DNP Program Advising
Within the DNP Program, each student will have an assigned faculty advisor as well as an assigned academic advisor, which is the Graduate Advising Manager. Below are descriptions of these advising roles in addition to other faculty and staff that work to advise students.
Faculty Advisor is assigned to individual students upon entry into the DNP program and serves as a resource or advocate if students experience challenges to their academic progression or need to modify their formal program plan. Faculty advisors help students to access campus resources or connect students to SON faculty or programs that align with students’ interests or learning needs. Because they are formal advocates, students may ask faculty advisors to attend meetings with course professors if the student’s academic progression is at risk. When indicated, faculty advisors work with the academic affairs office to refer students to campus resources.
On occasion, a student may find that an alternative faculty member, other than the assigned primary advisor, may be better suited to facilitate the student’s training. In these situations, students are permitted to change faculty advisors. The need for a change may occur when a student’s research focus has changed and no longer matches that of their faculty advisor, or when the student and faculty advisor mutually agree that a different advising relationship better facilitates the student’s progress. Students may also need to change advisors when a faculty member retires or leaves the University. A student may continue under the advisement of a faculty member who retires for up to one year from the date of retirement. Students will need a new faculty advisor if they do not expect to complete the dissertation defense within the academic year following the advisor’s retirement. To request a change in advisor, students must complete and submit the Request for Change in Advisor form.
Graduate Advising Manager is the academic advisor assigned to all students upon entry into the DNP program and should be a main contact for any or all questions. The Graduate Advising Manager is the direct liaison to the UW-Madison Graduate School and collaborates regularly on campus wide policies with the Grad School. The academic advisor tracks students’ progression and provides information and permission regarding enrollment, individual approved program plans, campus resources and activities, and certification processes.
Population Lead Faculty have a defined role and a responsibility to provide oversight to the whole of a student’s specialty practice-focused education. As such, the population lead, also known as the specialty track lead, is the primary contact for guidance around the development of clinical skills, clinical practice roles, and modification of program plans and degree progression.
Graduate Clinical Placement Coordinator coordinates clinical and practicum placements in collaboration with the Population Lead Faculty and serves as a liaison between clinical and practicum sites and the School of Nursing. The Graduate Clinical Placement Coordinator also ensures all students are in compliance.
PhD Program Advising
PhD training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing relies heavily on a mentoring relationship between the PhD student and one or more members of the faculty who share a research interest (theory, method, population, or clinical phenomenon).
Faculty mentors are responsible for meeting with the student to help develop an initial program plan and to provide advice about a wide variety of issues such as coursework, goals for independent study experiences, research group participation, career development, and student well-being. Upon admission, each student is assigned a primary faculty mentor who assumes responsibility for (1) assuring that a suitable program plan is developed, (2) signing any official School of Nursing or University documents, and (3) preparing the students’ annual progression review evaluation. These activities may be carried out in consultation with one or more co-mentors assigned by the school upon admission or recruited by the student during the course of his/her program.
Both the mentor and PhD student will have expectations of each other, and it is important to try to assure that there is a shared understanding of those expectations. Some faculty and students prefer to have explicit conversations about what each will do in the course of an academic year and put those shared understandings in a written document. The SoN has prepared a mentoring agreement that you may choose to use or you may want to develop your own document. Having the written agreement can provide a sense of security, but simply having regular conversations about expectations will contribute to a more productive and fruitful mentoring relationship.
On occasion, a student may find that an alternative faculty member, other than the assigned primary advisor, may be better suited to facilitate the student’s training. In these situations, students are permitted to change faculty advisors. The need for a change may occur when a student’s research focus has changed and no longer matches that of their faculty advisor, or when the student and faculty advisor mutually agree that a different advising relationship better facilitates the student’s progress. Students may also need to change advisors when a faculty member retires or leaves the University. A student may continue under the advisement of a faculty member who retires for up to one year from the date of retirement. Students will need a new faculty advisor if they do not expect to complete the dissertation defense within the academic year following the advisor’s retirement. To request a change in advisor, students must complete and submit the Request for Change in Advisor form.
Graduate Advising Manager is the academic advisor assigned to all students upon entry into the DNP program and should be a main contact for any or all questions. The Graduate Advising Manager is the direct liaison to the UW-Madison Graduate School and collaborates regularly on campus wide policies with the Grad School. The academic advisor tracks students’ progression and provides information and permission regarding enrollment, individual approved program plans, campus resources and activities, and certification processes.
Graduate Compliance Coordinator ensures students are in compliance with School of Nursing policies.
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