Academic Advising and Assistance

Students may seek academic advising in a variety of places appropriate to their degree options. The Academic Advising Center in the Gruening Building has faculty from many of the schools and colleges that make up UAF. They can help students select majors, courses and put students in touch with an advisor in their department. Alaska Native and rural Alaska students are encouraged to seek an advisor from Rural Student Services in the Brooks Building. RSS helps those students connect Alaska Native and rural students with each other to provide community, personal support and academic success. Certificate, associate, vocational and technical program students are advised at the Tanana Valley Campus Student Assistance and Advising Center in downtown Fairbanks to help guide them through the specific program requirements unique to TVC credentials, certificates, degrees and academics. Students based at community campuses outside of Fairbanks can contact their local student services staff for information on registration, deadlines and other policies unique to their campuses or regions.

Academic Advising Center

Academic Advising Center staff and advisors offer guidance for incoming freshmen, general studies students, pre-major, non-degree and transfer students. The center is a clearinghouse for general university and degree information. Advisors help students with information about non-traditional credit options and pre-professional academic programs like veterinary science, law, dentistry or pharmacy.

The Academic Advising Center, in cooperation with other departments, sponsors workshops on a wide variety of special topics including study skills, deciding on a major and math anxiety. Contact the Academic Advising Center at 509 Gruening Building, (907) 474-6396, toll free at 1-888-823-8780 or via e-mail at advising@uaf.edu. Specific information for students, including degree worksheets, can be found on the web at www.uaf.edu/advising/.

• Academic Advising
  As a student at UAF, you have continuing help from academic advisors as you decide on a major, choose electives and plan each semester’s classes. An advisor explains programs and requirements, recommends courses to suit your individual needs and helps you choose a program that will enable you to reach your academic and career goals.
  If you have declared a major, your advisor will be a faculty member from your academic department. You should contact the department for specific assignment of an advisor.
  If you haven’t chosen a major or are contemplating changing your major, advisors at the Fairbanks campus Academic Advising Center will help you develop educational goals and craft an appropriate academic schedule. You can work with general academic advisors, faculty advisors from various disciplines or any member of the advising team. Students in pre-major status and students without a specific major who are enrolled as general studies students (undeclared) should use the Academic Advising Center as their departmental home base.
• Academic Support
  The Academic Advising Center provides academic support with reference materials, referrals and study assistance through the SkillsTutor and LASSI programs. SkillsTutor is a self-guided computer program to build and refresh knowledge in English, math, reading, science and writing. LASSI helps you identify subjects in which you may need improvement to become a more successful student. These programs are available at no charge to students.
• Major/Career Information
  The Academic Advising Center has materials and software available to help you discover your interests, abilities and aptitudes. DISCOVER is a fully integrated career guidance software program; the Strong Interest Inventory provides a computerized interpretation and printout that helps you assess your interests; and other specialty web-based inventories offer career and academic guidance students will find helpful.

Tanana Valley Campus Advising Center

Advising and support are available at the UAF TVC Student Assistance and Advising Center for students in A.A. and A.A.S. degree and certificate programs. A Student Assistance Center provides services that contribute to a successful learning experience and transition to a career. Services are available by appointment and on a walk-in basis. For more information, contact Student Assistance, UAF Tanana Valley Campus Center, 604 Barnette Street, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701, telephone (907) 455-2851, or visit online at www.tvc.uaf.edu/stuassist.html.

• Academic Advising
  The TVC Student Assistance Center provides academic advising with a focus on A.A. and A.A.S. degree and certificate programs. Staff at the center recognize the unique concerns of adult and returning students. Services include pre-admission advising, academic assessment and placement advising, financial aid information and application, and assistance with choosing a major. Ongoing academic advising, degree planning and course selection are available. The Academic Intervention Program provides support for students on academic probation.
• Academic Support
  The Student Assistance Center provides academic support at the TVC Center through developmental course work, workshops, classroom presentations and one-on-one advising to conquer academic hurdles. A study group clearinghouse, tutoring referral, learning labs and a computer lab are also available. Academic and personal advising, crisis intervention and resource referrals are available when personal issues intrude on academic success.
• Career Advising
  The TVC Student Assistance Center provides personalized career advice based on job market information and a student’s personal goals. Career search, interest assessment and job market information are available online and through regularly updated computer programs and publications. Advisors regularly help students learn job acquisition skills such as resume writing, interviewing and web searching. Advisors communicate with the Fairbanks campus career services department, TVC workforce development programs and community advisory boards to assure a broad base of support for students as they plan their move from college to career.

