Meet with an Advisor

Drop-in Advising 

Biology Advising is available for drop-in meetings during the first two weeks of course registration. If attending remotely, you will queue into the virtual waiting room until a staff advisor is available. Drop-ins are shorter duration individual 1:1 meetings that typically last about 10 minutes. If you anticipate that you will need a longer meeting for course planning, please reach out to your faculty advisor to schedule an appointment.

Spring Registration Drop-ins will be held Monday - Thursday 2/24 - 3/6 between 11AM and 12PM with an in-person or remote option. Meet in-person* in the Biology Advising Office (BI 317) or attend virtually: wwu-edu.zoom.us/j/96059393227

*There will be no in-person option for drop-ins on Thursday, 2/27 due to limited staff availability. 

Advising Appointments

Finding your Faculty Advisor Assignment

Upon pre-major declaration, students are assigned to a faculty advisor within the department based on their area of interest and are notified by email. If you are unsure who your advisor is, you may find out via your “Student Record” on Web4U or on your “Student View Summary” at the top of your Worksheet in the Degree Works Dashboard. You may also contact the Biology Department Office and our front desk staff may be able to locate this information for you.

Scheduling an Advising Appointment

Faculty advising appointments are scheduled directly with the faculty advisor and not through the department’s main office. The most effective way to reach your faculty advisor is to request an appointment via email or use the Advisor Contact Form. Contact information for all departmental personnel is available on our Department Directory. In your email, make sure to provide the days and times you are available as well as your W# so that your advisor may review your academic history prior to your meeting.  Some faculty host scheduled drop-in advising sessions and/or may offer advising during their office hours. It is important to be aware that faculty try to be as accessible to their advisees as possible, but that some appointments may need to be scheduled up to a week or two in advance.

Arrive Prepared

Faculty advisors and department advisors utilize Degree Works to assist students in academic course planning and to track a student’s progress towards degree completion. It is helpful to review your Degree Works Worksheet prior to your advising appointment to have an understanding of the requirements remaining for your chosen major.