Student Guide to Getting Good Advising

Your academic advisor is assigned based on your campus, major, and program.

Call your advisor

Plan ahead since it can take up to a week for your advisor to have an opening to meet with you.
Leave a voice mail message if no one answers and include the following information in the message:

  • Your name
  • Your UA Student ID number
  • Your phone number
  • Why are calling (e.g. I am an education major and I need help selecting my spring classes)
  • Indicate that you will send a follow up email
  • Thank you!

Email your advisor

Write a professional email including the following:

  • Subject line (e.g. request for academic advising)
  • The information you left in your voice mail message
  • Request an appointment in person or by phone or via Zoom if you are not in the same location as your advisor.
  • Indicate some days and times that you are available to meet.
  • See a Sample Email to an Academic Advisor


If you do not hear back within a few days, call and email again.  If you still do not hear back, seek out another connection in your academic department or ask for assistance from the Admissions or Student Services office at your school.

Before you go:

  • Prepare a list of questions or topics to discuss.
  • Come prepared with a list of your strengths and weaknesses as well as a list of your educational goals.
  • If this is your first appointment, bring a copy of your high school transcript and placement scores.
  • Check out the UAA course catalog and Degree Works to familiarize yourself with your program requirements.
      • Degree Works is accessed by logging into your student account in UAOnline and going to Student Services & Account Information/Degree Works/UAA Degree Works/Click to Redirect to Degree Works. Visit the Degree Works Help page if you need help.
      • Look over both your Degree Audit and the Plans tab in Degree Works.
  • Browse the class schedule in UAOnline and bring a list of courses you are interested in and the times at which they meet: have a backup list in case your primary selections are full.
      • Browse the full Kodiak College schedule by logging into UAOnline and going to Student Services & Account Information/Registration/Alternate Class Search and selecting the following parameters:
          • Search by Term: (select the term you are planning to enroll in)
          • Campus: UAA - Kodiak
          • Keyword Search: (leave blank)
          • Type of Course Delivery: (leave as default which is All)
          • Subject: All Subjects
          • Course Number: (leave blank)
          • Click on Course Search
  • Look over the Academic Dates and Deadlines Calendar and be aware of add/drop and withdrawal deadlines for the upcoming semester.

During your appointment:

  • Be at a computer with an Internet connection if your appointment is on the phone or over Zoom so you can look at your program information in the catalog or Degree Works (in your UAOnline account) during the discussion of placement and what courses to take.
  • Ask for written documentation of the specific course numbers and titles you need to take (e.g. MATH A105 Intermediate Algebra and ENGL A111 Introduction to Composition) and proper course sequencing; Take notes to help you remember what is being recommended
      • Follow up email from your advisor OR
      • Degree plan in Degree Works

After your appointment:

  • Maintain an academic portfolio with notes from your advising meeting, your test results, current resume, career research, etc.
  • Schedule out regular appointments with your academic advisor - the more times you meet your advisor the more likely you are to be successful in your college career.
  • Seek Financial Aid advising and create a plan to pay for your education. Kodiak College Financial Aid Coordinator Nancy Castro is available for individual appointments.  Contact her at (907) 486-1214 or ncastro2@alaska.edu to set up a time to meet.