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on_advising [2012/08/16 18:16]
chat.hull [Annual Progress Report]
on_advising [2017/12/14 18:06]
michaelmedford
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 The advising system breaks down as follows: The advising system breaks down as follows:
   * The **Mentor** is an older graduate student who provides advice to younger graduate students, from before they arrive in Berkeley until they pass their Prelims.   * The **Mentor** is an older graduate student who provides advice to younger graduate students, from before they arrive in Berkeley until they pass their Prelims.
-  * Each graduate student has an **Academic Adviser**, a faculty member who provides non-research advice. The Department Chair is the Academic Adviser of all first-year BADgrads. Student-specific Academic Advisers are assigned ​after the end of the first year, but these assignments can be changed at will.+  * Each graduate student has an **Academic Adviser**, a faculty member who provides non-research advice. Student-specific Academic Advisers are assigned ​before ​the beginning ​of students' ​first year, but these assignments can be changed at will.
   * Each class of BADgrads has a **Class Shepherd**, a faculty member who is responsible for tracking the progress of the students in that class throughout their graduate careers.   * Each class of BADgrads has a **Class Shepherd**, a faculty member who is responsible for tracking the progress of the students in that class throughout their graduate careers.
   * The **Mentor Masters** are BADgrads who manage the mentoring program for a year.   * The **Mentor Masters** are BADgrads who manage the mentoring program for a year.
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 ===== Academic Advisers ===== ===== Academic Advisers =====
  
-Every BADgrad has an Academic Adviser, a faculty member who is not the student'​s Research Adviser. ​The Department Chair is the Academic ​Adviser to the first-year students. At the end of the first year---and after the Annual Progress Reports have been completed---the first-year Class Shepherd assigns ​faculty member to be each student's Academic Adviser. It is recommended that the assignment be based on a shared research interest, or on the possibility that the Academic Adviser play a complementary role to the Research Adviser in the student'​s education (e.g., an Academic Adviser who is a theorist can complement a Research Adviser who is an observer).+Every BADgrad has an Academic Adviser, a faculty member who is not the student'​s Research Adviser. Academic ​Advisers are assigned before ​a student ​arrives in Berkeley. It is recommended that the assignment be based on a shared research interest, or on the possibility that the Academic Adviser play a complementary role to the Research Adviser in the student'​s education (e.g., an Academic Adviser who is a theorist can complement a Research Adviser who is an observer).
  
 The assignment of Academic Adviser is //not permanent// and can be changed whenever the student so desires. If a particular pairing isn't turning out to be very helpful, there'​s no reason to continue with it! Seek out either your Class Shepherd, the Head Graduate Advisor, or the Department Chair for a new assignment. The assignment of Academic Adviser is //not permanent// and can be changed whenever the student so desires. If a particular pairing isn't turning out to be very helpful, there'​s no reason to continue with it! Seek out either your Class Shepherd, the Head Graduate Advisor, or the Department Chair for a new assignment.
  
-The Department Chair runs the introductory Astro 290A course in which all first-year students are required to enroll. Sessions of this class may be used as group advising sessions ​to help the Chair in her/his role as Academic Adviser to the first-years.+The Department Chair runs the introductory Astro 290A course in which all first-year students are required to enroll. Sessions of this class may be used as group advising sessions. ​
  
 **Responsibilities**. (1) Students should meet with their Academic Advisers one-on-one at least once a semester. The content of these meetings is entirely open. It can include research progress; classes; job hunting strategy; and even---believe it or not---science! The Annual Progress Report can serve as a natural launching point for discussion for the Fall meeting. (2) Academic Advisers should help students meet the formal deadlines for their Prelim exam (which must be taken before the end of the second year) and Qualifying Exam (which must be taken before the end of the fourth year). ​ (3) The Academic Adviser may also be called upon to mediate specific problems with their Advisees---including problems in relations between the student and their Research Adviser. **Responsibilities**. (1) Students should meet with their Academic Advisers one-on-one at least once a semester. The content of these meetings is entirely open. It can include research progress; classes; job hunting strategy; and even---believe it or not---science! The Annual Progress Report can serve as a natural launching point for discussion for the Fall meeting. (2) Academic Advisers should help students meet the formal deadlines for their Prelim exam (which must be taken before the end of the second year) and Qualifying Exam (which must be taken before the end of the fourth year). ​ (3) The Academic Adviser may also be called upon to mediate specific problems with their Advisees---including problems in relations between the student and their Research Adviser.
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 ===== Head Graduate Adviser ===== ===== Head Graduate Adviser =====
  
