If you enter Saint Anselm College as an undeclared major, you are advised by the director of academic advisement or a member from the Undeclared Advising Team.
The Undeclared Advising Team are members of the faculty knowledgeable about the issues and concerns of students who have not yet selected a major.
Declared students are assigned a faculty member through their department, generally by the department chairperson.
Advising Resources
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Who is my Advisor?
Students with a declared major are assigned a faculty member from their major department, and undeclared students are assigned a faculty member from our undeclared advising team.
Students can find the name of their academic advisor by following the instructions below:
- Log on to the portal: https://myanselm.anselm.edu
- Go to "Students"
- Go to "Degree Planning"
- Go to "View all Details"
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Important Meeting Dates
Advisors can offer more than a signature on a class pre-registration schedule. They are knowledgeable about institutional requirements and are aware of the educational support services available to you. An advisor can help you in your intellectual development and in your academic planning.
There are times when you need to see your advisor and other instances when you are encouraged to seek counsel from your advisor.
When you must see your advisor:
- Add/Drop (if applicable)
- Fall: early September
- Spring: early January
- Pre-registration
- Fall: early November
- Spring: after spring break
- Withdrawals (if applicable)
- Fall: refer to academic calendar (withdrawal with a "W")
- Fall: refer to academic calendar (withdrawal with a "W" or "WF")
- Spring: refer to academic calendar (withdrawal with a "W")
- Spring refer to academic calendar (withdrawal with a "W" or "WF")
When you are encouraged to seek counsel from your advisor:
- First week of the fall semester
- First week of the spring semester
- Mid-semester deficiencies (if applicable): mid-October (fall), early March (spring)
- Are experiencing academic difficulties
- Have been placed on academic warning or probation (See Saint Anselm College Catalog, pp. 30-31)
- Have questions about academic policies or procedures
- Want to discuss choosing a major
- Add/Drop (if applicable)
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Declaring or Changing a Major
You must declare a major no later than the spring pre-registration period in the second semester of your sophomore year. This deadline ensures that you will continue to make progress toward graduation.
The Process: Students Declaring or Changing a Major
- Change of Major forms (which also serve as major declaration forms) are available in the Office of Academic Advisement or the Office of the Registrar.
- Declaring or Changing to a major: Students should schedule an appointment with the appropriate departmental chairperson for signature approval.
- Declaring or Changing to the Undeclared major: Students should see the director of academic advisement who will meet with them and assign a new advisor. (Freshmen or sophomore students may decide to change from a departmental major to an undeclared major for one or two semesters while investigating other choices.)
- It is the student's responsibility to turn the form in to the Registrar's Office and to distribute copies to the appropriate offices indicated on the form.
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An Undeclared Registration
What an undeclared freshman's schedule looks like:
Fall Spring Conversatio I (HU103) Conversatio II (HU104) Freshman English (EN105) (A-L) or Core Elective (M-Z) Freshman English (EN105) (M-Z) or Core Elective (A-L) Language Language Elective / Major Course Elective/Core/Major Course or, Theology or Philosophy Core Requirement What an undeclared sophomore's schedule looks like:
Fall Language (continued - if applicable) PH105 or PH018 and/or 100 level TH course Major/Elective (x2 if applicable) Note: Undeclared sophomores must declare a major before the spring pre-registration period.
