Get the most out of emailing your advisor.

Emailing your CSE college advisor can be a great way to connect with your advisor and ask questions. Knowing when and how to email can help make sure you get the best possible answers.

Use your UMN email 

Always send emails from your UMN email account and not from a personal email. Your university assigned student email account is the university's official means of communicating with you.

Be detailed and specific

Take a little time to think about all of your questions before writing your email. Send all of your questions in one email to your advisor. Include detailed and specific information (such as course numbers and registration error messages) so your advisor has enough information to give you a complete answer right away. If you have multiple questions, grouping them in a bulleted list can be helpful.

Getting you to the right place 

Your advisor is part of a larger support network at UMN and you will be working with multiple faculty and staff throughout your undergraduate experience. Your advisor is a great first person to reach out to if you have questions but you are not sure who you should ask. If your question falls outside of the area of your advisor's expertise they will refer you to the person or department at the university who can best help answer your question.

Advisor response time

Advisors work standard business hours (typically 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday- Friday) and do not monitor or respond to emails during evenings, weekends, or university holidays. Expect a reply within 1 to 3 business days of sending your email. If your advisor is out of the office, it's during peak registration times, or you have complex questions, a response may require additional time.

Appointment requests

Before emailing your advisor to ask to schedule an appointment, first try to book an appointment through our online appointment scheduling system to see all of your assigned advisor's available appointments. Keep in mind that appointments must be reserved at least 48 business hours in advance and can fill up 1 to 3 weeks out, especially in the busy seasons. If you can not find an appointment time that works for your schedule, you can email your advisor to ask to schedule an appointment with three to five days and times that work for you in the next two to three weeks. Included a detailed and specific summary of what you would like to talk about in the appointment scheduler or emailed request so your advisor can review and prepare before your appointment.

Use drop-in advising for urgent needs and quick questions 

If you have an immediate question or need support sooner than the 1 to 3 business day email response time or your advisor's next available appointment, please attend drop-in advising to get a same day answer. You can also view our CSE Academic Advising FAQs and Academic Advising Blog for answers to frequently asked questions.