Beyond the Books: Connecting with Faculty Mentors

1. Beyond the Books: Connecting with Faculty Mentors Presented by: Michael Savarese Chair, Dept of Marine & Ecological Sciences

2. Mentor as Defined byCouncil of Graduate Schools “Advisors, people with career experience willing to share their knowledge; supporters, people who give emotional and moral encouragement; tutors, people who give specific feedback on one’s performance; masters, in the sense of employers to whom one is apprenticed; sponsors, sources of information about, and aid in obtaining opportunities; models of identity, of the kind of person one should be to be an academic (Zelditch, 1990).”

3. Role of a Mentor • Academic & personal advisor. • Provide professional development. • Entry to professional socialization and culture. • Scholarship training. These roles may be filled by numerous people.

4. As an advisor . . . • Provide advice about courses to take. • Types of research. • Career counseling. • Advice concerning personal matters.

5. Purveyor of professional development . . . • Vocational training. • Interviewing / resume writing. • Giving presentations. • Improve writing skills. • Writing papers / proposals. • Critical thinking skills.

6. For professional socialization . . . • Networking / professional contacts. • Attending professional conferences. • Entry into professional societies. • Establishing friendships and collaborations.

7. For scholarly apprenticeship . . . • Scholarly expertise. • Depth and currency of knowledge. • Research and vocational skills. • Connecting with other experts.

8. Handling Mentor-related Problems • Develop a working relationship. • Diplomacy skills. • Multiple mentors for multiple functions. • Ditch a mentor. • Graduate school too important to remain compliant. • If things are really bad . . .