Guidelines for Changing Advisors

Students may request to change their academic advisor at any time. Before completing the “Change of Advisor” form, please review “Working With Your Advisor” and “Primary Advisors Responsibilities” and “Secondary Advisor Responsibilities”. Please note that the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education encourages doctoral students to seek out opportunities to work with multiple members of the faculty, in addition to their primary and secondary advisors, throughout their career in the department. Such relationships can emerge and learning opportunities can unfold without a formal change in advisor. Below are guidelines for students who, for any reason, are considering a formal change in their advisor.

1. Begin by doing an objective analysis of the pros and cons of changing advisors. The chair of the Doctoral Curriculum Committee, the Department Chair, or a trusted mentor can be good resources to help you with this assessment in terms of identifying your needs and whether a different advisor would be beneficial for you. In this process, students should explore:
   • Use of Rackham Mentoring Others Results in Excellence (MORE) workshops and other resources to work through differences in style, expectations or perspectives between the student and advisor;
   • Funding, as relevant. For example, if the student is currently being funded by their advisor, a change in advisor may or may not have implications for funding. Discussion should include implications for current and future funding, and completion of funding-related obligations. If funding will change as a result of the change in advisor, then students should discuss future funding with the Doctoral Curriculum Committee chair and Department Administrator.
   • Faculty who may serve as a new advisor, and their willingness to serve in this capacity.
2. If a change in advisor is the most beneficial option after going through step 1, the advisee should request a meeting with the current advisor to discuss the timeline and details of a change. The Doctoral Curriculum chair or the Department Chair can join the meeting as needed.
3. The advisee should request a meeting with the new advisor, to discuss timeline and details of a change. [the order of steps 2 and 3 may be reversed, at the student’s discretion]
4. The student should develop a plan for the transition. The transition plan should consider the following:
   • If students are currently funded by their advisor, what is the timeline and process for completion of responsibilities associated with the funding?
   • What are the implications of a change in advisor for future funding? Students are recommended to speak with their new advisor and the Doctoral Curriculum chair regarding changes in their funding that may result in this process, to assure that a new funding plan can be put in place.
   • What are the implications of a change in advisor for scholarly work that may be ongoing between the student and their current advisor?
   • What are the implications for dissertation plans? Depending on the student’s stage in the doctoral program, the transition plan may need to consider any implications for changes in dissertation committee membership.
   • A draft of the transition plan should be reviewed with the Doctoral Curriculum Committee chair and the Departmental Administrator before it is finalized, to assure smooth transitions of funding and scholarly development in the process.
5. Once there is agreement on the plan for transition amongst the current advisor, new advisor, Doctoral Curriculum Committee chair and Departmental Administrator, the Change in Advisor form should be completed and submitted to the Doctoral Curriculum Committee chair. The form will be reviewed by the Doctoral Curriculum Committee and, upon approval, placed in the students’ academic folder.

While students are considering or exploring an advisor change, they are expected to continue with their coursework, research, and degree requirements as usual. Advisors are not permitted to terminate their advising relationship with a student based on the student’s considering an advisor change or to otherwise penalize a student for considering such a change.