Advising

The CAS & Water School Advising Office provides academic advising for all students within these majors/programs so they may achieve academic success.

We work with First-Time In College (following their transition from Exploratory Advising) and Transfer students.

(239) 590-7196

Location: Seidler Hall Room 109

Teach

Listen

Connect

Encourage

Advocate

Drop-In Open Advising August 14th and 15th from 8:00 am- 2:00 pm

College of Arts & Sciences and the Water School Advising

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays

Students should utilize appointments for more intensive meetings to include any of the following:

Traditional advising appointment (30 minutes)
Change or add/ drop major guidance
Semester to semester course planning
College/University policy discussions
Please ensure that your phone number is listed correctly or indicate a correct phone number in the additional information section when booking your appointment.
Your academic advisor will call you on the phone number indicated at the time of your appointment. Please note that the call may come to your phone as a blocked or private number or No Caller ID.

Make an Appointment

Explore Degree Works

**Open advising will be August 18-22 from 8:30 am- 3:00 pm. Fall Schedule updates only!**

Quick question advising sessions are intended to be 15 minutes or less. Students should utilize quick question (drop-in) advising for the following:

Registration errors
Course permits
Add/Drop withdraw
Internship discussion
Course scheduling suggestions and conflicts

Quick Question Advising (Drop-in)

You're welcome to schedule a meeting with an advisor or reach out via email to casadv@fgcu.edu

if the matter cannot be resolved within the allotted 15-minute timeframe.

For advising outside of College of Arts & Sciences and the Water School, please visit the main advising page using the link below.

Main Advising Page

(239) 590-7196

Location: Seidler Hall Room 109

We Provide Advising Services Through:

Advising Appointments

Students may schedule an advising appointment online at https://www.fgcu.edu/cas/advising/ or by calling CAS Advising at (239) 590-7196. Scheduled appointments are best utilized for advising assistance that requires significant time for discussion and planning. Our appointments are 30-minutes.

Quick Question (Drop-in) Advising

Drop-in advising is available the first week of the Fall 2025 semester August 18-22 from 8:30 am- 3:00 pm. We can help you get your Fall schedule corrected and answer any pending questions about your academics.

Students may email their advising area for assistance with general advising questions or concerns. casadv@fgcu.edu humanities@fgcu.edu socialsciences@fgcu.edu naturalsciences@fgcu.edu

Phone

Students may call the main phone line at (239) 590-7196 for assistance with scheduling an advising appointment, holds

Virtual

Virtual appointments can be held via Zoom or Teams

The following services are available to students:

One-on-one advising by appointment
Academic advising and program information for majors and minors
Degree completion/graduation checks
Orientation sessions for new students within the College of Arts & Sciences
Registration and drop/add information
Evaluation of academic transcripts and review of articulation of transfer credits
Referral to faculty mentors for career and professional school advising
Referrals for internship and research opportunities
Maintenance of academic advising records
Certification of graduation requirements
Information regarding the transient enrollment process

Helpful Resources

General Education UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS RegistRar's OFFICE

Are you an FSW student interested in a major in the College of Arts and Sciences?

START PLANNING YOUR TRANSFER TO FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY (FGCU)

2025-2026 Destination Days are available for YOU!

Fall

September 5th

October 3rd

November 7th

December 5th

Spring

Feb 6th

April 3rd

May 1st

30-minute Appointment Times Available: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Zoom or Microsoft Teams
CAS academic advisors are available to meet with Destination FGCU
Students from our Florida State College partners. For inquiries
please email Colleen Peters cnpeters@fgcu.edu

Be sure to include your:

