As Tufts sophomores begin to contemplate declaring a major, many struggle to find a faculty advisor. With only two full semesters of courses behind them, sophomores have limited experience talking to professors, and only a fraction of the professors they have taken classes with would qualify as potential advisors for their major. Many students find themselves at a loss as to whom they can ask, and they often are in the somewhat uncomfortable position of sending an e-mail to a professor whom they have never met in person.
Tufts provides various resources, however, to assist students in this important and sometimes stressful process. The Education Committee of the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate is working to create a Web site that will help students choose the right advisor. With information about the interests and research projects of faculty in all departments, students would be able to "shop" for a professor whose expertise aligns with their academic and career goals. The Web site would consolidate faculty information, allowing students to easily narrow down their search to a few professors with advisor potential.
However, identifying an individual with similar interests in the right department is only the first step in choosing the right advisor. Students need to do more than simply look up facts about professors online. Advisors should serve as mentors to their advisees, meaning that students should meet and interact with prospective advisors face-to-face before making a final decision.
Students should be aware that Tufts provides plenty of ways to get to know faculty members. For example, this Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Department of Undergraduate Education is hosting a Majors Fair. At this event, students are invited to talk to program coordinators from various departments about majors and advising.
Many individual departments also host informal meet-and-greet gatherings to give students an opportunity to talk to professors in their major. All undergraduate majors also have program directors who help students coordinate their course of study. Students can take advantage of these program directors' office hours to talk to them about choosing the right advisor. Also, students often find it helpful to first e-mail the program director of their prospective major before they send a blind e-mail to an unknown professor.
The advising Web site that the TCU Education Committee is currently developing would be a great first resource for students when they begin their search for an advisor. However, taking advantage of opportunities to meet with and talk to professors in person is an even better way of ensuring that the student-advisor relationship will be a positive one. Tufts' academic departments and program administrators are excellent and arguably underused resources for students seeking out an advisor.
