Advising

Whether you are a prospective UVM student deciding on an NFS major or a current UVM student looking to transfer into NFS, Dr. Todd Pritchard (Todd.Pritchard@uvm.edu) is our undergraduate faculty advisor who will discuss your course options, course path and choosing the concentration that meets your long term goals.

NFS first year and sophomore student advising is handled through the CALS Dean's Office Student Services TEAM. In your junior year you will be assigned an NFS faculty advisor.

Students are welcome, and encouraged, to connect with NFS faculty prior to having their advising transferred to NFS faculty. 

The primary roll of your faculty advisor is to support you in your academic program. Your advisor can help you with choosing your concentration, devising your 4-year academic plan, course selections, registering for classes, managing difficulties in courses, deciding if studying abroad will fit in you schedule,etc. Advisors are also a wonderful resource for discussing career goals, mentorship and often have connections in the field.

You will want to meet with your faculty advisor throughout your academic program so they can get to know you very well because in your junior and senior years you may need them to write letters of reference for graduate school, internships and jobs. Knowing you will help them write better reference letters that really reflect you, your accomplishments and your strengths.

Tips for working with your advisor

• Keep in touch with your advisor. Utilize them as a valuable resource for a myriad of issues, not just course selections.
• Be mindful of their busy schedules.
  • Make and keep appointments, add the appointment to your calendar so you don't miss your meeting
    • Download and utilize the Navigate App to schedule an appointment with your advisor
  • Convey the purpose of your meeting so they can prepare ahead of time
  • Come prepared with your questions and bring any supporting documentation
• Run a Degree Audit Report before your meeting to discuss courses and degree progress.
• Know your program, college and university requirements to help aid in advising discussions.

Changing your advisor

The advisor/student relationship is an important part of your academic program. Sometimes a student and faculty member don't quite mesh or circumstances indicate you need a change of advisor.  If you wish to change your NFS advisor, once assigned, you need to identify an NFS faculty member willing to add you to their advising list and have them contact Hannah Dusablon, the NFS Adminstrative Assistant. If you have questions on this process contact Hannah Dusablon (Hannah.Dusablon@uvm.edu).

UVM has a wide range of resources for academic support as well as for student success beyond the classroom.

Some important resources

• Course instructors and TA's: interact with the course instructors and TA's. If you don't understand material or assignments reach out to them.They are usually happy to help students that are working hard but having trouble. Contact them early in the semester and/or when difficulties first arise. Take advantage of office hours. Contact them for resources to help. If your first assignment or exam went poorly contact them, you may need new strategies rather than studying longer or better.
• Undergraduate Writing Center: available for reviewing assignments, getting organized and citing sources. Peer tutors are available to assist in the writing process.
• Tutoring Center: free tutoring for undergraduate students. Peer tutors to help with study skills, subject area tutoring and more
• Student Accessibility Services: provides services and accommodations to all UVM students who have current documentation of a disability that substantially limits once or more major life activities
• Health and Wellbeing: physical and mental health services are always available to students through the Center for Health and Wellbeing.