NAME

PHONE NUMBER

INTENDED MAJOR

Destination FGCU Inquiries

Meet the Advising Teams

Vonetta E. Hardy

Director of CAS/TWS Academic Advising

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-7196

E-mail: vehardy@fgcu.edu

Dr. Locksley Knibbs

Assistant Director of CAS/TWS Academic Advising and Team Natural Science Advisor

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-1424

E-mail: lknibbs@fgcu.edu

Audrey Noel

Administrative Specialist

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-7196

E-mail: anoel@fgcu.edu

Team Arts & Humanities

Patti Kirk

Team Leader, Arts & Humanities, Academic Advisor III

Office: MH 173

Phone: 239-745-4261

E-mail: pkirk@fgcu.edu

Julie Alter-Kay

Academic Advisor III

Office: MH 181

Phone: 239-590-7477

E-mail: jalterkay@fgcu.edu

Shari Alvanas

Academic Advisor III

Office: MH 175

Phone: 239-590-7434

E-mail: salvanas@fgcu.edu

Jennifer Rodriguez

Student Success Counselor

Office: SH 109 J

Phone: 239-590-7308

E-mail:

jerodriguez@fgcu.edu

Team Natural Sciences

Dr. Rodney Dennison

Academic Advisor III

Office: MH 180

Phone: 239-745-4260

E-mail: rdennison@fgcu.edu

Roger Smithson

Academic Advisor II

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-7203

E-mail: jsmithson@fgcu.edu

Yvonne Goodson

Student Success Counseling Specialist

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-4424

E-mail:

ygoodson@fgcu.edu

Team Social Sciences

Colleen Peters

Student Success Counseling Specialist

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-7412

E-mail: cnpeters@fgcu.edu

Stephanie Soto

Team Lead, Sr. Student Success Counselor

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-7120

E-mail: stsoto@fgcu.edu

Justin Woodward

Student Success Counselor

Office: SH 109

E-mail: jwoodward@fgcu.edu

Melissa MacNeill

Student Success Counselor

Office: SH 109

Phone: 239-590-7176

E-mail: mmacneill@fgcu.edu

Contact Your Advisor
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Orientations
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Transfer Students

Please familiarize yourself with CAS Advising, the degree evaluation process and other degree requirements that will assist you in your pursuit of a degree within the College of Arts & Sciences.

Your advising hold will be lifted once you attend the Eagle View Orientation and the CAS Advising session.

Transition

All First Year students have an Advising Hold (AV) placed on their accounts once they are eligible to transition from Exploratory Advising (EA) to the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Advising. Students will be sent an invitation to a Canvas Transition Course. After accepting the course invitation, students should review these Canvas modules and familiarize themselves with CAS Advising, the degree evaluation process, and other degree requirements that will assist students in pursuit of degrees within the College of Arts & Sciences. In order to have the AV Hold removed, students must complete the Canvas course and earn a perfect score on the Transition Quiz, and attend an appointment with their CAS Academic Advisor. The AV Hold will then be removed within 48 business hours. Registration for future semesters will be restricted if the AV Hold remains active.

Please review the modules on your CAS Advising community on CANVAS to familiarize yourself with CAS Advising, the degree evaluation process and other degree requirements that will assist you in your pursuit of a degree within the College of Arts & Sciences.

Your advising hold will be lifted once you complete ALL modules in CANVAS.

Responsibilities and Expectations

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StUDENT	ADVISORS
Treat students, staff and faculty with respect.	Treat students, staff and faculty with respect.
Schedule an advising appointment at least once per semester for proactive planning. Arrive on time and prepared to appointments.	Arrive on time and prepared to appointments.
Know degree requirements and sequencing.	Stay current on curriculum changes and educate students on degree requirements and sequencing.
Know where to find answers to questions on campus and online.	Know resources on campus and online, and build relationships with offices that serve students.
Be engaged in the decision-making process regarding your academic career.	Empower students to make purposeful decisions about their academic career.
Maintain active communication with advisors and other offices on campus by checking Eagle Mail regularly (once every 24 hours if wait-listed for a course).	Be accessible to students and faculty. Respond to phone calls and email within a reasonable amount of time (2 business days).
Know how to use Gulfline to search for courses and register based on your plan to graduation. Know how to use the online degree evaluation. Know where to find the academic calendar and adhere to relevant deadlines.	Know how to use Gulfline, Banner, online degree evaluation and Eagle Mail efficiently and accurately. Educate students on the effective use of the tools available to them.

