Resources for Graduate Students

Resources for Graduate Students

Faculty members and graduate students are encouraged to seek assistance in improving advising relationships and/or resolving issues through a number of offices. If the student encounters a problem within their committee, the student should meet with the primary adviser to discuss the matter. If things cannot be addressed from within the committee, the DGS is available for confidential discussion on any matter. The members of the department’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee are also available for confidential consultation on advising-related matters.

Guide to Graduate Mentoring and Advising in English, Fall 2020

If students prefer for any reason not to approach members of the department with a particular advising-related concern—or if their efforts to do so don’t yield a satisfying resolution—Yale has a variety of resources designed to ensure a healthy workplace for graduate students. These include: 

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office

1 Hillhouse Avenue; (203) 432-2733  

  • The GSAS Dean’s Office provides centralized support for students and faculty in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Pamela Schirmeister (pamela.schirmeister@yale.edu) is in charge of graduate student teaching and professional development. Richard Sleight (richard.sleight@yale.edu) is responsible for academic advising and student progress, disciplinary and grievance cases, and outside fellowships. Lisa Brandes (lisa.brandes@yale.edu) is the Director of the McDougal Graduate Student Center and is responsible for fostering a greater sense of social and cultural community for graduate students. 

Office for Graduate Student Development & Diversity

1 Hillhouse Avenue; (203) 436-1301  

  • Dean Michelle Nearon (michelle.nearon@yale.edu) is head of the Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity, as well as serving as the Deans’ Designee and the Title IX coordinator for the Graduate School. Title IX prohibits sex or gender discrimination in all education programs and activities, including but not limited to admissions, recruitment, instruction, advising, and employment. Dean’s Designees are administrators with the responsibility to receive student concerns and offer advice and guidance related to diversity and inclusion, discrimination and harassment, and equal opportunity. Deans’ Designees may also help facilitate informal resolution of complaints.  

University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct

55 Whitney Avenue; (203) 432-4449  

  • The UWC is the disciplinary board that addresses claims of sexual misconduct and assists with the process of filing a formal complaint. 

Office of Institutional Equity and Access

  • Any student, employee, or applicant for programs or employment at Yale who is concerned about affirmative action, equal opportunity, sexual harassment, racial harassment, or fairness in admissions or employment at Yale, either in a general sense or with respect to their own situation, is encouraged to contact the OIEA. Talking about a problem with a member of the Office is not a part of any formal grievance procedure. However, the Senior Director, Valarie Stanley (valarie.stanley@yale.edu), can investigate a situation and help to resolve it informally. The Office also informs individuals about the availability of the University’s grievance procedures for students and employees. In cases where the individual is not within a group of persons to which a formal grievance procedure applies, the Office will review a complaint. All inquiries are treated in a confidential manner. 

Student Accessibility Services

35 Broadway (rear), Room 222; (203)432-2324 

  • The Student Accessibility Services (SAS) office facilitates individual accommodations for all students with disabilities throughout the University. SAS works to remove physical and attitudinal barriers, which may prevent students’ full participation in the University community. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act guide the work. 

Sexual Harassment and Assault Response & Education (SHARE)

55 Lock Street, Lower Level; (203) 432-2000  

  • SHARE offers a range of confidential and/or anonymous support services to any member of the Yale community dealing with sexual misconduct of any kind. SHARE has a new support group specifically for graduate and professional students. 

Mental Health & Counseling

55 Lock Street, 3rd Floor; 203-432-0290  

  • You can call 203-432-0123 to reach an on-call therapist 24/7, or call 203-432-0290 to make an appointment, or you can come to YMH&C in person at 55 Lock Street (3rd floor). If you are having trouble securing an appointment in a timely fashion and are comfortable seeking confidential help from the DGS, they can contact YMH&C on your behalf. 

Resources for Students to Address Discrimination and Harassment Concerns

  • This website offers a comprehensive accounting of the array of institutional offices, programs, resources, and people available to students to address discrimination and harassment concerns. It also includes a catalogue of policies and definitions and a list of steps to take toward resolving complaints of various kinds.  

Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning

301 York Street; (203) 432-4765  

  • The Poorvu Center provides an array of support for graduate student teaching and writing. The Teaching Development Team can assist with course design and offers confidential individual consultations and classroom observations, as well as offering dozens of teaching workshops led by experienced graduate student teachers. The Graduate Writing Lab offers individual consultations with writing tutors, programs and workshops on academic writing and communication, writing retreats, and facilitated peer writing groups. 

Office of Career Strategy

55 Whitney Ave., 3rd Floor; (203) 432 

The Office of Career Strategy offers individual Career Advising Appointments and runs a Professionalization Workshop Series for graduate students in the Humanities, as well as sponsoring discipline- and field-specific Peer Professionalization Groups. Their website provides links to on- and off-campus professionalization resources, including lists of current employment opportunities and internships in the public and digital humanities. The Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Career Services is Hyun Ja Shin (hyunja.shin@yale.edu).