| Faculty Responsibilities | Graduate Student Responsibilities | |
| Climate: Practices that contribute to a respectful, stimulating, supportive climate | 1. Serve as a role model by demonstrating ethical, professional, and courteous behavior toward all students, staff, and faculty. 2. Be supportive, equitable, accessible, and respectful. 3. Promote an environment that is intellectually stimulating, collaborative, respectful, and collegial. 4. Recognize and respect the diversity within our community consistent with Penn State's overall commitment to diversity and inclusion. 5. Show sensitivity to the power imbalance in the faculty-student relationship. 6. Take into consideration a student’s need to manage competing demands while maintaining timely progress towards their degree. 7. Meet with students to discuss topics such as climate, collegial relations, etc. should the need arise. 8. Refer students proactively to appropriate university resources to provide support (e.g. financial, physical/emotional health, career development). |
1. Demonstrate ethical, professional, and courteous behavior toward other students, staff, and faculty. 2. Recognize and respect the diversity within our community consistent with Penn State's overall commitment to diversity and inclusion. 3. Be proactive about communicating needs, concerns, etc. with faculty and staff, understanding that communication is a two-way endeavor. 4. Take into consideration, in interactions with faculty and staff, competing constraints on their time. 5. Inform relevant faculty of potential and/or existing conflicts, and work toward their resolution. In the event that a solution cannot be reached, students should seek assistance from graduate program chairs, department heads, college administrators of graduate education, program or college ombudsperson (if applicable), or the Graduate School. |
| Academic Issues: Practices that promote students’ academic success | 1. Advise students on the selection of appropriate course work, thesis/dissertation committee and topic or capstone project, and completion of other benchmarks. 2. Set clear expectations and goals for students regarding their academic performance and progress toward degree completion. 3. Discuss policies and expectations for assistantship hours, responsibilities, and absences related to university closure, holidays, illness, etc. 4. Develop an appropriate schedule to meet with students to provide feedback on scholarly activities and progress. 5. Provide students with oversight, as appropriate, to the discipline in all relevant aspects of research, training and scholarship. 6. Guide and recommend training, study, and other resources to develop or enhance students’ skills and competencies. 7. Devise effective ways of providing students with guidance and supervision during a prolonged absence should the need arise. 8. Provide and discuss clear criteria for authorship and acknowledgement of contributions at the beginning of all collaborative projects |
1. Recognize that while faculty and staff are there to assist and guide students, the student bears the primary responsibility for the successful completion of their degree. 2. Discuss expectations and goals regarding academic performance and progress toward degree completion with advisors, committees, and other relevant faculty members. 3. Maintain the highest ethical standards and academic integrity in all aspects of scholarship, teaching, research, and other responsibilities. 4. Be familiar with program and Graduate School policies governing graduate education and adhere to all program and Graduate School policies and deadlines. 5. Act proactively to improve research and scholarship skills (e.g. writing, presenting, teaching, etc.). |
| Career Development Issues: Practices that promote the career development of students | 1. Encourage participation in professional meetings, associations, collaborations, and opportunities within and beyond the university. Assist students with identifying resources to fund such activities. 2. Provide career advice, offer help with interview and application preparation, and write letters of recommendation in a timely manner. 3. Ensure that students receive assistance with developing the skills needed for a successful career in their field/discipline, including oral and written communication, and grant preparation as appropriate. 4. Recognize that students will pursue a variety of careers, including those outside of academia and/or their discipline, and assist them in achieving their chosen career goals. 5. Schedule meetings to discuss topics such as professional development, career objectives, and opportunities, etc. 6. Align assigned responsibilities and activities with students’ academic/professional career development as appropriate. |
1. Take an active role in identifying and pursuing professional development opportunities. 2. Communicate with faculty members regarding career goals. 3. Seek mentoring and support/resources beyond faculty advisor (e.g. other faculty members, peers, and organizations). |
Adapted from: Graduate School: Recommended Practices in Graduate Education.
