What is Advising?

Who in the College can I contact for help?
Who is my Association Dean and Faculty Advisor?

When you enter the University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences, you are:

  • Placed in an advising Association, each of which has an Association Dean who advises on academic matters.
  • Assigned a faculty advisor with whom you usually remain until you declare a major at the end of your second year.

Association Deans provide broad academic support to students in the College of Arts & Sciences. Every student in the College, by virtue of their placement in an Advising Association, has an Association Dean. Your dean can advise you on academic matters, help you to think broadly about your long-term plans, and connect you to the appropriate support services at the University. They are committed to your academic success. If your Dean does not know the answer to your question, they will connect you to the person or office who does.

All the College Association Deans have offices in Monroe Hall, where the undergraduate advising offices are located. Each Association Dean schedules regular office hours in Monroe Hall and the College staff will be happy to arrange an appointment with you. To schedule a meeting with your Dean, you can call the undergraduate advising office main phone at (434) 924-3351 or visit 101 Monroe Hall (M-F, 8-5) and the College staff will gladly assist you.

Additionally, on every weekday during the semester, Monroe Hall hosts walk-in advising hours from 2:30-4:00pm. Feel free to drop in and chat with the Dean of the Day during those hours. No appointment is necessary.

How are Advisors Assigned?

Faculty Advisors are assigned to new students in several different ways.

Nearly one-third of the College's incoming class is assigned an advisor through the COLA Program (College Advising Seminar courses) in which the instructor becomes the student's advisor. This gives students a chance to take charge of their advising experience. College Arts Scholars and College Science Scholars are assigned an advisor in their department of interest and also each take a first-semester together. All other students are assigned to an advisor based roughly on their area of interest. This information is pulled from the Student Information Form which is completed in the summer prior to matriculation.

At the end of the second-year/fourth semester, all students must declare a major and are assigned to an advisor from their major department. Students with two majors have two advisors.

If you want to change your faculty advisor you should select another College of Arts & Sciences faculty member who will then notify us by e-mail about the change. You can also print out the Change of Faculty Advisor Form and ask that your new advisor send it to 101 Monroe Hall when completed.

Note: Students who wish to change their advisor may do so by seeking out another Faculty member and asking them to complete the Change of Faculty Advisor Request Form.

Online Calendar

An online calendar is available to students, Faculty and Major Directors. Faculty can use this site to create an online calendar; students can login to schedule an appointment. In addition, DUPs can manage and communicate with majors from this site.

General information for faculty advisors may be found here.

The Edward L. Ayers Advising Fellowship

The Edward L. Ayers Advising Fellowship was established by the generosity of a 2007 graduate who appreciated the College’s initiatives under Dean Ayers to enhance interactions between faculty and students. Creating this recognition was an opportunity both to honor the former Dean and to commend a faculty member who expresses such dedication toward undergraduates, recognizing their needs for guidance, especially in their years as underclassmen. Faculty are selected by the Director of Advising and are appoined for a term of two academic years. At the end of the term they are awarded $1000.00 in research funds.

Past Recipients

2019 David Kittlesen, Biology
2017 Ed Murphy, Astronomy
2015 Gweneth West, Drama
2013 David Vander Meulen, English
2011 Lisa Russ Spaar. English
2009 Janet Herman, Environmental Sciences
2007 Paul Freedman, Politics

Other Sources of Academic Help

There are many other great sources of academic help for students. Sources include, but are not limited to, faculty teaching classes, graduate student teaching assisitants, Directors of Undergradate Programs (DUPs), World Language Coordinators, Residence Life, student peer advisors from OAAA, Transfer Student Peer Advisors, etc. Click here for a more complete list.