The Graduate School invites nominations for the Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award. The Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award was established to recognize and encourage outstanding mentoring of graduate students by OSU Graduate Faculty members. The faculty recipient of this award will have had direct and significant involvement with OSU graduate students coupled with a proven commitment to and effectiveness as a mentor of graduate students.

The recipient of this award is a Graduate Faculty member who has an extraordinary record of excellence in activities including, but not limited to:

  1. Facilitating smooth transitions for both entering and exiting graduate students
  2. Being accessible to students
  3. Fostering an environment that is inclusive and honors students’ diverse backgrounds and goals
  4. Effectively coaching graduate students through the graduate school experience and connecting them to appropriate intellectual and professional networks
  5. Guiding graduate students toward scholarly and professional independence.

The award

The recipient receives funding in the amount of $2,000, available as a cash award or transferred to a department fund for use by the awardee.

Eligibility

The award is open to faculty members who hold Graduate Faculty status and who actively mentor OSU graduate students.

Evaluation criteria

  • Quality of nominating letters in specifically describing the nominee’s commitment and effectiveness as a mentor of graduate students
  • Quality of nominee’s statement and CV in specifically describing their approach and commitment to mentoring of graduate students
  • Nominee’s overall commitment and effectiveness as a mentor of graduate students in conjunction with the activities described above (a-e) and as discussed in the nominating letters and nominee’s CV

Nomination period

The nomination period begins on September 27, 2023. All nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m., April 22, 2024. Awards will be determined in late May 2024.

Nomination procedure

Nominees cannot apply directly for this award. Nominations must be submitted by the graduate program director, department head, school head, associate dean, or other college leadership. Each unit (as defined by university major code) may nominate no more than ONE nominee (total) per award cycle.

In the online nomination form, nominators will be required to prepare/upload the following materials as one PDF document using the following file name convention: “Nominee’s Last Name_Department_FacMentor.pdf”, and upload it through the nomination form.

  1. A letter of nomination from the nominee’s graduate program director, department head, school head, associate dean, or other college leadership who can speak to the nominee’s mentorship of graduate students. The letter should address the nominee’s commitment and effectiveness as a mentor of graduate students. Measures of commitment and effectiveness may include, but are not limited to:

    1. Facilitating smooth transitions for both entering and exiting graduate students
    2. Being accessible to students
    3. Fostering an environment that is inclusive and honors students’ diverse backgrounds and goals
    4. Effectively coaching graduate students through the graduate school experience and connecting them to appropriate intellectual and professional networks
    5. Guiding graduate students toward scholarly and professional independence.
     

    Limit two pages, single-spaced.

  2. Up to two additional letters of support from the nominee's current graduate mentees who can speak to the nominee's commitment and effectiveness as a mentor, using the same measures (a-e) listed above. Limit two pages, single-spaced per letter.

  3. A statement from the nominee describing their overall mentoring approach and commitment to graduate mentoring using the same measures (a-e) listed above. Nominees should also discuss any professional development activities (e.g., CIMER) that have supported their development as a mentor of graduate students. Limit one page, single-spaced.

  4. A copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae that specifies graduate students the nominee has mentored (current and former). The review and selection committee is best able to assess a nominee’s commitment to and effectiveness in graduate mentoring when the CV clearly lists the nominee’s graduate committee participation and other relevant activities along with mentees’ names and scholarly contributions.

Submit a nomination

Questions

For questions about this award or any Graduate School administered awards, please contact our Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships team