2.2 The Role of a Mentor

Certain criteria should be in place for faculty members who want to be mentors. Potential mentors should possess a terminal degree in an appropriate discipline and have ongoing research or demonstrated a research agenda of high academic quality. In addition, potential mentors should demonstrate interest in and dedicate time to work with undergraduate research students.

Qualified faculty members who seek to be mentors will benefit from participating in professional development seminars. These seminars are designed to introduce them to the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of mentoring. A well-oriented mentor can inspire the student researcher to articulate academic goals and develop a plan to achieve them. The mentor provides opportunities for the student researcher to develop valuable research skills and welcomes them as part of a research team. The mentor needs to provide a safe environment for the student to develop academically and socially and keep the student “on track.” The mentor’s role in developing a positive mentoring relationship has many facets, and includes:

• Acting as a sounding board for research ideas, concerns about school, and/or career choices;
• Giving advice, guidance, and feedback;
• Seeking opportunities to increase the visibility of the mentee;
• Serving as an advocate for mentee whenever opportunities present themselves;
• Providing insights into applications for scholarships, graduate schools, and/or job opportunities;
• Recommending resources to support mentee if a personal issue might impede progress; and
• Helping mentees think through important decisions and offering strategies to accomplish them.

Moreover, a qualified faculty member who seeks to be a mentor should understand that part of the role includes being involved in the following activities:

• Participating in a mentoring orientation seminar;
• Introducing yourself to the Director of Undergraduate Research;
• Placing your research interests on the list of mentors;
• Selecting the prospective mentee;
• Assessing the prospective mentee’s skillsets and degree of interest;
• Designing research projects that are effective, realistic, and feasible across the disciplines;
• Establishing mutual research and related mentoring goals;
• Providing measurable benchmarks and outcomes;
• Committing time to nurture and develop the mentee;
• Establishing the parameters of the relationship;
• Participating in on-going related activities, such as research mixers and graduate/career fairs; and
• Participating in bi-annual college-wide student poster presentations of research outcomes.

The following exercise will help a prospective mentor gauge how interested and motivated he or she is in starting a mentoring relationship. The readiness checklist below is designed as a preview of the kinds of tasks that are typically expected of a mentor. The future mentor may then meet with a member of the URC to discuss next steps in the process.

Exercise: Mentor Readiness Checklist

Check off all items that apply regarding the prospective mentoring relationship.

1. To me, there is a mutual compatibility and interest between us.
2. Our assumptions, expectations, and goals about the mentoring process are the same.
3. The mentor role is clear to me, and I have made it clear to the mentee.
4. The mentee role is clear to me, and I have elicited feedback to clarify it for the mentee.
5. I am willing to use my network of contacts, or find new ones, to help this mentee.
6. I can commit adequate attitude, effort, and time to the mentoring process.
7. I am open to communicating in different ways to support the relationship.
8. I have access to the kind of opportunities that can support this mentee’s personal and professional growth.
9. I have the emotional and physical support that I need to engage in meaningful mentoring.
10. I am committed to developing my own mentoring skills through continuing education.
11. I am committed to my own personal and professional growth.
12. I have a mentoring development plan in place, with all the documents needed to record the relationship journey.