Setting Up Your Program Advising Hours in Starfish

Before creating office hours, review your Starfish profile, appointment locations, and calendar settings. These settings help ensure students can identify you, understand the services you provide, and schedule appointments successfully.

Access Your Starfish Settings

1. Log in to Starfish new window
2. Go to your profile by
   1. Clicking the triple-bar (or "hamburger") icon in the upper left corner.
      
   2. Click on Your Name

From this menu you can access:

• • Edit Profile
  • Appointment Preferences
  • Notifications

Edit Your Profile

Select Edit Profile    to review your information.

Recommended Profile Updates

1. Click Upload Photo to add a photo.
   
   Profile Photo
   Upload a professional photo to help students identify you. Starfish accepts JPG, JPEG, and PNG files. Photos are displayed throughout Starfish, including student-facing views.
   
   If your photo already appears on your Montgomery College department webpage, you may use the same photo in Starfish.
   
   Note: Use an image that will look good when scaled to approximately 200 x 200 pixels. If your picture is a different size, Starfish will keep the ratio of height and width intact, but will shrink the largest side to 200 pixels. Photos that are square tend to look better inside Starfish, especially where they appear in smaller sizes.
   
   
2. Profile Settings
   
   
   Preferred Login Page
   Control your login page and shared links.
   
   Click the drop down to choose which page you would like to display when you login to Starfish. 
   

Share Links
Starfish can generate a direct link to your profile and appointment scheduling page that you can share with students. These links can make it easier for students to connect with you and schedule appointments without searching for your name or program in Starfish.

Enable one or both of the following options:

• • Link to schedule an appointment with me
  • Link to view my profile

Save Changes.

Select Copy URL to Clipboard to copy the link you would like to share.

Review your contact information and verify that your Montgomery College email address and phone number are accurate.

Note: If institutional information is incorrect, it must be updated in Banner. Changes to Banner-managed fields in Starfish will be overwritten during the nightly sync.

 

Title
The Title field displays to students and helps identify the academic area in which you provide advising.

Recommendation: Enter only the program or discipline you advise.

Examples:

• Biology
• Business
• Computer Science and Technologies
• Criminal Justice
• Nursing

My Biography
If you have a biography on your Montgomery College faculty or staff webpage, consider copying that information into Starfish. 

General Overview
Use this section to explain how you can assist students and what topics students may discuss during an advising appointment.

Consider including:

• What students can meet with you about
• Types of advising support you provide
• Any specialties, transfer pathways, or program-specific expertise

Example: I support students interested in or enrolled in the Computer Science and Technologies program. Schedule an appointment if you have questions about course planning, program requirements, transfer options, or academic goals.

Appointment Preferences
Appointment Preferences control how students schedule appointments with you and how Starfish interacts with your calendar.

Office Hour Defaults

Office Hour Defaults are applied when you create new office hours and can help maintain a consistent scheduling experience for students. 

Minimum Appointment Length
Select the shortest appointment length students should be able to schedule.

Recommended: 30 minutes

Scheduling Deadline
Select how far in advance students must schedule an appointment.

Choose the option that best matches your advising approach and availability.

Flexible Scheduling for Drop-In Hours
If you plan to offer drop-in availability, you may also select:

I want my schedule deadline to be flexible and allow drop-ins after deadline has passed.
This setting is only relevant for office hours that allow drop-ins.

Calendar Sync
Calendar Sync helps keep your Starfish and Outlook calendars aligned. When enabled, changes made in Starfish are reflected on your Outlook calendar.

Under Calendar Sync, enable:

• Appointment Change (Recommended)
• Change to my Office Hours and Group Sessions (Recommended)
  
  

External Calendar Sync

Optional: Connect Outlook to Starfish

1. In your Microsoft 365 Calendar, right-click on Calendar > Sharing and Permissions.
   
   
   
   
2. Search for the Starfish calendar user (starfish@montgomerycollege.edu) and select that.
   
   
   
   
3. Select Can view all details from the permission dropdown and click the Share button.
   
   
   
   

My Locations
Locations determine where students can meet with you and how those options are displayed when scheduling appointments in Starfish.

Add Location

• Click Add Location.
• Select a Location Type.
• Enter a Location Name using the naming conventions below.
• If applicable, enter a Location URL.
• Enter student-facing instructions, if needed.
• Click Submit.

Dean Area Codes
Use the code that corresponds to your academic area.

