The Chemistry Department is committed to ensuring its graduate students' academic and professional development. Recognizing that the relationship between a graduate student and their advisor is critical to the success of the student’s research and academic progress, this policy outlines the procedure and expectations for changing advisors. This policy aims to provide a structured and transparent process for Chemistry graduate students who wish to change their advisor, ensuring minimal disruption to their studies and research progress.
Graduate students wishing to change advisors must inform their current advisor and Chemistry Graduate Student Services with a brief rationale for the change. There are many factors to consider when changing advisors, so the student should work through the Research Advisor Change Checklist with Graduate Student Services, their potential new advisor, their former advisor, and their thesis committee as needed.
If, before leaving the previous group, the student has identified a new advisor who has agreed to support the student, the request should include the name of the new advisor. After the research group change and start date are confirmed by the new advisor, official paperwork will be sent to the student and the new advisor to sign.
If the student does not have a confirmed advisor, they will be given a 2-week grace period to find a new advisor. If a new advisor is not identified during this grace period, the student will enter an 8-week probationary period (if they are already on probation, this timeline will be adjusted to follow the timeline of their initial probation). During the grace and probationary periods, the student will remain fully funded and is expected to distribute their effort according to their appointment. If an advisor is not identified at the end of this probationary period, dismissal from the program will be recommended. Students who are eligible and want to complete the MS in Chemistry within a single semester before leaving the program should discuss a timeline and plan of required courses with the Doctoral Graduate Chair and Chemistry Graduate Student Services.
Addendum: Research Advisor Change Checklist (Updated Oct. 8, 2024)
● Topics for you (the student) to discuss with the potential new advisor
○ What project(s) would you be expected to work on?
○ How will you be funded (note that Chemistry PhD students have a 5-year funding
guarantee)?
○ If there are factors that affected your progress in your former group, discuss how
you intend to address them moving forward (note that a thesis committee
meeting may be needed to set expectations).
○ What would be your anticipated timeline for graduation (note that this change
might affect your time to degree)?
○ Are there specific expectations for students in the new research group that you
should be aware of?
● Topics for you (the student) to discuss with the former advisor (and your thesis committee as needed):
○ What is the appropriate timeline for changing groups? What loose ends can you
tie up (finishing work, writing up protocols, teaching skills, writing manuscript
text)?
○ Are there other check-out tasks for you to complete? How can you end this
working relationship on the best possible footing?
○ What of your former work can be included as a thesis chapter?
○ What of your former research projects will be published, and if so, how will
authorship be determined (note that this will certainly change if new group
members need to come in to complete projects that you had been
spearheading)?
● Adjust the composition of your thesis committee to best support your research goals
