First Year Advising
Explore Your Future at the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) Majors Fair
Join us for a drop-in style event (come when you can, and stay for as long as you want) where you can connect with faculty, staff advisors, and peer advisors about majors, minors, certificates, and academic planning.
What to expect:
- All majors in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) will have a table, as well some other STEM -related programs including:
- CNS Career & Professional Development
- Majors and programs from the School of Earth and Sustainability, including the School of Public Policy, Landscape Architecture & Sustainable Community Development, and MS Geography
- Riccio College of Engineering
- Manning College of Information & Computer Sciences
- College of Education
- School of Public Health & Health Sciences
CNS First Year Advising will be there to help you:
- brainstorm questions to ask department reps
- start creating a 4-year plan
- change into or add a CNS major, if you're ready
RSVP here to let us know you'll be attending!
About Us
First year students with a primary major in the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) are assigned a First Year Advisor (FYA). Our FYAs advise clusters of CNS majors and are experts in helping students navigate the transition from high school to college.
Your FYA can help you:
- Register for classes
- Navigate UMass and adjust to college life
- Explore majors and academic opportunities
- Connect with campus resources and support services
At the end of your first year, your FYA will help you transition to an Upper-Level Advisor, who will support you from sophomore year through graduation.
Students in our A.S. degrees are advised by their major department as soon as they enter UMass and begin their degree program.
You'll be assigned to a First Year Advisor based on your primary major—and your assigned FYA may change if your major changes. To view your assigned advisor, log in to SPIRE. Select the Academics tile and then Advisor & Academic Summary to view your advisor.
Contact CNS First Year Advising
Lederle Graduate Research Tower (LGRT) Room 122
cnsfirstyearadvising [at] umass [dot] edu (cnsfirstyearadvising[at]umass[dot]edu)
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM. Please note our office is closed on holidays and during campus emergency closures.
CNS Petitions & Forms
CNS requires Petitions and Forms for certain requests and exceptions. We highly encourage first year students to meet with their assigned advisor to determine whether or not you need to complete any of these documents and when to do so.
Common Questions & Procedures
Making an advising appointment during the semester
Schedule an in person or virtual appointment with your assigned advisor through Navigate.
- Click the blue "Make an Appointment" button.
- Under what type of appointment would you like to schedule? select Advising.
- Choose the reason for the appointment. When in doubt, choose Academic Advising.
- Select a date then click "Find Available Time" to see your assigned advisor's calendar.
Make scheduling even easier by downloading the Navigate app!
Declare, change, or add a CNS major
The first step to declare, change, or add a CNS Major is to review our change of major guidelines on the CNS Petitions & Forms page. This applies to:
- CNS students changing from one CNS major to another
- Students from other schools/colleges who want to switch into a CNS major
- Any student who wants to add a secondary major in CNS
CNS First Year Advising Directory
Tonya Blundon
Tonya Blundon is the Director of CNS First Year Advising.
Emily Rodgers
Emily Rodgers is an Office Manager for CNS First Year Advising.
Aly Kosteva
Aly Kosteva is a first year advisor in CNS First Year Advising.
Anna Ostow
Anna Ostow is a first year advisor in CNS First Year Advising.
Brian Strauss
Brian Strauss is a first year advisor in CNS First Year Advising.
Lyn Broyles
Lyn Broyles is a first year advisor in CNS First Year Advising.
Madeline Wood
Madeline (Maddie) Wood is a first year advisor in CNS First Year Advising.
Maia Valcarce
Maia Valcarce is a first year advisor in CNS First Year Advising.
