Advising

Start-of-Semester Group Meeting

Our department holds a group meeting at the beginning of each semester, most often on the first Wednesday of the semester from 3:30 - 5 p.m. This is your chance to meet faculty and students, greet new and old friends, and learn what's new related to advising, auditions, special classes and other important topics and opportunities.

All Students Have an Adviser

First-year students (freshmen) see First Year Experience (FYE) advisor David White. When you have a moment, and settle into the department, try to meet with faculty whose interests match yours. For example, lighting design students should meet with Jay Herzog and introduce themselves. This is the best way to find out about specific opportunities within the department.

Transfer students will be scheduled by New Student Programs for a transfer advising session. At that time you will be advised into courses and create a schedule for the coming your first semester. If you are an BFA in Acting student, you are advised as to where in the sequence of courses you will begin. Most students, begin from the beginning of the sequence, but this is based on a students individual audition. Following transfer advising, students should schedule with the chairperson to have their theatre transfer courses evaluated by the chair before the start of the semester to check for those that equate.

Donna Fox advises all theatre minors. Minors should attend the semester’s opening meeting as the information is important to them.

All other students are assigned an adviser when they declare their major and track.  This is usually a faculty member in the track you are pursuing. If you do not have an adviser, please call the office at (410) 704-2792 or email Academic Program Coordinator Katie Simmons-Barth at ksimmonsbarth AT_TOWSON, so that you can be assigned a faculty adviser.

Advising Day (Obtaining Your Schedule for Next Semester)

Each semester, you must see your adviser during advising week to get a schedule for the upcoming semester.  These weeks are often the last weeks in October and February.

Declared majors and minors will recieve an email of the advising schedule prior to advising week. Prospective majors and minors should contact the Department of Theatre Arts Office to obtain current advising week schedules.

During advising week faculty will have a schedule of times posted on their door for you to sign up for your meeting.

You must come to the advising session with your proposed schedule.  Do not expect to begin the process with your advisers, as an advising sessions is not long enough to build a full schedule.  Please prepare alternative classes to your schedule.  Although the advisers might see problems with your progress toward graduation, they are not responsible for your completion of your degree. You are. Students who miss advising sessions may not be able to get into their classes required for graduation.

Following the advising session, all students bring their signed advising sheets to the Theatre Arts Department office. Students who do not bring an advising sheet to the office will not obtain permission to register for Department of Theatre Arts courses requiring Department or Instructor Consent.

Special classes to be offered in the upcoming semester will be posted by the department.

Take Note

Theatre majors should not take classes that end after 5 p.m. to avoid potential conflicts with rehearsals. 

The “callway” is a place where we share information with students.  This is located between the Mainstage Theatre and the dressing rooms.  It is also the place most students congregate.