Professor in class

Successful academic advising happens when students and faculty advisors work together as a team. When you declare a geography major, you will be assigned to a tenured/tenure-track faculty advisor who will meet with you individually. She/he can provide assistance on the following topics:

  •     Course selection (for detailed course descriptions, see here)
  •     CATS report review
  •     Fulfilling the requirements of the major
  •     General distribution and minor requirements within CAS
  •     Planning for study abroad, off-campus studies, internships, and other experiences
  •     Navigating the Four-Year Plan
  •     Career ideas and trajectories
  •     Honors, awards, and funding opportunities

Structure of advising 

All advisors hold regular office hours; please check the online list to see when your advisor is available and to find contact information to arrange an appointment.

Advisor changes: leaves or sabbaticals

If your advisor goes on sabbatical or leave, you will be assigned temporarily to another faculty member until your advisor returns. In such cases the department’s business administrator will email you to let you know who your acting advisor is.

Advisor changes: student initiated

If for whatever reason you would like to change your advisor, please contact the department chair first.

Advising in geography: Student Responsibilities

  •     To keep your advisor informed about changes in your academic progress, course selection, and academic and career goals.
  •     To be familiar with the requirements of the major and to keep up to date with course offerings.
  •     To understand that your advisor can suggest, recommend, remind you of rules and regulations, but that you have the primary responsibility for meeting program and degree requirements.
  •     To keep your advisor informed in a timely fashion when personal issues arise that interfere with academic progress, so that 1) your advisor can refer you to the appropriate campus resources which can help you, and 2) so that your advisor has enough facts about your situation to be able to assess your academic progress fairly.
  •     To come prepared to your meetings with your advisor.

Additional Advising Options

Your academic advisor has expertise in scholarly issues, especially pertaining to geography. There are many other issues about which you may seek advice and support such as student health, legal matters, writing and learning skills, general career planning, lifestyle/residential issues, academic accommodations and more. UVM offers a variety of free professional advising regarding these and other issues. The College of Arts & Sciences Student Services can help you to identify the resources to meet your needs: 802-656-3166.