Connect Program | Mentoring Tools and Resources

To prepare for mentorship, the Rackham Graduate School at The University of Michigan recommends the following exercise to help faculty envision the kind of mentor one wants to be when working with students.

Begin by thinking about your own educational experiences – both undergraduate and graduate – and the mentoring you received along your journey. Using this as a starting point, reflect on the following questions:

1. What kind of mentoring did you have?
2. What did you like and dislike about the mentoring you received?
3. How well did your mentor(s) help you progress through your undergraduate or graduate program?
4. How well did your mentor(s) prepare you for your academic career?
5. What did you not receive in the way of mentoring that would have been helpful to you?

This exercise will help to get started in a mentor role and guide the kind of mentorship you hope to provide to your student mentee(s).

In an effort to establish trust and build rapport, dedicate time to introductions – yours and the student mentee(s). The goal is to share information that allows you each to learn about each other. It may be helpful for you to start the conversation as a way to model for them examples of what to share and to help the student feel comfortable.

Once you share, invite the student to share information about themselves. Ask the student to share anything that will help you learn more about them and that they are comfortable disclosing. Some students may need guidance on the kind of information to share, so it may help to have some questions prepared.

For inspiration on what to share as a Faculty Guide and questions to ask students, access questions from the Faculty Guide Profile and students prompts.

• Example questions to guide introductions

In your own words, define for students the role of the mentor and describe the different ways you can support their academic journey in LAS with identifying and working toward goals.  Be sure to highlight the forms of mentoring you will provide and what forms you will not to establish professional boundaries and identify what is and what is not reasonable for the student to expect from you.

Please remember that for some students, participating in the Connect Program may be their first time working with faculty outside of a classroom context and having a mentor. As a result, the more specific you can be in identifying the available supports will help students fully understand the benefits of mentoring and how they can lean on you as a mentor for guidance and advice.

Refer to information on the role of the mentor for possible language of your response. You can also consider your “mentor vision” to help frame your response.

As with any professional partnership, it is essential to discuss how the mentor-mentee relationship will function as well as what you require from them to make the connection productive. Topics should also include devising a meeting and communication plan to help the student plan accordingly Below are a few points to consider:

Convey how the mentor-mentee connection is a partnership:

• Students must meet you halfway – they will get out of the experience what they are willing to put in.
• Students should treat this is a learning opportunity and ask questions when they arise.

Consistency in communication and follow-through is essential. To foster effective and ongoing communication habits, discuss the following:

• Create a communication plan – decide how and when communication will occur and appropriate response times.
• Identify a schedule and format for check-ins – when will check-ins occur and what will they look like?
• Let them know when in the semester you expect to be busy – including travel schedules, exam schedules, grading cycles, or when communication may be slower.

Discuss importance of having a network of mentors:

• Students should actively work toward creating a network of mentors, as no single mentor can meet all of their needs.
• Different goals may require different mentors.

After you and your student mentee(s) have an opportunity to learn more about each other and discuss program expectations, begin preparing the student to identify goals to work toward. To start this conversation, spend time learning what the student hopes to accomplish this academic year and gain from the college experience. As the student shares, think about how their interests and desired areas of support align with the kind of mentoring you hope to offer. It is essential that that is alignment so that you are able to guide the student accordingly.

If the student needs guidance identifying possible focus areas, refer to the following resource to help guide the conversation and offer inspiration:

• Academic Success and Course Management Strategies
• Research Engagement
• Graduate and Professional Schools
• Career and Professional Development
• Campus Involvement and Community
• Wellness and Mental Health

Once the student has identified areas of interest that you feel you can support, the student can take the next step of formulating concrete goals to work on in the Connect Program. This will set subsequent meetings up for success and provide structure to the program experience.

