University of Minnesota
Department of English
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Department of English

Home > Undergraduate Studies : Advising

Advising

An academic adviser (faculty member, professional staff member, or student peer) helps a student select, plan, and complete academic goals without unnecessary delays and expense. Work closely with your adviser so that you can take required courses in sequence to meet both English and CLA requirements.

Upper Division students in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) have at least two academic advisers. One is the college adviser who oversees the student's entire degree progress. English majors have CLA Advisers through CLA Advising. Honors degree candidates in English have CLA advisers in the Honors Program office, 20 Nicholson Hall (612-624-5522). A student's other adviser is the major department adviser. English majors and students considering an English major meet with departmental advisers in the English Undergraduate Studies Office, 227 Lind Hall (612-625-4592).

Greetings from Beverly Atkinson

Beverly Atkinson is Academic Adviser and Associate Director, Undergraduate Studies.

Welcome to the English Undergraduate Studies program on the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Our advising and student support services staff members are eager to help you feel at home in the English. Please introduce yourselves.

My own educational experience is fairly traditional: an English B.A. from Maryville College (Tennessee) and an English M.A. right here in the UMTC English Department. It was an interesting migration from my hometown of Coral Gables, Florida.

What I never expected is how much I enjoy advising undergraduate students and consulting with faculty, graduate instructors, and lecturers in their teaching of undergraduates! My professional experience includes about thirty years of advising and student support services administration, all in the academic department setting. I am thrilled by student and alumnae/i narratives at all stages, from prospective major to study abroad student, transitioning senior to recent and distant alums. My colleagues and I genuinely welcome each and every student as a unique individual.

Although I have never studied abroad, I encourage and support you in doing so as you continue to participate in our very international world culture. My travels have taken me to many places in the United States and Canada, and briefly to Ireland and England. In September 2005 my husband Steve and I successfully summited Uhuru Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, and were also amazed at the rich and beautiful wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti Plain. “Uhuru” means “Freedom” in Swahili; this peak was renamed Uhuru soon after the Republic of Tanzania achieved independence in October 1964.

My career (that is, life in the broadest sense) includes family (husband Steve and adult son Robert and his wife Liza), some community service through a women’s organization http://www.peointernational.org, gardening, hiking, and book group discussions with close friends and colleagues including Kit Gordon (Academic Adviszer, CLA Honors) and Karen Frederickson (Administrative Specialist, English Graduate Studies).

I look forward to meeting you and swapping stories and book titles!

Greetings from Rebecca Aylesworth

Rebecca Aylesworth is Assistant Academic Adviser.

Welcome to the English Department at the University of Minnesota! One of the things I enjoy most about my job is meeting with students and learning about their backgrounds and interests. Here is a bit about me: I have B.A. with majors in English and Scandinavian Languages and Literature, as well as a master’s degree in Educational Psychology, both from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. I have lived in Minneapolis for over 10 years and have really grown to love the area and all it has to offer.

I grew up in Northern Wisconsin and had an amazing experience as an exchange student to Vetlanda, Sweden, during my junior year of high school. After traveling abroad, I just couldn’t wait to go on another study abroad experience and traveled back to Sweden in college as well. I would encourage each of you to consider a study abroad experience. I know that my own time abroad was life-changing, and I feel that international travel and cultural exchange is something that every college student should have the opportunity to experience.

In addition to my work as an adviser in the English Department, I also am an academic adviser in the Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. I enjoy working with a diverse population of students, and I get many opportunities to do so in my appointment as an adviser in two different academic units. I also work with freshman orientation students in the College of Liberal Arts during the summer, during which I introduce students to the University of Minnesota and the college. I advise transfer students majoring in English or Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies as well. I have been working in higher education for about six years, and as an academic adviser at UMNTC for five years.

My non-academic interests involve spending time with my young daughter, who is a bright spot of happiness in my life. I also enjoy spending time in the outdoors, including activities such as hiking, camping, kayaking, gardening and rock climbing.

I always enjoy meeting with students, so please feel free to stop by 227 Lind Hall and visit!

bev atkinson

Academic adviser Beverly Atkinson

"Participating in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) was one of the most defining experiences of my undergraduate education. The project introduced me to a network and community of resources that broadened my knowledge of the value and practice of research. . . . Perhaps the most empowering part of the project, however, was eventually realizing that others were genuinely interested in what I thought and said, and that it is never too early to begin asking questions."

Mark A.