Interacting with undergraduate
and graduate students – advice
to new faculty
Larry Davis
Computer Science Department
University of Maryland
Interacting with undergraduates
• Success in the classroom is a combination
of
– Intense preparation
• Of both class preparations and student
expectations
– Respect for the students
• Never belittle a student in public or in private
– Maintaining lively interactions
• The best classes are participatory
Interacting with undergraduates
• Undergraduate research
– Institutional priority at Maryland
– Incentivize young faculty to take on
undergraduates
• Department offers funds to pay students to do
research over the summer
• Department sends students to conferences if they
get papers accepted
Interacting with graduates as
advisors
• In the US, faculty have to support graduate
students with their grant funds or “startup”
funding.
– Cut losses early – if a student isn’t working out, it’s in
the student’s and the faculty member’s best interest
to find another area.
• Mentor the students
– On writing papers, making presentations, helping with
proposal preparation.
• Help them get jobs
– Determine their career goals early and then ensure
that their research agenda is consistent with their
career goals.