Supporting the Academic and Professional Development of Graduate and Professional Students

The University invests significant resources in every student who is admitted for post-baccalaureate study - and our students devote substantial time and money pursuing their educational goals. Positive advising and mentoring of graduate and professional students fosters mutually beneficial relationships, leading to success for individual students and enhanced reputations for the graduate or professional programs. Research has shown that, especially for post-baccalaureate students, there is a high correlation between the quality of advising and student success.

The Work Group on Advising and Mentoring (members listed below) envisions a collective effort by the University community to promote and provide exemplary advising and mentoring of graduate and professional students. This initiative is intended to target unwanted attrition of graduate students (nationally estimated to be, on average, approximately 50%), promote a higher rate of PhD completion, and conserve scarce departmental resources.

The documents available under "Resources" provide guidance on how to enhance the relationships between advanced students and the faculty with whom they work and study.

The Work Group is composed of the following members:

• Ilene D. Alexander, Consultant, Center for Teaching and Learning
• Jeffrey Anderson, Ph.D. Student
• Kristin Anderson, Associate Professor, Epidemiology
• Richard Brundage, Professor, Experimental/Clinical Pharmacology
• Carolyn Chalmers, Director, Office for Conflict Resolution
• Jennifer Corcoran, Ph.D. Student
• Alisa Eland, Assistant Director for Advising & Counseling, International Student and Scholar Services
• Douglas Ernie, Associate Dean, Graduate School & Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Matt Hanson, Staff Psychologist, University Counseling and Consulting Service
• Jean Henrichsen, Program Coordinator, Office for Conflict Resolution
• Louis Ling, Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Medical School
• Jan Morse, Director, Student Conflict Resolution Center
• Lawrencina Mason Oramalu, Equal Opportunity Consultant, Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
• Jane O'Brien, Associate Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
• Karen Starry, Director, Graduate School Student Services
• Carol Sundberg, Operations Director, Graduate Medical Education
• Kay Thomas, Director, International Student and Scholar Services
• Mary Tate, Director of Minority Affairs and Diversity, Medical School