If you are a student in the College of Letters and Science and have not yet declared a major you will receive academic advising through one of four offices:

•       Letters and Sciences Undergraduate Academic Services (UAS)
• Cross College Advising Service (CCAS)
• Letters and Science Honors Program
• Academic Advancement Program (AAP)

Students who have declared a major receive academic advising from that department's academic advisor. Students with more than one major will have more than one advisor.

Each student in the College has been assigned an academic advisor and that person's name appears on their MyUW Student Center page.

Peer Advising - Peers advisors are also available in 70 Bascom. See the "Events" link at the top left of this page for more information.

If you have declared a major recently, the advisor's name might not show up right away. If you have declared your major at least a semester ago, double check with the department, and also through MyUW and your DARS that you did indeed declare and it is noted as such. If you are declared, and you are sure of it, contact your major department to have your name assigned to that department advisor.

If you have not declared your major, are a transfer student, and no advisor is listed on your MyUW Student Center, use the form to ask for an assignment . Understand that if you have declared your major your advisor is the assigned advisor for that major and we cannot change that for you.

If you are an incoming freshman or incoming transfer student, you must attend SOAR and an academic advisor will be assigned to you at that time. You cannot get advising prior to SOAR because in most cases your credits have not been evaluated.

Again, depending on where you are in your academic plan, as well as where your academic advisor is located, will determine where you receive your academic advising. If you are in a special program, such as AAP or Honors, you will receive your advising in that department. If you have declared your major, you receive academic planning and advice from your department's academic advisor (usually located in the department offices). If you are an undergraduate student who has not decided on a major, your advisor is usually located in CCAS. If you have decided and you expressed that decision at SOAR, and you are in L&S, then your advisor will be in 70 Bascom.

For quick questions, you could probably email your advisor. Always be clear in what you are asking and it never hurts to include your campus ID number in your correspondence.

For general advising, it is best to schedule an appointment in October to discuss the Spring Term, and in February or March to discuss the Fall Term. Understand that those times are very busy for your advisor, and that you should call at least 2 weeks in advance. If you have to reschedule, please call and cancel your first appointment at least 24 hours in advance.

See your academic advisor at any point during the semester that you are experiencing academic trouble. Remember, academic planning is not their only function! Advisors are also helpful for all types of academic advice, especially during times when things might not be going so well.

Prepare for your appointment, depending on what your appointment concern is.

• If you are having academic difficulty, bring information about your grades, your DARS, course syllabi, and reflection about what might be causing the problem.
• If you are preparing for an advising appointment, bring your DARS and a list of courses that you are interested in taking to fulfill both your general education requirement in L&S and your major or majors.
  
  

• Advice and planning during times of academic difficulty
• Academic planning and course selection for current and upcoming semesters.
• Referrals to Academic Assistant Deans, health services, or other professionals

Remember, interacting with your academic advisor is just one piece of your undergraduate academic experience at UW Madison. If you have questions you can contact L&S Undergraduate Academic Services , or you may call 608.262.5858.