Do you have a question? email lauren.thrift (at) mail (dot) sit (dot) edu, or any one of your fellow classmates, and share with us what they had to say about the question you had in mind, by using this format and editing this page!
Challenge: "Holding Advisors Accountable" for Timely Graduation
Question:
“I want to talk to you in order to pick your brain about holding advisors accountable for their advisees graduation (many of my classmates have been screwed out of graduating when they thought that they would). Let me know what works best for you. You've inspired me to take some action.”
Answer:
“It is a total bummer that some folks are not graduating when they felt that they would. I'm sure each of them have their own stories, and I'm sure the profs have their own as well. This is a known issue. Sometimes, advisors tend not to keep track, follow up, or whatever. Here are a few of the cited reasons and also some strategies I came up with...
Some of the profs. are burnt out, and stuck in a period of change that wasn't the happiest of times, and that affected morale and engagement.
The popular ones (and the unpopular ones) often do heavy consulting because it pays way more than the advisee slice of paycheck.
The communication method over distance is an issue
They often have their own email and check that more frequently
SIT's email technology (as of Summer 2011) is abysmal, and sadness.. I wouldn't check may email either if I didn't have my own computer and the technology to make it work.
If they are not in the office, the office phone isn't useful
The obvious: out of sight, out of mind, and the less obvious and not productive: work pursued is not in line with personal interests and therefore low priority.
Students are often 'afraid' to just pelt the living bejeebus out of the profs. (go ahead, be needy, request responses, find alternate e-addresses in google)
Prof's are pretty low on the technology issue -- try phone and postal mail to home addresses. Get all contact information before leaving campus.
If in the area, "stop by" leave notes, chocolates and trinkets (seriously) if not, send postcards, LinkedIn recommendations, and letters saying "hey I emailed you, and I haven't received a response...to this is what I am working on..." Always remind them who you are! Be unrelenting in claiming your share of their time-- however, do not waste it...
There are tons of other strategies, but that's the current thoughts. Elsewise, make agreements about expectations in advance and keep a checklist in a collaborative google doc or wiki that the prof has access to that lists all of your requirements for graduation (or on your own on a hard drive/notebook), and own your own processes, successes and failures.”