Advising Information
Advising FAQs
• You will need to meet with your departmental advisor every semester before you can register for courses.
• During the month or two before registration starts, you should schedule an appointment to discuss courses for the upcoming semester. It is recommended that you schedule an appointment as soon as you receive an email from your advisor asking that you meet with him/her. Do not wait until the last minute- we want to make sure you are taking the correct classes, and that classes will not fill up before you can get in them.
• A student may schedule an appointment to see an advisor anytime during the semester outside of Registration in order to set up a Degree plan or to ask other questions and have forms signed.
• The advising pin is a 6 digit number that changes from semester to semester, and is needed in order to register for your classes. You will need to meet with your advisor and discuss classes in order for your advising pin to be released. Once your PIN has been released by your advisor, you can access your PIN through your MyUWF account under "Advising Status".
• You will be classified as a senior once you complete at least 90 semester hours "and" also complete at least 20 semester hours at the 3/4000 level. This also does not include the semester hours that you are currently enrolled in. Hours need to be fully completed before they can count towards these totals.
• Appointments can be scheduled through e-mail or by using the Grades First system in your MyUWF.
• Advisor contact information is available at advising. Please make sure to select the correct advisor for your major and your student status.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:
Victoria McNeil, Advisor for students with the last names A-H - 850.474.2553
Tiffany Walker, Advisor for students with the last names I-N - 850.474.3182
Afiya Lawson, Advisor for students with the last names O-Z - 850.474.2885
GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Dr. Philip Darby
Advises Graduate level students majoring in Biology non-thesis Master of Science programs
pdarby@uwf.edu
850-474-2647
For Graduate level advising in Biology, Master of Science thesis programs, contact faculty member with related research interest. See faculty listing.
• The Department of Biology makes every effort to help a student, but it is highly recommended that you e-mail the Biology Advisor for an appointment (or prior to visiting) to be sure that they will be available to see you.
- Undergraduate students seeking to change their major must schedule an appointment with their new major advisor. Only the new Program Academic Advisor can submit this electronic form on your behalf. Please see your Advisor for assistance. You should always discuss these changes with your current Advisor so they may offer additional important information that may affect your decision.
- This includes changing the major, declaring a dual degree or double major, deleting a major (you cannot delete your major if you only have one major), and declaring/deleting a minor or certificate.
- Graduate students should seek assistance through the Graduate School.
Certificates
Certificates can be added or deleted via the same electronic form above.
If you would like to change your major to Biology, please email one of the undergraduate Biology Advisors to set up an appointment to discuss this and fill out the paperwork. Students wishing to change their major to Biology need at least a 2.3 GPA.
For additional information pertaining to declaring/changing a major, minor, certificate, etc., please refer to the Majors & Minors portion of the Office of the Registrar website.
• Drop/Add period (1st week of semester) - You will be able to drop or add courses through MyUWF during this period. Please consult with your advisor before dropping the class if you have questions about what classes you should take instead or about when the class will be offered again. Please note that if you drop the class and it is full, you will lose your spot in the class.
• After the 1st week of semester - You will be able to withdraw (not drop) from individual courses up until the 11th week of the semester, and withdrawal requests can be processed through your MyUWF account. You will be unable to add any additional courses to your schedule after the 1st week of the semester.
• The application for graduation is for the posting of your degree and the mailing of your diploma.
• Applications for completion of AA degrees are available at AA application.
• Participation in commencement is optional, and details are available at the Commencement RSVP.
• See Graduation Requirements for more details.
• Grade forgiveness is not automatic.
• See details at Grade Forgiveness Request Form & Policy.
The Transient Student Application is available online through FloridaShines. For step-by-step instructions on the UWF Transient Student Application process, please see the UWF Student Tutorial for Transient Student Application Process.
- Spring Break usually occurs in March of each year. See http://uwf.edu/offices/registrar/ for the actual date. Once you're on this site, click on the "Academic Calendar" for the year and semester you need to view, and then scroll down to the bottom of the calendar and check under "Holidays".
• Career Advice
• Current Job Opportunities
• The advisors use your information in MyUWF to get in contact with you. Once the semester has started, be sure to do the following:
1. make sure your mailing address and phone number are current
2. check your UWF email regularly OR forward your other email accounts to UWF
• Email is UWF's official mode of contact with students! Your advisor will send emails throughout the semester regarding important deadlines and registration.
