Using the research-based curriculum Entering Mentoring, the goal of this series is to facilitate the process of becoming an effective mentor by providing an intellectual framework, opportunities to experiment with various methods, and a safe and confidential learning forum in which to solve mentoring dilemmas.
“Effective mentoring can be learned, but not taught. Most faculty learn to mentor by experimenting and analyzing success and failure, and many say that the process of developing an effective method of mentoring takes years… A skilled mentor is guided by a reflective philosophy that directs examination of the mentee’s challenging needs and how to best address them, creating fluidity in the relationship.”
Pfund, Branchaw, & Handelsman, 2014
Mentoring Matters Distinguished Lecture
June 11, 2024
Featured Speaker
Christine Pfund
Senior Scientist, Wisconsin Center for Education Research,
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mentoring Matters: Using the Science of Mentorship to Advance Mentoring Relationships
Mentoring is associated with academic and career success across disciplines and career stages in higher education. Strong mentorship has been linked to enhanced mentee productivity, self-efficacy, career satisfaction, and sense of support. Moreover, mentees cite positive mentoring as the most important factor in degree attainment. Unfortunately, few mentors have received formal training in effective mentoring practices, particularly for mentoring scholars from traditionally underrepresented groups. Even fewer scholars receive formal instruction on what it means to be a proactive mentee, and have not yet developed the self-efficacy required to articulate their needs to mentors. This has led to a national focus on the “science of mentorship” and calls for research on mentorship and testing interventions across diverse groups to optimize their relationships.
Mentoring Matters Summer Institute
The Summer Institute is a two-day, interactive event supporting faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students in developing mentoring skills through discovery and understanding.
June 11-12, 2024
Featured Speakers
Kelly Diggs
Founder and CEO of Kelly A. Diggs Consulting, LLC.
Daniel Wong
Assistant Dean, UCLA Division of Graduate Education,
Graduate & Postdoctoral Success
Resources
Archived Series
See the Mentoring Matters @ Illinois Series Archive for topics in previous academic years.