HELP! My advisor left my university and I don't know what to do.

[ruru107]

Background: I'm not actually enrolled at the university, as all my other requirements for graduation have been met, and I even already walked in commencement. I just need my master's thesis approved to officially graduate. 

For the past year, on my own time, I've been finishing the latest draft of my thesis. My advisor and I are both horrible at keeping in touch, and we haven't contacted each other this entire time. I just heard from a former classmate that she recently left the university to teach at a different university out of state. She didn't tell me about this at all, and now I don't know what to do about my thesis. I think this draft is my last, so I probably wouldn't have needed to meet with her too much anyway, but I don't know who should read this draft and approve it, or even who to contact about it. It doesn't help that I feel embarrassed and ashamed/awkward about taking so long on this draft and not being in contact with her. 

Should I email her at her new university email? I feel like that's a little presumptuous since she's not even getting paid to read/ comment on my paper anymore. Should I email my second reader? Should I email the administrative assistant/office manager for the department?

I just don't know what's appropriate in this situation. Also, if anyone has a recommendation on how to word the email itself, that would be awesome. I want to include an apology and explain myself, but not sound like I'm making excuses or being immature. 

(The reason my draft has taken so long, if you're wondering, is a mixture of working a tiring full-time job and some irrational anxiety I developed about working on my thesis.)

Thank you for your help. 

[GradSchoolTruther]

Need to contact the chair of the department. Chair has to be a member of the university you attended. Advisor, I assume, can be an outside reader.

[rising_star]

Yea, your advisor/chair usually has to still work at the university. However, there can be exceptions. I know of faculty who negotiated to be able to remain advisor/chair for students up to 1 year after officially leaving the university. That said, @ruru107, your first step should be to send an email to the Director of Graduate Studies for your department. In that email, say that you've heard Prof X (your advisor) has departed and are wondering what implications this has for the final approval of your thesis. That's all you need to include, other than an opening greeting and a closing.