Faculty advisors assigned to MA students are responsible for assisting them in discovering and participating in appropriate channels of scholarly, professional, and disciplinary exchange; and for helping students develop the professional research, teaching, and networking skills that are required for a variety of career options, both within and outside academia. By doing this, advisors play a crucial role in the development and success of our graduate students, engaging with the next generation of researchers and scholars.
The advisor-advisee relationship is a cooperative partnership that should be based on mutual respect and acceptance of responsibilities. In this document, we describe the main responsibilities of advisors and students, as well as the channels available to resolve problems that can appear in this relationship.
Responsibilities for MA AdvisorsAn effective academic advisor has the following responsibilities:
Have basic knowledge of MA program requirements and the Graduate School policies regarding academic milestones.Listen to and support an advisee鈥檚 scholarly and professional goals.Help the advisee develop a timeline for completing academic requirements and meeting professional goals. Take reasonable measures to ensure that this timeline is met.Communicate clearly and frequently with an advisee about expectations and responsibilities.Meet with an advisee to review progress, challenges, and goals. Advisors should meet with their students at least once a semester, prior to registration. They should have at least one additional meeting with incoming students at the start of their first semester.Encourage openness about any challenges or difficulties that impact the graduate student experience and work with the advisee to resolve any challenges.Act as a liaison between the student and the Director of Graduate Studies and the department.Be aware of institutional resources that can provide support to advisees in times of academic, professional, and personal challenges and whom you, as an advisor, may consult for further guidance.Notify the Director of Graduate Studies if you know or suspect that your advisee is facing significant academic or personal challenges.Responsibilities for StudentsTo be an effective advisee, students have the following responsibilities:
Become familiar with the graduate program requirements and the Graduate School policies regarding academic milestones.Work with your advisor to develop a timeline for completing academic requirements and meeting professional goals.Devote an appropriate amount of time and energy toward achieving academic excellence and earning the advanced degree in a timely fashion.Take the initiative. Be proactive in finding answers to questions and in planning your future steps.Meet with their advisors once a semester, before registration. First-year students should also meet with their advisors at the start of their first semester.Be honest with your advisors. Alert them about any difficulties you may have about program requirements, normal progress, and performance expectations.Be willing to be mentored and open to feedback. Listen and respond appropriately to recommendations from advisors.Be mindful of time constraints and other demands imposed on faculty members and program staff.Problem resolutionAs with any other relationship, the advisor-advisee partnership may fail to function as expected. There may be multiple reasons for this. For example, the advisor or the advisee may repeatedly fail to satisfy the responsibilities described earlier; or the advisor and advisee may have a personal conflict that cannot be easily resolved.
These situations should be discussed first with the Director of Graduate Studies, and subsequently, and only if necessary, the Chair of the department. These department representatives will assist in mediating existing problems.
If the departmental efforts to resolve these problems are unsuccessful, students and faculty can refer to the Associate Dean or the Dean of the Graduate School for a formal resolution.