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GradMENTOR

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  • Holistic Admissions Summit Recap

    In case you missed this year's Annual Workshop: A Holistic Admissions Summit with Julia Kent, Vice President for Best Practices and Strategic Initiatives at the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), here is a recap with key takeaways.

  • What Makes for Good Mentoring of Graduate Students?: Perspectives from Students

    We asked graduate students to think about their positive experiences being mentored and then brainstorm specific mentoring behaviors that made them feel motivated, supported, and like they belonged. Read what they had to say.

  • Helping Students Stay Motivated with IDPs

    Grad school is full of right-this-second deadlines and long-distance aspirations, and it can be challenging for students to find ways to plan everything that comes in between. Individual Development Plans can help student stay motivated and on the path toward their goals.

  • Lessons from AAU PhD Education Initiative

    The Association of American Universities’ PhD Education Initiative brought together eight universities to think about best practices for student-centered doctoral education, with special emphasis on enhancing career diversity and data transparency. Here are five particularly important lessons we learned.

  • Helping Students Finish Strong

    Graduate students have a lot on their plates at the end of the semester. What can you as a mentor do to help? 

  • Helping Students Start Strong

    As we near the end of summer break, our sleepy campus will soon be packed with students who are ready to tackle a new year and new semester. Our incoming graduate students, in particular, will likely feel equal parts excitement and anxiety in starting a new program on a new campus and (possibly) in a new state or country. We’ve got a few ideas to help students feel more at home at Illinois.

  • Compassion for our Mentees and Ourselves

    In a "normal" year, the end of the spring semester is a point when fatigue and stress can be heightened for both mentees and mentors alike. Add to that a few years of coping with a pandemic and all of its ramifications, and the end-of-the-year stress becomes even more palpable. It is a good time for compassion both for our mentees and ourselves.

  • Helping Students Develop Skills for Professional Growth

    Students need to foster independence and resourcefulness in identifying ways to advance their development, and as faculty mentors, you can help them get started with these simple steps.

  • Toolkits for Faculty and Staff

    The Graduate College recently updated our toolkits, which address crucial topics in graduate education. These toolkits connect faculty and programs to resources and strategies to support your work with graduate students from recruitment to graduation and beyond.