Academic Services

What Faculty Have to Offer

The choice of and relationships with faculty advisors are key parts of a successful graduate school experience. Make good choices and you are more likely complete your education within degree deadlines. Here are some tips to aid in your search.

Seek the best advice possible

Good advising provides clear maps to the practices and norms that govern life in your department and on campus, thereby making it easier for you to determine where you are going and what course to steer. In seeking faculty advisors, look for individuals whose research interests and personalities are compatible with yours. When combined with a personal touch, an advising relationship can evolve into a mentoring relationship.

Get feedback on how you are doing as a student

Feedback is important to understanding your strengths and weaknesses, as well as determining your "agenda" for the year(s) ahead. Some departments conduct such assessments of how students are doing quarterly or yearly. If your department lacks such a procedure, either lobby for one or conduct a self-assessment and then ask that it be reviewed either by your faculty advisor or the department graduate advisor. The initial self-assessment can provide you with a "baseline" for subsequent evaluations.

Seek to learn more about your profession be it in academia, industry, or an organization

Learning about the professional norms of your chosen career is important. Professors can provide information about disciplinary norms and professional expectations in their chosen field. Professional meetings and conferences are another good source of socialization. There are numerous ways to find out more about careers in industry beginning with contacts your professors may have or surfing the Web. If you want to pursue a career in university administration, there are resources all around you.