Graduate study provides a unique opportunity for students, researcher scientists, and faculty to work together in advancing the boundaries of knowledge through innovative research and to discover new ways to apply this knowledge for the benefit of humankind. The faculty also recognizes and supports another purpose, which is the training of graduate students for future careers as independent investigators in academia and industry. Research activities are central to the success of any good graduate program. Consequently, faculty tenure decisions, research scientist promotions and salaries are highly correlated to research productivity. But other responsibilities often leave faculty and research scientists with little time to engage in all aspects of the research process. They rely on assistance in their research from students, particularly graduate students. Research scientists who lead projects similarly rely on graduate students for their efforts. This gives students an opportunity to apply theories they learn in the classroom under laboratory conditions. Students are provided with the opportunity to develop new and important knowledge in engineering and gain an appreciation for the excitement of discovery. In addition, students gain a mentor who can guide them through the joys and frustrations of experimental and theoretical research. They also gain experience in communicating their research results to the scientific and technical community by writing manuscripts for publication in archival journals and making oral presentations at conference proceedings. Both the student and mentor gain significantly when they work together as a team, respecting each other's abilities and responsibilities. Both fail miserably when this mutual respect is missing. These guidelines are formulated so students can better understand what is expected of them and what is expected of the faculty and researchers as they work together as partners in pursuit of common research objectives in a graduate program.

 

Although graduate students are familiar with the roles of faculty as teachers and mentors, they are often unaware of the other duties and responsibilities of the faculty. A partial list of expectations and responsibilities of ISIS faculty members is given below.

 

Students should note that many of these activities involve submission of proposals, summaries or evaluations. In addition, faculty are themselves evaluated by funding agencies, by the department chair, and by students through course and mentor evaluations. In short, faculty members are expected to provide professional service beyond their immediate needs and are held accountable for their activities.

 

To facilitate the success of their academic and research training, graduate students should be aware of some important program expectations and student responsibilities. These, along with relevant guidelines, are provided below.