Students must complete all units toward degree at Stanford.

See Graduate Advising for a statement of university policy on graduate advising.

For specific advising expectations for the GCE/IEPA, POLS, and STEP MA Programs, please see below.

Global and Comparative Education/International Education Policy Analysis (GCE/IEPA) Advising

Purpose

GCE/IEPA MA advisors serve several purposes, particularly assisting students in designing their program of study and supporting students' learning through the Master's Paper project. In addition, the program director offers counsel at the students' request as they navigate their graduate school experience. All GCE/IEPA students are advised by the GCE/IEPA MA program director an additional GSE faculty member.

Providing assistance and accountability helps students and advisors hold similar expectations about the outcomes, intentions, and organization of advisee meetings. Having a system of collective accountability supports overall support and engagement.

Expectations

• Meeting Regularity

  • Every student meets with the MA program director once by the end of week two of Autumn quarter.

  • We recommend a minimum of weekly office hours meetings throughout the year, alternating among the MA program director, faculty advisor(s), and teaching assistant (TA). More meetings are required of those collecting their own data for the MA Paper, particularly in Winter and Spring quarters.

• Accountability Structure

  • Students are expected to initiate the scheduling of the meetings via email.

  • Students should come to advising meetings prepared with questions and/or topics to discuss.

  • The MA Program Director will collect and post advisors' office hours on a quarterly basis.

  • Advisors will respond promptly to identify and schedule a mutually agreeable meeting time.

Suggested Meeting Topics

• With MA program director

  • Autumn:

    • MA Paper (topic ideas, readings, theories, data sources, etc.) (and with teaching assistants)

    • Expertise you want to develop

    • Experiences you hope to have while at Stanford

    • Course selection and other opportunities to develop that expertise and experience

    • Short- and long-term goals and plans (e.g., career, further graduate studies)

  • Winter:

    • MA Paper (feedback on pre-proposal; data and methods; readings and theories, etc.) (and with teaching assistants)

    • Preparing for the CIES annual conference

    • Course selection and other opportunities to develop expertise and experience

  • Spring:

    • MA Paper (feedback on proposal; data analysis, findings, discussion, policy recommendations, etc.) (and with teaching assistants)

    • Course selection and other opportunities to develop expertise and experience

    • Post-grad plans and building a professional network

  • Summer:

    • MA Paper (feedback on drafts; deciding next steps, e.g., publishing) (and with teaching assistants)

    • Post-grad plans

• With faculty advisor(s)

  • Autumn:

    • MA Paper (topic ideas, readings, theories, data sources, etc.)

  • Winter:

    • MA Paper (feedback on pre-proposal; data and methods; more readings and theories, etc.)

  • Spring:

    • MA Paper (feedback on proposal; data analysis, findings, discussion, policy recommendations, etc.)

  • Summer:

    • MA Paper (feedback on drafts; deciding next steps, e.g., publishing)

    • Post-grad plans

Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies (POLS) Advising

Purpose

POLS advisors serve two primary purposes: to assist students in designing their program of study and to support students' learning through their field project work. In addition, advisors offer counsel at students’ request as they navigate their POLS graduate school experience. All POLS students are advised by both the POLS program director and a GSE faculty member.

Expectations

• Every student meets with the POLS program director once in the first three weeks of each quarter and a GSE faculty member once per quarter; the faculty advisor selection is made during autumn quarter with input from each POLS student.

• Students should come to advising meetings prepared with questions and/or topics they want to discuss.

• Students are expected to initiate the scheduling of advisory meetings

• The POLS faculty and program advisors will respond promptly to identify and schedule a mutually agreeable meeting time

Suggested Meeting Topics

• Autumn:

  • What are the student's goals for graduate study?

  • What knowledge, skills, and expertise does the student want to develop?

  • What sequence of courses (content and methodological) and graduate school experiences (e.g., POLS field project) might contribute to the student’s goals?

  • Field project: how might the student like to use this opportunity for learning?

  • How can the student make the most of the Stanford experience?

• Winter:

  • How is their program experience going? Have the student's goals changed?

  • What are the student’s aims for participating in the field project? How is the project going?

  • Check-in on winter and spring course selection. Is there a particular topic/area where students want to deepen or expand their knowledge/understanding?

• Spring:

  • Check-in on spring course selection

  • How will the POLS field project wrap up? What final deliverables will the student produce? What is the student learning?

  • What are the student’s plans for after graduation? What, if any, council would the student like?

Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) Advising

Purpose

Providing assistance and accountability helps students and advisors hold similar expectations about the outcomes, intentions, and organization of the advising relationship and advisee meetings. Having a system of collective accountability supports overall support and engagement.

Advising Norms

• Provide intellectual guidance

  • Help students develop academic and professional skills expected by their discipline and the profession.

  • Encourage collaboration and collegial relationships

  • Encourage students to be open about any problems in their work relationships, including with an advisor, and actively help to resolve those problems

  • Be aware of and direct students to university resources to support students

• Assist students with knowledge of Stanford and GSE policies and practices

  • Be familiar with relevant policies; consult with the Student Handbook and Academic Services Office

  • Review students’ graduate study programs and help students with course selection

  • Help students understand the degree program’s requirements and timely progress to the degree

• Demonstrate care for student wellness

  • Check in with students to see how they are experiencing the program

  • Create space for students to share challenges

  • Refer students to campus resources as needed

• Assist students in preparation for the job market

  • Discuss the norms and expectations of the field students are entering

  • Guide students in acquiring the professional skills necessary for expert teaching practice

• Demonstrate professional academic behavior

  • Maintain timely communication with advisees

  • Set and consistently honor professional commitment and meetings promptly

  • Support students’ progress toward the degree and employment

  • Model appropriate interaction with students, staff, and faculty

Advising Structure

Advising in STEP is structured through individual meetings with the faculty directors and support provided through the program’s supervisory system.

• Advising meetings

  • Every student meets with the STEP assistant director once by the middle of autumn quarter. Students schedule their meetings using a sign-up sheet in Google Docs

  • Additional advising meetings are scheduled, as needed, during the assistant director's office hours or by appointment

• Supervisory system

  • Every student has one to two cooperating teachers and a university supervisor; together, they provide ongoing support for the student’s development and provide information to the faculty directors regarding each student’s progress

  • Students work with their cooperating teachers in the field every day for approximately four hours.

  • Students are observed by and receive feedback from- their university supervisors at least three times each quarter; students meet with their supervisors in small groups for an hour each week.

  • Both cooperating teachers and supervisors provide the faculty directors with feedback about each student’s progress each quarter on the Quarterly Assessment