School of Communication

Graduate Advising

Director of Graduate Studies

Dr. Joseph Kayany
(269) 387-3592
Sprau Tower, Room 318 (third floor)

Dear Students,

As the director of graduate studies, I am determined to do everything in my power to help you navigate successfully through the various administrative and academic benchmarks of the program and to increase the value of your graduate degree. However, mentoring you in your pursuit of specialized knowledge and expertise, requires the collective skills of the School of Communication. Faculty members in the School of Communication are committed to serving you as your mentors and primary advisors, if and when requested. We consider graduate advising to be our collective responsibility.

Below is the general advising guidelines for graduate students in the School of Communication.

New students, please contact me directly during your first semester for any help regarding enrollment, courses, or problems you may face as a 'newbie' in a new program of study, new university, new place, or new country.

Please note, however, that you have been assigned a temporary advisor. In the first semester, please make an appointment to meet with your temporary advisor in order to discuss with him/her your academic and professional goals. He/she will discuss with you the various program options, help you with the selection of second semester courses, and guide you through the process of selecting a permanent advisor.

Please set a target to select your permanent advisor before the end of the second semester. It is very important that you select as your permanent advisor someone with whom your share your research interests and with whom you can work well. Your permanent advisor will help you design your permanent program, chair your capstone experience, and help you select other members of your committee. You will depend a great deal on your permanent advisor to meet your academic and professional goals. So choose wisely.

Although your permanent advisor will be your primary advisor, I will always be available to you. Please feel free to meet with me to discuss any concern you have or any issue that bothers you as a graduate student. Even if you have no apparent problems, I encourage you to visit me at least once each semster. Thank you.

Dr. Joe Kayany

Call or e-mail for an appointment.