Graduate Student Focus

Mentee Guide by Gary Crow

You have been chosen to be part of the Barbara L. Jackson Scholars Program. UCEA believes this is an exciting, prestigious, and valuable mentoring program, which can be very useful to you in reaching your career goals. Mentoring is a dynamic process involving a relationship between mentee and mentor, where both are active partners. The mentoring can focus on a variety of professional goals, including career advancement, publishing, teaching, enhancing professional visibility, networking with other professionals, grantsmanship, and overcoming barriers to career success. To help you in contributing to the success of this mentoring relationship, we offer the following suggestions. A similar guide is offered to mentors.

1. Discuss honestly and clearly with your mentor the expectations that you both have for the mentoring relationship. It is important that you both understand each other’s goals and expectations so that you avoid confusion. Also, recognize that the goals of mentoring may change during the course of your time as a Jackson Scholar; continuous dialogue is important.
2. Establish a comfortable schedule of contact with your mentor. Even if specific questions do not arise, you should stay in regular contact with your mentor, e.g. once every two months.
3. Seek advice; do not assume that advice will be offered if not solicited or that your mentor is aware of all your needs.
4. Plan ahead for your meetings, phone calls, and email conversations with your mentor.
5. Share concerns, problems and celebrations with your mentor.
6. Seriously consider the advice given by your mentor. And, share your own experience, intuition, and values to increase your mentor’s understanding of your position and perspective. Be an “active” not a “passive” partner in this relationship.
7. Make only positive or neutral comments about your mentor to others; do not share statements made in confidence.
8. If, after a time, you do not believe that this is a successful mentoring relationship, let the UCEA office know so that a more suitable match can be made. This is very important. We want you to have a successful mentoring relationship and we realize that a mentor/mentee mis-match can sometimes occur. It is more likely that the mentoring relationship will be successful when both parties are comfortable with the relationship.
9. Remember your mentor is not your dissertation chair. If the advice you are given by your mentor contradicts the advice from your chair, discuss this with your mentor.
10. Show appreciation for the time and assistance given by your mentor.