EALC-MA - East Asian Languages and Cultures (MA)

Graduate students in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) have access to the department staff [the Director of Finance and Operations (DFO), the Assistant Director of Student Services (SSO), and the Administrative Coordinator], the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), and the Department Chair, who can be referred to for degree progress and policy clarification.

Only Academic Council members primarily appointed in EALC may serve as the principal advisors of EALC graduate students. Additional faculty may serve as secondary or co-advisors. Each student and their advisor must meet at least once per quarter for a holistic, structured discussion of the student’s recent progress, short-term plans, and longer-term academic and professional goals and to discuss the steps that the student should take to meet these objectives. Students and faculty are both encouraged to reach out to their advisor/advisee. Ad hoc meetings are also encouraged as deadlines and opportunities can sometimes pop up.

All first-year graduate students must meet with the DGS at least once a quarter to discuss current and future coursework, research plans, summer plans (if appropriate), funding (if appropriate), and any issues that may arise. You must fill out the quarterly meeting form (link to form) and obtain the DGS’s signature (or email confirmation if the meeting is virtual). Within two weeks of your meeting, submit the signed form (or email confirmation) to the SSO. You are also encouraged to reach out to the DGS on an as-needed basis beyond the required meetings.

The EALC Department is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both the advisor and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the advisor and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.

Faculty advisors and department staff guide students in key areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, developing teaching pedagogy, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways.

Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.

Faculty members are encouraged to outline their advising practices and protocols of engagement in an advising statement and deposit it in the designated EALC shared google drive. If your advisor has a statement, you are expected to read it and discuss it with him or her should you have any questions.

If the advisor relationship does not best meet the student's needs, is not conducive to academic progress, or is in some other way problematic, the student is responsible for contacting the Chair, DGS, and/or SSO to discuss the issues. The department leadership will work with the student to address any concerns; in some instances, this might lead to a change of advisor. Students are encouraged to voice any concerns sooner rather than later, in order for any potential issues to be addressed as early as possible.