This page is meant to serve as a centralized resource designed to empower faculty advisors in fostering meaningful relationships with graduate students.
Advising is more than guiding students through degree requirements; it’s about cultivating trust, modeling professionalism, and supporting students’ academic and career aspirations.
This page offers evidence-based practices, tools for goal-setting and progress tracking, and strategies for navigating challenges across every stage of the graduate journey—from recruitment to graduation.
What Is an Advisor?
An advisor is a faculty or staff member who provides academic guidance, helps students navigate degree requirements, and supports their scholarly development.
Advisors often serve as primary mentors but may also refer students to additional resources or mentors as needed.
Guidance for Programs and Departments
To support this, each school and program at Pitt is encouraged to define what good advising looks like in their context. This includes:
• Publishing clear, accessible guidelines for students and faculty
• Outlining how advising quality is assessed and recognized
• Encouraging open communication about expectations and responsibilities
Expectations of Faculty/Mentors/Academic Units
Effective advising is a developmental process that evolves with the student’s academic journey. At Pitt, faculty mentors are encouraged to provide clear, consistent, and student-centered guidance from recruitment through graduation. Below is a stage-based framework with examples to support mentoring excellence.
Advising Before Enrollment
Before students arrive, programs should ensure that prospective students receive transparent and accessible information about:
- Degree requirements and curriculum structure
- Faculty research interests and mentoring styles
- Average time to degree, financial aid availability, and career outcomes
Example: A department website includes a downloadable “Graduate Program Snapshot” that outlines average time to degree, funding packages, and recent alumni placements in academia, industry, and nonprofits.
Advising New Students
University regulations require that the department assign to each graduate student a major advisor who, in consultation with the student, plans a program of study and research in accord with school and departmental guidelines. Exceptions might occur in a professional school with a fixed curriculum, since students are not faced with curricular choices.
Departments and schools should assist students and their advisors by preparing clear, current written guidelines about program requirements. These should be placed on the Web for easy access.
Early advising should focus on orientation, planning, and expectation-setting. Faculty should:
• Provide guidance on first-year coursework and degree milestones
• Share a clear roadmap of program requirements (e.g., exams, research tools, internships, thesis/dissertation)
• Clarify timelines for each stage of the program
• Initiate conversations about career goals and mentoring expectations
Example: During orientation, a faculty advisor meets with each new student to co-create a first-year plan and review the department’s advising expectations document. The student is also introduced to the Individual Development Plan (IDP) process.
Advising Continuing Students
Ongoing advising should be proactive and responsive to students’ evolving goals. Faculty advisors should:
• Conduct regular (at least annual) progress reviews
• Provide constructive—through dialogue and in writing—feedback aligned with program benchmarks and career readiness
• Prioritize timely completion of degree milestones communicated
The following responsibilities could be met by individual advisors, by designated faculty, or in group departmental sessions:
• Supporting grant writing and research integrity education
• Helping students build discipline-specific and transferable skills
• Encouraging participation in conferences, exhibitions, or teaching development
• Guiding students in preparing teaching portfolios and exploring diverse career paths
Example: A faculty mentor hosts a fall “check-in” meeting with each advisee to review progress, update the IDP, and identify upcoming fellowship or conference opportunities.
Advising Thesis and Dissertation Students
For students in the research phase, advisors should:
• Ensure timely initiation of the thesis or dissertation project
• Schedule regular meetings and provide prompt, substantive feedback as determined by departmental policy
• Clarify co-authorship and publication expectations which align with departmental policies
• Facilitate annual dissertation committee meetings to assess progress and set goals
• Take primary responsibility for ensuring that the student receives the advising described in the Advising of Continuing Students section.
Example: A dissertation advisor meets monthly with their advisee to review chapter drafts and uses a shared document to track feedback and deadlines. The advisor also helps the student prepare for their annual committee review.
As stated in Regulations Governing Graduate Study at the University of Pittsburgh, "meetings of the doctoral candidate and his/her dissertation committee must occur at least annually from the time the student gains admission to doctoral candidacy. During these meetings, the committee should assess the student's progress toward the degree and discuss objectives for the following year and a timetable for completing degree requirements. It is the responsibility of the dean of each school to determine a mechanism for monitoring the occurrence of these annual reviews."
Advising Graduating Students
As students approach graduation, mentors play a critical role in career preparation. Faculty should:
• Assist with job application materials (CVs, teaching statements, research plans)
• Share job postings and networking opportunities
• Encourage participation in professional associations and alumni networks
• Write strong, tailored letters of recommendation
Example: A faculty mentor organizes a mock interview session for graduating students and shares job leads through a departmental listserv.
They also introduce students to alumni working in relevant fields.