programplanning.htm

CONSULTING WITH YOUR ADVISOR
When you are admitted, you are assigned an advisor. You are assigned an advisor based on the program you are in. This helps you because your advisor knows the requirements of your program, and it also helps the Department because each advisor doesn’t have to be an expert in all the programs. We have at least two advisors for each program area; if one is not available, another advisor can assist. The only downside to this is that if you switch programs, your advisor will most likely change.

The only other time that you'll have a switch in advisor is if he/she is on sabbatical leave, or "bought out" on a grant (this means a research or training grant pays all or part of the faculty member's salary, and their advising is absorbed by the department). In these situations, you may be re-assigned temporarily to another advisor.

Currently, consultation with your advisor takes place either face-to-face (during posted office hours--again, consult our website), by phone, and via email. Our faculty, like you, lead busy lives, spread between teaching, research, and service to the university and surrounding schools. Regularly throughout the year, they attend conferences here and abroad, gather data at remote sites across the state and country, and even take vacations when the university is not in session. They aren’t necessarily sitting in their offices, waiting for you to call. So learn how best to contact your advisor, and when, and especially try to plan well in advance. The more you procrastinate, the harder it will be to get into courses, to find a time to sit down with your advisor, and to progress smoothly through the program. Most faculty have come to rely heavily on email, because it allows communication at any time of the day and year, even when away from the office.

If at any time you are having a difficult time reaching your advisor, contact the Reading Department secretary, Linda Papa (442-5594), and she will help you.

Remember, you are responsible for assuring that the program distribution requirements have been met, and that required courses have been taken. Failure to do these may prevent you from graduating until these requirements have been fulfilled. You should plan your program with your program planning worksheet (download it from the PROGRAM PLANNING area, left), keep one copy for yourself, and make sure there's a copy in your departmental folder. Remember that it’s your responsibility to keep your program planning worksheet up to date.

Last Updated: January 29, 2008