College of Arts & letters

Applying to the University
Meeting with an Academic Adviser
Student Services
Financial Aid
Graduation

Applying to the University

1. Where, when and how can I get an application? What is the application deadline?

Students can apply online through the CSUMentor system. More information about applying to the university can be found on the following university websites:

Meeting with an Academic Adviser

While faculty in all departments engage in academic advisement, the following is a list of the Primary Academic Advisors in each department in the College of Arts and Letters.

DEPARTMENT	Extension	Principle Graduate Advisor	Principle Undergraduate Advisor
Art	3-4012	Connie Utterback	Connie Utterback
Communication Studies	3-4201	Beryl Bellman	all faculty
English	3-5341	Martin Huld	Andrew Knighton
Liberal Studies	3-4100	No MA program	Alejandra Marchevsky
Modern Languages & Literatures	3-4230	Sachiko Matsunaga	Elena Retzer (Ruzickova)
Music	3-4060	Jeffrey Benedict	Jeffrey Benedict
Philosophy	3-4180	Anna Carastathis	Kayley Vernallis
Television & Film	3-4201	Steve Classen	Suzanne Regan
Theatre Arts & Dance	3-4110	San-San Kwan	Shiz Herrera

Scheduling an Advisement Appointment:

· Departments: The departments in the college of Arts of Letters use varying methods of scheduling academic advisement. These methods are outlined on the individual department advisement plans (see Department Advisement Syllabi below). The varying plans take in consideration the following variables and aspects of the following approaches:

· Students must sign up for a major advisement appointment by either direct engagement with the faculty or primary undergraduate/graduate advisor, the department administrative assistant or the department chair. Individual faculty members may have sign-up sheets on their office doors, or sign-up sheets might be located near the main office of the department.

· Students should make a note of the following when signing up for an appointment:

o The name of the advisor with whom they have made an appointment.

o The office number of the advisor.

o The date and time of the appointment.

· Cancellations: It is an act of personal responsibilities and professionalism that students who wish to cancel an appointment should be proactive and cancel as far in advance as possible. This is both mindful of the professor's time, but also makes it possible for other students to schedule in the vacated time slot. [Each department includes their cancellation policies on their advisement syllabus].

· Expectations of Students. It is important for students to understand that they must take an active role in advisement. Students are responsible for making and following through on their own decisions. As such, they are expected to do the following in relation to the advisement process:

1. Meet regularly (at least once each academic quarter with the appropriate advisor(s).

2. Arrive at advisement sessions with a written and prioritized list of questions and issues to discuss with the faculty advisor.

3. Familiarize themselves with all degree requirements, including those for their major option and/or concentration.

4. Check their CSULA email account regularly. This is the official means of communication used by the University.

5. Check the Schedule of Classes well before each quarter begins and note all relevant deadlines such as the fee payment deadline, the drop deadline, etc.

6. Maintain accurate and complete records of all advisement-related materials.

· Expectations of Advisors: Advisors in the College of Arts and Letters are expected to do the following in their advisement sessions with students:

1. Help students develop an academic plan for the major that takes into account (as appropriate) the major option, concentration, minor, and catalog year.

2. Review the students' grades and selection of classes.

3. Provide students with relevant information about University requirements, policies, and procedures, and refer students to appropriate campus resources as needed.

4. Maintain accurate and complete advising records for the department.

5. Enforce all university rules and requirements when reviewing student requests.

6. Help students plan appropriate steps to correct any academic difficulties.

7. Help students plan for graduate school and post-graduate careers as appropriate.

Expected Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will understand their personal responsibility for their own academic, personal, and professional success.

2. Students will have an awareness of how to utilize the necessary information, resources, and available options to make sound educational and lifelong decisions.

3. Students will understand what they need to do to achieve their desired goals.

Department Advisement Syllabi:

Student Services

More information on various university services can be found through the following links:

Financial Aid

More information on financial aid can be found through the following links:

Graduation

1. What are the university requirements for graduation?

Along with completing the requirements for your particular major, it is important to complete the university requirements for graduation. These requirements include an Introduction to Higher Education course, the lower-division GE Blocks, English 102, two diversity courses, and an upper-division GE theme. More information on each of these requirements can be found in the university catalog.

2. I expect to graduate in two more quarters, what do I need to do?

Students must apply for graduation two quarters before they anticipate completing all their graduation requirements. Click here for more information about procedures and eligibility requirements to submit a graduation application.

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