Faculty Advising Resources

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Description: 

Good advising is one of the most important determinants of graduate student and postdoc success and satisfaction.

Resources to help support your students and guide them toward academic and professional success

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 and professional programs. Research has shown that—especially for post-baccalaureate students—there is a high correlation between the quality of advising and student success.

Defining and Communicating Your Advising Philosophy

A personal philosophy of academic advising is reflected in a positive, self-motivating statement of academic advising as the practitioner perceives it. The advisor uses theory as a foundation for approaches with students. The statement serves as an explanation for the reason to take on advising responsibilities, guides day-to-day decisions, helps shape advising goals and objectives, and provides a solid basis for practice.

Faculty are encouraged to develop their own advising philosophy in order to establish a set of norms and expectations shared between them and their advisees.

Strategies and Resources for Avoiding and Resolving Conflicts

Supporting students, faculty and postdocs in their advising and mentoring relationships is a priority for the Graduate School and the University of Minnesota. The Dignity Project Work Group has developed a number of resources to help you maximize your relationships with your advisees, deal constructively with conflicts that may arise, and address ways to communicate more effectively to minimize misunderstandings.