Mentorship: A Success Key for
Graduate Students
PACES Workshop
Saturday, Oct 11th, 2014
By the end of this session you will
understand…
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The importance of mentorship for your graduate
program success
The characteristics and qualities that make for a good
mentor
What qualities you possess/need as a mentee
Your goals for graduate education
The importance and role of your values and beliefs
The issues that may affect the mentor/mentee
relationship
How to select the right mentor for you
What the issues are for you as a mentee
How to make mentorship work well for you
What does it take to be successful as a
graduate student?
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Motivation
Perseverance
Love of learning
Good time management
Leading a balanced life
Financial support
Emotional & intellectual support
Encouragement
Valuable, useful feedback
Resilience
Others?
How do you access most of these?
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Family and friends
Other students
Faculty
Other professionals
Within yourself
How about mentors?
Can any or all of these be mentors for you?
Mentorship – what is it?
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Homer’s Iliad & Odyssey (Mentor was Odysseus’ trusted friend
and advisor)
What is a mentor?
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One who is committed to help others achieve:
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How does that differ from a “coach” or “advisor?”
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A better understanding of themselves, their place in the world, and their
search for meaningful living
A coach is someone who helps us acquire skills
An advisor is someone who may provide sound guidance but may
remain removed or aloof from the individual
Mentorship is a role that is more ‘a calling’ than part of one’s
job description
Characteristics of a Mentor
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Respect
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Commitment
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To excellence in process and outcome
Demanding
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For a student’s uniqueness as well as capacity and preferred
mode of learning
A mentor never compromises the student’s dignity
Have quality standards; push students to their potential
Availability
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Within reason, at the disposal of their students
Students feel welcome to appts; boundaries set clearly
Characteristics of a Mentor
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Encouraging
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Ethical
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Mentor is a role model for students; behavior is beyond ethical
reproach
Trust occurs when students are secure in belief that they will
be treated with dignity
Philosophical
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Motivator through behavior, optimistic outlook, provides
explicit encouragement
Have ‘big picture’ in mind when counseling
Openness
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Open to discovery, new ways of thinking, to new possibilities
What about characteristics of the Mentee?
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Respectful
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Committed
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To course of study and an academic standard of excellence
that exceeds the ordinary
Passionate
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Cardinal virtue of any relationship is to respect the other’s
dignity
If not present relationships deteriorate into mutual use and
abuse
Need to have “fire in the belly”; stubbornness not to succumb
to challenges
Philosophical openness to discovery
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Needs to take chances; be open to challenges to perspectives
What about characteristics of the Mentee?
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Ethical
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Conduct themselves with utmost concern for ethical
scholarship & honest interaction with mentor(s)
Is it surprising that the characteristics are nearly the same
for both the mentor and mentee?
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Both parties are part of the same relationship
Both parties should be ‘on the same page’
Both parties mutually benefit from the relationship
What is the purpose of graduate education?
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Succeed in completing the degree?
To receive as much funding as possible?
To publish results?
To develop the mentee and mentor to a higher state of
cognitive awareness?
To facilitate an environment in which the mentor and
mentee can flourish?
The ultimate goal…
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To flourish as individuals – better thinkers, better decisionmakers, better writers, better professors… better people.
Mentorship Audit: Questions for Students
and Professors
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Do you know yourself?
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How would you describe yourself to your professor?
Take 3-4 minutes to compose your own description…
“I am intellectually curious… I appreciate learning new things
(skills, knowledge, processes, results, etc.) whether in- or
outside of my disciplines. I’m a visual learner and want to
know more about the ‘why or how’ than the ‘who or what.’ I
value commitment to excellence and try to strive for it
whenever possible. I value having a few close friendships over
many acquaintances. I don’t suffer foolishness very well, either
in ideas or people. I’m more of a ‘loner’ than a ‘joiner’, but I do
enjoy working as a team.”
What are potentially critical personal issues
that may affect my mentorship?
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Personality traits (list yours)
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Work ethic (what’s your level?)
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Life priorities (list yours, in rank order)
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What is your background knowledge level?
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What external issues are important to you? (list yours)
What are my goals and objectives?
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Beyond completing the degree? (list yours)
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How do you expect completing the degree will
contribute to your over-arching life goals?
What are my values and beliefs?
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Critical components of who you are
Prioritize your life and dictate what is most important to
you
Allow you to keep life in balance, preventing burnout &
distraction
Integral parts of what you produce throughout the
mentorship process
Knowing them in advance will help guide the process,
avoid biases, and produce work you’re proud of
Stretch & Bathroom Break
Why do I need a mentor?
