CLA PES Advising Office

Creating Spaces for Students to Thrive

How To Connect with an Academic Advisor

Meeting with an Academic Advisor:

Students should connect with their academic advisor regularly to ensure they stay on track for graduation. However, your academic advisor can support you in a variety of ways throughout your academic journey. Here are just some of the things you can meet with your advisor about:

- Help navigate academic difficulty and/or personal challenges
- Exploring major/minor programs
- Registering for classes and graduation planning
- Getting involved on campus or studying abroad
- Leaving or Returning to the College
- Review the impact of a specific policy or process

Book an Appointment

To schedule an appointment with your Academic Advisor, click their Scheduling Link below:

Fadumo Haji-Aweis: fadumo.appointments.umn.edu
Oscar O. Diaz: oscar.appointments.umn.edu
Mohamed Qas: mohamed.appointments.umn.edu
Madyson Sklar: madyson.appointments.umn.edu

Appointments are based on the advisor's availability and are typically offered:

Monday - Friday
8:30 am - 3:30 pm

If you have a quick question for your Academic Advisor, first check out the FAQ section

If your question is not listed in the FAQ, you can email your advisor personally.
Be sure to email from your UMN account and include your Student ID.

Emailing an Academic Advisor:

Before emailing your Academic Advisor, please review the FAQ Page for a list of commonly asked questions and answers.

Also, keep in mind that a meeting is usually more effective than an email. Here are a few instances when sending an email might make more sense:

To get general information about a policy or procedure (i.e. leave of absence, declaring a major)
Ask about a deadline (i.e. adding/dropping a class)
Seeking a referral for support (i.e. tutoring, counseling, writing, research)
To provide an update (i.e. academic, career, personal)
Issue registering for a class

Send a Message:

Always use your UMN email account
Include your Student ID #
Provide context and details about the situation (i.e. class name, number, and section, screenshot of an error message, etc.)

How we can help:

Academic Advisors support with:

Choosing Courses / Academic Planning
Help navigate academic difficulty
Exploring your major or changing your plan
Planning to study abroad
Community engagement & activities
Personal challenges and support
Guidance on policies, forms, & petitions

Peer Advisors support with:

Help adding/dropping classes
Running APAS report
Working in Schedule Builder
Tips on resources
Answering quick questions
Explaining some policies & procedures.

The Advising Partnership

Students are encouraged to:

Meet with their Academic Advisor once per term or as needed.
Collaborate with their advisor to identify academic goals and personal aspirations
Engage with campus activities, student engagement, and learning opportunities
Develop an internal sense of self, and how they relate to different perspectives in society
Become a critical thinker, problem-solver, global citizen, advocate, and leader

Academic Advisors are expected to:

Listen, support you, and advocate for you &/or with you
Provide a caring and inclusive space where students are invited to be their authentic selves
Collaborate with students to explore majors/minors, create academic plans, and define goals
Assist in reviewing and interpreting student academic progress reports
Provide accurate information regarding university policies, procedures, resources, and services
Assist students in navigating campus activities and opportunities to further their development
Make appropriate referrals to campus services and resources as appropriate

To learn more about your CLA PES Academic Advisor, visit their profile page linked below:

Quinn Portilla/Nelson

Fadumo Haji-Weis

Dr. Oscar Diaz

Mohamed Khadar Qas

College Advisor vs Major Advisor vs High School Counselor

In college, academic advisors typically do not see your class progress (grades), and cannot see your attendance like a High School Counselor could. Another distinction is that college advisors do not enroll you in your classes or change anything about your schedule/registration.

What is a college advisor?

All students are assigned an academic advisor within their college who will support them during their undergraduate experience. Your college academic advisor is a staff member who serves as your primary point-of-contact for academic planning and questions. College academic advisors provide resources for academic success, personal wellbeing, and goal setting.

Although your college academic advisor will be available to you throughout your undergraduate career, once students have declared a major, they are encouraged to work with their major/departmental advisor more closely.

What is a major or departmental advisor?

Once admitted to your major, you will work more closely with a professional staff member and/or faculty member within your major department—known as a departmental or major advisor— on your graduation plan, major course sequencing, and questions specific to the major and/or department.

How do I find out who is my college academic advisor or departmental advisor?

Your advisor’s name(s) and contact information is listed on MyU, under the Academics tab.
More info: MyU website

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