Undergraduate Advising

Communication Advising and the Communication Commons

Department of Communication academic advisers are the main resource for current and prospective students to learn about the Department’s majors and programs. They can assist students with academic planning, internships, research, study abroad, graduation, graduate school, and career development. Our advisers are also available to provide referrals to resources both on and off campus.

Students are also welcome to use the Communication Advising Office/Commons space for individual and group study. No reservations are needed and students are welcome to come in if our office is open. To set up an advising appointment, please see our contact and advising appointment information below.

Contact Information:
Communications 118
Email: comadv@uw.edu
Call: (206) 543-8860

Advising appointments

At this time, all advising appointments are offered either in-person or virtually via Zoom. If you would like to set up an appointment outside of the offered slots, please contact comadv@uw.edu.

If you are a student who is currently located in a time zone different than the one in Seattle (Pacific Daylight Time or Pacific Standard Time), please email comadv@uw.edu to set up an appointment outside of the offered times if you are wanting one that better accommodates your schedule.

Drop-in advising

Drop-in advising is on an as-available basis. If you have time-sensitive questions, please either schedule an appointment or email comadv@uw.edu.

For more information on what constitutes an advising appointment versus a drop-in, please see our FAQ page.

Appointment etiquette

When signing up for your advising appointment, please keep in mind that this is a professional meeting and we request that you arrive on-time to respect your adviser’s and fellow students’ schedules. If you know that you will be late, please inform your adviser in case you need to reschedule.

Late appointment policy

If you are more than 15 minutes late to your scheduled advising appointment, you will be asked to reschedule. This policy serves as a reminder to be respectful of fellow students’ time. Advising appointments are in high demand and can be difficult to schedule. A “no-show” deprives another student the opportunity to meet with their adviser and takes away from advisers’ time to assist students.

Canceling appointments

If you need to cancel a scheduled appointment, please give 24 hours advance notice.

Meet the staff

Erika Justine Samson, M.Ed., (she/her)
Director of Academic Services

Contact
E-Mail: samsonej@uw.edu
Office: Communications (CMU) 121

Background

Academic Adviser, Department of Communication, University of Washington, 2015-2017
Coordinator of Student Relations, Department of Communication, University of Washington, 2013-2015
M.Ed., Leadership in Higher Education, University of Washington, 2017
B.A., Communication with dual minors in Education, Learning, and Society (ELS) and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS), University of Washington, 2013
Study Abroad in Rome, Italy, Department of Communication, University of Washington, 2013
Mentor, Dream Project, University of Washington, 2011-2012

About Erika

I first discovered my passion for academic advising when I was a Mentor for the Dream Project at the University of Washington. I loved that work and knew I always wanted a career that helped and mentored others, but didn’t realize I could do it in an educational setting, let alone at the University of Washington!

In my role as Director of Academic Services I manage curriculum planning for our undergraduate majors, Communication and Journalism and Public Interest Communication (JPIC), as well as advise prospective, returning, and current students within these programs. I enjoy working with students to help find and strengthen their interests and goals within communication and figuring out how to mold those into fulfilling careers. I am truly passionate about education and serving communities around me, especially with the development and advancement in higher education. With my experiences I am able to use my skills and knowledge of working with diverse groups of students at different academic levels to ensure that higher education is fully accessible – focusing on access, retention, and completion of students’ degrees.

In my spare time I love to explore the outdoors and get as much sun as I can. You can also find me trying out new recipes, playing pinball, or boxing!

Communication Advising and the Communication Commons

Advising appointments

Drop-in advising

Appointment etiquette

Late appointment policy

Canceling appointments

Meet the staff

Erika Justine Samson, M.Ed.

Virgel Paule, M.Ed.

Troy William Bonnes

Library Research Staff

Other advising resources