Launched by Dean Emma Dench, The Advising Project is an in-depth initiative focused on improving the advising experience of master’s and PhD students at GSAS. Over the course of two years, the Project will partner with faculty, students, and staff across GSAS to support effective advising relationships that allow our diverse community of graduate students to flourish as scholars and develop as professionals in their chosen fields.

Material on this site is updated regularly. We hope you find this information useful as you work on your advising relationships.

Project Updates

To date, The Advising Project has:

• Added a new graduate student advising section in the guide on Information for Faculty Offering Instruction in Arts and Sciences as part of a larger and ongoing effort to provide basic expectations for advisors and advisees in all faculty and student handbooks;
• Partnered with the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) to offer multiple mentor training to science-based faculty and to develop the first of its kind CIMER-based training for faculty in the arts and humanities.
• Delivered tailored workshops for graduate programs to help students optimize their advising relationships;
• Conducted multiple meetings with students, faculty, alumni, and administrators across graduate programs to identify common challenges, potential solutions, and places for ongoing work;
• Partnered with the Graduate Student Council (GSC) to solicit feedback from students, and amplify the work of the GSC to acknowledge and reward effective advising through the student-run Everett Mendelsohn Excellence in Mentoring Awards.
• Partnered with the leaders of the Task Force on Managing Student Mental Health to understand the survey data relating to mental health and advising;
• Partnered with the Office of Student Services to learn about the types of challenges students often face with their advisors;
• Partnered with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging to co-facilitate events for graduate students;
• Partnered with the Office of Career Services to co-sponsor events that provide tips on discussing a broad range of career options with advisors.