-The Head Graduate Adviser (HGA) is a faculty member responsible for overseeing the entire advising system. The current HGA is Eugene Chiang.+The Head Graduate Adviser (HGA) is a faculty member responsible for overseeing the entire advising system. The current HGA is Aaron Parsons.
  
 **Responsibilities**. (1) The HGA is on-call to dispense any and all kinds of advice to all students.((Including which television serials and movies are worth watching)) (2) Improving adviser-student relations, and identifying and defusing problem situations, are tasks very much shared between the HGA, the Class Shepherds, the Academic Adviser, the Research Advisers, and the Chair. (3) The HGA solicits feedback and ideas for improving the advising system, and implements changes to the system, in consultation with other faculty as necessary. (4) The HGA also advises the Department Chair on which classes should be taught when, and by whom. (5) Last and deservedly least, the HGA reviews and signs off on the endless number of bureaucratic forms required by the University. **Responsibilities**. (1) The HGA is on-call to dispense any and all kinds of advice to all students.((Including which television serials and movies are worth watching)) (2) Improving adviser-student relations, and identifying and defusing problem situations, are tasks very much shared between the HGA, the Class Shepherds, the Academic Adviser, the Research Advisers, and the Chair. (3) The HGA solicits feedback and ideas for improving the advising system, and implements changes to the system, in consultation with other faculty as necessary. (4) The HGA also advises the Department Chair on which classes should be taught when, and by whom. (5) Last and deservedly least, the HGA reviews and signs off on the endless number of bureaucratic forms required by the University.
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   * It helps the faculty identify problems, so that they can begin the hard work of solving them.   * It helps the faculty identify problems, so that they can begin the hard work of solving them.
   * It is an opportunity to celebrate accomplishment---either in research or teaching, including outreach. Write down your bibliography!   * It is an opportunity to celebrate accomplishment---either in research or teaching, including outreach. Write down your bibliography!
-The 2012 APR cover sheet is [[http://​astro.berkeley.edu/​academics/graduate/apr_2012.pdf|on the departmental website]]. +The most recent ​APR cover sheet is accessible on the department website  ​[[https://​astro.berkeley.edu/​uploads/form/1473978029-867e9867ebf52c6ca/​AnnualProgressReport2016.pdf]]. ​
  
 **Responsibilities**. Students beyond their first year should write an APR every Fall. There is usually some griping about this, but seriously, people, it can be as long as you want it to be. Typically it's just a page long. Some students who feel they are making good progress and don't want to be bogged down with writing an APR merely reprint the abstracts of their publications! (Some faculty do this for the Annual Reports they have to file with grant agencies!) Students should meet with their Research Advisers, discuss their APRs, get them signed by their Research Advisers, and return them to the HGA before the deadline. **Responsibilities**. Students beyond their first year should write an APR every Fall. There is usually some griping about this, but seriously, people, it can be as long as you want it to be. Typically it's just a page long. Some students who feel they are making good progress and don't want to be bogged down with writing an APR merely reprint the abstracts of their publications! (Some faculty do this for the Annual Reports they have to file with grant agencies!) Students should meet with their Research Advisers, discuss their APRs, get them signed by their Research Advisers, and return them to the HGA before the deadline.
 ====== Effective Advising ====== ====== Effective Advising ======
  
-How do we get the most out of the small amount of time that we devote to advising? Googling for "​graduate advising best practices"​ seems to yield some promising leads, such as [[http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/Depo/PDF/​ProfessionalDevelopment/​MAbestpractices.pdf|this PDF]]. Anyone know any other tips or resources?+How do we get the most out of the small amount of time that we devote to advising? Googling for "​graduate advising best practices"​ seems to yield some promising leads, such as [[https://gradsch.osu.edu/handbook/f-graduate-advising-best-practices|this website]]. Anyone know any other tips or resources?