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Faculty Mentoring
Mentoring can play a huge role in academic development, and faculty mentors, through guidance and example, help direct students towards academic maturity. The MMUF recognizes the importance of mentors and requires that fellows find and work with mentors throughout their two-year fellowship. In fact, the key component of the MMUF is the faculty-mentored projects that involve Mellon fellows in what can best be described as “graduate school and academic career training.”
Fellows are encouraged to develop a relationship with a mentor with whom they plan to work for at least a year. If necessary, fellows can change mentors between semesters, but this breaks continuity and can result in a less satisfactory experience. Fellows may also work with more than one mentor at a time if the program coordinator and the faculty involved agree. When considering mentors, fellows are encouraged to seek out an appropriate faculty member in their field of research, to begin conversations about possible projects early, and to bear in mind faculty leave patterns.
As in any relationship, the interaction between mentors and fellows will vary, as will the nature of the research project, depending upon the discipline, the interests of the mentor and fellow, and the stage of development of a particular project. Mellon fellows’ projects can include a wide range of academic activities: independent research, help in course development, assistance in teaching-related or scholarly research, bibliography searches, computer-based projects, etc. Fellows may initiate their own research projects, but they should also be prepared to work as research assistants for their mentors. In either case, the specific goals and objectives of the project are to be negotiated between the fellow and the mentor. Mentors are encouraged to involve fellows in projects that both are helpful to the mentor and assist the fellows in graduate study preparation.
At the end of each term (semester or summer) the fellows submit to the OSAP coordinator and to the mentors a research report documenting the work accomplished. This may be in the form of a research paper, a summary of the project, an annotated bibliography, or any other document that appropriately and effectively represents the work. If a Mellon fellow is not fulfilling his/her obligations, the mentor and the OSAP coordinator will work together with the fellow to develop a plan, which, in the worst case, may include withholding stipends or removal from the program. See Mentor Guidelines.
Welcome & Forms | About the Program | Faculty Mentoring | Activities & Policies | Resources