What is mentorship?

Mentorship is an integral component of the graduate student and postdoctoral experience. A faculty mentor provides guidance and support on nearly every aspect of the graduate student and postdoctoral experience. From what courses to take to career advice, this guidance provides critical insights and support needed for student and postdoc success. Mentors also provide psychosocial support, including topics like navigating imposter feelings or other external stressors or inequities that a mentee may face. However, there is no one way to mentor, and every mentee has individual needs. Good mentors tailor their approaches to the needs of their mentees. Good mentoring relationships are built upon trust, mutual respect, and authenticity. Mentees also have an essential role in contributing to the relationship by articulating their needs and exploring their goals. Mentees also need to seek out multiple mentors. Rather than finding one mentor who can advise on all topics, mentees benefit from a robust network of mentors to guide them in a variety of ways, including on academic, research, identity, personal, and career experiences.

Why does it matter?

Good mentorship is linked as a key component to student and scholar success. It builds confidence and perseverance, while also having a positive impact on a mentee’s mental health (good mentorship lowers symptoms of anxiety and depression). A mentoring relationship can foster a sense of belonging, particularly for marginalized students and scholars. There are a number of benefits to mentors as well including, increased career satisfaction and greater learning and development. Healthy mentoring relationships benefit research outcomes with increased collaboration and publications. 

What does Graduate Studies offer?

Graduate Studies offers a variety of programs and resources to support a positive culture of mentoring across campus:

• The Graduate Mentoring Initiative trains faculty mentors on mentoring approaches and tools to use with their mentees. Faculty participate in a cohort across six weeks and discuss topics like expectations, communication, identity and belonging, wellbeing, research confidence, and their mentoring philosophy.
• Mentoring Up provides mentees with approaches and tools with working with faculty mentors. This six-week program covers topics such as, expectations, communication, research confidence, and building a mentorship network.
• We also offer coaching services to faculty and postdoctoral scholars on navigating mentoring challenges. These one-on-one appointments provide mentors with the opportunity to learn the latest mentoring tools and apply them to specific situations.

Additional workshops are provided through GradPathways every quarter and we have an online mentor and mentee resource list.