Once you have declared a major in English or FTS, which can be done through the myUVM portal, the department assigns you an advisor. You can also see who your advisor is through the portal - your advisor might change due to sabbatical and leaves for a given year or semester.
You should make a point of seeing your advisor as soon as possible, as they can be quite useful during your undergraduate career. First-semester first-year students must meet with their advisor before they can register.
It is important to keep in touch with your advisor and confer with them regarding your academic plans. To complete your degree you will need to meet the College degree requirements as well as the department requirements. You can also access the specific College of Arts and Sciences Degree Distribution Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts for the current year (PDF).
What Does an Advisor Do?
- Directs you in making sure you meet requirements for the major and graduation
- Advises you in designing independent study projects (Readings and Research)
- Helps you choose courses which support your career plans
- Assists you with academic issues and refers you to other campus offices and/or individuals who might provide further guidance, if needed
- Assists you in formulating and implementing a 4-year plan
- Directs you toward relevant career information for English majors and minors
What Do You Have a Right to Expect From Your Advisor?
- They will make time available to meet with you—enough time to deal with your concerns adequately;
- They will know what the major consists of—the courses you need to take—and also what the college-wide (distributive) requirements are, what the university-wide requirements are, and what will help you meet them;
- They will be acquainted with such arcana as the 24-hour rule (the number of credits you can earn outside the college); the 45-hour rule (limit on number of English credits you can have in total); the nature of a cross-college minor, and a variety of other needed information;
- If you are interested in independent study, internship, college honors, study abroad, and other specialized forms of learning, they will know what to tell you or where to send you for detailed information and help;
- They will be compassionate and concerned about your academic and personal well-being.
What Does Your Advisor Have a Right to Expect From You?
- You will make and keep appointments, certainly during the period leading up to registration, but also at other times when you need information;
- You are aware of the various classes of requirements and are keeping track of your own progress toward meeting them;
- Before meeting your advisor you have given some independent thought to your proposed program, including what free electives you might take should there be room for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Find Out Who My Advisor is?
Log in to the MyUVM portal. You will see a tab along the top labeled “advising.” Click on the tab and your advisor should be listed.
How Do I Find My Advisor's Contact Information And Office Hours?
Contacting your advisor is made easy through the MyUVM Portal, there you can find their office hours, office location, and contact info. This information can also found on the faculty directory.
How Do I Change Advisors?
Make a request to change your advisor by emailing English@uvm.edu or in person at 400 Old Mill. We cannot guarantee accommodations but we will try our best to help.
Why Was I Reassigned to a Different Advisor?
For various reasons students will be reassigned a different advisor. Professors will periodically go on leave, sabbatical, or have a change in workload. When this happens you will be assigned to another advisor.
What Does My Advisor Do?
Your advisor will help you with course registration, with any questions about the English major or courses, as well as general education distribution requirements that are needed for graduation. Your advisor will also help you navigate other information you need such as: Transfer Affairs, Study Abroad, extracurricular activites, and so on. If you have questions about other issues, click “resources” in the MyUVM portal and you will see a list of offices here at UVM to help students with questions and problems large and small. Your advisor is the place to start if you are interested in pursuing graduate study in English. For career advice, Career Services is the place to go. But your advisor can be a good resource for this as well. Finally, it is good to know about CAS Student Services. They basically know everything! Leaves of absence, late withdrawals, and incompletes are their domain.
What if My Advisor Doesn't Get Back to Me in a Timely Manner?
In the unlikely event that you cannot get in contact with your advisor you may contact the English Department at English@uvm.edu
Need more information?
Need More Information?
If you are having trouble connecting with your advisor please contact Lisa Schnell the Director of Undergraduate Advising (faculty profile) or Lisa.Schnell@uvm.edu (email)
If you would like to request a new advisor please email English@uvm.edu