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Folks:

The posting below looks at the many advantages of having your Ph.D. students include a memo to you when seeking feedback on their dissertation drafts. It is by Dr. Mary McKinney of Successful Academic Coaching. Feel free to visit her web site at http://www.successfulacademic.com for additional tenure track tips and dissertation writing strategies. Copyright ©2006. Reprinted with permission.

Regards,
Rick Reis
reis@stanford.edu
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Tomorrow's Graduate Students and Postdocs

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Advisee Management Tip: Ask for a Memo

* Do your doctoral students expect you to remember the details of their dissertation research no matter how long it has been since you've seen the previous draft of their written work?
* Do advisees want you to read every word, of every version, of every chapter and expect you to keep track of the revisions they've made?
* Do they fail to ask for the type of feedback they would find most useful?
* Do they expect you to return their papers within days regardless of your schedule?

If any of these situations are familiar, it might help to use advisee management strategies. Here's a first step: Ask your advisees to attach a memo to every piece of writing they hand in.

Why are memos needed?

BECAUSE DOCTORAL STUDENTS FORGET THAT THEIR DISSERTATION IS MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN TO YOU.

Somewhere, on an intellectual basis, your advisees know that you're not thinking about their research and progress every waking moment. But on an emotional level it is hard for them to keep this truth in mind. The dissertation is so central to their life that it is easy for them to forget that other peoples' lives don't revolve around it.

You were once there too - remember?

To help your graduate students succeed, find ways to tacitly remind them that it is impossible for their dissertation to be your top priority. Help them develop mature academic skills by taking full responsibility for the content and progress of their dissertations. Protect your time by making sure they're not dependent on you to keep track of every aspect of their project. Set up structures so that you can pay attention to their work in the most efficient manner possible.

Memos are one way your students can take lead role in keeping track of their research project.
Most students I work with just stick a dissertation chapter in their advisor's mailbox or attach the document in a short email that says something like "here's the first chapter." Ask them not to do this.
When grad students hand in a draft without a memo they implicitly ask you to remember what the document is, what stage it is at, and what feedback would be helpful. The students are assuming, in effect, that their project is at the forefront of your mind.

Help your students become mature academics by teaching them to write memos that will help you advise them most effectively.

For example, student's memo might say something along these lines:

Dear Professor xxx,
Here is the revised draft of my second chapter.
When we last met, you suggested that I address the following issues:
* Brief description of Issue A.
* Description of Issue B.
* Description of Issue C.

To address problem "A", I've added three paragraphs on page x.

To address problem "B", I've significantly changed two sections on page y and z.

I still have questions about Issue C: I've tried to address them on pages xx and yy but would appreciate any additional comments you might have about this topic, especially my applications of the X theory and use of Y methodology.

Although we haven't discussed it, I've also tightened up the introduction and would appreciate you taking the time to see how it works better now. It is always helpful to know the sections where you think I'm on track, as well as the places there are still problems.

To make it easier for you to find these revised sections, I've highlighted them in red.

Would it be convenient to meet in a couple of weeks to review these changes? If you have time, my schedule is very flexible the week of xxx, except for when I teach on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Is there a specific time that would work well for you?"

The core of the memo is the "what," "why" and "when" of the submitted material.

Benefits of the memo:
1) It will take you less time to review the draft.
2) Students gain the skills of mature, professional and proactive academics.
3) It is easier to provide useful, focused critiques.
4) You can see whether the student has understood previous critiques and made the changes you've suggested in the past.
5) The added structure is another form of support that will help students write a better dissertation more quickly.

An Additional Note: Don't Forget Praise

One common complaint I hear from students is that professors don't provide enough feedback. Ask your advisees to include specific questions in their memos so that you can address their concerns. Be sure to include positive comments every time you give feedback. Even the best students need to hear that they are doing well. Reassure students when they are on track, praise them when they are clear and cogent, let them know the places where their work is interesting and original.

Remember the inevitable insecurity you felt about how your advisor would respond to your work? Help ease your grad students anxieties.

Ask your graduate advisees to WRITE A MEMO. It's polite, professional, proactive, and will protect you both from misunderstandings.