Mentoring Resources for Faculty & Staff

Mentoring is a dynamic process by which faculty advisors and others work with graduate students to establish and foster structured and trusting relationships. By offering guidance, support, and encouragement, mentors act as advocates and role models for their mentees and are committed to helping graduate students meet their personal and professional goals. By listening actively to mentee’s concerns and aspirations, mentors can help graduate students achieve academic excellence, and advance professionally in career paths of the student’s choosing.

The following resources are available to assist you in developing or refining your mentoring skills:

  • Graduate School Advising Agreement, University of Colorado Boulder
    This document is a supplemental strategy created to support the graduate student advisees’ short and long-term goals, while also giving advisors tools to clarify expectations.  This document serves an agreement between the graduate student and their advisor. The agreement should be reviewed once a semester and/or once significant educational milestones have been met. This agreement should be modified and developed collaboratively throughout the advisee/advisor working relationship.
  • How to Mentor Graduate Students, University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School
    A detailed guide to effective mentoring: reasons for mentoring, general guidelines, advice on initial meetings, how graduate programs can encourage mentoring and much more.
  • Developing shared expectations (form) University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School
    Concretely walks through expectations and expected academic milestones for the student. It prompts both the advisor and the student to set goals for communication and any other aspects of their working relationship.
  • A Mentoring Guidebook for Faculty, Case Western Reserve University
    Written by the Graduate Student Senate of Case Western Reserve University, this guidebook includes checklists and worksheets for faculty adviser-advisee first meetings and setting expectations, and addresses advising and mentoring within diverse communities.
  • Graduate Advising and Mentoring: Worst Practices, University of Minnesota, a short statement on practices to avoid.
  • Resources for Culturally Aware Mentoring