Every new student will be assigned a faculty mentor who meets with them at least once a quarter to discuss and approve course registration, and ongoing academic goals. Since the faculty mentors are assigned based on joint interests, the faculty mentor may but does not have to become the student's dissertation adviser. In addition, students meet with their faculty mentor and DGS at the end of each academic year to review progress and plan for summer and the following year. In the first two years of the program, students should also begin to approach specific faculty members for ongoing advising in their respective fields of interest so that they can elicit specialist guidance as they begin preparing for the qualifying examination. The department relies on intensive mentoring to balance research and teaching priorities as part of each student's pedagogical training plan. In the first year, students will consult with their faculty member about appropriate teaching plans, and these discussions will then be formalized in consultation with the DGS and Chair. In consultation with the DGS, mentors will make students aware of what courses faculty are teaching, including in the Core, and implement a procedure for matching students to instructors according to intellectual fit and research program.