Understanding Mentorship: Importance and Impact

Mentorship Mentorship Sarah Ades, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, The Graduate School

Guide Teacher Adviser Mentor Safe harbor Coach Role model Sponsor Career advice Knowledge Challenge Counsel Support

Guide Teacher Adviser Mentor Safe harbor Coach Role model Sponsor Career advice Knowledge Challenge Counsel Support

What is Mentorship? What is Mentorship? Mentoring is a personal and reciprocal relationship in which a more experienced faculty member acts as a guide, role model, teacher, and sponsor of a less experienced (usually younger) student or faculty member. A mentor provides the mentee with knowledge, advice, counsel, challenge, and support in the mentee s pursuit of becoming a full member of a particular profession. (Johnson, On Being a Mentor, page 23) Mentorship is a professional, working alliance in which individuals work together over time to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners through the provision of career and psychosocial support. (NASEM Report: The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM, 2019)

Think about your experiences Think about your experiences What is the best quality you have encountered in a mentor? What is the worst quality you have encountered in a mentor? Use the chat box to enter a positive (pos.) quality and a negative (neg.) quality

Mentorship Matters Mentorship Matters Strong mentorship has been linked to enhanced mentee productivity, self- efficacy, career satisfaction, and is an important predictor of the academic success of scientists in training. Does mentoring matter: Results from a survey of faculty mentees at a large health sciences university. Med Educ Online. 2010;15:10.3402/meo.v15i0.5063. In a survey on the mental well-being of graduate students in STEM, ~40% scored as experiencing moderate to severe anxiety and/or depression. These feelings were correlated with a reported lack of real mentorship from their advisor. Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. 2018. Nat Biotechnol. 36:282-284. Positive mentoring experiences increase recruitment of underrepresented mentees into graduate school and research-related career paths. Hathaway et al., 2002; Junge et al., 2010; Nagda et al., 1998; Thiry and Laursen, 2011.

What does a mentor look like? What does a mentor look like? Telemachus and Mentor in the Odyssey

What does a mentor look like? What does a mentor look like? REX/Shutterstock https://www.indiewire.com/2019/07/austin-powers-4-jay-roach-verne-troyer-mini-me- 1202161908/ Telemachus and Mentor in the Odyssey

Mentorship Matters Mentorship Matters Effective mentoring relationships are based on: Intentionality Responsiveness Reciprocity Trust Shared responsibility

Key Mentorship Competencies Key Mentorship Competencies Align expectations Assess understanding Communicate effectively Address equity and inclusion Foster independence Promote professional development https://www.nationalacademies.org/our- work/the-science-of-effective-mentoring- in-stemm

Negative Mentoring Experiences Negative Mentoring Experiences Psychosocial Support Career Support Negative relations (bullying, harassment, setting unrealistic expectations) Sabotage (revenge, ignoring, career damage or exploitation) Bad Intent Difficulty (offering conflicting advice, unintentionally forcing difficult choices, unconscious bias) Spoiling (mentor not knowledgeable, not in a position of influence) Good Intent *** There is a real power differential. Be cognizant of it, don t abuse it. Your mentees will be very aware of it.*** https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/the-science-of-effective-mentoring-in-stemm

Forms of Mentorship Forms of Mentorship https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/the-science-of-effective-mentoring-in-stemm

Culturally Responsive Mentorship Culturally Responsive Mentorship Equality Equity

Culturally Responsive Mentorship Culturally Responsive Mentorship Equality Equity Culturally responsive mentorship can validate students various identities and help them navigate invalidating experiences encountered while https://www.nap.edu/resource/25568/interactive/mentorship-defined.html simultaneously reinforcing their self-efficacy in their field. https://www.nap.edu/resource/25568/interactive/mentorship-defined.html

Advice for New Mentors Advice for New Mentors Listen Be a role model Consider mentee s best interests Set clear expectations Be respectful Give mentees room to fail Be adaptable Communicate www.starwarsauthentics.com https://www.starwarsauthentics.com/iSynApp/productDis play.action?sid=1102083&productId=1467799

Mentorship Matters: Practical Steps Mentorship Matters: Practical Steps Effective mentorship is a learned skill and takes intentional practice Develop a mentoring philosophy that fits your identity and goals Define the values and culture you would like to cultivate with your research group/mentees Plan ahead, strategically. Consider both your goals and goals for your mentees Recruit effectively

Mentorship Matters: Practical Steps Mentorship Matters: Practical Steps Effective mentorship is a learned skill and takes intentional practice Develop a mentoring philosophy that fits your identity and goals Define the values and culture you would like to cultivate with your research group/mentees Plan ahead, strategically. Consider both your goals and goals for your mentees Recruit effectively Write a word (or two) in the chat that would best describe the culture and/or values that you d like to be central to your research group.

You also need a mentor You also need a mentor use formal mentoring programs seek mentors on your own multiple mentors for the multiple aspects of your career https://dslx.mit.edu/resources/mentoring-101

Grad School: Recommended Practices Other online resources Office for Research Protections: Compliance and Research Ethics Mentoring Resources PSU Offices University, College, Departmental Policies CAPS, Student Affairs, Student Disability Resources