When Ella Hain, a junior majoring in computer science at Boston University, was unable to reach an advisor in the Computer Science Department for assistance with class registration, she sought help from outside her department instead.
Hain, who was looking to secure senior standing so she could register for the courses she needed to graduate early, reached out to advising at the College of Arts and Sciences and said she received a “really nasty email” in response.
The email from CAS Advising and Academic Services stated that the department could not help, as the issue fell outside their “practice” rather than any formal “policy,” Hain said.
“I was worried I wasn’t going to get the classes I needed to graduate,” Hain said. “There was no one to talk to.”
The shortage of advisors in BU’s Department of Computer Science stems from staff departures and vacancies, said Steven Jarvi, senior associate dean for student academic life in CAS. This semester, two CS advisors left BU for new positions, while another went on leave.
“It was just a series of unfortunate events that all happened at the same time,” Jarvi said.
Dora Erdos, a full-time senior lecturer and director of undergraduate studies in the CS Department, is the only advisor currently remaining.
The CS Department informed students of the changes in an email on Oct. 15. In the email, the department offered group advising and drop-in advising sessions to students as alternatives to traditional one-on-one advising.
Jarvi said the situation has left many students, particularly freshmen, unable to meet with advisors one-on-one before registering for spring classes. He said the CAS department is currently working to hire new advisors with the goal of being “up to speed” by the spring semester.
The shortage of advisors is not limited to the CS Department, but reflects a broader issue across the University.
“Every year there’s a department that’s short-handed … but not to this extent, where every professional advisor was gone,” Jarvi said.
Provost Gloria Waters and her team are “working to implement consistent advising” through “enhanced training and staff professional development opportunities,” BU Spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in a statement.
“Professional advisors at BU engage in holistic academic advising that encourages personal exploration and helps students realize their academic, career, and life goals,” Riley wrote.
Hain said some students who needed graduation-specific advising were unable to receive it due to the shortage.
“People who were graduating this semester were really worried about it,” Hain said. “A lot of people weren’t getting graduation advisors, and they also couldn’t get into contact with CS advisors to make sure they could get their classes.”
Kaylin Von Bergen, a junior majoring in computer science, said the lack of advising is “frustrating,” especially considering BU’s high tuition rates.
“I should be getting every benefit I should be getting, and I’m not,” Von Bergen said. “The fact that it affects something as big as my entire next semester is definitely really frustrating.”
Von Bergen said she initially registered for a course that would have counted towards her computer science degree. However, she was informed via email that the course was removed from the spring semester due to a “scheduling error.”
Without her spring semester courses finalized, Von Bergen said she is concerned about staying on track to graduate.
“I don’t have anybody to confirm with, if I’m doing the right things or not,” Von Bergen said. “It is a little worrying to be confident in what I’m picking and what I will pick for next semester and to make sure that it’s the best fit to get me to graduate.”
CAS senior Matt Lutkins, who is majoring in economics and sociology, said he has “two great advisors” for each of his majors, but he is aware of inconsistencies across other departments.
Lutkins said some of his friends have had “lackluster experiences with advisors,” which he said might be the result of an “overworked” staff.
With the shortage of advisors, Lutkins said students “adapt” by learning how to advise themselves, although this process can be “disheartening and dejecting.”
“Academic advisors are super important in not only helping you plan out your future success but also discuss it and work through it in a way that’s more personal and less empirical,” Lutkins said.
