Mentoring is a vital part of graduate education, offering guidance, support, and connection throughout a student’s academic and professional journey.
This section introduces the key roles and concepts that shape effective mentoring relationships, helping students and mentors build strong, collaborative partnerships grounded in trust, respect, and shared growth.
Key Roles in Mentoring
Graduate mentoring involves multiple roles, each contributing uniquely to a student’s academic journey.
Mentor
A mentor is a trusted faculty member or professional who supports a student’s academic, professional, and personal development. Mentors provide guidance, share knowledge, model professionalism, and help mentees navigate challenges and opportunities throughout their graduate journey.
Mentee
A mentee is a graduate student who engages in a mentoring relationship to seek guidance, feedback, and support. Mentees are encouraged to take initiative, reflect on their goals, and actively participate in shaping their academic and professional journey.
Benefits of Mentoring for Faculty Mentors
Faculty mentors also gain meaningful rewards from mentoring relationships. These include:
- Developing skills in effective and equitable mentoring.
- Advancing the state of their field and shaping institutional culture.
- Raising individual status and departmental profile through retention and metrics of graduate student success.
- Promoting faculty job satisfaction.