{"id":329,"date":"2019-04-23T11:51:23","date_gmt":"2019-04-23T16:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.valpo.edu\/cital-blog\/?p=329"},"modified":"2019-04-23T11:51:23","modified_gmt":"2019-04-23T16:51:23","slug":"faculty-learning-community-on-mentoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/faculty-learning-community-on-mentoring\/","title":{"rendered":"Faculty Learning Community on Mentoring"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>CITAL Guest Bloggers: Mindy Capaldi, Melissa Desjarlais, Jon-Paul McCool, Nancy Scannell, Zsuzsanna Szaniszlo<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the past school year our group of Valpo faculty met to share resources and learn more about best practices in mentoring students. \u00a0We met approximately fortnightly during the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Two books guided our discussions throughout the year: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On Being a Mentor: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (2nd ed.) by W. Brad Johnson and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Successful STEM Mentoring Initiatives for Underrepresented Students<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Becky Wai-Ling Packard. \u00a0We also had two guest speakers share their experience and expertise with us: Danielle Lavin-Loucks, an award-winning mentor, and Stacy Hoult-Saros, Coordinator of the Conrad Scholars\u2019 Program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While there are many types of mentoring relationships, our FLC team opted to focus on faculty-undergrad student mentoring relationships. \u00a0Why is mentoring important? Our team came up with a list of eight reasons why mentoring matters: (1) it provides students with a sense of belonging, (2) it is a campus resource for problem solving, (3) it builds interpersonal relationships, (4) it provides support for students making transitions, (5) it enhances academic success and retention, (6) it models relational skills, (7) it helps with networking and career development, (8) it promotes self-efficacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The FLC members plan to prepare a faculty-student handbook with resources and suggestions for mentoring undergraduate students. They also hope to form a repository for mentoring resources and on-campus activities related to mentoring. \u00a0Others will be welcome to add to this repository. The handbook and repository will be available on the CITAL Faculty Learning Community website (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">https:\/\/www.valpo.edu\/faculty-lea<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">rning-communities\/<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">), hopefully by the beginning of the fall 2019 semester. \u00a0An email will be sent when the information is available.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here are some recommendations and suggestions based on the FLC\u2019s conversations this year:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Advice to Mentors<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prepare open-ended (not yes\/no) questions to make connections.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Listen and give mentees time to respond. Do not always be the one talking. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Follow up with mentee inquiries in a timely manner.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide confidential space; establish trust. Keep conversations confidential.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Take notes for ease of follow-up from earlier conversations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Arrange regular meetings (approximately once or twice a month) and make sure some are at critical times in the semester (e.g., right before academic advising).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prepare a topic to discuss but be flexible if the conversation goes in another direction. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the first meeting, ask about logistical details (e.g., have you bought your books).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Greet students by name whenever you see them and have casual conversations in the hallway.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Be open, honest and interested. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do not simply be a resource for information. Develop a relationship of care. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Refer students to the Counseling Center when necessary. Recognize that you are not a professional therapist. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Discuss action steps and accountability. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Realize that the mentee should not be a clone of you.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check in with professional advisors about mentees\u2019 academic progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Realize that not all mentor-mentee relationships will work well.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Advice to Mentees:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> What advice mentors should give their mentees:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Discuss expectations as a mentee\/student.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Know that your mentor is there for you.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ask questions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Seek help.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Be open to guidance and sharing your interests. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use campus resources: consider visiting the locations with your mentor. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Discuss possible career paths and ask about opportunities (academic year\/summer internships\/research\/publishing\/shadowing).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Know that it is ok to change disciplines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Know that it is ok to change mentors or to have multiple mentors.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Advice to Departments:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a faculty-student mentoring program suitable to your unique discipline.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Be flexible and recognize that some mentor-mentee relationships develop organically. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allow for changes in mentor-mentee pairings.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make mentor reporting a regular item on your department meeting agendas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider peer-mentoring.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a welcoming space where students can gather and faculty can visit with them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Suggested Activities:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plan professional development activities such as vocational discernment, self-advocacy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plan personal development activities such as learning how to practice mindfulness or self-care strategies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plan social activities with other mentors\/mentees.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Schedule visits to campus resources such as the Writing Center, Career Center, Financial Aid Office, Health Center, Counseling Center.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CITAL Guest Bloggers: Mindy Capaldi, Melissa Desjarlais, Jon-Paul McCool, Nancy Scannell, Zsuzsanna Szaniszlo During the past school year our group of Valpo faculty met to share resources and learn more about best practices in mentoring students. \u00a0We met approximately fortnightly during the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters. Two books guided our discussions throughout the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-36"],"author_meta":{"display_name":"kim.pomeroy@valpo.edu","author_link":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/author\/kim-pomeroyvalpo-edu\/"},"featured_img":null,"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"Profile":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kim.pomeroy@valpo.edu","author_link":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/author\/kim-pomeroyvalpo-edu\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"CITAL Guest Bloggers: Mindy Capaldi, Melissa Desjarlais, Jon-Paul McCool, Nancy Scannell, Zsuzsanna Szaniszlo During the past school year our group of Valpo faculty met to share resources and learn more about best practices in mentoring students. \u00a0We met approximately fortnightly during the fall 2018 and spring 2019 semesters. Two books guided our discussions throughout the&hellip;","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/category\/2019\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">2019<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">2019<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 7 years ago","modified":"Updated 7 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on April 23, 2019","modified":"Updated on April 23, 2019"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on April 23, 2019 11:51 am","modified":"Updated on April 23, 2019 11:51 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=329"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/intra.valpo.edu\/cital\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}