared to your advising appointments with questions and concerns and prepared to discuss your goals and educational plans.
• Be aware of College deadlines such as the last day to add a class for the full-term or last day to withdraw from a class for the semester. Pay attention to these dates in the Academic Calendar.
• Follow-up on referrals or information provided by your faculty advisor or the ARC, and be sure to update your advisor on your progress.
• Be an active participant in the advising process.
• Plan ahead for your future educational goals and learn what may be required for you to transfer to a 4 year institution to complete your degree. Seek out assistance early from your planned 4 year institution to find out what classes would benefit you at Roane State to make the transfer process go smoother and work with your Roane State faculty advisor or the ARC to plan accordingly. 
• Take responsibility for your decisions, academic performance and actions.

Appreciative Advising

The Advising Resource Center (ARC) is committed to utlizing the appreciative advising framework. Appreciative advising relies on the organizational development theory of appreciative inquiry and positive psychology to build relationships between advisors and students, understand the student's perspective, and assists the student in setting and achieving goals for success. Learn more about the Appreciative Advising Framework.