 

The Instructions field is displayed to students when they schedule an appointment and is the best place to provide directions or meeting details.

Use this field to provide information such as:

• How to find your office
• Reception or check-in instructions
• Phone call instructions
• Zoom meeting details
• Parking or building guidance, if necessary

---

Example: In-Person Appointment

Location Name:
NSE_BIOL_TPSS_LB105K

Instructions:
Enter the Leggett Building and go to Office Suite LB105A. Please check in with the administrative aide upon arrival.

---

Example: Phone Appointment

Location Name:
NSE_BIOL_Phone

Instructions:
Please enter the phone number where you would like to be reached when scheduling your appointment.

---

Example: Zoom Appointment

Location Name:
NSE_BIOL_Zoom

Instructions:
Join the Zoom meeting using the link provided in your appointment confirmation email. Please test your audio and video before the appointment begins.

 

Before Adding a Zoom Location
If you plan to meet with students virtually, create or identify the Zoom meeting room you will use for advising appointments before adding the location in Starfish.

Recommended Zoom settings:

• Disable Join Before Host
• Enable Waiting Room
• Use either a Personal Meeting ID (PMI) or a recurring Zoom meeting

Once your Zoom meeting is configured, copy the Zoom meeting URL and paste it into the Location URL field.

Edit a Location

1. Click the ellipsis (⋮) next to the location.
2. Select Edit.
3. Make the necessary updates.
4. Click Edit Location to save your changes. 

Delete a Location

1. Click the ellipsis (⋮) next to the location.
2. Select Delete.

Caution
Starfish does not display a confirmation message when deleting a location. If a location is deleted by mistake, it must be recreated manually.

Before creating office hours:

1. Updated your Starfish profile information
2. Added at least one meeting location (office, phone, Zoom, Teams, etc.)
3. Configured your Zoom meeting link if offering virtual appointments
4. Reviewed your Outlook calendar sync settings (optional)
5. Used the approved location naming conventions

Tip: Most Program Advisors should use Add Office Hours to create recurring weekly availability. Use the Scheduling Wizard only if your advising availability changes frequently from week to week.

Option 1: Add Recurring Office Hours (Recommended)

Use Add Office Hours if your availability follows a regular pattern, such as the same days and times each week.

1. Log in to Starfish.
2. Click the Add Office Hours  button on your Starfish Home page or Appointments page.
   
   
3. This opens the Add Office Hours form.
   
   
4. Enter a Title (name) for this block of time.
   
   Students will see this title when scheduling appointments in Starfish. Use a consistent, student-friendly title that identifies the advising area.
   
   Standard Format: [Discipline] Program Advising
   
   Examples:
   • Biology Program Advising
   • Chemistry Program Advising
   • Computer Science Program Advising
   • Mathematics Program Advising
   • Nursing Program Advising
   • Psychology Program Advising
     
     
5. Select What day(s) the appointment block will take place and indicate any recurrence (e.g., Repeats every 1 week on Wednesday and Thursday).
   
   

   Student Scheduling Window
   Students will only see available appointment times within the next 14 days when scheduling in Starfish. You may still create office hours for an entire semester or academic year. As new dates fall within the 14-day window, they will automatically become available to students.

6. Select What time the appointment block will start and end.
   
   
7. Select Where meetings will be held using the checkbox(es) next to your location(s).
   

   
   Offer Multiple Meeting Options
   If you offer appointments in more than one format (for example, Zoom and In-Person), select both locations. Students will be able to choose their preferred meeting format when scheduling.
   
   To add more location options, go to the Appointment Preferences page of your profile.
   
   

8. Select the Office Hour Type for meetings you will take during this block.
   
   
   • Select "Scheduled And Drop-Ins" if you plan to take drop-ins between scheduled appointments.
   • Select "Scheduled Appointments Only" if you will not take any drop-ins between scheduled appointments.
   • Select "Drop-Ins Only" to show the time as available to students but disallow anyone from making advance appointments.
     
     
9. Select How long meetings can be by selecting a minimum and maximum appointment length.
   
   Recommended Appointment Length
   Most Program Advisors should use a minimum and maximum appointment length of 30 minutes. Setting the same minimum and maximum length ensures that all advising appointments are scheduled for the same amount of time.
   
   
10. Select the Appointment Type that corresponds to Program Advising for your discipline or area.
    

    
    Choosing an Appointment Type
    Select the Program Advising appointment type associated with your discipline or advising area.

