All Karla Vehrs wants is to hear from her adviser. The UW-Madison senior and international studies major has sent four e-mail messages this semester with no response.
\You're just a number, I guess,"" she said. ""It's exactly what the university tries to avoid and that's exactly how I feel right now.""
International studies, previously international relations, is one of the largest majors at the university, and ninth within the College of Letters and Science. But with only one full-time adviser, a part-time director and a recently hired part-time front office worker, the office could have more resources, according to Director Michael Barnett.
""One of my perennial complaints is that this is actually a very large and important major, it's the one that they go to if they want to understand something about the world, and yet it's the one that the college always does on the cheap,"" he said.
But according to Barnett, the advising situation for the major is improving. Christine Schindler became the first full-time adviser in January, after working as an adviser for the Economics Department, and said she advises students with walk-in office hours only, which change weekly because of other responsibilities in the position.
Part of the challenge with Schindler's job is that outside of serving as the adviser for close to 450 students, she must also manage the office.
""We're all doing a job that may be easier if there were two of us,"" she said, regarding the general advising situation at the university.
UW-Madison senior Kyle Cullen said he has sought advising several times, and notices that although around this time of year it is busier in the office, it is not difficult to see the adviser throughout the semester.
""Lately there've been fluctuation hours, which has been kind of frustrating for graduation because I want to get my stuff together, but it's just a matter of coming in the building more than once a week, so it's not a big deal,"" he said.
For Vehrs, one frustration remains the turnover in advisers. Before Schindler began this semester, Liane Kosaki, now the political science adviser, served for about a year. The adviser prior to that left after about a year to return to graduate school.
""There's constantly someone new running it who doesn't know you, doesn't know your story,"" she said.
Barnett said that the turnover is due to several factors.
""Liane found the job of her dreams; she assures me it had nothing to do with me,"" he said.
Advisers may also leave because of more prestigious and higher-paying jobs, Barnett said.
""Advising is a great profession and people work really hard, but they're not always well-compensated for their efforts,"" he said.
Still, Barnett said he hopes Schindler will not fall into the pattern.
""Christine says she's around for the duration, and I certainly hope so because she put nails in the walls and hung up all of her paintings so I think she's around for a while,"" he said.
