@uhhadviseGet Advised!
At UH Hilo, your advisor is a faculty or staff member assigned to you to guide your explorations through the academic options available to you. The role of your advisor is to assist you in the process; however, you are ultimately responsible for your educational choices (Advisor and Advisee Responsibilities).
Although academic advising is not mandatory, it is in your best interest that you meet with an advisor regularly to ensure timely academic progress. It is imperative that students with declared majors meet with faculty advisors to go over course selection, sequencing in the majors, as well as discussing career and academic exploration in the field.
Students with Majors... Meet with your Faculty Advisor
You are assigned to an advisor in your major and should meet individually with your assigned advisor prior to registration. Advisor Search allows you to find your assigned faculty advisor online and instructs you on how to see an advisor. Students with double majors/degrees, minors, or certificates will not be assigned to an advisor in those academic programs and are encouraged to seek advising independently from faculty in those departments.
- Find your advisor. Your Advisor's contact information on "Advisor Search ". If you have not been assigned an advisor in your department, visit the division or college office to request that you be assigned to a faculty advisor.
- Faculty hold office hours. Office hours are posted outside faculty offices and you should plan on meeting with your advisor during those times. You may want to email them ahead of time to secure a day and time for an appointment. Also, if you are not able to meet with your advisor during their office hours, email them and request to meet at another time that both of you can meet. You could also meet with another faculty member in that department who is available.
- Go in prepared. Do your homework: know all academic policies, deadlines, and requirements and be sure to have the following items on hand for appointments.
- The university catalog,
- Your Bachelor's Degree Planbook,
- Your STAR report including:
- Academic Journey (Tab 2)
- Academic Journey cont./ Major & Minor (Tab 3)
- The combination report by semester under Transcripts (Tab 4)
- A tentative schedule of classes for the next semester,
- Questions you have for your advisor.
- Make use of Advising Week. The week before early registration is designated as "Advising Week". It is during this week that students should meet with their advisors, NOT during the week of registration. During Advising Week, some faculty advisors post sign-up sheets for appointments. If you wait until registration week to meet with your advisor, you may not be able to get advised.
- Resolve Transfer Credit Evaluation issues. All transfer students, please resolve all transfer issues, such as outstanding transcripts, with the Admissions Office, before the end of their first semester at UH Hilo.
- Meet with an advisor at least once a year. If you'd like to visit with an advisor every semester, great!
Exploratory Students... Schedule an Appointment at the Advising Center
Exploratory (General) students (NOT English Language Institute, pre-pharmacy, or pre-engineering) are assigned to professional advisors in the Advising Center and their requests for appointments will be granted. If you are an exploratory student and would like to know who your advisor is, check out Advisor Search.
Students with majors wanting to schedule an appointment at the Advising Center to discuss academic progress within the major will be referred to their assigned faculty advisors or encouraged to meet with another faculty advisor in the department, however students with declared majors who are considering changing their majors, are welcome to meet with the Advising Center.
We strongly encourage exploratory students to make appointments, but do welcome walk-in visits. Appointments are scheduled for 1 hour, but may take less time, depending on your situation.
- Check the availability of the Advising Center advisors
- Contact us
- Via email from your hawaii.edu account : uhhadvis@hawaii.edu
- By phone: (808) 974-7688
- Provide us with the following information
- Name
- Student ID Number (NO Social Security Numbers please!)
- Reason for Visit
- Available Days and Times
- If you've visited the Advising Center in the past
- Contact information for a reminder email or call
We are happy to answer general questions you may have via phone calls or emails, but as a reminder, if you contact the Advising Center inquiring about the details of your academic record, we will not disclose sensitive information to you and you are encouraged to make an appointment with one of the advisors to discuss details in private.
Graduate and Professional School
If you are interested in continuing on to graduate school, get a running start and do your homework.
- Visit the Career Center early on and begin planning.
- Research graduate programs online to find out entrance requirements, including entrance exams, such as the GRE.
- Find out the general timeline for graduate school applications the year before you graduate.
- Speak with professors in your major about graduate programs in that field and what to expect in graduate school.