Community Expectations

The Department of Earth Sciences will:

General:

• establish and communicate policies for emergencies and unplanned situations that may disrupt the work of students and/or faculty;
• ensure all department-related activities taking place off-campus comply with these community expectations; in addition, group, program, or site-specific guidelines should be developed by the principal investigator (PI) or person leading the off-campus activity and shared with all participating individuals prior to the activity. Requirements and recommendations for developing field-specific guidelines can be found in Guidance for Fieldwork Planning;
• incorporate the guidelines and recommendations outlined herein into departmental policies and/or handbooks in a timely manner and actively promote their observance;
• respond promptly and appropriately to concerns raised by faculty and students.

Coursework & Training:

• ensure required courses are offered regularly;
• provide students with up-to-date information that includes policies, practices, degree requirements, course offerings, and resources;
• provide pedagogical training and regular assessment of student teaching and other assistantship activities (through DCAL and the department, e.g., EARS 149, EARS 201); 

Research:

• provide appropriate infrastructure to allow students to complete their education and research in a timely and productive manner;
• provide and monitor training in the ethical conduct of research for faculty and students (required through the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies);

Mentoring & Professional Development:

• assist graduate students with selection of their advisors and committee (see Graduate Academic Handbook), and provide students with contacts and resources for potential conflict resolution (e.g., ombudsperson, graduate coordinator, and/or Department Chair);
• monitor graduate student progress toward degree and professional development, including mentoring meetings, committee meetings, exam completions, and other benchmarks appropriate to their discipline;
• provide opportunities for professional development relevant to students seeking careers outside academia and/or their research discipline (e.g., bringing in non-academic speakers to GeoLunch, EARS 88; access to alumni network (https://alumni.dartmouth.edu/connect/find-alumni and https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8128304)).
   

Faculty, research associates, postdoctoral scholars, students and staff should:

• have interactions that promote an environment that is intellectually stimulating and free of harassment, discrimination (Dartmouth Title IX, The Office of Institutional Diversity & Equity), and microaggressions;
• be supportive, equitable, accessible, encouraging, and respectful in all departmental and professional activities;
• recognize and be inclusive of the cultural backgrounds of all fellow faculty, research associates, postdoctoral scholars, students, and staff;
• understand that when performing some duties related to research, committee service, and teaching, some flexibility is necessary in scheduling and attending to commitments.
• be attentive to potential power imbalances at all levels 
• follow these community expectations in all professional settings, including domestic and international conferences
   

In addition to the responsibilities listed above, faculty, research associate, postdoctoral scholar, and graduate advisors and co-advisors should:

• act as role models by behaving ethically, professionally, and courteously toward other students, staff, and faculty;
• be sensitive to power imbalances in graduate student–advisor relationships;
• provide clear instructions to Teaching Assistants (TAs, or sometimes referred to as Dartmouth Fellow, or DFs) and Research Assistants (RAs) at the start of the term regarding particular tasks that require focused effort (e.g., exams, grading, conferences, labwork, etc) so that time can be allotted; uphold the principle that each position typically requires up to 20 hours of associated effort each week;
• not assign duties or activities outside the advisees' academic, research, and professional responsibilities;
• respect students' need to allocate their time among competing demands while maintaining timely progress toward their degree;
• advise students on the selection of an appropriate thesis topic and assist them in selecting a thesis committee;
• advise students on timelines and expectations for committee selection and completion of degree requirements (see 'Summary of Key Dates' in Graduate Academic Handbook), so that sufficient time is allowed for input from committee and student peers;
• set clear expectations and goals for students regarding their academic performance and research progress each term and meet regularly, at a mutually agreed frequency, in order to provide feedback on progress;
• read and review journal manuscripts or thesis chapters in a timely manner for both students they supervise and those for which they are a committee member;
• discuss policies and expectations for work hours, vacation time, and health contingencies while respecting those outlined in the Graduate Workplace Policy Handbook;
• provide students with training and oversight in all relevant aspects of research, including the design of research projects, the development of oral and written communication, grant preparation as appropriate, and the use of rigorous research techniques;
• avoid placing pressure on students to produce results that support particular hypotheses;
• devise effective ways of providing students with guidance and supervision during any prolonged absence of the advisor (e.g. sabbatical, field work, family leave);
• provide and discuss clear criteria for authorship at the beginning of all collaborative projects;
• discuss plagiarism with students who are involved in research—what plagiarism is and how to properly cite the work of others, including copyright and self-plagiarism;
• encourage participation in professional meetings and try to secure funding for such activities;
• provide career advice, offer help with interview and application preparation, and write letters of recommendation in a timely manner;
• acknowledge that some students will pursue careers outside of academia and/or outside their research discipline and assist them in achieving their chosen career goals;
• schedule meetings to discuss topics other than research, such as professional development, career objectives and opportunities, laboratory or personnel relations, etc...;
• make provisions for students to graduate if the faculty member will be leaving Dartmouth or retiring (e.g., assist students in finding another advisor, if appropriate, and assist the students in securing funding to continue);
• cooperate with any investigation stemming from a complaint, preserve confidentiality as much as possible, and avoid retaliation against whomever complained or was involved in the investigation.
   

