Advising and Mentoring for Faculty | Michigan Tech Graduate School

Research shows that both graduate students and faculty benefit when graduate students are involved in effective mentoring and advising relationships.

The graduate student is more productive in terms of research activity, conference presentations, predoctoral publications, instructional development, and grant-writing.
Well-mentored graduate students' academic success is evident in higher completion rates and a shorter than average time to degree.
Faculty benefit in terms of both personal and professional satisfaction. As these graduate students are more productive, faculty in turn attract highly motivated students, extend their professional network of future colleagues, and amplify their own success.

In recognition of the distinct, crucial roles of advising and mentoring in graduate education, the Graduate School has selected and curated resources to share best practices with faculty advisors from the graduate community.

Advising
Mentoring
Webinars
Bibliography

Advising

Advising can be defined as offering constructive counsel and guidance to graduate students in order to assist them in meeting their academic and professional goals.

An advisor:

provides advice about course selection,
supervises student research (for students completing a dissertation, thesis, or report) and guides them to timely completion,
converses with students about their educational and professional goals and potential career paths, and
plays an active role in the professional development of students.

What can advisors expect from graduate students?

Faculty have higher expectations of graduate students than for undergraduates. The list below covers basic expectations, but it doesn't cover everything. Students are encouraged to discuss specific expectations with their advisor on a regular basis.

Faculty advisors can expect graduate students to:

Perform work in a timely and responsible manner
Obtain training in research methods and standards for responsible conduct
Enroll in appropriate courses and get involved in projects that can be used to satisfy degree requirements
With advisor assistance, set up goals and establish timelines for their research project
Responsibly share research resources such as staff and equipment
Learn and improve from advisor's honest evaluation of their progress
Follow proper research protocols as demonstrated
Share appropriate credit in publications
Provide a reasonable amount of time for faculty feedback on their work
Discuss a dissertation or thesis committee and topic with their advisor early in their career
Meet with their advisor regularly to seek feedback
Attend seminars for their professional development
Participate in the preparation of publications or presentations
Establish career goals and initiate their job search
Seek their advisor's advice and letters of reference to assist them with their job search
Maintain good research records - each field is different, but this generally involves a complete set of lab notes
Uphold safe study and research environments
Treat all members of their research group, and the University community, with respect
Seek networking opportunities with other professionals
Avoid personal or professional relationships that might result in a conflict of interest
Study full-time when enrolled full-time.
- GRA or GTA positions provide part-time employment is provided by the University to allow students to pursue their education on a full-time basis.
Be familiar with and adhere to Michigan Tech policies and procedures
Meet deadlines and make continuous good progress toward completion of their degree

What can graduate students expect from faculty advisors?

Students form a life-long relationship with their advisor. Students can expect more from their advisor than they would expect from a course instructor. Below are some basic expectations that will help students understand the types of guidance an advisor generally provides.

Graduate students can expect an advisor to:

Provide constructive feedback on work done in a timely and responsible manner
Establish clear expectations and protocols
Discuss expectations with their student
Adequately support their graduate student’s career goals and their job search
Develop and foster healthy research practices
Introduce and promote the adherence of polices that govern ethical standards of practice in their field
Be familiar with and adhere to Michigan Tech policies and procedures
Meet with their graduate student regularly and assess their progress to date
Ensure their graduate student meets deadlines and makes continuous good progress toward their degree completion
Make arrangements to be accessible or have alternate work arrangements during extended leaves
Help to identify appropriate courses and projects that can be used to satisfy degree requirements
Support their graduate student in developing healthy time-management practices.
- For GRAs or GTAs/GTIs, advise how they can balance their employment commitment and fulfill their academic requirements
Help identify, promote and prepare their graduate student to participate in events such as presentations, program seminars and defenses for their professional development
Treat all members of their research group, and the University community, with respect
Avoid personal or professional relationships that might result in a conflict of interest
Set criteria for credit in publications
Commit the time and energy required for their graduate student’s success

Students shouldn't expect advisors to answer every question they have. It's important to develop a network of professionals to support students in their career. This network will include their examining committee, peer mentors, professional mentors, and other colleagues. All of their professional relationships will contribute to a graduate student's growth as a professional.

