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Faculty Advisors

What is Advising?

Ethical and professional conduct is a cornerstone of high-quality graduate education. As a large metropolitan university, San José State University is composed of a number of unique and distinct disciplines. Together, these disciplines form the quilt that is the University and its programs. As diverse as these disciplines may be, all must work together and follow common guidelines that are formulated in order to uphold academic standards and maintain a collegial and productive environment.

Based on the assumption of a professional academic relationship between faculty advisors and graduate students, the following guidelines form the basis for SLIS practice. The guidelines outlined here are designed to both elicit an awareness of and a commitment to behavior and relationships rooted in common sense, courtesy, and basic honesty.

What advising is

Guidance and suggestion, through problem-solving and solution-driven consultation with an assigned faculty member, concerning areas of research and learning interest and desired educational goals. Faculty play different advising roles, as instructor, as research supervisor and as assigned academic advisor. An assigned academic advisor provides advice and suggestions regarding academic planning and addressing questions and concerns in accordance with the School's and University's policies.

What advising is not

A forum for venting complaints about particular instructors or grade assignments.
A means to circumvent or usurp University policies or procedures.

Who Advises?

The School assigns a specific full-time faculty member as academic advisor to each graduate student on admission to the program. This is your primary advisor.
In addition:

Most procedural questions can be answered through the SLIS Web site or, failing that, through the SLIS Coordinator of Student Services.

Further, SLIS names a faculty member as Graduate Advisor to coordinate admissions, transfer credits and appeals.

Students require varying degrees of advice and support.
As a graduate program, educating professionals and developing leaders, SLIS encourages independence of thought, decision-making and action.
Faculty advisors are available; faculty advisors will not pursue you.

Responsibilities of an Advisor

While the roles of advisor as instructor, research supervisor and assigned advisor may overlap, these examples help to define different aspects of the faculty member's advising role.

As an instructor, the faculty member will:

As a research supervisor, the faculty member will:

As an assigned advisor, the faculty member will:

Expectations of the Advisee

Who is My Advisor?

Admission letters contain the name of the student's advisor. Students who need to find out who their advisor is should e-mail the SLIS office.

How Do I Change Advisors?

To make a change in advisors, students should


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