Advising
How We Meet the Needs of Our Students
The School of Art provides a professional advisor and faculty mentors to meet the needs of our students.
When you begin as a student, you will be assigned to our professional staff advisor for all primary advising (clearing registration holds, discussing graduation requirements, etc). You will be assigned a faculty mentor after you pass a portfolio review to take upper-level classes. At this point, you will be expected to meet with your faculty mentor at least once per year.
The UT School of Art offers undergraduate work leading to degree completion in B.F.A. Studio Art (2D, 3D or 4D concentrations), B.A. Art, or B.A. Art History. We also offer minors in Studio Art and Art History. UT also offers a B.A. Interdisciplinary Program with a concentration in Cinema Studies. This program also offers a minor in Cinema Studies.
Declare your major or minor in the School of Art or Cinema Studies online using the forms linked. Within two weeks of submitting your request, your student profile in MyUTK will be updated to reflect the new declaration and any related changes to your academic advisor.
Helpful Information
Meet Your Advisor
Alexandra Morrissette is the professional academic advisor for the School of Art and the Cinema Studies program.
Schedule an advising appointment with Alexandra through Vol Academic Connect.
About Alexandra Morrissette
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Education: MFA, Studio Art, University of North Carolina, Greensboro; BFA, Studio Art, University of Dayton
Artist Statement: Existing in a state of constant balance, my work explores what it means to erect, assert, deteriorate, and fall in tandem. I am interested in how the monumental, in relation to body, can encompass fragility. Each material embraces the essence of its stability by a wearing into strength rather than out into uselessness. Sliced, torn, stitched, and stapled back together, these scars and imperfection are embedded into each fractured surface. Through this destruction, sculptural forms embody resilience while also asserting their power and strength through the silence of the overlooked.
Educational Philosophy: I believe education exists beyond the classroom and is a continuous life-long journey involving self-discovery. The resources available to you through higher education are invitations to reach beyond familiarity and go deeper within your quest for knowledge. Maybe the most valuable lesson you could learn is growth is not linear. So embrace your failures, honor your success, and be open to new experiences. You are exactly where you need to be.
Personal Interests: I spend most of my free time in my studio creating new work, but I also enjoy spending time with friends, sipping chai or hot lemon/honey/ginger water, listening to records while I cook, waking up super early, and a daily ritual of journaling while using soul tarot to meditate.
Favorite Quote: “Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
What Does Your Academic Advisor Do?
In addition to helping plan your course schedule, your advisor can help with the following:
- Study Abroad
- SAP Appeals
- Academic Probation Appointments
- Transfer Questions
- Petitions
- Career Planning
- ROTC Plans
- Graduation Checks
All students in the School of Art can meet with their academic advisor for supplemental assistance with transfer work, petitions, study abroad paperwork, ROTC plans, financial aid documentation, academic crisis advising, etc. (A good rule of thumb is if you need something signed, you should schedule an appointment with your advisor).
Note: First- and second-year students who have questions about their advanced art courses may be referred to a faculty mentor for supplemental consultation.
Advising and Registration Forms
Advising Forms
Form: Academic Probation Evaluation
Contract between Student & Instructor
This form is required for independent study, capstone, and more. Forms signed electronically by the instructor must be submitted to the School of Art office by the instructor directly (either by email or in person).
This form illustrates standard class times at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Use the form to avoid time conflicts as you plan your class schedule.
Petition Information & Forms
Form: Curricular Exception Petition
Form: General Education Petition
Administrative Forms