• Focus Areas and Example Topics

Ahead of the meeting where your student will complete the goal setting worksheet and effectively create a plan for the mentoring experience, remind the student of the following:

1. Review the first meeting form and areas of interest. The student should prioritize interests and have identified the two most important.
2. Download, review, and try to complete as much as possible, the goal-setting worksheet. The student should take the lead with filling out the from as a way to create a sense of ownership and autonomy with developing a plan. Remind the student that you will help with any unknown areas or questions the student has.
3. Confirm the appointment.

During the meeting, revisit the focus areas and specific topics of greatest interest to the student mentee(s) as outlined in the first meeting. If the student has multiple goals, encourage the student to prioritize two of the most important ones to work on in the program. With these ideas in mind, help the student frame them into goals using the SMART Goals method.

S=Specific, M=Measurable, A=Action-oriented, R=Relevant, and T=Time-oriented.

With the goals outlined, the next step is to make a plan. This may be accomplished by breaking down the larger goals into smaller steps. First, the student should brainstorm and write down the steps that will help achieve the desired goal. Once written, the student can prioritize and rank the steps.

Encourage the student(s) to remember to follow the SMART goals and keep the steps measurable and attainable.

With a plan in place for achieving a goal, the next step is to consider possible resources or supports that will serve the student in their goal attainment. For ideas and inspiration, refer to the resource cards. Cards align with the focus areas used in the first meeting and provide information on relevant resources, tools, and opportunities.

• Academic Success and Course Management Strategies
• Research Engagement
• Graduate and Professional Schools
• Career and Professional Development
• Campus Involvement and Community
• Wellness and Mental Health

As the student identifies goals, think about how this aligns with the kind of mentoring you hope to provide. Share with the student the ways you may be able to provide support and reach a common understanding of what the relationship will involve, thereby creating a strong foundation to build on over time. Specifically, you will want to discuss some of the concrete ways you will support the students with goal attainment. Help the student(s) understand the different ways you can offer guidance and advice in your mentor role. Remember to also reiterate boundaries and program expectations.

Encourage the student mentee(s) to document their progress as needed in the student goal log. This is an important part of reflection and acknowledging the work the student has taken to reach a goal.

Then, determine how the student will share progress as they work toward goals. Discuss if updates will occur during scheduled check-ins or with emails in between scheduled check-ins. Having a plan will help clarify expectations for the student mentee(s).

With the student, review the original goals as outlined in the goal setting worksheet. Have the student discuss the importance and significance of the goals. Ask the student to reflect on what success looks like to the student as it relates to achieving the goals.

In reviewing the logs, have the student talk about all the steps they have taken to work toward the larger main goals. Have they reached their perceived vision of success? Discuss the progress made and learning gained. Talk through any challenges or setbacks the student encountered as they worked toward completing each step. This is an important part of the conversation in that it normalizes setbacks and fosters resilience.

Based on the student’s progress, help the student think about the steps they can take to continue making progress toward their goals. Or, if the student feels the goals have been achieved, ask the student to think about a separate goal to work toward, or another step to take that relates to the original goals.

Should you decide to end the mentoring relationship with your student mentee(s), please consider the following:

1. First, it is important to let the student know that the mentor relationship is ending.
2. To provide closure, help the student process the experience by encouraging them to reflect on what they learned and acknowledging the work they completed this semester.
3. If you have any recommendations or suggestions for the students as they continue their UIC journey, please share these with them.
4. It may also be helpful to have students set some goals so they have a plan moving forward.
5. Finally, you may also want to share with students how you benefitted from this experience, to honor and celebrate the time you shared working together.

Should you decide to continue working with your student mentee(s), please consider the following:

1. Communicate to the student that while the First-at-LAS Connect Program is ending, you are happy to continue serving as a mentor. However, please let the student know that your mentoring role is no longer affiliated with First-at-LAS.
2. Take some time to reflect on what the new mentoring relationship will look like outside of the program.
3. Communicate your new expectations to the student and consider discussing what they hope to gain or want to continue to work on moving forward.
4. With your student mentee, agree on a new structure and system for communicating. If desired, it may be helpful to revisit the steps outlined in the stages above to re-establish expectations and get started in your mentoring role.