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If you see graduate education as more than credentialism,
mentorship can be a medium to attain a deeper sense of
flourishing
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A mentor is familiar with alternative paths and whether
they lead to success or failure
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Provides objective insight, advice, and can bolster
student’s confidence in the graduate process
What do I look for in a mentor?
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Expertise in your field of choice
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Experience in the mentorship process
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Interests compatible with your own goals
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Shared values and beliefs
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Advice: don’t discount compatibility of your personality
with that of a possible mentor
Who do I really want and need to go through
the journey successfully?
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Compromises are inevitable
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Prioritize your list of mentor traits; some may be needed while
others are wanted
Don’t sacrifice the needed traits
Don’t be overly influenced by a mentor’s popularity
What do mentors usually look for in a
potential mentee?
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Top quality?.. Dedication
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Process of mentorship is long & arduous
Involves tremendous investment of energy & time
Mentors look for students who are highly committed to their
own success
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Manifested as knowing his/herself and having clarity of purpose
Next, having compatible interests and personalities
Advice for Your First Meeting
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For the mentor…
Can take the initiative in describing their beliefs and
values to the student
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Values, beliefs, and vision in life feed one’s passion
Guidance, experience, and advice help clarify priorities
For the mentee…
Share your beliefs, values, and commitment to the process
Communicate what you need and want out of the
mentorship in order to meet your long-term goal(s)
Before leaving the meeting you need to
know…
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Your respective rights and responsibilities in topic
selection, committee selection, timely submission and
response to student writing
Regular meeting times, reports, and feedback
When and where the next meeting should be
What the student needs to prepare and produce before
the next meeting
What the mentor needs to provide at the next meeting
Let each other know how you feel about your first
meeting
Mentorship Issues for Professors
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View issues and problems as challenges and opportunities
Find/build common interests
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Socratic ignorance (‘knowing that you don’t know it all’)
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Mentoring is a process to build confidence and esteem, as well
as giving to others and acknowledging weaknesses
Socratic questioning (answer questions with questions)
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Mentoring students is not for the purpose of advancing your
career
Don’t ‘fix’ everything or ‘take care of’ the mentee
Listen… and listen with empathy and compassion
Set achievable goals and realistic expectations
Mentorship Issues for Professors
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Be like bamboo – firm & flexible
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Leap ahead
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Know when to be firm and when to allow bending of the rules
Help mentee remove or go around the barriers (emotional, financial,
academic, relationship, procedures, etc.)
Sometimes students need a gentle hand to push and/or pull
Share your knowledge, skills, and experiences with the mentee
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Research shows that employees who have a close relationship with
their supervisor are 2.5 times more likely to be satisfied with their
job
Issues for Students as Mentees
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What are my own responsibilities?
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Be an eager and active participant in your own academic
development
Seek out new information, ideas, develop a critical thinking
style
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Keep a journal of your reflections
How could I help my mentor to help me?
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Have a clear idea of what it is that you would like to see
develop from your relationship
Explicitly communicate your personal and professional goals
Be clear as to the goals of your mentor
Issues for Students as Mentees
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What constitutes a healthy debate?
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Both parties are active listeners and respond to each other’s
comments in a respectful and thoughtful manner
Maintenance and expression of mutual respect
No obligation to agree with mentor, and differences in opinion
can lead to productive, healthy discussion
When should I hold my ground?
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Reaching an impasse based on fundamental differences in
values or beliefs… ideally, two people agree to disagree
Opens up opportunity for conflict resolution
What happens when conflict(s) cannot be
resolved?
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Discuss how both the mentee and mentor would like to
proceed beyond an impasse
If emotions become involved, a cooling off period may be
required before proceeding
If still in conflict, an outside mediator may be required
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A mutually-respected 3rd-party
In summary…
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A mentorship relationship can substantially add to the
experience of graduate education, a process and outcome
that benefits students and faculty alike
The quality of the experience can ‘make or break’ the
potential for a lasting professional relationship, so ‘shop
wisely’
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Not every mentor is right for every student (and vice versa)
‘Goodness of fit’ should feel right to both parties
Mutual respect is key
Relationships are organic, ever changing and maturing
Provide important developmental steps to degree success
Source of lasting memories and satisfaction of helping others
Questions?
Please complete a session evaluation before you leave &
enjoy the rest of the weekend!