English Advising

Make Every Semester Count

Seek advising regularly. Meeting with an academic advisor at San Francisco State University is essential to staying on track with your academic goals.

Whether you're an undergraduate or graduate student, advisors help you navigate course selection, degree requirements, and career planning, ensuring you make informed decisions about your academic path.

Advising Resources

Use the table below to guide you to the best advising resource based on your needs.

Advising Need	Advisor Recommendation
Choosing courses/degree planning for general education, major, minor, and certificates Understanding transfer credits Graduation check Academic success strategies Academic notice and clearing holds Exploring options for majors, minors, and certificates Petition of study abroad courses for general education Referrals to campus resources Academic policy inquiries and assistance with appeal forms	Academic Advisors at the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) OR For EOPP students – Academic Advisors from the Educational Opportunity and Pathway Programs (EOPP)
Selection of appropriate major/minor/certificate courses based on career and professional goals Course substitutions and exceptions for major/minor/certificate Opportunities for research or teaching assistantships Mentorship, careers, internships, and graduate school preparation Approval of study abroad courses for major/minor Requests and approvals for forms requiring major advisor approval	English Faculty Advisors (see advisor list and hours below)
Requests and approvals for forms requiring department chair approval Request meeting with department chair	English Department Office Email: engdept@sfsu.edu Location: HUM 484
Information about Study Abroad opportunities and application process/timelines	See Study Abroad as the first step
Graduate/Second Baccalaureate Students: General advising questions (petitions, policies/procedures, registration, and academic notice)	Division of Graduate Studies & Career Development Advising Email: gradstudies@sfsu.edu Phone: (415) 338-2234 Location: ADM 254 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm)
Graduate Students: Graduate student course planning, academic advising, Advancement to Candidacy, and Graduate Student Culminating Experience	See the Graduate Coordinator for your program or contact your Culminating Experience Committee Chair

English Department Advising

Advisors help you choose the coursework that fulfills the departmental requirements — as well as your own personal learning goals. They are also an excellent resource for finding answers to any questions that you might have. And when it comes time to convert your units into a degree, they are the ones who will sign the proper forms.

Step 1: Learn About the English Degree Requirements

English Education
Linguistics
Literature
Professional Writing & Rhetoric

Step 2: Start the English Program Advising Form

Download the English Concentration Advising Form for your English Program and fill in any courses you've taken already. Bring your form with you to every advising session to plan and track your courses.

English Education B.A. Checklist
English Linguistics B.A. Checklist
English Literature B.A. Checklist
English Professional Writing & Rhetoric B.A. Checklist

Step 3: Meet with a Faculty Advisor

See below for a list of advisors by program. Click on the faculty advisor to find their office hours and contact information.

Undergraduate Advisors

Assigned by Last Name

Your Degree Program	Advisor	Office	Email	Meeting Times	Notes
Writing Program
	Priya Abeywickrama	HUM 269	abeywick@sfsu.edu	Tues & Thurs: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Wednesday: by appointment.
	Jennifer Trainor	HUM 483	jtrainor@sfsu.edu	By appointment.
English Education
A-Z	Jim Gilligan	HUM 235	jimrgill@sfsu.edu	Monday & Wednesday: 3:30 - 4:30pm, in-person & online.	Office Hour Sign-Ups
Linguistics
A-G	Jenny Lederer	HUM 430	lederer@sfsu.edu	Monday: 2:00 - 3:00 pm & by appointment. Contact via email.	Office Hour Sign-Ups
H-M	Teresa Pratt	HUM 428	tpratt@sfsu.edu	Thursday: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm & by appointment. Contact via email.
N-Z	Anastasia Smirnova	HUM 429	smirnov@sfsu.edu	Tuesday: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm & by appointment.
Literature
A-C	Sarita Cannon	HUM 355	sncannon@sfsu.edu	Monday: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm in-person & by appointment in-person or online.	Please email to schedule an appointment
D-H	William Christmas	HUM 544	xmas@sfsu.edu	Tues & Thurs: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm & by appointment.
I-O	William Clark	HUM 342	wsclark@sfsu.edu	Mon & Wed: 12:30 - 1:30 pm & by appointment.
P-Sc	Jennifer Mylander	HUM 332	mylander@sfsu.edu	Tues & Wed: 12:30 - 1:30 pm & by appointment.	All Office Hours held on Zoom.
Si-Z	Summer Star	HUM 541	sstar@sfsu.edu	Tues & Thurs: 2:00 - 4:00 pm.
Professional Writing & Rhetoric
A-J	Bridget Gelms	HUM 546	bgelms@sfsu.edu	By appointment, in-person and online.
L-Z	Neil Lindeman	HUM 423	lindeman@sfsu.edu	By appointment, in-person and online.

Graduate Advisors

Advisor	Program Focus	Office	Email	Meeting Times	Notes
Virginia Schwarz	Composition	HUM 421	vschwarz@sfsu.edu	By appointment.
Jenny Lederer	Linguistics	HUM 430	lederer@sfsu.edu	Monday & Wednesday: 3:30 - 4:30pm, in-person & online.	Office Hour Sign-Ups
Teresa Pratt	Linguistics	HUM 428	tpratt@sfsu.edu	Thursday: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm & by appointment. Contact via email.
Anastasia Smirnova	Linguistics	HUM 429	smirnov@sfsu.edu	Tuesday: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm & by appointment.
Priya Abeywickrama	TESOL	HUM 269	abeywick@sfsu.edu	Tues & Thurs: 9:00 - 10:00 am. Wednesday: by appointment.
Kathleen De Guzman	Literature	HUM 538	krfd@sfsu.edu		On leave.
Sara Hackenberg	Literature	HUM 329	shackenb@sfsu.edu	By appointment.	Zoom link.
Julie Paulson	Literature	HUM 537	jpaulson@sfsu.edu	By appointment, in person or on Zoom.	Please email the instructor to schedule an appointment. Zoom link.

English Advising

Make Every Semester Count

Advising Resources

English Department Advising

Undergraduate Advisors

Graduate Advisors

Advisor

Program Focus

Office

Email

Meeting Times

Notes