When meeting an undergraduate student for the first time, the most frequent query I get is, “ Hello. I’m declaring my major or minor in Sociology and I need your signature.” My typical response is, “ I’m your advisor for your major/ minor in Sociology, so let’s schedule an advising session.”
The frequency with which this exchange is repeated each semester prompted me to focus this column on the role of the Undergraduate Coordinator as the advisor to majors and minors. Let me begin by stating that in the College of Arts and Sciences, students have at least two advisors. Arts and Science advisors make sure that students have completed all general requirements such as LERs for a bachelor’s degree, and provide almost all of the forms students need. For example, when declaring a major and/ or minor in Sociology, the Arts & Sciences advisor provides students with a copy of the requirements listed in the catalog, and the form that the departmental advisor signs. However, because Arts & Sciences advisors are not faculty and are not sociologists, they can not provide information about the content of courses or how particular courses articulate with specific career objectives.

In the Sociology department, the Undergraduate Coordinator is the “official” advisor for all Sociology majors and minors. In the advising session when students officially declare their major or minor, I address the following topics about course work:

· The content of all required courses and the recommended schedule for completing them
· The probable availability of courses, especially upper-division electives, over the next two years
· The best ways to get both breadth and depth in the selection of electives for a strong foundation in Sociology

In addition to information about the courses, I also can help students explore their career options with a B.A. in Sociology as well as navigate the process of applying to graduate school.

E-mail questions to the Sociology Undergraduate Coordinator