Roles And Responsibilities Of Supervisors/Advisors And Graduate Students

• Be committed to the education and training of the graduate student as a future member of the professional community.
• Meet one-on-one with the graduate student on a regular basis.
• Be knowledgeable of the requirements and deadlines of the student’s graduate program as well as those of the institution, including teaching/research assistantship requirements and human resources guidelines.
• Provide a professional environment for graduate students that is intellectually stimulating, emotionally supportive, safe, and free of harassment (including University sponsored activities and events, whether on University premises or not).
• Treat the graduate student and all members of the learning community (and their academic work) with verbal and intellectual respect.
• Not require the graduate student to perform tasks unrelated to their academic and professional development.
• Give credit in an appropriate manner to the graduate student’s contributions to scholarly activity.
• Provide career advice and support to assist the graduate student with finding a position following his/her graduation. The advisor should provide honest letters of recommendation and be accessible for advice and feedback on career goals.
• Lead by example and facilitate the training of the graduate student in complementary skills needed to be a successful professional in their field, such as the ethical conduct of research/education/clinical practice, oral and written communication, team/project management, etc.
• Encourage the graduate student to attend scientific/professional meetings. Advise and assist the graduate student in securing funding for such activities as necessary and/or appropriate.
• Provide timely feedback and clear expectations on the graduate student’s written and other academic work to facilitate ongoing progress towards program milestones and completion.
• Monitor the accuracy, validity, and integrity of the graduate student’s academic work.
• Guide the graduate student in selecting the best coursework and/or non-academic training programs to promote their professional development and facilitate their career goals.

For full-time PhD students specifically

• Provide or assist as needed, in identifying financial resources for the graduate student per graduate program requirements.
  • All full-time PhD programs follow the standard stipend set by the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs.
  • Advisors should encourage, but not require, students to apply for external funding.
  • In the event of loss of funding, the advisor and/or program director should actively seek support from the appropriate department chair, training grants, the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, etc.

• Contribute to maintaining an environment that is intellectually stimulating, emotionally supportive, safe, and free of harassment.
• Be committed to their graduate education and demonstrate this by their efforts in the classroom and in research, clinical and/or other academic settings.
• Respect the space of others and understand that space, equipment and/or other resources are shared and that care must be exercised, with problems reported as they arise.
• Be knowledgeable of the policies and requirements of their specific graduate program, the Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, and the institution, and strive to meet these requirements, including meeting the appropriate deadlines.
• Maintain a high level of professionalism, self-motivation, engagement, excellence, scholarly curiosity, and ethical standards.
• Maintain a detailed, organized, and accurate record of their research and/or academic progress as directed by their supervisor/advisor.
• Continuously strive to be knowledgeable of past and current literature that influences their field of study.
• Balance duties and allocate professional time to be academically effective.
• Meet with their thesis/dissertation/project committee at least annually (or as appropriate, according to program guidelines) and be responsive to the advice of and constructive criticism from the committee.
• Attend and participate in department meetings, seminars/colloquia, and journal clubs that are part of the educational program.
• Discuss policies on academic work hours, sick leave and vacation with the supervisor/advisor or graduate program director. The graduate student should consult with the supervisor/advisor in advance of any planned absences.
• Complete all pertinent institutional orientations and trainings such as animal training, clinical orientations, HIPAA training, human subject training, new graduate student orientation, safety training, Title IX training, etc.
• Acknowledge that they have primary responsibility to complete their degree or certificate and to develop a career following the completion of their degree or certificate. The graduate student should seek guidance from available resources, including the supervisor/advisor, the thesis/dissertation/project committee, career counseling services, writing support services, and any other mentors.

• Treat each other with respect, including being respectful of each other’s time and effort.
• Set reasonable and attainable goals, and establish a timeline for completion of milestones and projects.
• Work together to develop a thesis/dissertation/project or program-specific equivalent. This will include establishing a timeline for each phase of the academic work.

For research-focused graduate programs specifically

• Discuss policies on authorship and attendance at professional meetings.
• Work together to submit all relevant research results that are ready for publication in a timely manner prior to graduation.
• Discuss intellectual property issues regarding disclosure, patent rights and publishing research discoveries.