WEP Graduate/Faculty Networking Lunch Seminars

WEP would like to thank Lynne Goldstein and Joan Lakoski
for providing an informative and useful session.
 

Below is an outline of the presentation and discussion including resources and useful case studies that arose from discussion at the seminar. If you have a question for Lynne of Joan, please feel free to email them at the addresses shown above or contact the Women in Engineering Program.

Quality of relationships can make or break the Graduate School experience – Just as in our personal life or professional life, the quality of our relationships with others is key to our success. Good communication is the backbone of a quality relationship.

The Student / Graduate Advisor Relationship – It is important to be aware that the Student / Graduate Advisor relationship:

• is a two way process (both student and advisor must actively participate)
• is a dynamic relationship (the relationship will grow and change as the student advances in their education)
• thrives on communication (a break-down in communication can lead to frustration on both sides, not knowing what is going on causes stress to those involved)

Advisors versus Mentors – Advisors and mentors perform many of the same roles, however it is important to note that an Advisor has a contractual relationship to help you achieve your academic goals.

Your Relationship with an Advisor

• Be clear in your own mind what the roles of a dissertation advisor are.
• When choosing an advisor, be aware that a good relationship requires mutual agreement between the advisor and the advisee. Both parties need to be enthusiastic about the relationship. If you are unsure about a potential advisor, see if you can work with them on a short-term basis as a trial or take a class offered by the advisor.
• The “ideal advisor” versus reality. Keep your expectations of your advisor within reality. Remember, both you and the advisor have full, busy lives and this relationship is only one of many that demand your time.
• When choosing an advisor, seek information from other sources. Talk to members of faculty, other students, etc.
• “Divorce” in an advising relationship is possible, but at a cost. When facing a challenging time, keep your overall goal in mind. (See “Case Discussion 1.” below)

What to Expect of an Advisor
You should be able to expect your advisor to:

• keep their word
• give you fair treatment
• respond to reasonable requests for help
• know their criteria for assessment
• respond to questions and be able to articulate their policies

(Note that advisors will respond to requests and questions, but as a student you need to ask questions. Ask your advisor what their policies are, how they will assess your work, what their expectations are. Keep asking questions until you have a thorough understanding of your advisor’s position.)

Your advisor will not:

• be the “ideal” advisor

Essential Skills
Communication – Do not assume that your advisor is a mind reader or an excellent communicator.
(Make sure you know what your advisor is expecting - paper deadlines, hours, communication, etc.).
Commitment – Follow through on what you say you will do.
(Be a professional and show your advisor that he or she can trust you.)
Humor – Be prepared to laugh at yourself or at the situation
(When pressure and stress are at there worst, a sense of humor can relieve tension and ease the situation.)
Networking – Your colleagues are keys to your success.
(It is important to establish relationships where you can offer help to and ask for help from your colleagues. These are the people who will help you find a job, advance in your career and expand your knowledge and experience.)

Keys for a Productive Environment
1. Understand the work environment
2. Support academic honesty, professional integrity and confidentiality
3. Have a clear course of study
4. Establish and maintain an atmosphere of openness
5. Acknowledge intellectual rights and property
6. Provide opportunities for evaluation

1. How do I resolve a conflict with my advisor? There is a significant cost involved in severing your relationship with an advisor – you can loose time, work, and reputation. Before making the decision to end a student/advisor relationship, invest some effort towards resolving the conflict.

• Always keep in mind your long-range goal. You are here to obtain your graduate degree and move on to an exciting position in academia or industry. A conflict is “resolved” when it no longer stands in the way of you achieving your long-range goal.
• Do a “reality check” with someone you trust. Outline your situation for a faculty member, an upper-level student or a peer and see if their objective view can help.
• Know the policy on your area of dispute. Penn State University has written policy on some areas of graduate education (e.g. intellectual property rights). Review the policy with your advisor and see if the conflict can be resolved by focussing on the written rules.
• Talk to your advisor about inviting a third person into the discussion to mediate. Choose someone you both trust.
• Let it go. For the sake of your long-rage goal, it may be best to stop fighting for this issue. Take this as a learning experience and next time make sure you have things set up the way you want at the front end. Once you have identified problem areas, you can ensure that they are discussed and decided before they become heated conflicts.

2. What if my Advisor is pulling me off course? – Situations can arise where an advisor wants a student to do research that they recommend, but which may not be relevant to her dissertation work. If this research is not relevant to the students overall goal for their education a conflict can arise.

• This is a situation where you can use your Dissertation Committee. One of the roles of the Dissertation Committee is to meet with you and together determine the next step you should take towards achieving your education goals. With your committee’s support, you can work with your advisor to resolve the conflict and establish a time-line with tasks to finish.

3. Asking for help. – Remember, your advisor is there to help you achieve your education goals. If you have an area where you feel you need to improve, talk to your advisor about it. Together you can create a plan to strengthen your skills or understanding. Don’t be afraid to show ignorance, but couple it with a desire to learn. When you don’t know something, ask for resources: papers, classes, experts, other students, etc. Make sure that your advisor knows that you have followed up.

1. Peters, RL Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or a Ph.D. New York: Noonday Press, 1992
2. Booth, WC, Colomg, GG & Williams, JM The Craft of Research. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1995
3. Stock, M A Practical Guide to Graduate Research. New York: McGraw Hill Press, 1985