Freshwater and Marine Sciences Graduate Program Handbook-Advising
 Overview
Advising is central to FMS graduate training. Before applying to the FMS Graduate Program, prospective students must identify and contact potential faculty advisors. Prospective students should contact potential faculty advisors by email early in the application process to discuss mutual interests, funding availability, and to determine if the faculty member is actively recruiting graduate students. Co-advising is also possible. Because of the importance of advising and support provided by an advisor, only in extremely rare cases are students admitted without having an advisor identified and who wants to work with the student. Exceptional cases have occurred when there has been more than one possible faculty member interested in serving as an advisor and funds to support the student are available. In these cases, the advising arrangement can be finalized during the student’s first 1-2 semesters. Faculty advisors must have an anticipated funding plan for each student they wish to admit.
Research advising, advice on classes and professional development, and general mentoring are done by the student’s major advisor and the members of the student’s advisory committee. Students meet with the primary advisor immediately upon joining the program, and routinely and frequently throughout the graduate program. The advisory committee is assembled in consultation with the primary advisor during the first semester of study for Master’s students, and before the end of the second semester for Ph.D. students and consists of faculty with expertise in areas relevant to the student’s planned course of study.
Advising related to administrative requirements of the Graduate School and FMS Graduate Program are done by the Graduate Coordinator, Kelin Boldiis.
Advising related to other non-research issues, including grievances and conflicts are available from the FMS program chair, Olaf Jensen.
Advisor / Advisee Roles
The advisor serves at least three roles: first, to assist the student in acquiring the highest level of knowledge and competence in the field that is possible; second, to provide the resources and logistical support needed to complete the degree program, including helping the student to secure financial support; and third, to chair the committee that will determine whether the student has performed acceptably at each of his / her degree milestones. The chair or co-chair (in the case of a co-advised student) of the committee must be a Graduate Faculty in FMS. Advisors track the student’s progress toward degree completion, assist with course selection and academic planning, and work with students to identify committee members, and help identify and facilitate diverse professional opportunities.
Each faculty advisor has her/his own distinct approach and style of mentoring, and advisor-advisee interactions naturally change during the course of a graduate student’s career. Since the advisor's role can vary and student expectations change as they progress through graduate school, students and advisors should discuss roles and expectations at least annually.
Advising Resources
There are many advising resources available to students. Students can reference the program’s website, the program’s Graduate Handbook, the Graduate School’s website (grad.wisc.edu), and the Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures (grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/). However, when students still need clarification on 4 issues there are various faculty and staff resources also available (described below). Generally, faculty and staff are best able to assist students when they have researched a topic (using the resources mentioned above).
Advisor Selection
Students in FMS identify an advisor prior to applying to the program (as detailed in the Overview section). A student who later decides that a different faculty advisor would be preferable should discuss this with the current advisor and then feel free to seek the change. However, it is solely the student’s responsibility to contact other potential advisors, and the department cannot guarantee that another advisor will be available. Advising related to such a transition is provided by the Director of Graduate Studies. When a student has selected, or changed, advisors, they must contact the program's graduate coordinator to ensure that appropriate forms are completed.
Additional Advising Contacts
Students should always reference the program’s website, this Handbook, the Graduate School’s website (grad.wisc.edu), and the Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures (grad.wisc.edu/acadpolicy/) for answers to various program-related questions. However, when students need further clarification on any of these policies or procedures, they should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator. The Graduate Program Coordinator may play a role with issues including satisfactory academic progress, academic deadlines, graduation completion, program-related forms, advising/course holds and permissions, and course offerings.