Academic Advising

Academic Advising Resources

Please visit SSHA Advising, our primary venue for supporting students and faculty. The page you are currently viewing is geared to quickly communicate the office's fundamental services. Also email ssha.advising@ucmerced.edu for further inquiries.

Mission

In keeping with UC Merced Academic Advising's mission, the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (SSHA) advising program strives to empower students to develop sound educational plans that are consistent with their personal values, goals and career plans, and provide a supportive atmosphere that guides students toward becoming self-directed learners and decision-makers.

Goals

  1. Promote appropriate progress-to-degree for undergraduate students;
  2. Provide students with advising resources and materials that are accurate, current and understandable;
  3. Provide interactive advising in formats that meet student preferences and needs in timely and efficient ways;
  4. Provide advising that is reflective of our diverse student populations and unique research environment;
  5. Facilitate student learning and self-advocacy in relation to reaching academic goals and career plans; and,
  6. Support implementation of faculty-approved curriculum changes for courses and academic programs.

Services for Students:

  1. Clarify university and school policies, regulations, programs and procedures.
  2. Discuss academic performance and implications of student performance on undergraduate program and degree completion (e.g. progress to degree).
  3. Notify students of significant changes to university or school policies.
  4. Be available to meet with students each semester to discuss class registration and degree progression.
  5. Help students explore interests, abilities and goals and how these translate into academic majors.
  6. Offer advice for course selection and satisfaction of degree requirements.
  7. Facilitate appropriate referrals to faculty members within each student's area of interest.
  8. Assist students facing difficulties that affect their education.
  9. Refer students to appropriate university support services as needed.

Services for Faculty:

  1. Facilitate the review and implementation of academic course articulation.
  2. Collaborate on and implement curriculum offerings, revisions and requirements.

Forms

For official university forms, please visit the Office of the Registrar's website.

  • Office of the Registrar Student Forms that require instructor consent (e.g. add/drop, course withdrawal, etc.)
  • Course Approval Form — Intended for students who plan to complete coursework at an institution other than UC Merced and need to have that coursework reviewed for applicability to their major, minor, or general education.
  • Multiple Major Process — Students planning to complete multiple majors at UC Merced will find information about how to proceed here.
  • General Petition Form — This form is for use when petitioning for course substitutions, exceptions to school policies, or other requests not covered by the other forms listed on this site.
  • Academic Internship Learning Work Plan — Fall/Spring Semester
  • Academic Internship Learning Work Plan — Summer Session — Students who are completing internships and intend to obtain college credit for their work should complete this packet.
  • Petition for Excess Units — Intended for students who wish to complete more than 18 units during the fall and spring semesters, and more than 12 units during summer session.

Policies and Support Materials

Contact

Academic Advising Staff: Staff Functions:
Megan Topete
Assistant Dean, Student and Instructional Services
P: 209-228-4594
  
Brenda Maldonado-Rosas
Director of Student Services
E: bmaldonado-rosas@ucmerced.edu
P: 209-228-0037
Office: COB1, Room 223
  • Advising Processes
  • Honors Programs
  • World Languages
Lauren Brackett
Assistant Director of Student Services
E: lbrackett@ucmerced.edu
P: 209-228-0042
Office: COB1, Room 221
  • Advises non-first year, non-transfer Critical Race and Ethnic Studies major/minor, Global Arts Studies major/minor, History major/minor, Philosophy major/minor, Writing Studies major/minor
  • Temporary: Advises non-first year, non-transfer Sociology and Political Science majors/minors
  • Faculty contact for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Global Arts Program, History, Philosophy and Writing Studies (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
  • Temporary Faculty Contact for Sociology and Political Science (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
  • Non-Transfer Continuing Student Success Programing, Academic Difficulty Programming
Linda Safer
Academic Advisor,
Transfer Coordinator
P: 209-228-4278
Office: COB1, Room 213
  • Advises all SSHA Transfer students
  • Transfer Student Programing
  • New Transfer Student Registration
Faustino Aguilar
Academic Advisor,
Career Support Coordinator
P: 209-228-4063
Office: COB1, Room 216
  • Advises: Non first year/non transfer Economics major/minor and Management & Business Economics majors/minor Last Names M-Z
  • Faculty contact for Economics and Management & Business Economics
  • Career Success Programming
Carolyn Barranco
Academic Advisor,
Student Engagement Coordinator
E: cbarranco@ucmerced.edu
P: 209-228-0038
Office: COB1, 224

 

 
  • Advises non-first, non-transfer English/Literature in English major/minor, Public Health major/minor, Spanish major/minor, American Studies minor, Chicano/a Studies minor
  • Faculty contact for English/Literature in English, Public Health, Spanish, American Studies, Chicano/a Studies (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
  • Student Transition Programing (mandatory Jump Start and transition from 1st to 2nd year)
  • SSHA Academic Advising Website
Vacant
Academic Advisor
 
  • Advises: 
  • Faculty Contact for: 

 

Valeria Salcedo Lomeli
Academic Advisor
P: 209-228-0164
Office: COB1, Room 218

 
  • Advises non-first year, non-transfer Psychology students
  • Faculty contact for Psychology (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
Elizabeth Whitmyre
Academic Advisor,
Degree Completion Program Coordinator
P: 209-228-0347
Office: COB1, Room 215
  • Advises non-first year/non- transfer Cognitive Science major/minor, Undeclared SSHA; Degree Completion Program Students Last Name M-Z
  • Faculty contact for Cognitive Science (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
  • Degree Completion Program
  • Academic Reentry
  • Temporary: Advises non-first year, non-transfer Anthropology major/minor,  Engish major/minor, Environmental Humanities major/minor, Literatures in English major/minor, Spanish major/minor, American Studies minor, Chicano/a Studies minor, Community Research and Service minor, Geospatial Technology minor, World Heritage minor
  • Temporary: Faculty contact for Anthropology, Environmental Humanities, Literatures in English, Spanish, Community Research and Service, World Heritage (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
Darlene Saavedra
Academic Advisor,
Degree Completion Program
P: 209-228-0191
Office: COB1, Room 214
  • Advises Degree Completion Program Students Last Name A-L
  • Degree Completion Program
  • Academic Reentry
  • Temporary: Advises non-first year, non-transfer Management and Business Economics Last Names A-L
  • Temporary Faculty Contact for Public Health
Vacant
Academic Advising Support Specialist
E:
P: 
  • Academic Advising form review and processing
  • Protocols for approval of petitions for the Student Services Office
  • Registration Error Reports
  • Communications to undergraduate students
  • SSHA Student Services events; undergraduate involvement in School outreach programs

Last Updated: April 2026.

Academic Advising Questions: Please contact Brenda Maldonado-Rosas.