Academic Advising for Graduate Students
Introduction
The Department of Physics and Astronomy has always placed strong emphasis on advising graduate students in the department. The present advising system that evolved during the history of the department includes almost all aspects that are outlined in the document "Elements of Good Academic Advising" issued by the Office of the Provost.
Advising of graduate students in the department is to a large degree governed by custom and tradition but it also includes mandatory process. This document describes the practices that have served well for many years.
Advising Before Enrollment
The admissions committee encourages prospective students to review our Requirements for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, which gives detailed information on degree requirements. The admission committee and the graduate admission staff will make available other information that the applicant requests. Additional information, including application instructions, financial assistance, etc. are also available on the department web site.
Advising of New Students
The department assigns to each new student an academic advisor who will meet with a student for about one hour during the orientation week. At this time, faculty members act as academic advisors who advise students on courses, exams, and questions that the student may have. The advisors are provided with documentation of all correspondence that occurred before enrollment. The academic advisors remain the principal faculty advisors of the student until he/she begins to work with a research advisor and has completed the core course requirements. The research advisor from that time on supervises the student's research in support of his or her doctoral dissertation.
Our graduate secretary helps students with administrative and other problems.
All new students are required to take a course on "Teaching of Physics and Astronomy". The course introduces them to teaching methodology and incorporates teaching practice sessions. The course also includes talks by guest faculty members, who introduce students to their research fields. Students are also required to attend the University's New Teaching Assistant Orientation (NTAO), offered in two half-day sessions.
Students who teach during their first year (that is the majority of students) are supervised and their teaching mentored by the faculty who teach the lecture and/or lab course.
In addition to the faculty advisors, senior graduate students sometimes act as mentors of new students. Their differing perspective often is extremely valuable to incoming students.
Advising of Continuing Students
As a rule, students commence research work within about a year after passing the comprehensive examination. From that time on, the research advisor is responsible for advising the student on his/her thesis project. The advising mainly focuses on technical and scientific questions, but in practice it also includes career counseling and an introduction of the student to the scientific community by visits to national and international conferences.
The department instituted a dissertation-committee requirement long before it became mandatory. Students meet with the committee a minimum of once a year and present the committee with oral or written progress reports. At the meetings, the student is expected to outline his/her plans and objectives for further work.
Problems between research advisors and research students occasionally arise and sometimes a student may decide to terminate his/her association with a faculty member. The Graduate Director will assume the role of mediator in the case of conflicts that require such intervention.
The process of finding an appropriate post-graduate position generally begins about a year before completion of the thesis. The advisor and often other faculty with related research interests usually play an important role in finding a first position. The "apprentice system" that is traditional in the sciences provides a student with far more help and advice than any could be offered by alternative formal means. The placement services provided by scientific societies, e.g. the American Physical Society, often provide valuable "leads" for job opportunities.
Problem Resolution and Grievance Procedures
The experience in this department has shown that most problems and grievances can be resolved at the departmental level by mediation of the Graduate Director and/or the Department Chair. In serious cases, internal documentation will be kept on file by the graduate secretary. If a resolution cannot be worked out within the department, the student will be informed of his/her right of appeal to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
Problems between students and faculty and other grievances that may arise during that period are generally handled by the Graduate Director of the department who acts as a mediator and attempts to remedy the problem. In difficult cases, the Graduate Director will consult with the Department Chair. In cases that may have consequences for the student or the University, the Graduate Director may convene the Graduate Committee who will discuss the case and decide on a course of action.