Academic Committee
The Academic Committee develops any motions that concern the classroom, addressing areas of concern involving exams, dissertations, and faculty/student conflicts. In order to minimize potential student/supervisor conflicts, the Academic Committee has compiled some advice to help students select a supervisor with whom they can work successfully. We have divided the list into two categories, with the first devoted to formal strategies for selecting an appropriate supervisor, and the second to informal strategies for the same.
Formal Strategies:
Before you approach your potential supervisor in person, email them. Include a short (about one page) description of your area of interest. In this way, you allow the professor the chance to prepare a more considered response to your request. Ask your potential supervisor for an informational interview. Meet them during their office hours, or go for coffee. If the professor does not have time to meet you or does not seem interested in this meeting, this might indicate something about the amount of time they would make available to you as your supervisor. Before the interview, write out both your own goal for the MA and your habits as a student. This will allow you clearly convey to the professor both your ideas and your needs (e.g. do you need to be somewhat bullied and given deadlines?). At the interview, ask the professor how many other students he or she is supervising and what other major commitments (e.g. designing new first year curriculum, chairing department, organizing major conference etc.) he or she has. These questions will help you determine whether or not the professor actually has the time to effectively supervise your project. At the interview, ask the professor about their strengths and weaknesses. Consider how these strengths and weaknesses will mesh with your own. Finally, find out how frequently the professor is willing to meet with you, and if he or she can meet on a set schedule.
Informal Strategies:
Try to talk to other students who have worked with the professor at your level in the past. Ask them about their experience. Keep in mind, of course, that different work habits or personality traits create different experiences. Rather than necessarily choosing the professor who works in your field of interest, consider tailoring your topic to the instructor with whom you think you would work the best. An effective supervisor/student relationship can make or break the MA essay experience.
Current Members:
Megan Jabusch (Chair)