CUFA Graduate Student Mentoring Program
We are writing to both introduce and invite you to be a part of a CUFA Graduate Student Mentoring Program for the 2007-2008 academic year.
This initiative stems from ongoing discussions within the CUFA Graduate Student Forum about the potential benefits of a mentoring program that would match graduate students with faculty mentors at institutions other than their own. The Mentoring Program will establish a year-long mentoring pairing as well as a single session at CUFA in San Diego to help facilitate faculty/graduate student relationship building. The following provides more description of the Program and a web-link form that both faculty and graduate students can use to indicate their interest in participating.
Rationale for Mentoring
Linking faculty and graduate students in a mentoring relationship serves many purposes. First, it will connect students with faculty from their areas of interest, and with whom they may not otherwise have had contact. At our last CUFA meeting in Washington D.C., graduate students expressed their interest in creating relationships with faculty at other institutions, and seeking ways to maintain these connections. Second, mentoring relationships will allow both students and faculty to share latest research, current initiatives, and emerging ideas. This exchange will provide benefits to all participants, as students and faculty discuss ideas from their respective academic and geographic locales. Third, mentoring will help graduate students create a larger network of other graduate students with overlapping research interests, as they may be introduced to their mentors’ students. This mentoring initiative is one of many ways that the Graduate Student Forum might foster such meaningful connections. Fourth, connecting Faculty and Graduate Students should create a more supportive environment within CUFA generally by helping to demystify the academic processes of research, teaching, and service.
HOW IT WORKS
In agreeing to be a part of this program, participants commit to an academic year-long mentoring relationship between faculty members and a graduate student or small group of students. Because this is our pilot year, we do not yet know if we will have one faculty mentor for each student participant, or one faculty mentor for a set of two to four students. The application form asks faculty members how many students they are willing to mentor (with a maximum of four students). Although participants in each group will define the specific relationship, we envision a mentor as someone who shares academic and professional insights, and helps graduate students think through their own research and professional advancement. Clearly, we expect that all participants respect the time and commitment of those with whom they are matched.
MENTORING Session at CUFA 2007 (San Diego)
At the 2007 annual meeting in San Diego, we will have a session that brings together all participants and creates time for mentors and graduate students to meet and share conversation. The session also will serve as a place to discuss feedback on the Mentoring Program.
The success of the CUFA Mentoring Project depends largely on the willingness of faculty and students to participate. We especially would like to encourage participation from members of underrepresented groups. Please consider being a part of this Project!
APPLICATION
If interested, see http://www.coe.uga.edu/esse/facilitate/ by Wednesday, August 8. We hope to make matches and inform participants by August 15.
Sincerely,
Todd Hawley, Jillian Ford, and Todd Dinkelman