Undergraduate Advising

Undergraduate Advising

Academic advising is available to all History students throughout their time with the department. Derek Briand, Giovanna Karlovic, and Jon Eyberse are the academic advisors for History students. You can schedule an appointment via Calendly (links are in their profile biographies!) or email them directly with any questions you have about the major, minor, Honors program, internships, and/or on-campus resources. Your Advisor is happy to assist you throughout your time at Boston University!

Academic Advisors for History:

• 

  Derek Briand

  Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Last Names L-Z

• 

  Jon Eyberse

  Undergraduate Academic Advisor

• 

  Giovanna Karlovic

  Undergraduate Academic Advisor, Last Names A-K

HOURS OF OPERATION:

While hours are subject to change throughout the academic year for the Advisors, the Advising Office is only open Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8:00am-5:00pm (hours differ between advisors and students should check Calendly to see availability for appointments). Meetings will only be held between these days and will not include the weekends or holidays/whenever the office and/or the University is closed.

Important Information Regarding Booking Appointments:

1. Check your schedule and make sure you can attend the appointment time you are making.
2. If you have an emergency and cannot attend your appointment, please email your assigned Academic Advisor at least 24 hours in advance. If you have a legitimate emergency, email your advisor as soon as possible and/or reschedule your appointment.
3. Don’t be late to your appointment. We wait 6 minutes, and if you do not show up and have not emailed us to let us know you will be late, your appointment will be deemed a “NO SHOW.” Too many no-shows may result in you no longer being able to book an appointment and may result in needing to contact your advisor to book an appointment moving forward.

In addition to the above statements, please be sure to keep the following in mind when booking a virtual appointment:

1. Check to make sure your wifi connection is working properly.
2. Make sure you’re in a location that is reasonable to have an advising appointment (i.e. Do not schedule an appointment during a time when you may be traveling, in a large communal space like a cafeteria or classroom, etc.)
3. You may or may not share your video during an appointment, and we will not require you to do so. Do what you feel most comfortable doing.

Registration Advising typically begins four weeks ahead of the first undergraduate registration date. Specific details on registration will be sent to all History majors by their advisor. While the academic advisors are here to assist students through their registration, they wish to empower their students to come prepared to advising appointments with questions and having selected a variety of courses that fulfill their interests and requirements. 

Mission of Advising

Academic advising is integral to the teaching mission of the University and engages students in a collaborative process to explore academic and co-curricular opportunities as part of a plan to realize academic, career, and life goals.

The Department of History’s advisors provides one-on-one academic advising and mentoring to all history majors. All history students must meet with their advisors once a semester to discuss their planned course schedules and to receive an advising code for registration. But an advising meeting is about much more than obtaining a code.

Advisors are here to help students understand the curriculum, identify their academic talents and interests, and make timely progress toward graduation. Faculty advisors can also assist undergraduate majors with related tasks like managing time, selecting courses, and exploring various extra-curricular and career options.

An effective advising relationship, however, is a two-way street. It is the shared responsibility of students and faculty who work in concert to achieve the University’s Advising Learning Goals:

Identify and access campus resources and co-curricular opportunities to help reach educational, career, and life goals.

Student Responsibilities

Students should be advocates for their own education and actively seek out the information they need for academic success. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your advising relationship.

• Be proactive! Contact your advisor via Calendly to schedule meetings.
• Be Prepared! Come to your advising meeting ready to communicate your passions and goals. Make sure you have read the description of the history major and know the requirements. Moreover, create a plan for what courses you would like to take during the next semester. See the Undergraduate Registration page for more information.

Before your meeting, take time to think about the goals you would like to accomplish during your next year, two years, three years, etc. at Boston University. Come to your meeting ready to share any thoughts and questions with your advisor.

• Be patient! Advisors know a good deal about Department and University policies, but they have their limits. Your advisor may refer you to another resource or office on campus. Be sure to take notes on these recommendations and report back to him or her about what steps you took and about the answers or advice you received.
• Be communicative! Keep your advisor informed of any changes in your academic progress, schedule, or goals. If you need to, make a follow-up appointment.

Advising is a partnership. Knowing your role in the process is essential for that partnership to be fruitful.