5.1 Challenges of Being a Mentor

There are challenges to being a mentor. Mentoring is dedicated work. There are specific challenges that faculty may face while mentoring. These challenges include the following:

• Balancing workload as an educator and researcher;
• Compatibility with mentee (poor match between mentor and mentee);
• Cultural/religious differences;
• Biased expectation or identity threat;
• Investment of time;
• Incorrect assumptions (skills or knowledge mismatch);
• Lack of communication;
• Lack of resources;
• Lack of departmental/institutional support;
• Unrealistic expectations;
• Time constraints; and
• Unclear boundaries.

The case studies below illustrate some of the challenges of working with mentees with different levels of interest and motivation. Taken together, they provide useful insight on how to establish appropriate boundaries.

Case Study: Mentees Interests and Project Completion

One semester, Professor Eli had two mentees. One of the mentees, Alexandra, had been in two of Professor Eli’s classes, and he knew her to be an excellent and committed student. Since he and Alexandra already had a positive relationship marked by good communication, he asked her to work on a research project with him. Professor Eli and Alexandra immediately started working together on a research plan that incorporated a topic that Alexandra was somewhat interested in. They outlined the mentoring goals and mutually agreed upon steps to be taken and deadlines for feedback regarding specific parts of the project. Unfortunately, Alexandra could not keep up with the work deadlines, and eventually completely stopped working on the project.

The other mentee was a freshman named Hector who approached Professor Eli to work on an honors project. Although Professor Eli did not know Hector, he was impressed by his strong interest and motivation to pursue this opportunity. Professor Eli suggested a number of research ideas to Hector and asked him to think about them while reading the assigned material. Hector’s motivation seemed to increase as the professor explained how getting hands-on experience in new technologies would give him an edge both in class and after graduation. After reading the material, the mentee chose one of the research ideas and asked Professor Eli to help him implement it. Throughout the semester, they had biweekly meetings to discuss the project to ensure student commitment. Both mentor and mentee kept in touch via email. Professor Eli prepared a small lab in his office and gave Hector access to it to start experimenting. Although the mentee was not initially comfortable with the new technology, he was able to catch up quickly. With Professor Eli’s guidance and advice, Hector was able to finish the implementation, and then started working on the actual demonstration setup. With the help of the department’s lab technicians, they were able to move the setup to the demonstration area and have a fully functioning presentation. Hector not only presented at the college, but also at a national conference where he received many compliments.

Professor Eli’s experience that semester taught him that a student who does well in class might not do well in research when he or she does not perceive a clear benefit. Interest in a specific topic can certainly help, but might not be enough. The choice of the research topic is crucial because it provides the incentive to do the work rigorously and successfully finish the project.

Reflection: How can Professor Eli avoid project mismatch with the future mentees? What interventions could Professor Eli have administered to encourage Alexandra to continue with research?

Case Study: Establishing Boundaries

Professor Kay taught math at a large research university. She was thrilled when Kirk, one of the strongest students in her class, asked her to mentor him for a research project. Professor Kay and Kirk already had an easygoing relationship and both found their weekly research meetings to be exciting. Kirk was making excellent progress.

As the semester progressed, their conversations during their meetings would sometimes become more personal. Professor Kay quite liked Kirk, and she did not feel that these conversations distracted them from their work together. Kirk felt comfortable sharing with her that he suffered from social anxiety and that he felt like an outcast in his family. Professor Kay’s office was one of the only places he felt at ease and could be himself. Professor Kay did her best to be supportive, yet keep a professional distance.

Kirk would often ask for Professor Kay’s home phone number. Eventually, after the research project ended, she gave in and gave it to him. Before long, Kirk was calling Professor Kay at times when his personal life was too difficult for him; for example, during a panic attack in the middle of the night. Professor Kay wanted to continue to support her student, but she knew that a line had been crossed.

Reflection: Describe a conversation Professor Kay could have had with Kirk to establish clear boundaries before beginning the research project. How could Professor Kay have dealt with Kirk’s request when she first sensed that those boundaries were being pushed? How could she have handled the situation after those boundaries had already been crossed?