Working with Faculty
Developing connections with faculty will be useful to you as you learn to build networks. Networking is the development of mutually beneficial relationships, and you and the professors in your department/program both have valuable information to share with one another. Here are some ways to network with your faculty:
- Get to know the faculty by sharing things you especially appreciate about the department and your own goals for students who are majoring or minoring. Ask the faculty members about their backgrounds (review their profiles in the Brandeis ScholarWorks first), and let them know that other students are also interested in getting to know about their professional pathways and current research and teaching interests.
- Identify a faculty member who will be your main contact person in the major/minor. If it's difficult to arrange the first meeting, be persistent. Offer several times at which you and the other UDRs are free each week, and if the professor does not initially reply, ask again in the following week.
- When asking faculty to participate in an event/initiative, be as specific as possible about the goals of the program, and why you want them to participate. Let them know what they will be expected to do, and also ask for additional suggestions.
- Before the first meeting, brainstorm concerns and possible solutions regarding the program (e.g., number of majors/minors; enrollments in courses; participation in departmental honors; assessment of learning goals; diversity and inclusion goals, etc.) so that you are ready to suggest topics when you meet.
- After arranging the first meeting with a faculty member, ask to set up monthly check-in appointments for the semester.
Suggested Questions to Ask Faculty
Be enthusiastic! Ask for suggestions and feedback. Consider asking more about the professor's research interests, what universities they've attended, other jobs they've had. Tell them about what you are doing on and off campus, and about your academic and career goals, too. Additionally, you could ask:
- What are strengths of the department/program?
- What are the strengths of the undergraduates who choose to major/minor in the program?
- How can UDRs best advance the interests of the major/minor?
- What concerns regarding the program do the faculty have?