Declaration and Advising

Transfer students interested in the Botany major can make an appointment for a Botany advising session with Mark Connolly. There are no separate appointments for SOAR, you are free to make an appointment at any available time.

The meeting will cover:

• details about the major
• curriculum requirement
• your interests in Botany
• plant research resources
• the Botany department
• and an introduction to our community

When deciding to declare, you will need to know what area of botany in particular you are interested in studying in more depth for the required research.  In the Botany department, you have an advising team.  You are assigned a faculty advisor when you declare (hopefully as closely matched to your interest in Botany).  The best way to tell us what area is to look at the research currently done in the department which could be found either through the research areas or the individual lab pages. Before declaring you would have a conversation with Prof. David Baum about your area of interest. If you choose to declare the Botany major at this meeting you will be assigned a faculty advisor.

Your advising team will be your assigned faculty advisor, the student services coordinator (career advising), your senior thesis mentor (if different from your assigned faculty advisor) and the chair of the curriculum committee.

Students interested in the Botany major can make an appointment for a Botany advising session with Mark Connolly.

The meeting will cover:

• details about the major
• curriculum requirement
• your interests in Botany
• plant research resources
• the Botany department
• and an introduction to our community

When deciding to declare, you will need to know what area of botany in particular you are interested in studying in more depth for the required research.  In the Botany department, you have an advising team.  You are assigned a faculty advisor when you declare (hopefully as closely matched to your interest in Botany).  The best way to tell us what area is to look at the research currently done in the department which could be found either through the research areas or the individual lab pages. Before declaring you would have a conversation with Prof. David Baum about your area of interest. If you choose to declare the Botany major at this meeting you will be assigned a faculty advisor.

Your advising team will be your assigned faculty advisor, the student services coordinator (career advising), your senior thesis mentor (if different from your assigned faculty advisor) and the chair of the curriculum committee.

You should discuss your academic and/or your research plans with your faculty advisor.

To make the most out of your meeting with your advisor, it is recommended that you bring a current copy of your DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) with you to your advising appointment. This is for your benefit, so you learn how to read and run the report. Review instructions on how to print a DARS report. Please bring the following to your appointment:

• Current DARS report
• Any questions you have about requirements, extracurricular opportunities, study abroad, etc.
• A pen and paper for note taking
• Any form you may need signed. Make sure you have filled out all pertinent information and have read the form/document thoroughly.

It is recommended that you see your advisor once a semester to plan for courses and check your progress toward your degree. There are a lot of possibilities that you might not be aware of and sometimes degree requirements can be difficult to understand.

Individual appointments are available with Mark Connolly, the student services coordinator.

Please email a current copy of your resume to Mark Connolly before your appointment.

To ensure a productive meeting bring the following to your appointment:

• A paper copy of your current resume
• Any questions you have about extracurricular opportunities, study abroad, graduate school, post graduate opportunities, etc.
• Pen and paper for note taking
• If this is a follow up visit, bring any information you have gathered since your previous visit

What to expect from a career advising appointment:

The career advisor is available to answer questions about how to do job or career searches and to help direct you as you discover your area of interest for a career related to botany. It is recommended you meet with the career advisor at least once a semester to help you plan your long-term goals for graduate school and/or your career.

I have general questions about the Botany program. Who should I talk to?

You can  stop by the main Botany office in 132 Birge Hall during office hours and folks can help guide you to correct person.

I spoke with my advisor and I believe one of my classes should be substituted for one of the requirements.  Who should I talk to?

If you are looking for exceptions for your degree, you must speak with the chair of the curriculum committee, David Baum. If you are sending an email, you should outline the reasons for the substitution and provide documentation (i.e. a course syllabus, copy of a paper, etc.).

There is a hold on my record, how do I get it removed?

In your student center, if you click through to see who has placed a hold on your record, there is contact information listed.