Within two days of confirming your enrollment, you will receive an email from the student support team prompting you to sign up for a phone call on a day/time that is convenient for you.

The purpose of this phone call, an in-depth conversation that will last 30–45 minutes, is to connect with your student support adviser (SSA) to go through the onboarding timeline and answer any initial questions you may have. Your SSA will call you during your appointment window.

As a part of your continued onboarding and student support, you will be asked to set up student success planning calls with your SSA. During your first term, you will schedule two or three of these check-in calls, each of which will last 10–15 minutes.

The purpose of these sessions is to identify strengths and challenges you may face in the program, and then use those strengths and challenges to develop academic goals to remain focused on your success in the program.

Your SSA will send you information on scheduling your success planning Session prior to the start of classes. You also can reach out to the team to schedule a session:

Call the Student Support Team at (877) 864-9972.

Email the Student Support Team at studentsupport@onlinemph.unc.edu.

As a student at UNC Gillings, you’ll be paired with experts who are invested in your experience and success.

In addition to the onboarding support described above, your SSA will provide:

Your SSA can also help you “triage” requests for assistance, identifying the appropriate individual or office for any issue you may encounter as a student.

To ensure you always have access to these resources, our advisers work as a team. If your individual SSA is not available, other SSAs can help with basic questions and support.

Your academic coordinator will be a Gillings School student affairs professional. This person will serve as your primary academic adviser. You can rely on them for assistance in navigating academic policies, procedures, program requirements and campus resources.

Your coordinator will also work closely with your SSA to track your progress in the program and coordinate necessary paperwork including, but not limited to:

Your academic coordinator will be available via email, appointment and/or group/cohort academic advising sessions.

You’ll also be paired with a faculty mentor, who will provide expert, discipline-specific career guidance; networking and conference opportunities; and professional development advice. faculty mentor often write letters of reference and support students who are seeking specific funding, award or job opportunities.

Your faculty mentor will also play an important role in your practicum experience by clarifying learning objectives, helping you make decisions about placement opportunities, and grading your final product.

Once you’ve been paired with a faculty mentor, you should contact them by email to request a meeting and introduce yourself. If you do not receive a reply to the first message within two business days, please feel free to follow up.