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Undeclared Advising Team
Prof. Bede Bidlack, Theology
222 Bradley House, 2nd FloorProf. Erik Cleven, Politics
3002 NHIOPAnn-Maria Contarino, English
Academic Resource Center, Roger and Francine Jean Student Center, Top FloorProf. Kevin Doran, Sociology and Social Work
5 Bradley House, Ground FloorProf. Nicole Eyet, Chemistry
2113 Goulet Science Center, 2nd FloorStephanie Fernandez, Assistant Dean for Sophmores and Academic Success
Roger and Francine Jean Student Center, Top FloorProf. Elizabeth Greguske, Biology
2322 Goulet Science Center, 2nd FloorProf. Nicole Gugliucci, Physics
3200 Goulet Science Center, 3rd FloorProf. Anne Holthoefer, Politics
3003 NHIOPBenjamin Horton, Assistant Dean for First-Year Students and Academic Support Services
Roger and Francine Jean Student Center, Top FloorProf. Matthew Hurley, Chemistry
1104 Goulet Science Center, Lower LevelKarlea Joiner, Assistant Dean of Students
Alumni Hall, 1st Floor NorthProf. Thomas Larson, Philosophy
303 Bradley House, 3rd FloorProf. Sean Parr, Fine Arts
101 Alumni Hall, Ground Level South HallProf. Gilberto Ruiz, Theology
223 Bradley House, 2nd FloorProf. Stephen Shea, Mathematics
208 Bradley House, 2nd FloorProf. Patricia Sullivan, Theology
228 Bradley House, 2nd FloorKenneth Walker, Director of the Academic Resource Center
Academic Resource Center, Roger and Francine Jean Student Center, Top Floor -
Myths About Majors
Myth 1
Your major determines your career
While it is true that some fields-e.g., nursing, engineering, accounting-demand a specific undergraduate degree, many liberal arts graduates work in fields unrelated to their major. You do not have to be a business major to work in business when you graduate, or an English major to work in journalism, or a politics major to work in government.
Liberal arts graduates enter a variety of occupations regardless of their majors. But a word of caution: although your specific major may not be critical to obtaining meaningful post-graduate employment, demonstrable skills are. You can develop employable skills during your four undergraduate years through academic course work, volunteer experiences, internships, summer employment, and in numerous other ways.
Myth 2
All you can do with an English/history/language major is teach
Although you may believe that a field like English, history, philosophy, or the languages limits your career options, hard evidence suggests that this is not the case. In a recent semester, English and history majors were preparing for their careers by doing internships in law offices, government agencies, newspapers, local television studios, advertising agencies, public relations firms, magazines, and in local schools. Other students were preparing for law school, medical school, and other graduate work.
If you still haven't selected a major and you are unsure of the career prospects associated with a given major, you are encouraged to sit down with your department chair or someone from Career Services to discuss what other Saint Anselm graduates are doing with their degrees.
Myth 3
I'll love every class in my major
It is a rare student who loves every class in his or her chosen major. Don't be discouraged too early from continuing in a major if an introductory class isn't the best class you have ever had. Review the requirements and upper-level courses in a major and talk to professors in the major about your interests. You might find that a little patience pays off.
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Department Chairs and Directors
Department/Program Chair Ext. Box # Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental Science, Natural Science Prof. Brian Penney 7149 1742 Chemistry, Forensic Science Prof. Carolyn Weinreb 7154 1704 Classics, Latin, Greek, Classical Archaeology Prof. Matthew Gonzales 7068 1616 Computer Science, Computer Science w/ Business, Computer Science w/ Math Prof. Carol Traynor 656-6021 1658 Criminal Justice Prof. Peter Cordella 7067 1706 Economics and Business, Accounting, Finance, International Business, Marketing Prof. Jennifer Kelber 7389 1659 Education Prof. Bede Bidlack 7072 1690 English, Communication Prof. Bindu Malieckal 7039 1626 Fine Arts Prof. Katherine Bentz 7275 1612 History, American Studies Prof. Hugh Dubrulle 7048 1753 Mathematics, Mathematics w/ Economics Prof. Stephen Shea 7681 1792 Modern Languages, French, Spanish, German Studies Prof. Jaime Orrego 7232 1707 Nursing Prof. Maureen O'Reilly 7084 1745 Philosophy, Great Books Prof. Joshua Tepley 7055 1684 Physics, Engineering Physics (3-2 Program) Prof. Ian Durham 222-4073 1759 Politics, Environmental Studies, International Relations Prof. Jennifer Lucas 222-4151 1802 Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Prof. Paul Finn 7131 1608 Sociology, Social Work Prof. Tauna Sisco 656-6031 1677 Theology Prof. Ahida Pilarski 7686 1767 Peace and Justice Studies Prof. Sara Smits Keeney 7127 1614