The Basics
Plan II Academic Advisors offer holistical support to Plan II students all throughout their life cycle at the University of Texas at Austin. Starting from their entrance into the University at orientation, all the way to their departure at graduation — students are encouraged to visit their Plan II Academic Advisors every semester. Whether they are Purely Plan II or have more than two majors, Plan II Advisors are specifically trained to assist students with understanding how Plan II will work with their unique degree plans and aspirations. Students with multiple majors are encouraged to visit their other major's department as well as Plan II Advising.
Advising Options
We offer three different advising options, detailed below. These also vary based on the season of the semester. Students can always simply schedule a general appointment to get started with speaking with an advisor. Visit the main Advising page to schedule an appointment.
General Advising Appointments (15 min)
For questions on:
- Claiming credit
- Interactive Degree Audit
- Course Schedule
- Academic life
Developmental Advising Appointments (30 min)
For questions on:
- Adding/dropping a major, minor, or certificate
- Holistic student development
- Long-term planning*
*For long-term planning, please bring a rough draft of your own plan, or download and use our template below.
Graduating Senior Support (20 min)
For seniors graduating within the next semester or two and need support with:
- Graduation Degree checks
- Need a credit to graduate
- Urgent graduation / registration issue
FERPA
FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, is a federal law that pertains to the release of and access to student educational records. The law, also known as the Buckley Amendment, applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. Go to FERPA or US Department of Education Policy Guide to learn more.
Authorization to Release Student Information Form
If a student wishes to sign a waiver allowing a Plan II advisor to discuss the student's academic record with his/her parents or other designated contact, the student must sign a waiver of the education privacy rights. The form will be kept in the student's file and will be valid for one year. The student must sign a form each year the student wishes to waive the FERPA privacy rights.
The student must come to the Plan II Honors office and see an advisor to sign the waiver. This form will not be available for download.
College of Liberal Arts Advising Information
The Plan II Honors Major is housed in the College of Liberal Arts, check out the links below for infomation on College policies and procedures such as dropping a course, full time status, maximum semester hours, etc...). If you are considering adding a second Major within the College of Liberal Arts you can find a full list of degree plans online. Lastly, the College has a wealth of additional student resources in their Handbook
- First Year Students - Peer Mentors and Peer Advising
Plan II Peer Mentors are connected to T C 125K, Community and Connections, a course strongly recommended for all first year students in their first semester. Students in this class will be part of a peer mentor pod with a Plan II upperclassman and about 10-12 other freshmen. During the summer before their first year, all Plan II students in T C 125K will provide Plan II with their preferences for peer mentors, which we aim to honor as much as possible. You can learn more about the Peer Mentors can be found on the Peer Mentor Profiles page (Fall 2022 Peer Mentor profiles are coming soon!).
Additionally, Plan II Peer Advisors are available to help freshman with their first Spring registration period. Peer advisors are upperclassmen in your other college/school, as well as College of Liberal Arts, who are trained to assist freshmen with course registration. You will learn more about Peer Advisors a few weeks before the Spring registration period begins.
Remember, the peer mentors advisors are there to help you, so use them to their fullest. They have recently walked in your shoes. They are more than happy to help with any concern you might have.
- Second Year Students - Sophomore Advising
During your second year, Plan II students are required to participate in the Sophomore Advising Program, a year-long series of events and activities that help you to connect with resources, create a plan to achieve your academic & career goals and get the most out of your remaining time at UT Austin. The components of the Sophomore Advising Program include the Sophomore Summit event, a self-reflection questionnaire and resume, Plan II Career Week, and a one-on one advising session with a UT faculty member. Participants in the Sophomore Advising Program include Plan II staff and alumni, faculty from across the campus, multiple University offices and representatives from post-graduate programs. For more information visit Sophomore Advising.
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- Third Year Students - Thesis Advising & Graduation Planning
Every third year student should meet with a Plan II Academic Advisor to review their remaining degree requirements to ensure that all needed courswork is incorporated into their graduation plan.
In addition, students should complete the thesis advising process the semester before they intend to start their thesis project. The process is designed to assist students at every step from brainstorming topics to finalizing which facuulty members to work with; in-depth details can be found on the Thesis page of the Plan II website. - Fourth Year Students - Thesis
Students working on their thesis project through Plan II are enrolled in the year-long thesis course sequence. The Plan II thesis is an independent project, much larger than any academic project you have taken on before. The periodic group meetings required as part of the thesis class aim to give students a sense of community, provide a forum for discussing thesis progress with a small group of students working on similar topics, and to present students with the information and guidance necessary for timely and successful completion of their senior thesis project.
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