Roles and Responsibilities in the M.L.A. Program
Quality graduate education depends upon effective student-faculty relationships characterized by mutual respect, clearly stated expectations, open lines of communications, and the existence and application of effective mechanisms for dealing with problems, should they occur.
Students are expected to contribute to advancing the mission of the M.L.A. program. They are expected to assume responsibility for knowing and adhering to the regulations, policies, and requirements of the University, Graduate School, and the M.L.A. Program as described in:
. The Graduate Bulletin, current edition, available on-line at http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/bulletin/. See in particular Appendices II and III concerning procedures for resolution of problems related to scholarly activities and assistantships.
. Penn State policies for graduate student conduct regarding research, scholarly and professional ethics ( RA-10 and AD-47 , respectively), and co-authorship of scholarly papers ( RA-13 ). See the University's web site at http//www.guru.psu.edu/policies.
. The Thesis Guide available from the Graduate School.
. Guiding Principles for Good Practice in Graduate Education available from the Graduate School.
. Other checklists, forms, and publications as may be available from the Graduate School.
The Department Head is Principal-in-Charge of the graduate program, and is ultimately responsible for its overall direction and soundness. S/he appoints graduate faculty to teaching roles, assigns teaching assistantships (T.A.s), and leads in substantive program content changes at the departmental level.
The Graduate Program Coordinator ("Coordinator") manages the day-to-day functioning of the M.L.A. program. S/he administers the M.L.A. recruitment process, conducts orientation for new graduate students, advises new students on the selection of first semester course work, and provides general guidance to graduate students throughout their residency. The coordinator conducts final checks of course audits and final research products prior to graduation, and facilitates interaction among students, faculty, Centers, and the wider academic community. S/he also interacts with the B.L.A./M.L.A. coordinator, the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, and representatives of the Graduate School.
Primary Advisors serve as mentors for the independent work required of all M.L.A. students. They also supervise their advisees' research efforts, head the Master's committee, and guide the selection of supporting elective courses. They also serve as the primary signatory on completed Master's theses, projects or papers. Infrequently, students may request a change of advisor, since interests sometimes shift during graduate work. The coordinator's involvement should be sought in such instances. If appropriate, revisions will be made to the Master's committee form kept on file by the administrative assistant.
Master's Committee Members and 2nd Readers play a secondary role in the graduate students' research work. They comment on research proposals, review research drafts, attend Master's Committee meetings, and serve as co-signatories on the final, certified document.
The C.W.S. Option Coordinator -the Director of the Center for Watershed Stewardship-supervises watershed stewardship option course work, guides C.W.S. students in choice of electives, leads the first-year watershed stewardship seminars (LArch 510.2), and oversees the second year practicum (the "Keystone project").
The C.U.D. Option Coordinator -the Director of the Hamer Center for Community Design Assistance-supervises community and urban design option course work and guides C.U.D. students in choice of electives.
The M.L.A. Program Committee assists the department head and the coordinator in monitoring and developing the program, with an emphasis on curriculum planning, admissions decisions, and assistantship assignments. Secondarily, the Program Committee may be called upon to review and comment on graduate student research proposals.
Graduate Faculty have a broad obligation of involvement in the M.L.A. program. They are generally available for involvement in graduate student research and related activities and may be appointed by the department head to teach graduate courses. In addition, graduate faculty external grants can provide significant research assistantships for M.L.A. students.
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