College of Arts and Science Vanderbilt University

Mentoring Workshop

Conversations on Graduate Mentoring, Advising, and Teaching
A Faculty Development Series

Thank you for your interest in the Mentoring Workshops!  

We are excited to register Assistant Professors for the following workshops.  The number of participants is limited to 25 for each workshop, so please register soon! 

Lunch will be provided for the mid-day sessions and snacks for the afternoon sessions.  

Your participation is appreciated!  Click here to register.  (If a security warning pops up, please click "yes"; sitemason is a secure site.)



Graduate Mentoring & Teaching
Graduate mentors.  Graduate advisors. Graduate professors. Graduate research faculty. Whatever role we play in the development of Vanderbilt graduate students, many junior faculty feel less competent in those roles than they do as undergraduate teachers and advisors.  Often our training and experience has prepared us to capably guide undergraduate students, but has left us less sure of how to work as effectively with graduate students.  The College of Arts and Science, in partnership with The Graduate School and the Center For Teaching, is offering a series of workshops to help new faculty find success in this important aspect of the Vanderbilt educational experience.



"I have not only received information, guidance, and encouragement from professors in my field, but also have had access to professors in outside areas who are just as invested in my development as a scholar.” Nicole Phillips, Religion

WHAT IS (GOOD) GRADUATE STUDENT MENTORING?
With David Cliffel, Dana Nelson, and Myrna Wooders
Moderator: Richard Pitt
SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 – 12pm to 1:30pm
SARRATT 116

We've all had graduate advisors and, to some degree, have learned what a good one is either from their positive or their negative examples.   But what does it really take to be an effective mentor of our own graduate students?  What are the different roles that a graduate mentor will assume as she or he helps guide a student to the master's or doctoral degree?  In this workshop, we will discuss characteristics and norms of good graduate mentoring and solutions to issues we all encounter as new graduate student mentors.  Issues covered will include:
   • How to collaborate with students on research projects
   • How to help students finish their dissertations 
   • How to assist students in finding jobs

STAGES OF A GRADUATE STUDENT’S CAREER: ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL
With Jeremy Atack, Gary Gerstle, Mark Schoenfield, and Lila Solnica-Krezel
Moderator: Holly McCammon
NOVEMBER 6, 2007 – 4pm to 5:30pm
ALUMNI HALL 205

The journey from consumer of knowledge to producer of knowledge is one that we all had to take as graduate students.  Now, as faculty mentors, we're responsible for shepherding the next generation of scholars along this often confusing road to the Ph.D.  Each step of the journey brings its own challenges and opportunities.  In this conversation, we will consider the different stages of the graduate student career and offer some tips on how to better meet the needs of students during these stages.  Issues covered will include:
   • How to socialize new graduate students into graduate-level studies
   • How to help students prepare for qualifying examinations
   • How to produce an effective roadmap for the dissertation


 

“Working closely with a faculty mentor has not only challenged me and pushed me to grow as a scholar, but has also provided an invaluable behind-the-scenes look at my profession.” Joshua Packard, Sociology

FRIEND, COACH, TASKMASTER? MANAGING INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS IN MENTORING
With Brooke Ackerly, Calvin Miller, and Mark Wollaeger
Moderator: Allison Pingree
FEBRUARY 21, 2008 – 12pm to 1:30pm
ALUMNI HALL 205
 
At Vanderbilt, we pride ourselves on our apprenticeship approach to graduate education.  Faculty members take on roles--friend, taskmaster, coach, benefactor--with graduate students that may be deeper and more lasting than those required in our interactions with undergraduate students.  How does one manage the often emotionally intense dynamics of the faculty mentor-graduate student relationship?  In this conversation, we will examine the nature of the unique relationship between mentor and graduate student and offer some techniques for effectively managing it.  Issues covered will include:
   • How to define time & emotional boundaries that you both can be comfortable with
   • How to manage recalcitrant and resistant students.
   • How and when to say “no” when choosing advising relationships

TEACHING GRADUATE SEMINARS: WHEN UNDERGRADUATE PEDAGOGY WON’T DO
With Dan Cornfield, Doug Hardin, Cathy Jrade, and Jose Medina
Moderator: Carolyn Dever
MARCH 24, 2008 – 4pm to 5:30pm
ALUMNI HALL 205
 
More and more graduate departments are incorporating some instruction in teaching into their core curricula.  Many of us have taken at least one teaching course while pursuing our doctorates.  However, these courses tend to focus on techniques for facilitating undergraduate courses, leaving the challenges of teaching graduate seminars overlooked.  Here, we will address the differences between these two kinds of learners and offer some insights into how to structure successful learning environments for graduate students.  Issues covered will include:
   • How to lead a discussion in a graduate seminar
   • How to model the research tasks of your discipline in a seminar
   • How to assess graduate student interest and performance

Click here to register!  (If a security warning pops up, please click "yes"; sitemason is a secure site.)
 

For more information, please contact Tessa Bishop (tessa.bishop@vanderbilt.edu).