A student virtual learning with headphones on

Tips for Virtual (Zoom) Academic Advising

How to Prepare

Making an Appointment

Making an appointment is easy to do.
Visit the Meet Your Advising Dean / Book An Appoint webpage.

Be sure to have questions ready and be prepared with any materials or records that you may want to discuss.

If you can’t find any times available during regular hours of operation or are unable to secure an appointment that fits your schedule in the next two weeks, don’t stress! Contact Your Advising Dean.  He or she may be able to find an alternative that works for you.

You can also send your advisor questions via email, and they will get back to you within 24-48 hours Monday–Friday.

Cancelling an Appointment

Because it is such a convenient way to chat with an advisor, there are a limited number of appointments available each week for virtual advising. To ensure that everyone is accommodated, if you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment, be courteous and cancel or reschedule your appointment as soon as possible, so that others can take your slot.

Online Etiquette

Here are some helpful tips to ensure that you get the most out of your virtual advising session.

  • Think of your virtual advising appointment in the same way that you would think of a professional job interview (minus the suit)! Dress as though you are meeting your advisor in person.
  • Arrive on time! If you are more than 10 minutes late, you will need to reschedule your appointment to be sure that your advisor has adequate time to help you.
  • Be sure to turn on your Zoom video so your advisor can see you, and you can see them! It makes for a much more personalized and effective advising session.
  • Remain engaged! Try to minimize the possibility of distractions interfering with your session. While some may be hard to avoid, leaving the camera window to walk around, checking your cell phone, talking to others around you, or opening other browser windows, can substantially disrupt the quality time you should be spending with your advisor.
  • Do not invite anyone else to join your virtual advising session without agreement from your advisor.
  • Keep your Fordham email open and accessible leading up to and during your appointment. Should any complications arise, your advisor will use it to contact you with instructions or updates.