ACADEMIC ADVISING

💡 What is an academic advisor and what do they do? 💡

Academic advisors in the bio department are staff members assigned to students to help with the academic planning side of college — this can include registration advising, long-term planning courses, and discussing and suggesting how to change academic plans.

✋ Who is my academic advisor? ✋

Students are assigned to an academic advisor according to their major/specialization.

    • Erin Mullins
      • General Biology (last names A-L)
      • Behavioral Biology
      • Ecology & Conservation Biology
    • Kelvey Almeida
      • General Biology (last names M-Z)
      • Neurobiology
    • Melissa Mele
      • Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, & Genetics
    • Anne Hildebrand
      • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

⌚ When and where are drop-in advising hours? ⌚

The Biology Department’s in-person drop-in hours are at 5 Cummington Mall, Room 101 during these hours:

    • Mon/Wed/Fri: 10am – 12pm
    • Tues/Thurs: 2pm – 3:30pm

You can meet with any biology academic advisor during these hours — not just your assigned advisor — and you do not need an appointment to attend. Just walk in during those hours!

📒 How do I schedule an academic advising meeting on MyBU? 📒

    1. Go to your MyBU Student Dashboard.
    2. In the red column on the left side of your screen, select Advising > Appointments.
    3. Click the ‘New Appointment’ button.
    4. Select ‘Biology’ from the ‘Department’ drop-down menu.
    5. Select your Meeting Type (i.e., what you’d like to talk about in the meeting), your Advisor, and the Meeting Mode (depending on what’s available).
    6. Write a brief summary of what you’d like to discuss. The more specific you are, the better I can prepare for our appointment!
    7. Use the calendar to select a day/time that works for you. We schedule up to two weeks in advance, so if you cannot find any appointments, please check back in the next day or two, as more show up.
    8. Once you’ve selected a time and mode, click ‘Schedule.’

🛑 I have an advising hold on my account. How do I get it removed? 🛑

Students who have been at BU for less than one year (first-years and transfer students) have an advising hold on their accounts that prevents registration. This means that you must meet with an advisor before registering!

 

FACULTY MENTORING

👩‍🏫 What is a faculty mentor and what do they do? 👩‍🏫

Faculty mentors are professors/faculty members assigned to students to help with career-related questions in biology. They are great at referring students to resources outside of the university and giving recommendations based on the experiences they’ve had in the fields of biology/biochemistry. They can also offer advice when it comes to Biology electives that will prepare you for your future career!

⭐ Who is my faculty mentor? ⭐

You can see who your faculty mentor is on MyBU. Your advisors and mentors show up under Academics > Advisor Information.

If you do not have a faculty mentor assigned, reach out to your Bio/BMB major advisor, and we will assign you to one!

📓 How do I meet with my faculty mentor? 📓

Unlike academic advisors, your faculty mentor is not in the MyBU system, So, the best way to get in touch with your faculty mentor is by email.

We also hold an event each semester called Faculty Mentor Week, where faculty mentors sign up for 1-hour time slots, and students can drop-in and ask any questions they would like!

💬 What should I ask my faculty mentor? 💬

RESEARCH 

    • What research do you do?
    • How can someone get involved in research?
    • What skills or background knowledge make a student successful in your lab?

CAREER

    • What steps did you take to get to this point in your career?
    • I’m interested in X — what types of careers have past students with my interests pursued?

HIGHER EDUCATION

    • How can I best align my academic work with my professional goals?
    • What are the pros and cons of going to grad school or gaining work experience first?