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University of Nebraska–Lincoln

School of Natural Resources

From Earth to Sky and Everything In Between

General Information and Forms for SNR Graduate Students


General Information

New Graduate Student Award!

Financial Assistance - School of Natural Resources

Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Graduate Students Only

Financial Assistance - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Graduate School Information

Graduate Secretary
School of Natural Resources
150A Hardin Hall
3310 Holdrege Street
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68583-0921
Phone 402-472-5355
Fax 402-472-3461
snrsgradsec@unl.edu

Graduate Student Organization Web Site

Graduate Student Responsibilities and Privileges

Your role as a graduate student should be to enhance your education, further science, and accomplish your career goals. You are a representative of the University of Nebraska Lincoln (UNL) and the School of Natural Resources (SNR). You are also well on your way to becoming a colleague in our profession, so your actions and attitudes should reflect this position at all times.

As a graduate student, you have certain privileges but also some responsibilities. The commitment necessary to carry out your graduate program will require a great deal of time, individual initiative, and cooperation with your advisor, other graduate students, and other faculty members. You should consult with your advisor for additional details and guidelines concerning your specific program or specialization, but in general you have the responsibility to:

  • Be familiar with the information presented in this handbook and in the Graduate Studies Bulletin;
  • Select a committee with guidance from your advisor
  • Arrange meetings of your graduate committee reserve the room, and provide committee members with the time, location and purpose of the meeting;
  • Keep your advisor informed of the status of your program and research. In turn, it is your advisor's responsibility to inform you of your progress;
  • Provide your committee with progress reports as directed by your advisor. YOU SHOULD MEET WITH YOUR GRADUATE COMMITTEE AT LEAST ONCE PER YEAR;
  • Ask your advisor and other graduate students for critical reviews of your proposals, seminars, manuscripts, presentations, and your thesis;
  • Attain a minimum grade of C or Pass for graduate credit in courses in minor, collateral or supporting areas (remember your overall average must be 3.0);

If you are on an assistantship, in addition to the above responsibilities, you also have the following:

  • Perform project-related work, regardless of funding source, as defined by your advisor. The amount of time spend in this type of work is limited to an average of 20 hours per week.
  • Leave any property purchased with funds other than your own with your advisor. This includes items such as photographic slides or prints, computer print-outs, books, collections of research material, office supplies, etc. Each project leader has the discretion to release such items to you dependent upon previously understood agreements.

International Students

SEVIS, the federally mandated internet-based international student and scholar tracking system, requires all international students and visiting scholars with the F-1 or J-1 visa classification who are admitted to study or conduct research at U.S. institutions to be formally registered and/or validated upon arrival on campus. Please remind international students and visiting scholars to report in person to the International Affairs office at 420 University Terrace, (17th & R) upon arrival.

All members of the UNL community are welcome to subscribe to the weekly email newsletter for international students and scholars, offering information about immigration regulations, activities and other useful items; instructions are on the office web site: http://www.unl.edu/iaffairs/. Information about the wide array of programs and services offered by International Affairs, including the New International Student Orientation, may be found at the web site. The web site also provides comprehensive information about the Study Abroad and Exchange Programs available to UNL students.

Role of the Advisor

Your major advisor's role is to help guide you through your degree program. Methods for accomplishing this will vary with advisor, so communication between student and advisor is important. However, you are ultimately responsible for making adequate progress toward your degree and producing high quality research. Your major advisors should assist you by:

  • Providing advice on research, course work, and employment opportunities when requested;
  • Describing the limits of supplies, equipment, and labor to you before the initiation of a project
  • Providing supplies, equipment and labor within the limits of available funding;
  • Staying abreast of your program and research, and informing you of your progress;
  • Conducting committee meetings;
  • Providing assistance in the form of critical reviews of proposals, seminars, manuscripts, presentations and your thesis or dissertation;
  • Accepting final responsibility for research conducted under his/her project;
  • Defining the amount of time you must devote to non thesis related work;
  • Acting as a role model in your scientific endeavors and professional development;
  • Familiarity with the Graduate Student Responsibilities (listed above).