Fostering a Positive Academic Experience

Institutional, Faculty, & Student Roles and Responsibilities in Fostering a Positive Academic Experience

Both students and faculty benefit from academic environments that promote the dissemination of clear and accurate information about degree programs, as well as a culture that encourages timely academic achievement. Advising agreements should be clearly delineated at the start of a student’s graduate career, outlining the roles, responsibilities and expectations of both the student and the faculty advisor.

Students and faculty also benefit from knowledgeable and responsible advising, reasonable procedures for changing advisors, and a culture that supports the pursuit of any related career. A positive academic experience also entails an environment that fosters academic freedom, the encouragement to pursue safe and ethical scholarly research, and is free of harassment and discrimination.