Graduate Students should: 

• recognize that they bear the primary responsibility for the successful completion of their degree;
• exercise the highest ethical standards in all aspects of their research (including but not limited to collection, storage, analysis, and communication of research data);
• when employed as a teaching assistant, to the best of their ability and within the expected ≤20 hours/week, complete tasks such as teaching, grading, and other assistantship responsibilities assigned by the Department and/or Dartmouth College;
• know the policies governing graduate studies in the Department and the graduate school (Guarini) and take responsibility for meeting departmental, College, and graduate school deadlines;
• be proactive about communicating with their advisor and thesis committee, understanding that communication is a two-way endeavor;
• be considerate of other time constraints imposed on faculty and staff, including competing demands;
• take an active role in identifying and pursuing professional development opportunities;
• clearly communicate with advisor(s) regarding career preferences;
• be proactive about improving research skills, including written and oral presentation skills;
• seek mentoring and support resources beyond faculty or research scientist advisor(s), including other faculty members, postdoctoral scholars, peers, and through professional organizations;
• always act ethically, professionally, and courteously toward other students, staff, research associates, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty;
• raise complaints and concerns through appropriate channels (see Dispute Resolution Guidelines) and only in good faith.
   

Faculty, research associate, postdoctoral scholar, and graduate student undergraduate advisors and co-advisors (in addition to above) should:

• be sensitive to the power imbalance inherent in an undergraduate student–advisor relationship;
• respect students' needs to allocate their time among competing demands while maintaining timely progress toward their degree;
• advise students on timelines and expectations for completion of degree requirements with particular emphasis on thesis students;
• advise thesis students on the selection of an appropriate topic and assist them in selecting a second thesis reader;
• provide thesis students with training and oversight in all relevant aspects of research, including the design of research projects, the development of oral and written communication, fellowship-grant preparation as appropriate, and the use of rigorous research techniques;
• avoid placing pressure on students to produce results that support particular hypotheses;
• discuss plagiarism with students involved in research—what plagiarism is and how to properly cite the work of others, including copyright and self-plagiarism;
• encourage participation in professional meetings and try to secure funding for such activities;
• provide career advice, offer help with interview and application preparation, and write letters of recommendation in a timely manner;
• acknowledge that some students will pursue careers outside of academia and/or outside their research discipline and assist them in achieving their chosen career goals;
• be a role model by acting ethically, professionally, and courteously toward other students, research associates, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty;
• cooperate with any investigation stemming from a complaint, preserve confidentiality to the extent possible, and avoid retaliation against whomever complained or was involved in the investigation.
   

Undergraduate students should:

• exercise the highest ethical standards in all aspects of their research and coursework;
• adhere to Dartmouth's Honor Principle and Student Conduct Code in classes, while on field trips, and while performing research;
• be proactive about improving research skills, including written and oral presentation skills;
• be considerate of time constraints imposed on faculty and staff, including competing demands;
• seek mentoring and support resources beyond their faculty advisor(s), including other faculty members, research associates, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, staff, peers, and College resources;
• always act ethically, professionally, and courteously toward other students, staff, research associates, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty;
• raise complaints and concerns through appropriate channels (see Dispute Resolution Guidelines) and only in good faith.