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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
Senior Academic Advisor,
Student Success Coordinator
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
  • Faculty contact for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Global Arts Program, History, Philosophy and Writing Studies (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
  • Non-Transfer Continuing Student Success Programing
  • Temporary: Academic Difficulty Programming
  • Temporary: Mid-Semester Grade Interventions
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
Sandra Torres
Academic Advisor,
Career Success Coordinator
Office: COB1, Room 216
  • Advises: TBD
  • Faculty contact for TBD
  • Career Success Programming
Carolyn Barranco
Academic Advisor,
Student Engagement Coordinator
E: cbarranco@ucmerced.edu
P: 209-228-0038
Office: COB1, 204

 

 
  • 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
Evelyn Cardona
Academic Advisor
E: ecardona2@ucmerced.edu
P: 209-228-0040
Office: COB1, 215
  • Advises non-first year, non-transfer Economics major/minor,  and Management & Business Economics major/minor students
  • Faculty Contact for Economics and Management & Business Economics (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)

 

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
P: 209-228-0347
Office: COB1, Room 214
  • Advises non first year/non transfer Cognitive Science major/minor, Undeclared SSHA; all 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, Community Research and Service minor, World Heritage minor students
  • Temporary: Faculty contact for Anthropology, Community Research and Service, World Heritage (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
Maria Sifuentes
Academic Advisor,
Degree Completion Program
P: 209-228-0323
Office: COB1, Room 214
  • Advises non first year/non transfer Political Science major/minor; all Degree Completion Program Students Last Name A-L
  • Faculty contact for Political Science (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
  • Degree Completion Program
  • Academic Reentry
  • Temporary: Advises non-first year, non-transfer Sociology major/minor students
  • Temporary: Faculty contact for Sociology (student petitions, program guidance and updates, curricular concerns)
Destiny Dias
Student Services Assistant
P: 
Office: COB1, Room 226
  • 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: March 2024.

Academic Advising Questions: Please contact Brenda Maldonado-Rosas.