This booklet is for currently enrolled Geroscience PhD students only. Future applicants should visit the USC Leonard Davis School Admission website for the latest program information.
Advising Geroscience PhD Students
Effective and positive advising and mentoring of graduate students creates a mutually beneficial relationship, leading to success for both individual students and their advisors, and enhancing the reputation of the program and the University. The program aims to provide an excellent educational environment for all students that enhances professional development, avoids graduate student attrition, and promotes a high rate of PhD completion in a reasonable time. Effective advising is central to the achievement of these goals.
Geroscience PhD faculty advisors are expected to establish coursework and research plans with their students and follow guidelines for best advising practices. Geroscience PhD faculty also are strongly encouraged to file a summary of their expectations (see appendix B), and individual development plan (IDP) for each student with the Geroscience PhD program office. Faculty should revisit this document annually to ensure that the expectations match current conditions of lab research, funding, and program requirements.
Faculty should refer to the online PhD handbook for information regarding courses, deadlines, and procedures.
Although the relationship between advisor and student is different from that of employer and employee, resources provided by the University Office of Human Resources also provide helpful guidelines: USC Policy Website on Student Issues and Manager Gateway. Please contact gerohr@usc.edu or help with policy interpretation or for guidance on managing your student/employee.
The primary role of Geroscience PhD program faculty is to support Geroscience PhD students. Students are best served when advisors provide them with authentic evaluations that aim for reasonable goals and recognize achievement.
PhD Advisors are required to submit a performance review of each trainee every semester (Fall, Spring, Summer). These evaluations are shared with the PhD student’s advisory committee and the Geroscience PhD Committee for review. [Geroscience PhD Semesterly Eval]
Scores are satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U):
Student Name (Role RA or TA)
PI Name
Q1. General scientific knowledge (literature, methods, etc.)
Q2. Lab performance (effort and data quality)
Q3. Project outcomes
Q4. Professionalization and lab citizenship
Q5. Overall degree progress
Additional comments and notes: Any score of “U” requires written documentation in the notes section that describes the basis of the score.
- Any student that receives a score of U must meet with their PhD committee (with a majority of the committee in attendance) in the next semester.
- A student that received a score of U for two consecutive semesters will be required to meet with the Geroscience PhD committee to develop a plan to regain good standing.
- Note: Students are at risk of being dismissed from the program if a score of U is documented in any one category for two consecutive semesters or a score of U in any review category for three consecutive semesters.
The university has several conflict-of-interest policies that impact faculty, staff, and students. Depending on the circumstances, one or more of these policies might apply.
As faculty members at the University of Southern California, all faculty mentors and instructors are subject to university policies for employment.
