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Effective mentoring of graduate students by faculty members is one of the most important keys to a successful graduate program because of the one-on-one nature of most graduate programs.

Mentoring extends beyond advising because of the personal nature of the relationship between the mentor and the mentee. While a good advisor assists students in learning about their discipline and the skills needed to conduct research or practice their profession, a mentor develops a relationship with her or his mentee on several levels. A mentor is a trusted guide. A mentor can offer support in difficult times. A mentor socializes her or his mentee, to quote the Council of Graduate Schools, "to the values, norms, practices and attitudes of a discipline and university; [mentorship] transforms a student into a colleague." A good mentor must be a good listener (key to good communication), be a good problem-solver, and be a good observer (able to spot "problems").

In essence, a mentor is:

· An advisor, who has career interests similar to the student and shares their knowledge with the student informally or in the classroom.

· A supporter, who gives the necessary level of emotional and moral encouragement, as for example, prior to the final oral examination.

· A sponsor, who provides sources of information about research, grant, internship, employment, or other opportunities.

· A tutor, who gives specific, timely, and constructive feedback on performance.

· A model, who is a professional with integrity, thereby serving as a good role model.

Being a mentor can be a personally fulfilling experience, one in which the mentor benefits at least as much as the mentee. The rewards continue long after one's student becomes one's colleague, oftentimes for a lifetime.

Mentoring Resources for Mentors and Mentees

MentorNet
"Mentoring in today's environment is a critical tool in the toolbox for success. The inherent lack of link between business and academics presents an awesome chasm for many, especially women, to face and bridge. Mentoring provides an outstanding opportunity to assist students in this endeavor." - MentorNet Mentor

You’re Invited!

The UCSC Graduate Division will be hosting a MentorNet Information Session open to all UCSC students, staff, and faculty. A MentorNet representative will be in attendance to provide a presentation about the program’s features. Free appetizers and refreshments will be provided! View the flyer for more information.

MENTORNET INFORMATION SESSION
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Time: 2:00-3:00pm
Place: BayTree Conference Center Room D
*No RSVP required!

MentorNet’s Academic Career E-Mentoring Program focuses on matching women and underrepresented minority undergraduate/graduate students, postdocs, and early career faculty in engineering and science with faculty members for an 8-month mentoring relationship conducted via email. UC Santa Cruz partners with MentorNet to provide this service at no fee to you.

Here is an opportunity to get additional information, encouragement, advice, and access to networks from a faculty member in your field and, if you choose, from outside your current institution. You can search for and choose the mentor that best suits your needs and have a chance to discuss topics such as faculty jobs, networking, work/life balance, research issues, grant writing and tenure.

How do you sign up for MentorNet?
Go to www.MentorNet.net and follow this 2-step process:
1) Join the Community: Click on “Join” and register.
2) Create a One-on-One Program profile: Sign in to the community and follow the One-on-One Mentoring Program links and create a protege profile.

The MentorNet program has proven effective by providing information, encouragement, advice, and access to networks that are otherwise often unavailable to underrepresented groups within engineering and science. This is why more than 90% of participants would recommend MentorNet's e-mentoring programs to a friend or colleague.

Since 1998, MentorNet has matched more than 20,700 pairs of proteges and mentors with strong results. We hope you’ll be one of them!

For more information, visit www.MentorNet.net

Mentoring at UCSC

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