Academic Advising

Undergraduate Academic Advising

Visit the Academic Advising website to find your advsior, schedule a meeting, or learn more about the program. The Academic Advisors for the Art Department here at UAA act as a liaison between students, the Department of Art, and Enrollment Services. They can assist with:

  • Semester course scheduling
  • Resolving academic difficulties
  • CAS requirements and classes
  • General University Requirements
  • General Ed. Requirements
  • Transfer credit explanations
  • Information about placement testing
  • Prerequisite information
  • Academic Petitions
  • Financial aid appeals
  • University regulations & procedures
  • Accurate referrals

Academic Advising

Faculty Advisors

Faculty Advisors are permanent full-time faculty members well versed in degree requirements who act as your point of contact within the department on academic issues.

Drawing
Garry Mealor
(907) 786 - 1736
grmealor@alaska.edu

Ceramics
Steve Godfrey
(907) 786 - 6920
smgodfrey@alaska.edu

Communication Design
Mariano Gonzales
(907) 786 - 1734
mariano@alaska.edu

Sculpture
Steve Godfrey
(907) 786 - 6920
smgodfrey@alaska.edu

Painting
Thomas Chung
thomaspuchung@gmail.com


Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q: I am a new student. How do I get started and what steps should I take?

    A: See the New Student Checklist and set up a meeting with your academic advisor.

  • Q: Does UAA require a portfolio for admissions?

    A: UAA is an open enrollment institution, for that reason we do not require a portfolio as part of the admissions process. However, if a student would like to pursue a , they will be required to develop a portfolio over their first two years at UAA. In the Fall semester of their junior year, that portfolio will need to be submitted to the Art Department as part of the BFA submission process.

  • Q: What is the difference between a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Art?

    A: A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) is a liberal arts degree. The term liberal arts come from the Latin artes liberals 鈥 meaning the artes (i.e. general skills) that a liberals (i.e. free person) would need in order to be a contributing member to society. In other words, the is a broader and more flexible degree program that allows students to focus their education on visual arts, while still instilling a wide range of universal skills. These skills will help students to become life-long learners with a more widespread spectrum in terms of career paths.

    A Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) is a professional/technical degree. In the pursuit of professional/technical degrees, students focus on honing a more specific set of specialized skills. In other words the  is a professionally oriented and more rigorous program designed to prepare students for careers in art. Enrollment in the BFA program is recommended only for those students willing to make the considerable commitment of time and energy necessary to achieve professional competence in the media they choose as their primary concentration. For more information on the differences between the BA in Art and the BFA in Art, and assistance in choosing the degree path that is right for you, please meet with your academic advisor.

  • Q: How do I find the requirements for my program?

     A: is a student鈥檚 official educational agreement with the university. It lines out exactly what requirements must be met in order for a student to earn their degree. These same requirements can be found in a student鈥檚 DegreeWorks Audit (available through UA Online). DegreeWorks tracks students鈥 progress toward degree completion by showing them what requirements they have completed and the requirements they still have remaining. 

  • Q: How do I know what classes I should be taking and when?
     

    A: Set up an appointment to meet with your academic advisor. Students should be checking in with their academic advisor and faculty advisor at least once a semester to make sure they are . 

  • Q: What is the difference between an academic advisor and a faculty advisor?

    A: An academic advisor provides academic assistance to students. They help you to register for classes, monitor your academics, navigate your way through the university system, stay on track for graduation, etc.

    A faculty advisor is more of a mentor. They are a professor here at UAA who will help to evaluate a student鈥檚 skills within their field of study, suggest courses/opportunities that will help a student grow within his/her major, and provide feedback on growth.

  • Q: How do I register for classes?

     A: Visit the Office of the Registrar Website to learn how to register for classes, view important dates/deadlines, and find contact appropriate contact information.

  • Q: The class I need is full, how do I use/get on the waitlist?

    A: Detailed information on using waitlists is available on the Course Options Website. Scroll down to 鈥淲aitlisting鈥 and 鈥淲aitlisting Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)鈥 for directions.

  • Q: When I try to register of a class I get an error message, what does it mean?
     

    A: Visit the How to Register Website to view step-by-step instructions on registering for classes, as well as common registration errors.

     

  • Q: When I try to register I get an error message that says, 鈥淚nstructor approval,鈥 what do I do?
     

    A: Some courses require that students get approval from the professor before they will be permitted to register for the class; even if a student has already met the published prerequisite.

    Approvals/Overrides can be entered in a myriad of ways

    1. The most simple way is for an instructor to enter the permissions into UA Online themselves (as they have access to do so 24/7). However, some professors do not prefer this method.
    2. The professor can send an e-mail to the advisor for the department of the course for which a student wishes to register, thus giving the advisor permission to enter an override.
    3. Note: Professors must include the student鈥檚 name, ID number, the type of permission they are granting (e.g. permission to override the prerequisite, or approval to enter the course), and the CRN for the course
    4. Some departments (like ART/MUS/THR) have approval forms that can be filled out by the student and the prof. and then submitted to someone within the department so that the permissions can be entered. If you need instructor approval for an ART/MUS/THR class please pick up an approval form at the front counter in the Fine Arts Building.
    5. In worst case/last min scenarios, instructor approval can be granted via the Add/Drop form (which can be found on the Registrar鈥檚 Forms Website under the 鈥淩egistration鈥 heading) during the 2nd week of classes 鈥 as this serves as the override.
  • Q: How much is tuition and fees?
  • Q: How do I know what books I will need?
     

    A: After you have registered for classes follow these directions: Login to UA Online > Student Services & Account Information > Registration > Register/Add/Drop Classes, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click the 鈥淕et Books鈥 button.

    Or Go to the Textbooks section of the Campus Bookstore鈥檚 Website and click on the 鈥淔ind your Textbooks鈥 button.

  •  Q: When I transferred to UAA many of my Art courses transferred in as electives. Is there any way I can get those to count toward specific requirements for my major?

     A: Students can request that UAA consider allowing the use one (or more) of their transfer courses to meet the intent of a specific requirement (or more) here at UAA via an Academic Petition (which can be found on the Registrar鈥檚 Forms Website under the 鈥淒egree Services鈥 heading). Please meet with your academic advisor to discuss potential petitions.

  •  Q: How do I know if I am ready to graduate?
     A: Students should meet with their academic advisor to verify that they are ready to apply to graduate.
  •  Q: When and how do I apply to graduate?
     A: The graduation application deadlines are found on the Registrar鈥檚 Dates and Deadlines Website.

    The directions on how to apply to graduate can be found on the Degree Services Website.

    Should students wish to participate in the commencement ceremony they will need to acquaint themselves with the Commencement Website and RSVP to the ceremony.