Mentoring for Graduate Students
Tips for Faculty Mentors

Mentoring for Scholarship and Creative Activity

Agree on a plan and timeline for the thesis/dissertation/applied project

Provide students with assessment of their work through honest, constructive, and timely feedback

Create a committee environment that is collegial and interactive

Share authorship on papers where students have made major contributions to the scholarship

Allow opportunities for independent development of the research or creative activities

Provide support in times of discouragement as well as success

Be aware of professional boundaries: time, professional responsibilities, and communication patterns

Mentoring for Career Development

Keep an ongoing record of the student’s progress and achievement

Be thoughtful and thorough when making professional recommendations for students

Be aware of the accomplishments of your students

Identify professional workshops and networking opportunities for students

Involve students in editing, journal activities, conference planning, and grant writing

Co-present with the students you are mentoring

Introduce students to colleagues at a variety of institutional types and professional settings

Discuss goals with students and assist in mapping a course of action to achieve goals

Mentoring for Intellectual Development

Treat your students with respect and as future colleagues

Create less formal opportunities for interaction

Be mindful of signs of stress and physical distress

Take into consideration different learning styles and value differences

Direct the student to appropriate resources for guidance should the need arise

Ensure that the students understand the personal consequences of their commitment to their work, and the value of their research/creative activity to the professional community and to the general public

 

Above information on mentoring from Arizona State University

Links for more information on mentoring

• Principles and Practices of Mentoring
  Graduate College guidelines
   
• Information on being mentored
   
• University of Iowa Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award
  for UI Graduate Faculty
   
• University of Michigan Mentoring Handbook
   
• National mentoring program for humanities Ph.D.s
   
• Resources for Graduate Students
  Chris M. Golde, Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
   
• Association for Women in Science
   
• Mentoring Students in Science and Engineering
  National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
  Written by members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine