Advising and Student Success | Herbert College of Agriculture

Student success is at the center of everything we do in the Herbert College of Agriculture. We strive to empower, support, engage, educate, and connect our students through inclusive and holistic efforts.

Advising
Student Success
New Students

How Advising Works in Herbert

Advising at the Herbert College of Agriculture is based upon a hybridized advising model that blends faculty mentoring and professional academic advising. Most departments at Herbert have a student success advisor and will also have faculty mentors. For the departments that do not have a student success advisor, the student will be assigned a faculty advisor.

If you have questions or feedback about advising in the Herbert College of Agriculture, please reach out to Amber Rayborn at prayborn@utk.edu.

Who is my advisor?

Kallie Noblin, Student Services Coordinator, Animal Science

Mika Douglas, Student Success Advisor, Animal Science

Ally Lay, Student Success Advisor, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications

Ally Lay, Student Success Advisor, Agricultural and Resource Economics

Sonja Burk, Student Success Advisor, Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science

Sonja Burk, Student Success Advisor, Construction Science and Management

Janiece Pigg, Student Success Advisor, Environmental and Soil Sciences

Kevin Moulton, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator, Entomology and Plant Pathology

Vermont Dia, Associate Professor, Food Science

Karen Jones, Lecturer, Food Science

David Golden, Professor, Food Science

Andy Pulte, Distinguished Lecturer and Director, Public Horticulture, Horticulture Science and Plant Production

David Butler, Professor, Organic Production

C. Neal Stewart, Professor and Director, Plant Genetics and Biotechnology

Mike Ross, Assistant Professor, Sustainable Landscape Design

Brandon Horvath, Professor, and John Sorochan, Distinguished Professor, Turfgrass Science and Management

Aleigha Cope, Student Success Advisor, School of Natural Resources

Invest in Success

Frequently Asked Questions

Please refer to the catalog for university level advising policy and requirements. You are encouraged to reach out to your advisor at any time for questions or concerns related to advising or success here at Herbert. Your advisor will also be reaching out to schedule advising appointments and campaigns.

uTrack acts like an academic GPS that guides students to progression and graduation within their chosen academic program. There are uTrack milestones for each degree program and it’s integral to student success to know where to find those to ensure they are being met. Please refer to the registrar’s link to learn more about uTrack.

DARS stands for Degree Audit Reporting System. Students are encouraged STRONGLY to check their DARS report regularly. See more detailed information about DARS here.

This depends upon a student’s major/concentration. However, students can see who their advisor is through MyUTK.

The Registrar’s calendar is a great resource for dates and deadlines.

Please refer to One Stop about items such as these.

More information about what SAP is and how to appeal can be found on One Stop’s website.

Useful resources for exploring other majors are University Exploratory within the Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration.

Welcome to the Herbert Family

Your Volunteer adventure begins with student orientation, or New Vol Experience.

Through New Vol Experience, you’ll join other new students in presentations and small-group discussions that will help you enter UT informed and confident. You’ll find answers to your questions, meet with your academic advisor, and register for your first-semester classes.

Herbert Life LLC

The Herbert Life Living and Learning Community (LLC) provides you with opportunities to connect with classmates and explore the various programs of study within the college. You will participate in experiential learning workshops, programs, a team-building/first-year studies course, and field trips conducted by faculty and staff members throughout the Herbert College of Agriculture for the purpose of learning how all majors and departments in the college are interconnected.

You will also impact the Knoxville community by completing group-based service projects each semester. By living in the same residence hall and taking courses with your peers, you will quickly meet others who share the same academic or career interests, form study groups, and expand upon the educational component of your classes.

Community Requirements

As a Herbert Life LLC member, you must be a first-year student with a Herbert College of Agriculture major. You are required to enroll in AGNR 103: Teambuilding (during both the fall and spring semesters). LLC participants are expected to attend class, participate in LLC programs and complete the required course assignments. Failure to enroll, attend, and participate in the year-long course will result in early dismissal from the LLC program.

Contact

For questions about Herbert Life LLC, please contact Herbert student life coordinator Madalyn Walker.

Your First Year

First-Year Studies (FYS) is devoted to ensuring a smooth transition and a successful experience for all students in their first year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Explore course options at the Herbert College of Agriculture and across campus.

Herbert students have various options for first-year courses that aim to acclimate them to their major area, career options, and student success strategies. Reach out to your advisor to discuss first-year courses for your specific major.

Tips for New Student Advising

From using Zoom to transfer credits and class registration, watch our video for tips on how to prepare for your new student virtual advising appointment.

Log into MyUTK and click on the link or Navigate-Vol Academic Connect. At the bottom of your home page you will find your academic advisor listed.

Contact your advisor