International Student Advising

UAF students from other countries face many situations that American students do not encounter. International students must comply with immigration regulations, adapt to a new and often strange culture and adjust to the American system of higher education. International student advisors serve as a liaison between the student and various U.S. immigration agencies. Advisors authorize documents for student visas, help students adjust to UAF and provide immigration and personal assistance. For more information, contact International Programs by telephone (907) 474-7677 or (907) 474-5327, e-mail fyisa@uaf.edu, or online at www.uaf.edu/oip/.

Rural Student Services

Rural Student Services is the vital link between the Fairbanks campus and rural Alaska communities. RSS provides comprehensive academic advising services with a focus on the freshman and sophomore years. Advisors at RSS recognize and are sensitive to the unique cultural components of Native and rural students at UAF. RSS advisors provide comprehensive advising and referrals to various support services on the Fairbanks campus. RSS advisors register students for classes, explain academic requirements and explore degree options. Other RSS services include assistance with admissions and financial aid, career advising and student advocacy.

RSS functions as a student center in the Brooks Building to provide an atmosphere where students can share Native cultural traditions on campus and attend a variety of Native student club activities. Students who are enrolled at UAF and are Alaska Native or come from a rural area are encouraged to use RSS as their home base.

For more information contact Rural Student Services, Brooks Building main floor, telephone (907) 474-7871 or 1-888-478-1452, e-mail fyrss@uaf.edu, or visit online at www.uaf.edu/ruralss/.

Student Support Services

The Student Support Services program provides personalized and comprehensive academic support to eligible students. It offers an inviting, resourceful atmosphere and opportunities for academic development and success. SSSP encourages students to stay in school and successfully complete their baccalaureate degree. The program is funded by a TRIO grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Who is eligible?

• First generation college students (neither parent earned a four-year degree)
• Low income students according to federal criteria
• Students with a documented learning or physical disability
• In order to be eligible students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and enrolled in a four year degree program for 6 credits or more

Program services include academic advising and mentoring, individual and group tutoring services, supplemental math and college skills classes, laptop and other media check-out program, direct financial assistance to qualified Pell Grant recipients, and cultural and social engagement activities.

For more information contact the SSSP program in 512 Gruening Building, telephone (907) 474-6844, e-mail fysssp@uaf.edu, or visit online at www.uaf.edu/sssp/.

Tutoring Services

Information about lab hours for all Fairbanks campus academic support resources as well as tutoring options is located on the Academic Advising Center website at www.uaf.edu/advising/student/resources/. Many of these resources are free of charge or cost a nominal fee.

• Accounting Lab
  The Accounting Lab provides tutoring services to students enrolled in accounting courses. Located in 225-I Bunnell Building, the lab is staffed by accounting graduate students and outstanding undergraduate students. Lab hours are assigned (but flexible) Monday through Friday. For more information, contact the Department of Accounting and Information Systems at (907) 474-1945.
• ASUAF Tutoring
  The Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (ASUAF) offers tutoring for individual courses whenever possible. The service is coordinated by ASUAF staff, and tutoring is provided by students. Contact ASUAF for more information, (907) 474-7355.
• Chemical Society Tutoring Lab
  Located in 170 Natural Sciences Facility, students must reserve a time to receive tutoring assistance using the sign up sheet on the door. For more information contact the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at (907) 474-5510.
• Developmental Education Math, English and Reading Labs
  The Department of Developmental Education provides academic support labs in math, English and reading. These labs are located at each of the rural campuses, Tanana Valley Campus and on the Fairbanks campus. Labs provide tutoring and small group instruction for students taking developmental, academic or vocational math, reading and writing courses. Academic support labs supplement and support student learning as well as improve and expand student skills in these areas. For further information contact your local campus or the Department of Developmental Education at (907) 474-1112.
• Foreign Language Laboratory
  The language lab, located in 609 Gruening, provides assistance in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Russian and Chinese. Computer programs, CDs, cassettes and spell-checkers are available for student use. Call the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at (907) 474-7396 for lab hours.
• Math and Statistics Laboratory
  This lab provides flexible-hour assistance to students enrolled in mathematics and statistics courses. The lab is coordinated by faculty, and services are provided by students. For more information, contact the math department at (907) 474-7332.
• Supplemental Instruction
  Supplemental instruction sessions are regularly scheduled, informal review sessions in which students compare notes, discuss readings, develop organizational tools and predict test items. Students learn how to integrate course content and study skills while working together. SI is designed to reduce rates of attrition within historically difficult courses, improve student grades and increase graduation rates of students. Contact the Academic Advising Center at (907) 474-6396 or fyadvis@uaf.edu for more information.
• Writing Center
  The Writing Center is open Sunday through Friday for tutoring all enrolled students. The staff, composed of English graduate teaching assistants and outstanding undergraduate students, reviews student writing projects at any stage from planning to drafting and revising. Tutors are available to help students improve grammar and usage. For information, contact the Writing Center, (907) 474-5314.