Graduate Advising

There are two primary sorts of graduate advising in this Department: (1) with the principal Graduate Advisor, and (2) with one's individual faculty advisor.

Graduate Advisor. The principal Graduate Advisor assists the student in keeping track of their progress through the formal requirements of the M.A. or Ph.D. program. You should see the Graduate Advisor to review the details of your academic progress, to determine readiness to apply for the degree, and to secure departmental approval for any clarifications of, or exceptions to, departmental requirements. For the current academic year the principal Graduate Advisor is Scott DeLancey (Fall 2008), Spike Gildea (Winter 2009, Spring 2009).

Individual Faculty Advisor. Each MA student is assigned an individual faculty advisor as he or she enters the Department. You should see this advisor regularly, at least once each term, to discuss your academic plans and progress and to plan your schedule for the next academic term. Your advisor can support your work by helping you identify courses that complement your main lines of study and research, as well as by helping you identify faculty in other departments, both at Oregon and elsewhere, whose research and insights may prove valuable to your own intellectual development. You might also find the advice of this faculty member useful in tailoring our program to your individual interests and needs. Keep in mind, however, that formal departmental approval is needed for any variation in your degree program and that it is the Graduate Advisor who handles those approvals for the Department. Finally, you may readily change your individual faculty advisor as your interests and working relationships evolve during your time at Oregon. However, please inform the Graduate Advisor of any changes.

At the Ph.D. level each student is also assigned an individual graduate advisor. Typically, this individual is the faculty member who shares an interest in the areas you wish to study, and is committed to assisting you meet your academic goals. You should consider this individual your main Ph.D. advisor and the faculty member who will serve as chair of your dissertations committee, unless you decide to change to another advisor and this other individual agrees to serve. You should meet with your advisor regularly, certainly no less frequently than once a term.

Advising and Review Practices. The faculty as a whole review the performance of each graduate student at the end of each academic term. The individual faculty advisor should discuss with you the results of that review. In case a student falls below what the faculty considers minimal standards of performance in the graduate program, the individual faculty advisor will work with the student to develop concrete plans to restore good academic standing.

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