A mentoring relationship is a close individualized relationship that develops over time between a graduate student and a faculty member that includes both caring and guidance. .
Regardless of their fields, faculty need to balance the many demands that are made.
of them. A partial list of their responsibilities includes: teaching undergraduate and.
graduate courses; advising undergraduate and graduate students; serving on disserta-tion.
committees; researching or working on creative projects; writing grants; writing.
books and articles; reviewing the work of their students and colleagues; serving on.
departmental and university committees; and fulfilling duties for professional organi-zations.
The pace of these demands does not let up over time. Junior faculty face the pres-sure.
of preparing for their tenure review, which means they have to be engaged in an.
active research agenda. As faculty become more senior, and their national and.
international prominence increases, there is a concomitant rise in the requests for.
their time and energies (Tierney & Rhoads, 1994).
Rather than trying to find one mentor, think of your task as building a mentoring.
team. Although we use the word "team," you may be the only person who sees them.
in this way. Members of your team probably won't see themselves as operating as.
part of a mentoring group.
Carefully selecting a team of mentors that fits your needs increases the likelihood that.
you will receive the experiences and support you desire. In addition, it is to your.
benefit to have at least three or four faculty members who are knowledgeable about.
your work and can speak to its quality. A team can also serve as your safety net in case.
any one of the professors you work with leaves the University, or if irreconcilable.
issues later develop between you and a faculty member.
Be creative about whom you include on your team. Although this guide focuses on.
faculty mentors, we also urge you to consider your peers, more advanced graduate.