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Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
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Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

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Sign up to participate in UROP's Sidewalk Symposium by Oct. 13, 2023.

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Home Mentoring Guide Prioritize Social Justice Inclusive Mentoring

Inclusive Mentoring

Space must be made for belonging with vigilance to the insidious nature of imposter syndrome and the external realities reinforcing it.

Self-Authorship

First-generation students and other populations new to the cultures of the academy should be empowered with the institutional literacy to author their own narratives of success, understanding how to contextualize failure and balance the often competing demands of academics and personal well-being.

Campus Support

  • Inclusive Community of Practice
  • CTL: Anti-Racism Course
  • CISC: Trainings and Workshops
  • OIEC: Trainings & Resources
  • HR: Intercultural Competence
  • Libraries: Cultural Competence
  • ODECE: CO Diversity Initiative
  • RIO: Diversity Hub

Culturally Aware Mentoring

To improve mentoring and support the persistence and success of historically minoritized students in science, the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) developed mentor training to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to support a diverse workforce. In the first video, Byars-Winston and Crouse Quinn discuss how racism and a lack of cultural diversity awareness in mentoring relationships negatively impacts trainees. In the second video, they offer mentor training resources and strategies to help individuals become more culturally aware.

Resources on Culturally Aware Mentoring

Part 1: A Conversation on Culturally Aware Mentoring

Presented by iBiology.org

Part 2: Resources and Strategies

Presented by iBiology.org

First Steps

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Communicate the Norms

Take care to explain the cultural norms in your field, which can pose barriers for students unfamiliar with terminology, structures and goals.

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Frame the “Bigger Picture”

Point out how students’ activities fit into the “bigger picture” of your work and broader field, which helps them see applications and increases engagement.

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Establish Expectations

Clearly explaining and discussing expectations early can identify gaps in understanding and help students feel more comfortable asking questions. Creating a Mentor Agreement can help.

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Give Flexibility with Schedules

Many students have work and family commitments that complicate their schedules and pose barriers to participation without flexibility.

Mindful Mentoring

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Be Attentive to Well-Being

The CU Red Folder describes how to recognize signs of distress, respond appropriately and direct students to campus resources.

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Give Better Feedback

Timely, specific—and, especially, public—positive feedback will help students gain confidence in their abilities; criticism should be private.

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Share Your Story

Telling students your professional story can help them see and navigate new pathways while overcoming "imposter syndrome."

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Guide Next Steps

Highlight opportunities to present, publish and pursue graduate studies, which is especially critical for historically minoritized students.

Supporting Mental Health & Well-being

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education

Communication & Feedback

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education

Inclusive Excellence

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Lead an Inclusive Workplace

Celebrating diversity with a multicultural, identity-affirming approach is more beneficial than ignoring the differences among us.

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Model Ally Behaviors

Expressing ally identities from privileged positions can create “safe spaces” where all members feel welcome and comfortable.

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Resist Favoritism

Transparency in evaluations of student work helps ensure the work environment is not perceived as more beneficial to some groups.

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Keep Learning

Our campus has professional development resources to help with important dialogues about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Building an Inclusive Research Group

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education

Emotional Intelligence

NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education

Overviews

Prioritize Social Justice
Reflect and Plan
Connect and Engage
Learn and Grow

We encourage you to prioritize social justice and inclusive practices as you recruit and mentor students.

Use the buttons below to navigate this section:

Recruitment and Selection Inclusive Mentoring

Social Justice

Recruitment and Selection
Inclusive Mentoring

Reflect and Plan

Develop a Mentoring Philosophy
Create a Mentor Agreement

Connect and Engage

Campus Engagement
Share Your Story
Connect with CUR

Learn and Grow

Resources
References

Mentoring Guide: Home

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UROP is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST, Monday through Friday, excluding official holidays, and staff might be working remotely.

Email: urop@colorado.edu
Office: S436 Norlin Library

 

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