“Dear Sophomore Adviser: FAQs for 2016-2017”

Dear Sophomore Adviser,
You are receiving this email because, according to my records, you have agreed to serve as a sophomore year adviser for 2016-2017.  If you believe that you have received this message in error, please contact registrar@yale.edu as soon as possible. 
I hope that you’ve had a pleasant summer.  On behalf of Dean Holloway, I thank you for your commitment to sophomore advising. As a sophomore adviser, you play a vital role in helping to shape our students’ second year at Yale, guide them as they move toward refining and defining their academic interests, and ensure their success in the years to come.  I am grateful to you for putting your talents and abilities to work for our sophomores and in service of the College —especially at one of the busiest times in your calendar. 
As with the freshman year, the sophomore year is a time for exploration. Unlike freshman year, however, it is also the year during which most students decide on a major.  It is common that sophomores’ explorations begin to focus on certain academic subjects and the prerequisites for their eventual — or, at least, probable — majors. 
Many sophomores at this point of the year are quite uncertain about their choice of major and worry about making that decision.  Some may have several majors in mind.  They may also waver between indecision and decision.  For these sophomores, the listening ear and the advice of an interested and supportive faculty member is especially important.
On the other hand, many potential STEM majors, advised as freshmen to begin fulfilling major requirements, have already begun that process.  Please note: if your sophomore advisee plans to major in a STEM field , the DUS or DUS representative of that field is his or her appropriate sophomore year adviser.

The information in this email is available in three formats: 1) this email itself; 2) as a pdf attached at the end of this email; and as a link on the Advising Resources for Freshmen and Sophomores Website (“Dear Sophomore Adviser: FAQs for 2016-2017”).

Thank you for volunteering your time, and best wishes for a great year of advising!

Sincerely, 

Risa

Risa Sodi, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs
Director of Advising and Special Programs
Yale College Dean’s Office
Who Are My Sophomore Advisees and Where Do I Find Their Names?
Click here to login to your personal advising page with a list of your advisees; you will be prompted to enter your Yale Net ID and password. In addition to listing the names of your sophomore advisees, your page will also contain freshman year grades and other information:
  • Link for sending email to your advisees
  • Link for sending email to your residential college dean
  • MDER (Matriculation Data and Entrance Record): family and academic information
  • Photos of your advisees
Resources for Academic Advisers

General Goals of Advising

  • To give students an understanding of what constitutes a liberal arts education at Yale.
  • To convey to incoming students an immediate sense that Yale faculty members are accessible and take a personal interest in them.
  • To help students appreciate the need to strike a balance between academic commitments and extra-curricular activities. 

Advising Resources for Freshmen and Sophomores / For Sophomore Advisers

 

General Advising Information, Resources, & FAQs

For the Fall Term

Online Course Evaluations
Please also be aware that, as a sophomore adviser, you have access to the same end-of-term evaluation information that students see when they log into the Online Course Information website (“OCI”).  This “view evaluations” function may be especially useful to you if you find yourself immersed in detailed course selection conversations with your advisees or assisting them in planning long-term academic paths.