    The Appointment Type determines:

    • Which students can schedule appointments
    • The appointment reasons students see
    • Documentation options available after appointments
    • Visibility of appointment notes
      
      

    Using the correct Appointment Type helps ensure a consistent advising experience and supports reporting across the College.

11. Instructions Field 
    
    For most advising appointments, this field can be left blank. Students automatically receive appointment details through Starfish.
    
    Use this field only for information that is specific to you or the appointment, such as office directions, check-in procedures, preparation instructions, or temporary meeting details.
    
    
12. Click the Start/End Date tab to set a timeframe over which a recurring appointment block will be available. When selecting an End Date for the block, you may choose between Never, End of Term, On Date (for a specific date), or After (for a certain number of occurrences).
    
    NOTE: If you do not set an end date, it will default to Never. Setting an end date (either on a specific date or after a certain number of recurrences) is strongly recommended so that appointment blocks do not continue indefinitely.
    
    
    
    
13. Click the Submit button to save the appointment block.
    

    
    If your Appointment Preferences are set to send .ical calendar attachments for changes to your appointments, you will receive an email with a calendar invitation to add the appointment block to your external calendar.

    Before managing or updating your office hours, take a moment to see the scheduling process from the student's perspective. Understanding what students see can help you make informed decisions about appointment titles, appointment types, locations, and scheduling instructions.

Office hours can be updated throughout the semester as your schedule changes. You can edit an existing office hour series, cancel a single day of availability, or cancel an entire series. If students have appointments scheduled during times that are changed or canceled, they will receive updated appointment notification

Understanding a Single Day vs. an Entire Series

When you create recurring office hours (for example, every Tuesday from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM),

Starfish treats those office hours as a series.

• Just This One removes availability for a specific date only.
• The Entire Series removes all future occurrences of the office hour series.

For Example:
If you hold Biology Program Advising every Tuesday afternoon:

• Use Just This One if you will be unavailable on a specific Tuesday because of a meeting, training, conference, or leave.
• Use The Entire Series if your advising schedule has changed and the recurring office hours should no longer be available.
  
  

Edit Existing Office Hours

Use this option when you need to update appointment times, locations, appointment lengths, instructions, or the start and end dates of an existing office hour series.

1. Log in to Starfish. new window
2. Click on the triple-bar (or "hamburger") icon in the upper-left corner, and select the Appointments Tab.
   
   
3. Select the Agenda view of your Starfish calendar.
   
   
   
4. Hover over the office hours icon () next to an office hour title to open the Office Hours pop up card.
   
   
5. Select Edit Office Hours
   
   You Can Edit:
   • Meeting times
   • Meeting locations
   • Office Hour Type
   • Appointment length
   • Appointment Type
   • Instructions
   • Start and end dates

     
     Important: Once an office hour series has been created, you cannot change the day(s) of the week or the recurrence pattern (for example, weekly versus every other week). If those settings need to change, create a new office hour series and cancel the existing one.

6. Click the Submit button on the Edit Appointment form to save your changes.

 

Updating Meeting Locations

If you change a meeting location after creating office hours, review any office hour series that uses that location.

Best Practice

• Review office hours after updating a Zoom link or meeting location.
• If a Zoom link changes, ensure students receive the updated meeting information.
• Avoid deleting locations that may still be associated with active office hours or scheduled appointments.

Cancel a Single Day of Office Hours
Use this option when you are unavailable on a specific date.

1. Open Appointments.
2. Navigate to the desired date.
3. Select Day View.
4. Hover over the Office Hours icon.
5. Select Cancel, then choose Just This One.
6. Enter a message for affected students, if desired.
7. Select Submit.

Tip: If appointments must be canceled, include information about how students can reschedule or connect with you through another available office hour block.

Cancel an Entire Office Hours Series
Use this option when your availability changes permanently or when preparing for a new semester schedule.

1. Open Appointments.
2. Select Agenda View.
3. Hover over the Office Hours icon next to the office hour series.
4. Select Cancel, then choose The Entire Series.
5. Enter a message for affected students.
6. Select Submit.
   
   

What Happens When You Cancel?
Students with appointments scheduled during the canceled time period will receive an updated appointment notification. Any message you provide will be included in that notification.

Semester Maintenance Tip: At the beginning of each semester, review your office hours, appointment types, meeting locations, and Zoom links to ensure students are scheduling with the most current information.