Forms
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College of Arts & Sciences General Advising Forms
College Research/Internship Forms
- Communication Internship Registration Form
- Please contact your Natural Science Advising team member to make an appointment to discuss your research/internship.
Non-Advising Forms
- Office of the Registrar Forms
- Financial Aid Forms
Degree Maps
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Degree Maps listed below are to be used as a general guideline for students and are based on the program requirements for the current catalog year. Some students' scheduling needs may vary based upon completed courses and transfer credits. Please see your advisor for assistance and verification.

Transfer Notes and Acceptable Substitutes:
- For All Majors: Students are strongly recommended to select required lower-division electives that will enhance their general education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.
Program Specific Degree Maps:
Anthropololgy BA

Art BA

Biochemistry BS

Biology BA

Biology BS

Biology BS Accelerated

Biotechnology BS

Chemistry BA

Chemistry BS

Communication BA

Criminal Justice BS

English BA

Environmental Geology BS

Environmental Studies Ecology BA

Environmental Studies Education BA

Environmental Studies Water BA

Forensic Science BS

Forensic Studies BS
History BA

Journalism BA

Legal Studies BS

Marine Science BS

Mathematics BA

Mathematics BS

Music BA

Music Education BME

Music Performance BA

Music Therapy BMT

Philosophy BA

Physics BS

Political Science BA

Psychology BA

Sociology BA

Theatre BA

FAQ

How should I select the classes I need to schedule each semester?
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You should select courses based on the following priorities:

During your first two years:
- Common course prerequisites for your major;
- General education requirements;
During your junior/senior years:
- Any of the above, which were not completed;
- Required courses for your major;
- Electives in your major;
- Concentration coursework (if applicable);
- University Colloquium
I want to take a course at another institution and make sure the credits will count toward my degree. What should I do?
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Schedule an appointment to see a CAS advisor, who will determine whether or not the course you wish to take will fulfill a requirement in your FGCU degree. You can fill out this transient form. Do not sign up for a course elsewhere before you have seen a CAS advisor.
I want to take a class that is closed. What do I do?
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I cannot register because there is a hold on my record. What do I do?
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When should I register for classes?
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As early as possible. Your priority registration date (based on number of earned hours) can be found on the Academic Calendar. This will give you the best chance of registering for the courses you want at the times you want them. You can change your registration via Gulfline at anytime until the end of the drop/add period at the end of the first week of classes.
Do I need a “C” or better in the courses in my major?
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How can I check my degree evaluation?
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1. Log into Gulfline
2. Click on Student and Financial Aid

3. Click on Student Records

4. Click on Degree Evaluation

Detailed instructions are available in DegreeWorks
What should I do as I near graduation?
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What is the Excess Hours Surcharge?
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The 2009 State Legislature enacted a student charge for excess hours. For students enrolling in a state university for the first time in or after the fall 2009 semester, a tuition rate surcharge will be applied for credit hours that exceed 120% of the completion requirements for the chosen degree program. The surcharge will apply to all “excess hours” and will amount to 50% of the tuition rate. For a program that requires 120 credit hours to graduate, all hours that exceed 144 count as excess.

In 2011 the legislature modified the statute and changed the threshold to 115% and a surcharge of 100% of the tuition rate for students entering in fall 2011 and later. For a program that requires 120 credit hours to graduate, all hours that exceed 138 (115% of 120) count as excess.

The law does allow for exceptions to the excess hour surcharge. For example, the courses taken under the following circumstances would not count as excess hours:
- Articulated accelerated credit (e.g. Advance Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, Dual Enrollment, etc.)
- Internship credit
- Certification/recertification and certificate program credits
- Credits withdrawn due to medical or personal hardship
- Credits taken by active-duty military personnel
- Credits required for a dual major
- Remedial and English as a Second Language (ESOL) credit
- Military Science credits in Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs
All students should make every effort to enroll in and complete only those courses that are required for their degree program. Repeating courses, changing majors and adding minors that are not required as part of a major may result in excess hours. Student should regularly review their degree audit and consult with an academic advisor to ensure that they are not enrolling in excess hours.