ACADEMIC ADVISING INFORMATION FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
Welcome to Siena College! I am happy to be serving as your advisor this year. This page contains some general information that will help us to make the most of our advising relationship.
Some links that may be helpful, especially if you have not declared a major:
- Advice on choosing a major
- Why you shouldn't worry about what major you choose
- Information about Siena's academic programs (majors, minors, certificates)
- Advising Questions and Answers
- Academic Support Services
1. Contacting each other:
My office is in Clare Center, Room 205 (second floor, right turn at the top of the stairs). My office hours for the current semester are posted on my home page.
Office Phone: 518-783-2924
E-mail address: tamburello@siena.edu.
I will use e-mail as the standard means of keeping in touch with you. Please read your e-mail regularly, as I will often be sending announcements and reminders related to advising. If you will be using an e-mail account that is different than the one you have at Siena, please give me the address.
2. When to see me:
During the fall semester, you should come in for an initial meeting sometime before the end of September, in order that we might get better acquainted and begin to talk about your academic career at Siena College. You will also need to see me around mid-semester, before registration, to discuss your CAPP report (which you can now print out for yourself on Web for Students) and to receive the PIN that you will need to register on the web. At this time, we can also discuss any concerns you have about your progress at the midterm.
Please note that you may now get your midterm grades and your CAPP report by logging on to Siena's Web for Students site. You will also use this site to web-register for your spring courses.
During the spring semester, you should come in during the first month of school so that we can review your progress during the first semester, and talk further about your academic goals. There is still no rush on deciding on a major, but you should be thinking more seriously about it. As in the fall, you should also see me at the midterm to discuss your revised CAPP report and any concerns about your academic performance, and to receive the PIN that you will need to register for the fall semester.
In addition to these regular meetings, I encourage you to stop by or to contact me any time you have academic questions or problems. See #4, "What I expect of you."
3. How I see my role as your advisor:
I see my role as one of helping you to adjust to your new academic situation at Siena College. Specifically, I am here to answer questions you may have about the curriculum or the College in general, to give you support and encouragement in your studies, to be a helper and ally if you are having trouble academically, and (if you are "undecided Arts") to assist you in the process of deciding on a major.
One of my most important roles is helping you to prepare for registration for the Spring and Fall semesters. This involves working together to select courses that will best fulfill your needs, while also fulfilling the College's requirements.
4. What I expect of you:
I expect you to meet with me for the two sessions noted above: once during the first month of school; and once at the midterm, to discuss your midterm grades and review your CAPP report in preparation for registration.
Please note: Since you will be registering yourself on the web every semester, you will need to pay careful attention to the CAPP audit, which will become more and more useful (and important!) as you go on in your studies. Therefore, it is important to learn early how to read it and to understand what requirements you have not yet fulfilled. You should attend one of the CAPP training sessions offered by the registrar if at all possible. These are announced every semester. Of course, I will also be available to answer any questions you may have.
If at any time you are having academic difficulties or need to ask a question, by all means come right in or get in touch with me by phone or e-mail. Don't wait until a problem reaches crisis proportions before you contact me.
If you are having trouble with a particular course, please see your professor as soon as possible and discuss your difficulties with him or her. All full-time teachers are available to meet with students at least five hours a week. I think you will find your professors here to be generous with their time and genuinely concerned about your needs. If you have any fears about talking with your professor, see me first.