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

Mentor as Defined by Council 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).”

Role of a Mentor 1. Academic & personal advisor. 2. Provide professional development. 3. Entry to professional socialization and culture. 4. Scholarship training. These roles may be filled by numerous people.

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

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

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

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

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...