Securing a thesis adviser

Choosing a faculty adviser

In order to undertake the thesis, students must have a faculty adviser who has agreed in writing to serve in this capacity. The faculty adviser's roles are to help and guide students in the formulation of research questions, ideas, and approach, to supervise progress and execution of the work, and to serve as the arbiter of the work's excellence. The faculty adviser is the instructor of record.

Once students have given some thought to the senior thesis topic, the next step is finding a suitable faculty adviser. A Global Honors thesis faculty adviser must be:

• a full-time UW Tacoma faculty member;
• whose fields of academic expertise should be appropriate and potentially helpful to the thesis work; and
• with whom the student has spoken about interests and with whom the student can work well.

Formalizing the appointment

The next step in the process is to download the Faculty Adviser Appointment Form which spells out the student's and adviser's obligations and relationship in the thesis process. Before embarking on the senior thesis work, the signed letter of appointment must be on file in the Global Honors program office.

This document must be signed by the thesis faculty adviser, by the director of Global Honors, and by the student. It is the student's responsibility to see that both the GH office and your faculty adviser receive copies signed by all three parties; the student should also keep a copy.