Faculty Advisor Guidelines

Guidelines for Advisor-Graduate Student Interactions in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Advising graduate students is a critical part of our job as faculty, and it can be a transformative experience for both students and advisors. After all, graduate education is research-focused and consists of one-on-one experiences between mentor and mentee. These experiences strongly affect both the advisor and student and often define the experience.

This section provides a list of best practices that codifies the expectations we have for EAS faculty and graduate students. These guidelines are meant to move the EAS department toward an open culture of advising with the intention of maintaining a high standard of interactions between advisors and students. The advisor/student relationship is unique, and some of these practices will be more relevant than others.

Faculty Advisors should:

1. promote an environment that is intellectually stimulating and free of harassment by being supportive, equitable, accessible, encouraging, and respectful;

2. recognize and respect the cultural backgrounds of students, and when appropriate connect them with different campus or professional organizations, such as (but not limited to) Asian Culture Center, Neal Marshall Black Culture Center, LGBTQ+ Center, First Nations Educational & Cultural Center, La Casa, SACNAS, or Geolatinas;

3. be sensitive to the power imbalance in the student–advisor relationship while in the office, lab or the field, especially if there are different social, cultural, economic, or geographic differences involved;

Recommendation:

Fieldwork raises many sensitive issues. Please review the following paper.

Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions

4. set clear expectations and goals for students regarding their academic performance, research activities and progress

Recommendation:

Create a mentor-mentee compact with your advisee. See Appendix 1 for an example.

5. discuss policies and expectations for work, either as teaching assistants or research assistants, including work hours, vacation time, and health contingencies;

6. be aware of the isolating and severe burden fieldwork can have on students, especially minoritized ones, and should take care to responsibly educate themselves and students of any anticipated risks.

Recommendation:

Fieldwork raises many sensitive issues. Please review the following paper.

Safe fieldwork strategies for at-risk individuals, their supervisors and institutions

7. establish mutually agreed upon expectations for frequency and format of communication that will provide students with regular, clear feedback on research activities, performance, and progress;

8. promote and manage productive and collaborative relationships for students working in research groups as well as helping students establish networking and collaboration skills;

Recommendation:

Research groups should schedule regular meetings.

9. provide students with training and oversight in all relevant aspects of research, including the design of research projects, the development of necessary skills, the use of rigorous research techniques or procedures;

10. provide and discuss clear criteria for authorship at the onset of collaborative projects and revisit authorship as the project develops and contributions change;

Recommendation:

Journals frequently require formal descriptions of contributions, so documentable practices are encouraged. An example is the CRediT model.

Go to the CRediT model

11. foster a safe work environment by discussing and mitigating potential hazards associated with a student’s research activities, including field data collection;

12. encourage student participation in professional meetings and try to secure funding for such activities;

Recommendation:

Advisors should be aware of travel funds from:

EAS conference travel;
College of Arts & Sciences conference travel awards;
IU Graduate and Professional Student Government travel award.

Contact EAS Director of Graduate Services for more information.

13. attempt to secure funding to support the research goals of graduate students and provide training to students in grant writing where appropriate;

Recommendation:

Involve graduate students in this pursuit by encouraging them to submit student grants to partially fund their research.

14. ensure students receive training in the skills needed for a successful career in their discipline, including oral and written communication;

Recommendation:

Encourage all graduate students in EAS to present at professional conferences, in group meetings, and departmental brown-bag seminars.

15. recognize that there are a variety of careers and disciplines your students can pursue; assist them in determining and achieving their career goals from the start of your relationship; recognize the limits of your own experiences and consult or introduce additional role models as necessary; keep up to date with career options, particularly given the hyper-competitive nature of the academic job market.

16. be a role model by encouraging participation in departmental events (e.g., colloquium, Crossroads, etc), and acting in an ethical, professional, and courteous manner toward other students, staff, and faculty.

17. be aware of on-campus resources and be able to provide students with help and suggestions; be aware of College and university policies on academic and personnel matters and be prepared to guide students through grievance, mediation, or academic/personal support processes.

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

The Role of Faculty Advisors

Faculty Advisor Guidelines

Guidelines for Advisor-Graduate Student Interactions in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

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The College of Arts & Sciences

The Role of Faculty Advisors

Faculty Advisor Guidelines

Guidelines for Advisor-Graduate Student Interactions in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

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Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences social media channels

The College of Arts & Sciences