Advising and Student Success

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.

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Undergraduate Program
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Master's Program
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Doctoral Program
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How Advising Works in Herbert

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

Who is my Advisor?

Kallie Noblin, Student Success Coordinator

Cheryl Kojima, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator, Animal Science

Ally Lay, Student Success Advisor, Agricultural Resource Economics, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication, and Exploratory

Brent N. Lamons, Assistant Professor of Practice, Undergraduate Coordinator, and Executive Director, Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications

Ally Lay, Student Success Advisor, Agricultural Resource Economics, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, and Exploratory

Jon Walton, Lecturer and Undergraduate Coordinator, Agricultural Resource Economics

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

Daniel Yoder, Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator, Biosystems Engineering

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

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

Vermont Dia, Undergraduate Coordinator

Andy Pulte, Senior Lecturer and Undergraduate Coordinator, Plant Sciences

Keima Talley, Advising Coordinator

Jennifer Franklin, Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries

Frequently Asked Questions: Undergraduate Advising

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.

The Herbert Virtual Learning Commons is a place for YOU to get the most out of your academic journey.

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 in Herbert. However, 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’s 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 regularly check their DARS report. See more detailed information about DARS here

This depends upon a student’s major/concentration; however, student’s can see who their advisor is through myutk. 

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

Please refer to onestop about items such as these. 

More information what SAP is and how to appeal if need be can be found on Onestop’s website here.

Useful resources for exploring other majors are University Exploratory, Center for Career Development, and transition coaching.


Additional Questions?

Contact the Herbert College of Agriculture


The Pendergrass Library specializes in serving students in agriculture majors.

Welcome to the Herbert Family!

Your volunteer adventure begins with orientation.

At orientation, 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 teambuilding/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 Living and Learning Community 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). Living and Learning Community 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

Anna Will

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 the the Herbert College of Agriculture and across campus.

Students in Herbert have various options of First Year courses that aim to acclimate them to their major area, career options, and student success strategies.  For the most part, these are specific to major areas with the exception of AGNR 100: Student Success in Herbert College of Agriculture.  Other major specific courses by major area.

ANSC 100: Orientation to Animal Science

AREC 110: Opportunities in Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics

FDSC 100: Science of Food

FORS 100: Forests and Forestry in American Society

WFS 100: Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries Science

WFS 101: Current Topics Wildlife Health

Student services in Herbert is a decentralized model, each academic department acts as a student services office for students declared within the respective academic major or minor.

Reach out to one of the Following Record Specialists:

Animal Science: Denice Milligan

Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Rebekah Ownby

Agricultural and Resource Economics: Dora Pratt

Entomology and Plant Pathology: Kevin Moulton

Food Science: Jessica Black

Biosystems Engineering and Environmental Soil Science: Lesia Rucker

Plant Sciences: Sandra Kitts

School of Natural Resources: Heather Inman

Are you an exploratory student (you have yet to choose a major) or a current Herbert student interested in changing your major? Follow the link to the new Discover Herbert site where you will learn about yourself, the majors offered in the Herbert College of Agriculture, and find assistance in choosing the major that best fits you!

Discover Herbert

If you need any assistance throughout this process, please email Amber Rayborn, Assistant Director of Advising and Student Success.