Positive mentoring relationships are central to graduate student success.
Graduate education asks students to challenge themselves in new and different ways, often in a new location without their prior support system. This environment can feel risky and uncertain at times, and mentors play an important role in guiding students through these new academic experiences. We know mentoring is crucial for academic success but it is as crucial for wellbeing by providing support in new endeavors, encouragement for reaching (and exceeding) potential, and perspective to assess progress toward one's goals.
Mentors help students learn new academic knowledge and skills, develop the non-technical skills needed for successful research — such as independence and comfort with failure — and can model and share ways to care for one’s wellbeing while pursuing demanding work. The highly specialized and customized nature of graduate education can give advisors outsized impact on the experience, and so the relationship should be approached with thoughtfulness and care. And that is also why students should be encouraged to build a team of mentors (an advisor, internal and external faculty members, peers) that can broaden their support network and connect them to all of the resources needed for success.
Ways to support mentoring relationships:
- Invest in mentoring training for faculty and departmental leadership. Training and related resources are available from the Graduate College, the Office of the Provost, disciplinary societies, national organizations like the National Academies, and more.
- Offer training for students on building and navigating mentoring relationships, including topics like communication, feedback, expectation setting, and self-advocacy.
- Help students understand and navigate the process of finding an advisor. Encourage student reflection on their primary needs - things like a particular specialty, availability for hands-on training, or a professional network might be priorities for different students. Help students utilize structures (lab rotation processes, interview opportunities, etc.) to meet their core needs.
- Normalize mentoring networks/scaffolds and support students in connecting with mentors in addition to their primary advisor to build out their support systems.
- Encourage research groups to have mentoring compacts - clearly shared expectations about the responsibilities and expectations for mentors and mentees.
- Support peer mentoring through formal programs and informal structures, such as departmental seminars or Graduate Student Associations.
- Acknowledge that mentoring is not always smooth. Provide resources to support students navigating challenges in their mentoring relationships and connect students to support structures when/if significant mentoring challenges arise. Provide opportunities for mentors to seek support when facing complex mentoring situations.
Resources:
For more mentoring resources, tools and suggestions, visit the Graduate College Mentoring Toolkit, which includes:
- Promising Practices
- Mentoring Compact Examples
- Individual Development Plans
- Graduate College Mentoring Workshops for faculty
- Graduate College Mentoring Workshops for students