Don’t Forget!

Students only have until this Wednesday, April 29 to elect for pass/fail grading for any or all Spring 2020 courses. This option is unique to this semester, and is a very wise choice for many students. For more information on the details of this pass/fail grading option, see our previous post.

Also, don’t forget that the final exam schedule has been moved back by one hour to help accommodate students outside the eastern standard time zone. Students whose adjusted final exam times fall outside of the 6:00 am – 10:00 pm window in their own time zone should contact their instructors to make a plan to take the exam at a more reasonable time. More information can be found on the University Registrar’s website.

Good luck with final exams, everyone!

Announcing Virtual Peer Advising Office Hours!

With course enrollment beginning in just a few days, we wanted to make sure we are available to help you all as much as possible. Whether you have questions regarding course enrollment, remote learning, or anything else under the sun, you will now be able to virtually drop in and discuss with your EnviSci Peer Advisors.

Our new office hours schedule runs Monday through Thursday 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. To join us, follow this Zoom link, and one of us will be there to assist you. As with any Zoom meeting, the best results are had if you have the latest version of Zoom downloaded on your computer. If you don’t already have Zoom downloaded, or if you want more technical help with the software, visit the UMass IT Zoom webpage.

If you are busy during our office hours, or if you prefer to communicate through email, you can find our contact information here. We hope you’re all doing well!

Right Now is the Perfect Time to Reach Out to the CNS Career and Professional Development Center

With the enormous disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is easy to lose sight of the future. Luckily, we all have the CNS Career Advisors to help us regain focus on looking for jobs, internships, etc. Here’s what you can do to get in touch with a CNS Career Advisor:

1. Schedule a one-on-one appointment through Handshake. To make sure your appointment goes smoothly…
   • download Zoom to your computer,
   • check your email inbox and spam folder before your appointment time for a Zoom link
   • and use the link to join your advisor at your appointment time.
2. Talk to a Career Peer Advisor on weekdays from 10am – 5pm. Use this Zoom link (Zoom ID 646 595 9133) to enter the waiting room, where you can relax until it is your turn to see a Peer Advisor.
3. Join a Career Hangout! Stop in on Fridays from noon – 1pm to ask questions and to hang out with the Career Advisors. Check Handshake weekly to find the Zoom ID.

And don’t forget, the EnviSci Peer Advisors are here for you, too! We will be announcing our own Zoom virtual office hours next week, just in time for course enrollment.

Checklist for Preparing for your Fall 2020 Enrollment Appointment

The University’s decision to delay the beginning of course enrollment until April 8th allows students more time to prepare their schedules for the Fall 2020 semester. Students who have EnviSci as their primary major will see a hold described as “Prevents enrollment: Fall 2020” listed in the “Holds” box on the righthand side of the Spire Student Center. As usual, you must discuss your enrollment plans for Fall 2020 with your primary faculty advisor (listed on the Spire Student Center) before they can remove this hold for you. With all the confusion going on in the world, we want to make sure that you’re ready to “meet” (or zoom…) with your advisor before enrollment begins. Here are some reminders:

• Scroll through your Academic Requirement Report (“ARR NoShopping Cart” in the “Other Academic” dropdown menu on Spire’s Student Center) to understand which requirements you have completed and which you still need to address. Tip: Open all the tabs on the ARR, to make sure there are no unfulfilled requirements hidden from view.
• The courses for Fall 2020 are now visible in Spire. Make a list of which courses you want to take, and add them to your shopping cart. 
• Plan ahead using the Curriculum Planning Worksheet (and other helpful resources) so you are prepared for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Juniors are encouraged to plan out all of their remaining semesters at UMass. This can be especially important, as some courses are only offered during the first or second semester of the year, and some courses are only offered every other year. Tip: the term “first semester” refers to the first semester in the calendar year, i.e. Spring semester, and “second semester” refers to the second semester of the calendar year, i.e. Fall semester.
• Use Spire’s Schedule Builder tool to make sure all your courses can fit together in a weekly schedule. This tool can be found to the left of the “Fall 2020 Shopping Cart” in the “Add Classes/Shopping Cart” section on Spire.
• List out any and all questions you have about Fall 2020 semester, and all other questions regarding future semesters, summer internships, research, jobs, domestic exchange, international programs, study abroad, honors college, etc. Your meeting with your primary advisor is a good time to ask these questions, as your advisor will be able to help you answer them or direct you to someone with more specific knowledge.

As always, we want to help you succeed, so don’t hesitate to contact any of the Peer Advisors or other EnviSci advisors!

Welcome Back, Everyone!

The beginning of the semester can be hectic, so we’re here to remind you that the add/drop period ends after next Monday, February 4th. Through Monday, students are free to enroll in or drop courses using Spire without any record on their transcript. But students opting to add or drop any courses are advised to keep these points in mind…

1. The minimum credit load to maintain status as a full time student is 12 credits. Be careful your credit load does not drop below 12 credits if you decide to drop a course. The best way to avoid this? Enroll in another course before dropping the first one.
2. Students enrolling in a course during add/drop are responsible for any course material or work assigned in the first week. If you enroll in a new course and aren’t sure what you’re responsible for, contact the professor.
3. After Monday, students wishing to drop courses will still be able to do so through March 24th. However, between February 4th and March 24th dropped classes will appear with a “W” meaning “withdrawn” on students’ transcripts.

And as always, if you have questions about add/drop, don’t hesitate to contact an advisor.

Spring Semester is Back, and that Means the Research Opportunities are Here for the Taking!

UMass in an R1 University, so for students this means there are tons of chances to get research experience with professors. Within the Environmental Science Program, there are plenty of ways for students to get involved, and the most direct way is to apply to opportunities from the list included below. But make sure to apply soon; the priority deadline for applications is Friday, January 24th!

Undergrad Research Opportunities Spring 2020

This list is compiled at the beginning of every semester, and includes descriptions of projects that professors are looking for undergrads to work on. If you’re in the major, you should receive an email with this information at the beginning of every semester. Good luck to all who apply!