Ask Doctoral Advising

I recently had the opportunity to attend the American Psychological Association National Conference in Boston.  As both a doctoral learner and staff member at Capella, I found it gratifying and reinforcing to hear from individuals across the United States and Canada who are experiencing similar issues, processes, and life events in their respective programs.  Each present unique challenges to learners, university staff, and faculty alike.

Perhaps most surprising was to hear from students who attend brick and mortar graduate programs that they struggle with nearly identical issues as our on-line learners.  Overwhelmingly, time-management, life events, struggling with committee members, and overall management of their programs were priority topics.  An interesting take away from these sessions was that often, students do not feel empowered to address many of these issues with faculty or mentors.  Another interesting note is that many of the school administrators, staff, and faculty in attendance pushed back on the students and asked them to speak up when they have issues.

I found this area to be congruent with our process and learner needs at Capella.  Learners may be wary of connecting with faculty or mentors, or hesitant to express their expectations and needs.  I believe there should be a balance in this process: these issues need to be managed with professionalism and respect, but learners have the right (and responsibility) to advocate for themselves.  When learners communicate with me about something they need from a faculty, the first question I ask is  “Have you asked your mentor, or let them know?”  This is a common issue across all strata of universities.  As an advisor, my hope is that you are asking questions that enable you to facilitate your process:

What expectations do you have of me during this course/process?

What progress do I need to make to meet your expectations?

What is your teaching/mentoring philosophy?

And remember, you are your own best advocate – let faculty know when you have questions and what your expectations are as well.