You should inform yourself of the department criteria for grading and expected rate of progress to degree as well as how you may remediate any deficiencies in your academic performance. If you are planning on postponing or abandoning graduate work, you should inform your advisor as early as possible of that decision. Graduate students have the right to reasonable confidentiality in their communications with faculty. That is, they are not legally protected. Consider carefully what personal and professional information you communicate to your advisor and other faculty members.
Communication can be open and honest without being compromising.
Graduate students have the right to appropriate recognition when they contribute significantly to research and publications. Faculty Faculty members have a responsibility to appropriately acknowledge significant student contributions to research and publications. The graduate student will want to ensure that all persons who contributed to the research project receive adequate recognition. You may want to discuss with your advisor the issue of recognition for your work at the outset of your involvement in the research. Graduate students have the right to be included in appropriate decision-making processes in their department, their program, or at the university level.