Michigan Tech Graduate School Advising Resources

Forms and Deadlines

Find forms for students and programs.
Degree Completion Timeline

Find a list of items needed to complete a degree and when to complete them.
Degree Requirements

Find current degree requirements for graduate students.
Policies and Procedures

Find current policies and procedures for graduate students.
Theses and Dissertations |Reports

Read the current policies and procedures for the preparation and submission of these documents.

Learn more about advising

How to Succeed in Graduate School: Guide for Students and Advisors, Association of Computing Machinery
Advising and Mentoring Resources for Faculty, Brown University
Expectations of Graduate Departments and Programs, Duke University
Expectations for Graduate Education, Departments and Programs, Virginia Tech
Higher Educations Publications

Mentoring Resources and Tools

Michigan Tech resources

Advisor Recommendation Form - form for students to appoint or change a research advisor. New for fall 2024, it aims to initiate and promote conversations for developing shared expectations between the advisor and the graduate student. It is intended to establish/record what the relationship will accomplish, including measurable/tangible goals and milestones.
Individual Development Plan (IDP) - An IDP helps graduate students outline accomplishments, short- and long-term training plans, career goals, and identify strengths and areas of improvement. It is a very helpful communication tool designed to facilitate discussions about academic plans, paths and future career. It is intended to record how the student's goals will be accomplished.
Graduate Student Success Network (GSSN) - Faculty are encouraged to support their students in developing a network to faciliate their success. This worksheet can help graduate students carefully identify, select and record individuals who they'd want on their team to support and help them succeed academically, professionally, and personally. (adapted from University of Michigan)

Additional resources

Mentoring Resources for Mentors, Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)
Mentoring Guide for Faculty, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan
Best Practices for Advising and Mentoring, Brown University
Worst Practices for Advising and Mentoring, University of Minnesota
On Being a Mentor in Science and Engineering, National Academy of Sciences
Guide for Mentors, Nature
Mentoring Guidebook for Faculty, Graduate Student Senate, Case Western Reserve University
Higher Educations Publications

Advising and Mentoring Webinars

How NSF's New Mentoring Requirements Can Improve Your Research Agenda

In this CGS webinar, disciplinary society leaders and faculty with distinguished records as researchers and mentors provided strategies and examples for improving both mentoring and research outcomes.

Sections of interest (linked to timestamp):

Jacqueline Huntoon, NSF Division Director
Directorate for STEM Education, Division of Graduate Education
Ricardo Cortez, Professor (Mathematics), Tulane University
Adam Matzger, Professor (Chemistry), University of Michigan
Ruth Varner, Professor (Biochemistry), University of New Hampshire

NSF's New Mentoring Requirements

In this webinar, CGS President Suzanne Ortega and other guests spoke about NSF's new mentoring requirements for grants submitted after May 22 2024. Panel guests also spoke about how they are preparing PIs and prospective PIs.

Sections of interest (linked to timestamp):

NSF Leadership
Debra Jackson, Assoc. VP for Academic Affairs and Dean of Academic Programs, California State University, Bakersfield
Mike Solomon, Dean, Graduate Studies and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, University of Michigan
Ellen Fisher, Vice President for Research, University of New Mexico

Bibliography

Paglis, L.L., Green, S.G. & Bauer, T.N. Does adviser mentoring add value? A longitudinal study of mentoring and doctoral student outcomes. Res High Educ 47, 451–476 (2006).
The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2019).
Mondisa, J. L., Packard, B. W. L., & Montgomery, B. L. Understanding what STEM mentoring ecosystems need to thrive: A STEM-ME framework. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 29(1), 110–135 (2021).
Mentoring Guide for Faculty, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan