Advisement

THE D.N.P. COMMITTEE: STUDENT CENTERED AND STUDENT LED 

The decision to pursue the D.N.P. is a serious one. It is important for the student to know what to expect from the program and for the College of Nursing to know as much as possible about the prospective student. At the start of the D.N.P. program, the Associate Dean for Graduate Education assigns students to a faculty adviser. As the student begins to develop their D.N.P. project, two additional graduate faculty members are added to the doctoral advising committee. 

Students are ultimately responsible for learning about and planning to fulfill degree requirements, but an adviser can help. Faculty advisers provide information about the academic requirements of the program, choice of electives, development of a balanced program, and availability of University resources. Students are urged to talk with a member of their adviser each semester about program plans.  

The advising team, made up of the student and Adviser, share the responsibility for planning a program of coursework that provides the student with appropriate academic knowledge, scholarly perspectives and skills, and satisfies the curricular requirements of the program. The plan, also known as the D.N.P. Program Plan of Study, should be organized to conform to the requirements of the program. The plan of study is established on admission by the D.N.P. Program Director in consultation with the student. The Plan must not be changed without consultation with the advisor and the D.N.P. Program Director. 

Qualifications of faculty who may serve as advisers are specified by the Graduate School and doctoral program policy. Advisers must be College of Nursing faculty who are members of the Graduate Faculty. The advisers serve as members of the student’s Doctoral Committee.  The initial adviser will guide the student’s proposed project. 

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES 

The student is responsible for: 

1. Communicating regularly with his/her doctoral advising committee regarding programs, goals and plans. 

2. Communicating with doctoral advising committee on a regular basis regarding progresses, scheduling meetings, including comprehensive proposal exam presentation, and final oral presentation. Students are responsible to share committee feedback with course faculty. 

3. Scheduling meetings with doctoral advising committee including a Zoom link and calendar link via email.  The program will provide a timeline of expectations (milestones, annual evaluation due dates, etc.) at the start of the semester.  It is the student’s responsibility to schedule meetings, provide an agenda 5-7 days prior, and send any deliverables that need to be reviewed 14 days prior to the meeting.

4. Ensuring deliverables are proof-read prior to sending to faculty. When re-submitting deliverables, students must include editing tables and/or track changes with notations of deliverable improvements.  

5. Communicating to the doctoral advising committee and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education a desire to change advisers. 

6. Becoming familiar with and complying with all relevant policies and procedures as set forth by the Graduate School and Graduate Program of the College of Nursing.  

7. Reporting problems that delay progress in completing the degree requirements to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education, and when appropriate, the Dean of the Graduate School. 

ADVISER RESPONSIBILITIES 

Typical Advisers: 

1. Make themselves familiar with the curriculum and courses necessary to meet the program requirements within the college. 

2. Become acquainted with the various resources available under Student Services and elsewhere within University organizations. 

3. Maintain reasonable office hours during which students may meet with them via interactive online technology as and when required, discussing any aspect of their scholastic career, especially issues related to the student’s progress and plans for subsequent work. 

4. Familiarize themselves with administrative, University, and departmental regulations, procedures, and scheduled activities relating to the advising process. 

Responsibilities of the adviser include:  

1. Interpret the D.N.P. program design, requirements and policies for the student. 

2. Assist the student in planning objectives for D.N.P. study and clarifying career goals. 

3. Assist the student with registration procedures by referring them to the College of Nursing, Graduate Coordinator for Academic Studies.  

4. Approve and sign all registration materials, drop-add forms and other records. 

5. Monitor the student’s academic progress through communication and discussion with faculty teaching doctoral courses, checking grades and meeting with the student when necessary. 

6. Assist student in meeting deadline for qualifying examination. 

7. Evaluation of the student’s academic progress by completing the annual Individual Development Plan in collaboration with the student. 

8. Maintain student record to include: 

1. Program plan of study  

2. Annual evaluation of student progress (IDP) 

3. Notation of special advisement consultations, phone calls, etc. 

9. Assist the student in selecting a topic for the DNP project. 

10. Assume primary responsibility for guiding the student throughout the process and completion of the final oral presentation, to include assistance with: 

1. Selecting and delimiting a project topic; 

2. Developing a written proposal for the project; 

3. Carrying out the project as proposed (and approved); and 

4. Developing the written and oral presentation of the project. 

11. Review the Qualifying Examination Portfolio, Comprehensive Proposal Examination presentation materials, Final Presentation materials, and reading drafts of the project paper following the course faculty. 

As Chair of the student’s doctoral committee the responsibilities include: 

1. Serve as Chairperson of the student’s DNP Committee. 

2. Notify the Associate Dean for Graduate Education in writing when the student has successfully passed the comprehensive examination. 

3. Forward a copy of the comprehensive examination form to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. 

4. In conjunction with the student, determine their readiness to take the comprehensive examination, subject to approval by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education.  

5. Once the project has been approved for final oral presentation by the student’s Doctoral Committee, send the appropriate forms to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education for signature and forwarding to the Graduate School. A minimum of three weeks is required for Graduate School scheduling. 

6. Complete and forward to the Graduate School via the Associate Dean for Graduate Education, the results of the final oral presentation. 

7. Approve and sign the final version of the project.