One-on-One Assistance to Address Your Needs
Every university student needs the guidance of an academic advisor at different times during their degree program. At The University of Texas Permian Basin, we ensure that access extends to our online students. You have a dedicated UTPB academic advisor (based on your major) and can schedule a virtual appointment with them as needed. Learning online never means finding your way on your own here. Confused? Have questions? We’re here to help.
Here are answers to some common online academic advising questions:
Online advisors are available to help students with anything they may need. We help with enrollment and walking you through a degree plan (academic requirements), as well as helping you with academic decisions, filling out required forms, including SAP appeals and change of major/minor and academic appeals, and directing students to contacts among other university offices.
To find out who your undergraduate academic advisor is or if you have general advising questions, please email advising@utpb.edu.
Students should reach out to their online advisors prior to enrolling each semester. Freshmen and sophomores are required to reach out every semester to have their holds lifted. Juniors and seniors may not be on an advising hold, but they are encouraged to reach out to their advisor before enrolling for every semester to make sure that they are staying on track by meeting relevant prerequisites and other program requirements. For newly admitted students, we recommend reaching out to advising as soon as you receive your acceptance letter or email.
Selecting your classes and constructing your schedule can be stressful! Your advisor is here to assist you with all of your registration questions, including what comes next in your program/major, what prerequisites are required, and how to balance your schedule in a way that maximizes your academic success.
Academic struggles can happen to everyone, but your advisor is here to help! Whether you need additional resources (e.g., tutoring, access to faculty) or you need help making adjustments to your class schedule, your advisor can point you in the right direction.
There are many factors that go into why a class may be required as a pre/co-requisite. Your advisor is there to guide you through that information and help you make the best decisions possible for your overall success as a student.
There’s so much to look forward to after graduation, so knowing how long it will take to get there is something most students want to know! Your advisor will be there to guide you every step of the way as you work to understand what’s required of you and effectively manage your degree plan. She/he will help you create the best possible academic plan for you!
Life happens! Whether you’ve had a change of heart, decided on a different path, or experienced economic factors that have influenced your original plan, your advisor can assist you with your options and ease the transition into other programs you may wish to pursue.
The great folks who comprise our UTPB faculty have varied contact modalities. Your advisor will be happy to assist you if you need help connecting with one of them.
Technical difficulties can be frustrating! Your advisor can assist you with troubleshooting your issues or, if necessary, connecting with the UTPB tech support staff.
Things often come up that require students to step back from their classes temporarily. If you need to take time off from your program, it’s critical that you connect with your advisor right away to get the guidance you need to take that “break” in a way that won’t penalize you academically. Let us help walk you through that process!
While we know UTPB faculty and students are the best, sometimes miscommunications or misunderstandings can occur. Please reach out to your advisor for guidance on how to best navigate toward a positive resolution for all concerned.
UTPB offers a wide range of support services designed to help you do your very best in each and every class. Please connect with your advisor for assistance accessing the tutoring services and options currently available to you.
Your advisor is here to help you navigate your academic journey in a way that meets your individual needs as a student. Please connect with him/her early and often to ensure you’re getting all of the support you’re entitled to as a UTPB student.
Students should reach out as many times as they feel necessary but should ensure that they at least speak to an advisor before enrolling for classes or dropping or withdrawing from courses/the University. Most online advising is completed through email, so we are available to “meet” with students at any time during business hours. We also provide phone and face-to-face advising for online students that may need such a service by appointment only. Bottom line: you should feel comfortable reaching out to your advisor anytime that you have a question or concern. The advising staff at UTPB is here for you!
Online students are welcome to email their advisor at any point throughout the day. Email is the primary mode of contact for online advising because of its efficiency. However, if a student wishes to have a phone appointment or even to come into the office for a meeting, they can make an appointment with us. Students are encouraged to submit their questions or concerns through email before the phone appointment to make sure the appointment goes smoothly. Sometimes advisors need to look things up or work with other staff members to find out what we can do to help the student. It is best to do this before the appointment to avoid any unnecessary delays and to avoid having to tell the student “I don’t know.”
The student should take the time to think about and even send any questions they may have for their advisor before meeting with them. It’s especially helpful for transferring students to have their own copy of their transcript handy. The student should be the expert on his or her own course history and help the advisor piece this information together.
If you are meeting with your advisor through email, an “appointment” may take a few days. If a student is prepared and ready to get started with enrollment, the appointment can be concluded within the day. Often, the delay in getting someone enrolled depends on things still needed from the student, other offices having to complete something for the students, or transcripts not being available in the system yet. Since online students are advised online, it may take more time than a normal face-to-face appointment.
There are a few different options available for online students who need help:
- UTPB Success Center
The UT Permian Basin Success Center is your one-stop shop for tutoring and mentors. All services are available online. If you need a tutor or help with test taking, note taking, or time management, please contact success@utpb.edu. - Online Writing Lab
Writing assistance is available to online students via email. Simply send your draft to owl@utpb.edu and a writing tutor will review it and email you with feedback to help you improve your paper. Response times are about 48 hours, excluding weekends. - SMARTHINKING Online Tutoring
Online tutoring is a resource available to all students. Tutoring is available 24/7 with professionals provided by SMARTHINKING. You can access this resource from the link in your Canvas account.
Undergraduate students who wish to change their program will need to complete an Undergraduate Change of Major Request and return it to advising@utpb.edu.
Graduate students who wish to change their program will need to complete Graduate Change of Program Request and return it to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Your new program or major may require additional information, such as letters of recommendation, essays, a new application, new test scores, etc. There is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the new program or major or that the courses you completed will transfer. If you are working toward a specific certification, a change in program or major may impact certification requirements. We recommend contacting an advisor in the new program before deciding to change your program.