Faculty Advising
Upon matriculation, students are assigned a faculty advisor that serves as the primary faculty contact throughout their program of study. The advisor may change to align with the student’s area of focus for the Doctoral Capstone. Advisors play a critical role in supporting student growth and academic progress by offering guidance related to academic and professional development, and by helping students identify and connect with appropriate Institute resources to promote their overall success and well-being.
Academic advising is a collaborative planning process through which students plan and organize their studies in a meaningful way.
The advisor will:
1. Meet with assigned advisees at least once each semester, individually or in small groups, but will meet individually at least once per year.
2. Develop a relationship with each advisee, demonstrating a commitment to the student’s success,
growth and development.
3. Support students to identify, if possible; accommodations may be warranted to access their classroom, lab, or experiential curriculum and provide referrals to the Accessibility Resources (AR) office or other appropriate MGH Institute offices.
4. Provide guidance for course registration to allow students to register online each semester for electives, when relevant to the program.
5. Monitor student progress toward academic and professional goals. Advise students about relevant Institute and Program academic policies when petitioning for waivers or unusual circumstances and support the student in understanding the petition steps or process to submit to the Committee on Academic Policies and Procedures for action.
Students should communicate with their advisor regularly. The advisee will:
1. Seek assistance from the faculty advisor as needed.
2. Respond to advisor messages.
3. Keep all mandatory scheduled advising sessions or give timely notice of unavailability, and initiate contact to reschedule. Keep other scheduled advising sessions as requested.
4. Come prepared to advising sessions to discuss relevant issues.
Students should meet with individual faculty on specific courses to discuss challenges related to course content. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisors to discuss issues regarding personal concerns that may impact learning and professional development. Students should also feel free to approach the Department Chair or Program Director at any time to talk about issues related to the program.
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and institutional policy, academic advisors are considered “school officials” with a legitimate educational interest. This designation permits advisors to access and share relevant student information with other MGH Institute faculty or staff when such access is necessary to fulfill their professional responsibilities in support of the student’s academic progress and success.
Advisors may communicate with university faculty and staff regarding a student’s academic standing, performance, or support needs when such communication serves a clear educational purpose. This includes discussions related to academic difficulty, professionalism concerns, accommodations, progression planning, and preparation for clinical placements.
Advising notes and documentation may be accessed by other authorized institutional personnel who have a legitimate educational interest to ensure coordinated and consistent student support. These notes should be maintained professionally, factually, and reflecting the advisor’s role in guiding the student within the scope of institutional policies.
Information shared under this clause should always be limited to what is necessary to serve the student’s educational interest and must not be used for purposes unrelated to the advisor’s or recipient’s official duties.