Frequent, personalized feedback comes from your UWM professors and instructors. A network of academic resources for online students is available to you beyond the classroom so that you can make the most of your university experience:
- A dedicated academic advisor helps students choose the best online courses based on individual career interests and previous academic experience.
- UWM Help Center answers students’ tech questions remotely or during walk-in sessions.
- Students in core First 60 courses can access online exam review sessions or weekly online tutoring sessions facilitated by expert staff at the Student Success Center.
- Writing support is available online through the UWM Writing Center. This popular campus center posts many writing resources and “getting started” tips online to help students prepare for and schedule online writing instruction.
- The UWM Libraries offer specialized support for online students and one of the best digital collections in the country.
- UWM’s Career Communities and Services will help you explore areas of interest and potential career paths, with events to help you learn about your options, industry-specific resources to help you land a job or internship, and career advisors ready to chat and help you figure out your next steps, wherever you are in the process. Many resources are online, and virtual appointments are available.
Advisor serves students on and off campus
Serving as an advisor to online students is similar to working with students in person, but different in some critical ways.
“We pretty much act as their eyes because they’re not on campus,” says Andy Cuneo, advisor in the College of Letters & Science. He advises 30 full-time online students and an additional 70 to 100 students taking a blend of online and in-person courses. (He also teaches communication classes and advises on-campus students.)
Cuneo, who uses Skype, email, phone and texts to connect, helps online students with everything from choosing classes to applying for scholarships to resolving technical issues.
One of the biggest initial concerns for new online students, he says, is anxiety. Having worked with the UW System’s College Connection program, linking two-year campuses to UWM, he’s used to that. “I have students who told me, ‘I just can’t do online,’ but once they figured it out, they loved it.”
Cuneo is going into his 18th year as an advisor. “It’s rewarding, especially when the students appreciate the help so much. “I’m grateful for the opportunity, the work is very satisfying.”