Advising Overview
In our college, every student is assigned at least one academic advisor. Students with multiple majors, certain minors, or who belong to programs like the Honors College or ROTC may have a second, third, or even a fourth advisor assigned!
You may also seek advice from those who aren’t assigned to you, such as trusted faculty members, counselors, advisors from the Intercultural Centers, and others. Every student’s support system is just as individualized as they are. But rest assured—when you don’t know where to go for advising, your assigned advisor is a great place to start.
Types of Advisors
CAS assigns two types of advisors: Professional and Faculty
Professional Advisors are staff who work in Student Services, and whose only role on campus is to advise students. These individuals have wide-ranging knowledge and often function as referral resources, connecting students with the supports they need to be successful. Professional advisors will always either know the answer to your question, or help you figure out who does!
Who has a Professional Advisor?:
All First Year and New Transfer Students*
All Undeclared students
Sophomores in Biology; Biological Science; Environmental Studies; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies; Health and Society; Neuroscience; Psychological Science; Zoology
Juniors in Environmental Studies*; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies*; Health and Society*; Neuroscience*
Seniors in Environmental Studies*; Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies*; Health and Society*
Faculty Advisors are your professors, as well as advising supports. Your faculty advisor will belong to your chosen field of study and have expertise in that field. They are knowledgeable about resources and will refer you to the appropriate supports whenever you have a question that is not rooted in your major.
Who has a Faculty Advisor?:
All sophomores, juniors, and seniors in majors not listed above
*These students have both a Professional and a Faculty advisor assigned. Please refer to this document to determine which issues to address with your Professional advisor, and which to address with your Faculty advisor.
Tips for Emailing Your Advisor
The best way to reach out to your advisor is by email. If you have a Professional Advisor, you can address them by their first name. If you have a faculty advisor, you should address them as “Professor [Last Name]” until or unless they invite you to call them by another name. If you are uncertain which type of advisor you have, see “Types of Advisors” above.
If it is your first time reaching out, introduce yourself with your preferred name. It is also helpful if you include your NetID.
State your question as clearly as you can. If you are requesting an appointment, be sure to specify if you have a preference for meeting remotely or in person.
Give your advisor at least 24 hours to respond, or up to 72 hours during busy periods like add/drop or course registration. If your question requires more immediate attention, you may cc CAS@uvm.edu.
You may receive an away message if your advisor is out of the office. The away message will arrive in your inbox immediately after you send your email, and will typically contain an expected date of return and/or alternative contact for the period that they are absent. Read this email carefully, and do not attempt to follow up with your advisor until at least 24-72 hours following their expected date of return. Again, cc CAS@uvm.edu if you require more immediate assistance.
Advising Expectations
What can you expect from your advisor? What does your advisor expect from you? Read our Advising Syllabus to find out!
FAQs About Advising
How do I know who my assigned advisor is?
You can see the name of your advisor(s) in multiple places – at the top of your degree audit, in your myUVM portal, and in Navigate. If you’re ever uncertain who your advisor is, or if you have multiple advisors and aren’t sure who does what, you can email CAS@uvm.edu to clarify.
If you want or need a new advisor, please email CAS@uvm.edu.
How can I get in contact with my advisor?
The best way to get in touch with your advisor is via email. You can find any advisor’s email address in the UVM directory.
Please be sure any email to your advisor comes from your UVM email address and not your personal email address. Include your preferred name and pronouns if you’re comfortable sharing them.
All Professional advisors and some Faculty advisors have their availability listed in Navigate. If you can’t find your advisor in Navigate, or they don’t have any available appointments that work with your schedule, email them. You can also schedule appointments with general advisors using Navigate with the appointment reason “Student Services Advising”.
Whenever you schedule an appointment in Navigate, be sure to include a comment, so the advisor knows what you are hoping to discuss.
Advisor availability is very limited during certain times of year (like add/drop and course registration) so plan ahead if you think you will need to connect with an advisor during these times!
What types of questions can my advisor help me with?
Advisors can answer questions about your major, minor, and degree requirements, degree audit, course registration, study abroad, internships, academic and personal supports, and much more! If they don’t know the answer to your question, they’ll help you find the person or office who does.
See the “Common Advising Questions” below for examples.
What types of questions can my advisor not help me with?
Advisors may not be able to answer specific questions about housing, financial aid, scholarships, the study abroad application process, majors outside of CAS, etc. But if you have questions like these, your advisor can help point you in the right direction.
Advisors will never tell you exactly what to do. Instead, we will explain your options, and help you determine the appropriate path based on your goals, interests, and personal circumstances.
How should I prepare for a meeting with my advisor?
Know what your questions are! Have them written down and be ready to take notes on the answers.
Common Advising Questions
How do I know what my degree requirements are?
The best place to keep track of your degree requirements is with your degree audit. You’ll find your audit in your MyUVM portal, by searching for the “Degree Audit” card.
When do I register for courses and how do I prepare?
You’ll find all of the information you need about registration here.
I have a hold on my account, how can I get this removed?
Learn about common registration holds here.
What are office hours, and when should I go?
Office hours are periods of time when your professors are available to meet. Any student can stop by a professor’s office hours to ask questions. Professors typically list their office hours in their course syllabi.
If you are not available during a professor’s office hours, don’t worry! Ask them after class if there’s another time you can schedule to meet with them. You can also email the professor to ask to schedule an appointment.