Resources for Mentoring

Preparing to Mentor

• Establish your expectations up front: Clarifying time commitments, communications channels, and what a mentee should do if they have a question or concern before any issues arise will set you both up for success.
• Anticipate typical student "crunch" times: midterms and finals may be extra stressful and time-intensive for your mentees, so do your best to plan with them for how you will both predict and navigate these waters.
• Consider fundamental attribution error:  people have a tendency to attribute other people's behavior to internal factors (factors about the person) and our own behavior to external factors (factors about our situation). If you can teach this to your students as well, that will help you both understand your natural tendency to attribute behavior such as not responding to an email to factors about the student (e.g., the student is lazy) as opposed to the situation (e.g., the student has had the flu). Ask your students to be sure to provide any relevant updates on their situations as soon as possible, so you can continue to plan accordingly.

RSCA Mentor Trainings

• Advancing Inclusive Mentoring (AIM): This National Research Mentor Network is tailored for faculty mentors of undergraduate research students; SDSU's Center for Inclusive Excellence occasionally facilitates these trainings for interested faculty members.
• National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD): SDSU faculty can access professional development resources from NCFDD through funding from SDSU's Center for Inclusive Excellence
• Project CURE - the Culture of University Research Experiences: A team of SDSU researchers are investigating the factors within an academic research group that foster students' sense of belonging and continuation in research

When Someone Else Might Be Able to Help

In some situations, other campus resources are better equipped to assist your student mentee with challenges they may be facing in progressing on their project.

• SDSU Writing Center: students can schedule appointments to receive editing and outlining assistance
• SDSU Math and Stats Learning Center: students can receive additional tutoring in technical analysis
• SDSU builldIT Makerspace: students can develop new skills or prototype elements of their project while finding a sense of community
• SDSU Counseling and Psychological Services: students can consult with trained mental health professionals