Who is my advisor?Access your information online and your faculty advisor will be listed. Do this by going to the Registrar's Homepage (http://www.uvm.edu/registrar/) and click on Student Information Access. It's also possible to stop in the department office and ask for this information. While every effort is made to continue your advisor/advisee assignment from your first year in the college, it isn't always possible because of changes in faculty assignments (e.g. sabbatical leaves), changing program enrollments and students changing from one program to another. So there are times when students must be reassigned. And while some of you may be surprised, every theatre student does have an academic advisor! What is the best way to get in touch with my academic advisor?Send an e-mail or call the department office and ask the best way to schedule an appointment. Academic advisors use a variety of approaches. If you have an advising class with your faculty advisor, s/he may tell you in class or indicate on the syllabus how to get in touch with him/her. Other advisors will post information on their office doors or send a mailing. If you call and get phonemail or if you send an e-mail be sure to identify yourself, leave a clear message concerning your reason for the call and leave a clear statement about how you can be reached. If you leave a phone number or e-mail address be sure to speak very slowly and clearly. Many students contact their faculty advisor by e-mail. I urge you to be very clear about your questions/issues and if the issue is quite complex, simply use e-mail to schedule an appointment. How can my advisor help me if I receive an "academic warning letter" from the faculty teaching one of my courses?UVM faculty have an option of sending "Warning" letters to students enrolled in their classes who are in danger of failing the course. Faculty who choose to send these letters generally do so prior to the end of the withdrawal period and copies are sent to the faculty advisor. You should contact your advisor and discuss your options. For example, it may not be possible for you to significantly improve your grade in the course and your advisor may recommend that you consider withdrawing from the course. Or, it may be clear that if you use the appropriate resources you will improve your grade. Your advisor can discuss this with you within the context of your program requirements. Why do I need an advisor when I have friends who can help me select my courses and make decisions?Your faculty advisor understands the intricacies of your program and is influential in ensuring your full participation in the program. Therefore it is important to develop a positive relationship with him/her. That doesn't mean you shouldn't speak to your friends, but be certain you make informed decisions. For example, one of your friends might recommend a course to you as fulfilling one of your requirements. After enrolling you discover the friend is actually in a different college and the course doesn't meet the requirement in the College of Arts & Sciences. Or perhaps a friend tells you not to take a course because s/he didn't do well or didn't get along well with the professor. So you don't take the course, but if you had, you may have discovered that the course fit your learning style and you would have enjoyed the faculty. What can I expect from my advisor?Exceptional academic advising requires both the advisee (student) and advisor (faculty) to be both well informed and fully engaged in the process. Faculty Advisor responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
What are my responsibilities as an advisee?Exceptional academic advising requires both the advisee (student) and advisor (faculty) to be both well informed and fully engaged in the process. Student advisee responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
What should I do to prepare for my meetings with my advisor?Prepare for your meeting with your faculty advisor by printing a copy of your web transcript and taking it with you as a reference. Seniors should also take their Graduation Status Notice, Juniors should take their Junior Checksheet, and all others should take a copy of your checksheet which you have been using to record your completed coursework and the Typical Four Year Plan. Every student should understand his/her program requirements and be prepared for a discussion about the course requirements and how to meet them. What advising issues must be addressed each year?Freshman and New Transfer Students: Use the Typical Four Year Plan as your guide. This was provided at Orientation and is available on the theatre site in the Handbook. This framework for a four year plan indicates when you will likely be enrolling in courses required for the major, minor, or concentration. Each student will need to modify this plan based on when other course requirements are offered. Some students develop these plans while meeting with their advisors and others do it themselves and have it reviewed by their advisor. Either way, it should be discussed with your academic advisor. Sophomores: Reconsider your plans. Is the one which you developed during your first year on campus still appropriate? Make modifications or develop a plan if you haven't already done so. If you have changed programs, you will need to develop a new plan! Determine if you need to enroll in summer coursework and check the program requirements to determine if you will be eligible to enroll in the program courses during your Junior year. Juniors: Review your Junior Checksheet. Junior checksheets are mailed during Spring semester to students who have earned a minimum of 57 credits and include all of your completed course work. If you have Junior standing during Spring semester and do not receive a checksheet, contact Andy Comtois. She will determine why you haven't received a copy (e.g. wrong address) and send one to you. If Andy has sent a copy but asks you to provide additional information, be sure to respond as quickly as possible. Your courses listed on your Junior Checksheet won't be listed appropriately if you haven't declared! Seniors: Review your Graduation Status Notice with your faculty advisor. Return your Intent to Graduate form to the College of Arts & Sciences by the date specified in the letter. Please do so even if you aren't planning to complete your program in May. Review your Graduation Status Notice with your academic advisor and be certain that, if you expect to graduate in May, you are fulfilling all requirements. Remember that the "walk" policy has been eliminated so you must be eligible to graduate to participate in the May Commencement Ceremony. How do I change to a different advisor?Contact the program faculty you wish to have as your advisor. If the faculty is willing to be your new advisor, s/he should contact Andy Comtois and state that s/he will now be your advisor. Andy will then make the change through the university system. If you want a new advisor, but you aren't certain who to ask, speak with Jeff Modereger, Department Chair for a recommendation. |
Last modified February 01 2008 02:21 PM
