<p>Geomom, do you know a student who has had a problem with an advisor, or does your worry stem from reading this text?</p>
<p>As a faculty advisor at another institution, I was interested to read your post. The main advice for the course 6 student is:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you really need to reach your advisor, email, call, and drop by.</p></li>
<li><p>Always make an appointment at least a week ahead of time, because advisors are busy.</p></li>
<li><p>Take the initiative to check in with your advisor each term.</p></li>
<li><p>Remember that you, not your advisor, are responsible for meeting all graduation requirements, signing and submitting all forms, etc. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Personally, I think these are realistic and reasonable messages. They hold true for the school where I teach, which is a small liberal arts college. At my institution, we always receive the highest marks for faculty advising from our students on the NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement), a survey given to all undergraduate students. And yet we tell our students the same information. The only difference is that the message on the Course 6 website at MIT is far more transparent and upfront about how busy faculty members are. </p>
<p>My daughter had a good relationship with her advisors at MIT. Up until her senior year, she was planning to double major in Course 6 and Course 8, so she had experience in both departments (ultimately, she focused on Course 8). Maybe other students could chime in.</p>
<p>
Your impression is correct, of course. MIT students do not expect their advisors to tuck them in at night, so to speak. Under Massachusetts law, university students are considered emancipated adults, and they are expected to behave with intelligence and responsibility. The overall message on the Course 6 website, from my perspective, goes something like this: “You are responsible for the quality of your advising, and if you’re unhappy with your advisor, you can do something about it.” As a parent, I actually like that message. I didn’t send my son and daughter off to college for hand-holding.</p>