Graduate Advising & Mentoring

Shared Values and Goals

Academic advising by Political Science faculty is essential to all graduate students’ education. Advising relationships are based on a set of shared values and goals as well as expectations for both advisers and advisees.

Shared Values

  • Educational excellence
  • Academic integrity
  • Open and honest communication and collaboration
  • Respect for others
  • Professionalism in conduct

Shared Goals

  • Academic progress and graduation
  • Subject mastery
  • Advancement of relevant skills
  • Professional development
  • Career success and satisfaction

Statement of Expectations

  • Regular one-on-one meetings with primary advisers. Primary advisers and their advisees should agree on a schedule for regular one-on-one meetings to discuss students’ ongoing work and progress. Advance notice should be provided for missed meetings and these should be rare.
  • Timely submission of, and feedback on, draft work. Faculty feedback on research and writing is essential to student success. Primary advisers are expected to provide ongoing feedback on student work, while committee members are expected to provide (at least) occasional feedback. Advisees should meet agreed upon deadlines to provide draft work to their advisers and committee members, and advisers and committee members should provide timely feedback. In cases where feedback will take longer than usual, faculty should give a clear statement about when students can expect comments on their work.
  • Careful advanced planning. Primary advisers and advisees should construct a clear plan for meeting departmental and field deadlines and milestones to ensure good standing, continued progress through the program, and professional advancement.
  • Yearly evaluations. Primary advisors should provide candid feedback to advisees at the end of each academic year. This feedback should be discussed together with the student.
  • Letters of recommendation. Primary advisors and committee members are generally expected to write letters of recommendation for their students when requested. Students are expected to provide as much advance notice as possible (typically, at least one month) and to provide recommenders with necessary information and deadlines. Faculty should be open and honest with students about the type of letter they feel comfortable writing for a given position so that students can make an informed decision.

Ending an advising relationship

  • Not all advising relationships are a good fit and a student may wish to switch advisors. In such cases, the student should first speak to the DGS about the issue and their intentions. Ultimately, there must be agreement about the switch on the part of the current advisor, the future advisor, and the student, and it must be approved by the DGS. The DGS will mediate in cases of disagreement.
  • In cases where advisors or advisees consistently fail to meet academic expectations, as outlined above, the affected party should first speak to the DGS about their concerns. In cases of abusive relationships, or other violations of the department’s workplace environment policy, there are several additional mechanisms for voicing concerns, grievances, or suggestions, all of which can be found here.