How We Hold Our Researchers Accountable
Every HAAG researcher operates under a written mentorship contract. This is our internal framework, and it’s the answer to the question every faculty partner has: what happens if the student I’m counting on disappears in April?
Our researchers commit to:
- Ethics and safety: ethical research conducted to Georgia Tech’s established standards, in a community where everyone is responsible for speaking up about unsafe behavior
- A spirit of teaching and learning: documenting and sharing knowledge, meeting agreed-upon deadlines, and maintaining a visible, collaborative presence
- Consistent communication: weekly written updates and availability during agreed working hours
In return, HAAG commits to its researchers: caring mentorship, transparent communication, frequent and meaningful feedback, empathy in the face of mistakes, and confidentiality. We hold ourselves to the same standard we ask of them.
Partnering faculty are expected to meet that same standard. Researchers on your project are protected by Georgia Tech’s existing policies on discrimination and harassment, the same as in any other supervisory relationship at the Institute.
Continuity between semesters is managed, not assumed. Ahead of each term, HAAG surveys every researcher on their intent to continue, tracks responses centrally, and follows up with anyone unresponsive. Researchers who continue may do so through several pathways: continued course credit, a volunteer role, or a reduced arrangement that allows them to see a publication through. The practical effect for you is that we know who is returning to your project before the semester starts, and we know early enough to fill a gap if someone isn’t.
When things go wrong
HAAG maintains a process for handling underperformance and irreconcilable differences in research direction. Like staffing, dismissal is ultimately HAAG’s call, though the partnering professor’s input is part of that process. Researchers typically receive a warning before dismissal. If a student is removed from a project, a replacement is possible but not guaranteed, and when one is available, it’s more likely to arrive at the start of the next semester than immediately.