Over the summer, the Graduate College offered a graduate student track as part of the Mentoring Matters Summer Institute, a program offered by the Office of the Provost. Over the course of two days, we worked with graduate students on developing skills related to both being mentored and acting as a mentor.
To kick off the institute, we had students engage in a reflection exercise. We asked them to think about their positive experiences being mentored, then brainstorm specific mentoring behaviors that made them feel motivated, supported, and like they belonged. Students then grouped those behaviors into themes to highlight categories of crucial mentoring practices, which were a touchstone over the two-day program.
We want to share those mentoring practices with you, as a useful opportunity to hear student voices on one of the questions that drives all of us: What makes for good mentoring of graduate students? So here they are:
GUIDING & CONNECTING
Participants consistently celebrated the role of the mentor as guide, as well as one who can be a bridge to opportunities and resources.
- Committing time and resources to support students
- Introducing the mentee to new, relevant experiences
- Discussing both short- and long-term goals
- Getting to know the student and their goals and background
- Setting common terms (Are we talking about the same thing?)
- Checking in consistently
- Following up after meetings
- Encouraging and facilitating students connecting with other mentors as well
- Connecting students with the right resources as well as encouraging students to find new resources on their own
- Being receptive of students’ career goals
- Understanding and caring about other events and relationships in the mentee’s life
- Actively talking about things other than immediate research tasks, including career opportunities
- Helping mentees build networks
ENGAGING WITH MENTEE AS AN INDIVIDUAL
Participants expressed that they felt most positively about mentoring that treated them as a distinct individual and which was adapted to meet their needs and goals.
- Making room for different working styles and preferences
- Explaining practices from the perspective of having once been the mentee
- Treating everyone equitably
- Understand individual students’ working style and pace
- Prioritizing mentee’s passions and research interests, even when you don’t understand it
- Recognizing different strengths of mentee relative to mentor
- Providing resources and opportunities to meet a particular student’s needs
- Encouraging creative endeavors
- Avoiding comparing students
CLEAR EXPECTATIONS & GOALS
One of the most commonly-mentioned practices over the two-day institute was setting clear expectations in collaboration with mentees, then checking in frequently along the way.
- Setting clear, mutual expectations
- Identify specific tasks or goals
- Giving constructive feedback in connection to expectations
- Making expectations very clear
- Being organized and following through with plans
- Telling students what you can offer and what you can’t
- Clearly communicating responsibilities
- Keeping larger goals in mind while addressing small details
BEING PRESENT
Participants said it was very important to feel as if their mentor was making time for them, and that they knew how to reach them when needed.
- Listening to understand rather than to immediately respond
- Paying attention to levels of consistency and variability, and checking in on them
- Making yourself available
- Having an open-door policy (of some kind) so students feel comfortable talking with you
- Being accessible - making sure mentees know how/where/when to find them
- Expressing personal investment in a student’s journey
- Opening doors for students
- Building trust through inclusive practices
- Caring and being involved
- Making time for real conversations
BEING NICE
Participants identified a number of small but meaningful ways that mentors expressed kindness and generosity, which greatly enhanced their experiences as mentees.
- Acknowledge emotions and their function in research and in mentoring interactions
- Empathizing with students’ struggles
- Showing gratitude to the mentee
- Being mindful of language and its effects
- Acknowledging hard work or a job well done (literally saying “you did a good job”)
- Using positive and encouraging language regarding new projects
- Engaging in nonverbal affirmations
- Checking in about stress levels
- Offering encouragement (i.e., verbal, nominating you for awards, positive feedback)
- Including hobbies, holidays, etc., in conversations; not acting like robots
COLLABORATION
Because mentors and mentees are engaged in a kind of collaboration (and often one that involves other people), participants identified different behaviors that contributed to strong collaborations.
- Considering different perspectives and ideas
- Asking for input when trouble-shooting
- Encouraging and facilitate students learning from one another
- Allocating responsibility equitably
- Helping students not feel alone during the research process
- Recognizing that each person brings something to the table in a collaboration
- Working concurrently on the same project (writing together in shared space)
COMMUNICATION & FEEDBACK
- Communication was threaded through many of the other themes, but participants also identified specific communication practices that led to their positive mentoring experiences.
- Asking questions instead of making assumptions
- Establishing dependable and periodic meeting schedule to help guide pace of work
- Addressing academic conventions when giving writing feedback
- Encouraging incremental work with persistent feedback
- Discussing how often to check in, then set a communication schedule
- Asking for feedback from mentees
- Listening
Much of the programming that was part of the graduate student track of Mentoring Matters is available any time as requestable workshops for departments, research groups, and student organizations. Requestable workshops include “Getting the Mentoring You Need,” “Being a Mentor: Developing Your Philosophy and Approach,” and more. Learn more and request a workshop.
