Mentoring matters. Across all career stages, roles, and appointment systems, having a mentor – or better yet, a network of mentors – can significantly increase success and satisfaction in academia.
At Michigan State University, we take collective responsibility for ensuring that every member of our academic workforce has access to mentoring support. We also charge every member of our academic workforce with accessing available mentoring support, honoring the expertise and labor of mentors, and advocating for their evolving mentoring needs.
These resources are for all faculty and academic staff appointment types, including our postdoctoral scholars, and for graduate students who are often also members of our academic workforce. The Graduate School and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs offer additional support for postdoctoral scholars and graduate students and their mentors.
Use the NCFDD Mentor Map to clarify the areas in which you already have the mentoring you need and the areas in which you desire additional mentoring now.
Learn about Mentoring Models that may be appropriate for some of your needs.
Use the Mentee Needs and Goal Setting Worksheet to clarify the goals you have for working with a specific mentor.
Some resources in this section evolved from a Mentoring Toolkit supported by the NSF ADVANCE Grant #0811205. For additional information and citations, contact the Office for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs.