Office of Advising

SSHA ADVISING WALK-IN HOURS, BEGINNING NOVEMBER 16, 2009 (COB 223 & 225)
Monday & Tuesday, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wednesday & Thursday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Walk-In Hours will be closed on Fridays.



Changes to SSHA Advising Staff & Availability

Dear SSHA Students,

We hope you had a pleasant summer and are looking forward to the start of a new school year. Those of you who have visited or contacted SSHA’s Office of Advising during the summer months may have noticed a few changes. In order to encourage transparency and accountability within our office and in dealing with SSHA students, we wanted to outline these changes for you so that you are aware of what is going on.

SSHA’s Office of Advising is experiencing reduced staffing. Many of you may remember Araceli Garcia, an academic advisor who began working with SSHA in Fall 2008 and took over the advising for Psychology students in Spring 2009. Unfortunately, due to the current state of UC Merced’s budget, we were unable to fund a third advising position and were forced to let Araceli go. Psychology majors will now be advised by Alisha and Tori. Psychology majors with last names beginning with A - L will meet with Alisha, and Psychology majors with last names beginning with M - Z will meet with Tori.

You are encouraged to become more self-sufficient as advisees. Because of the recent loss of one of our advisors as well as the increasing workload for advisors as new students enroll at UC Merced, we would like to encourage you to utilize all available resources before seeking the help of your advisor. Updated major, minor, and GE requirements can be found in the university catalog, available in hard copy at the university bookstore or in PDF form on the Office of the Registrar’s website. We have also uploaded planning guides onto the SSHA website (under the “Advising” link) to allow you to keep track of your major, minor, and GE requirements more easily. Additionally, the list of courses that meet General Education (available on the SSHA website under the “General Education” link) has been updated to reflect newly approved courses.

You will experience longer response times, as well as see fewer walk-in hours. Because of the increase in the number of students that each SSHA advisor is now working with, you may have to wait two to three business days for a response to your email or voicemail. If you have a question that requires an immediate response, we encourage you to come in during our walk-in hours, which are always posted on the SSHA website under the “Advising” link. However, walk-in hours have been reduced to allow advisors time to respond to emails, voicemails and perform other administrative tasks.

If you have any questions about these changes, please feel free to contact us at ssha.advising@ucmerced.edu. We appreciate your patience and understanding, and look forward to working with you during the coming academic year.

Alisha and Tori

Our Mission

In keeping with the University’s mission to serve as a center of higher learning and knowledge, the academic advising program within the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) strives to support students in the attainment of knowledge regarding themselves and the world in which they live. The mission of the academic advising program is to empower students in the use of this knowledge to develop sound educational plans that are consistent with their personal values, goals and career plans and provide a supportive atmosphere that guides students towards becoming self-directed learners and decision-makers.

Responsibilities in Advising

Advisor Responsibilities
  • Clarify university and school policies, regulations, programs and procedures.
  • Notify students of significant changes to university or school policies.
  • Be available to meet with students each semester to discuss class registration and degree progression, given that the students promptly respond to invitations for appointments.
  • Assist students facing difficulties that affect their education.
  • Help students explore interests, abilities and goals and how these translate into an academic major.
  • Offer advice for course selection and satisfaction of degree requirements.
  • Discuss academic performance and implications of students’ performance on undergraduate program and degree completion.
  • Facilitate appropriate referrals to faculty members within the students’ area of interest.
  • Refer students to appropriate university support services as needed.

Student Responsibilities
  • Follow through with actions identified during advising visit and accept final responsibility for all decisions.
  • Alert the advisor to any life changes, extenuating circumstances, etc. that may affect academic needs, class attendance or ability to focus on your education.
  • Prepare for academic advising appointments by clarifying personal goals and needs.
  • Keep advisor informed about changes in academic progress, course selection and academic or career goals.
  • Become familiar with major requirements, course prerequisites and other such information that affect course scheduling and class sequencing.
  • Participate fully in courses by carefully reviewing course syllabi, completing assignments and attending class.
  • Follow university procedures for registration and adjustments to class schedules.
  • Observe all academic deadlines.
  • Read and understand all UC Merced Academic Policies and Procedures found in the 2008 - 2009 university catalog.