A mentoring plan sets respectful, reasonable expectations or goals for the collaboration between the mentor and mentee, which helps to foster a good working relationship that will further the research and the development of the student professional. A mentoring plan/agreement should set appropriate expectations for the relationship early, be reviewed regularly, and be open for possible revision as needed or requested by either party.
Guides
The Graduate School has developed guides to assist both students (mentees) and faculty advisors (mentors) in fostering the development of a mentoring plan in conjunction with a Graduate Fellowship.
Graduate Fellow Guide - for Mentees
Graduate Fellow Mentorship Guide - for Mentors
External Resources
• American Association for the Advancement of Science STEM Mentor Resources
• Pathways to Science: Mentoring Manual
• Grad School – Suggestions for Mentoring Programs
Mentoring Examples
Examples of mentoring activities include, but are not limited to, career counseling; training in preparation of grant proposals, publications and presentations; guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills; guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas; and training in responsible professional practices.
Examples of elements within a mentoring plan:
- On-boarding will include dedicated conversations between the faculty mentor and the graduate student(s). To assist in the mentor-mentee setting process, individuals are encouraged to have an initial meeting to discuss expectations, objectives, and key professional development areas. Resources include a printed Mentor Guide and Grad Fellow Guide from OSU’s Graduate School.
- Career counseling/advising will be provided in part by the faculty mentor. Graduate student(s) will be directed to use of the OSU Grad Advantage self-assessment tool to access in particular Resources for Career Success and access the Career Development Center, in addition to course offerings including GRAD 517 Graduate Career Building.
- Training in preparation of grant proposals will be gained by direct involvement in proposal prepared by the faculty mentor to learn best practices, including identification of key research questions, definition of objectives, description of approach and rationale, and construction of a work plan, timeline, and budget. Graduate student(s) will have access to approved sample grants, as well as grant writing tips through the Graduate Writing Center.
- Training in publications and presentations are expected to result from the work supported by the grant. These will be prepared under the direction of the faculty mentor and in collaboration with researchers at OSU as appropriate. Graduate student(s) will receive guidance and training in the preparation of manuscripts for scientific journals and presentations at conferences, including activities and resources available through OSU Grad Advantage.
- Guidance on improving teaching and mentoring skills will be developed within their research groups during which students describe their work to colleagues and assist each other with solutions to challenging research problems. Graduate student(s) will be guided to materials/trainings through course offerings in the Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching (GCCUT) curriculum, including online course delivery, and through the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) workshops and consultations.
- Guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas will be provided on a regular basis in the context of the research work, as all OSU faculty mentors of graduate students are required to complete the Entering Mentoring training. Graduate student(s) will be encouraged to access opportunities listed under OSU’s JEDI program.
- Training in responsible professional practices will be provided by the faculty mentor with identified topics of interest. Graduate student(s) are required to complete Responsible Conduct of Research Training (beyond CITI training) through a respective academic program orientation course, through enrollment in GRAD 520 Responsible Conduct of Research, and/or another approved and identified professional experiences.
Other activities may be incorporated into the mentoring plan as appropriate for the advancement of the graduate student(s) educational, research, professional, personal, and interpersonal skill development.