Great Mentoring in Graduate School:
A QUICK START GUIDE FOR PROTÉGÉS
A QUICK START GUIDE FOR PROTÉGÉS
Definitions
Academic Advisor
An academic advisor, sometimes referred to as a “gate-keeper” is a professional and institutionally-driven relationship. This individual supports students in their quest to complete academic tasks and helps the student gain the necessary permissions and approvals associated with graduate level training. Such tasks include helping students complete major academic duties and requirements in a timely manner, ensuring progress towards degree completion, and compliance with departmental and programmatic rules and regulations. Researchers suggest that, in graduate school, academic advisors are responsible for the facilitation of learning about the craft of research through dissertation or thesis work. In other words, the academic advisor is primarily focused on supporting students as they work to complete academic tasks. Academic advisors can be assigned by the academic program or selected by the graduate student.
Supervisor
The supervisory relationship is particularly important in graduate education, given graduate supervisors serve as skilled experts overseeing the professional knowledge and skill development as you work to become a scholar or practitioner. Supervisors are the individuals who oversee research assistantships, teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships, work study positions, or part-time positions that may or may not be associated with the graduate program. The supervisor provides “on-the-job-training” by providing guidance on work tasks, completion deadlines, feedback on work products, and helps the student manage work hours. The term ‘Supervisor’ is used in the British system of higher education to mean PhD advisor.
Dissertation/thesis chair
The dissertation (or thesis) chair is the person who serves as the leader and manager of a doctoral student’s dissertation (or thesis) committee. Often referred to as a gatekeeper, the chair has the responsibility of overseeing a student’s progress towards the development of original scholarship that contributes to a body of work in the given field of interest. An effective chair serves as an advocate for the student and “protects” the student from other committee member demands deemed contradictory to the direction of the research or agreed upon goals. Finally, the chair helps the student meet program and departmental guidelines in terms of content, structure, completion time, and any other submission requirements. This person is the primary advisor.
Mentor
Traditionally, a mentor has been defined as a more senior individual who provides career and psychosocial support to a junior member of a given organization. Recently, mentors have been found to exist laterally, virtually, among peers, and with individuals outside of the professional context. Mentorships center on an emotional commitment, which focuses on the protégé’s personal and professional growth. Mentoring relationships, by nature, are reciprocal and more enduring than relationships with an academic advisor, supervisor, or dissertation chair.
The dissertation (or thesis) chair is the person who serves as the leader and manager of a doctoral student’s dissertation (or thesis) committee. Often referred to as a gatekeeper, the chair has the responsibility of overseeing a student’s progress towards the development of original scholarship that contributes to a body of work in the given field of interest. An effective chair serves as an advocate for the student and “protects” the student from other committee member demands deemed contradictory to the direction of the research or agreed upon goals. Finally, the chair helps the student meet program and departmental guidelines in terms of content, structure, completion time, and any other submission requirements. This person is the primary advisor.
Mentor
Traditionally, a mentor has been defined as a more senior individual who provides career and psychosocial support to a junior member of a given organization. Recently, mentors have been found to exist laterally, virtually, among peers, and with individuals outside of the professional context. Mentorships center on an emotional commitment, which focuses on the protégé’s personal and professional growth. Mentoring relationships, by nature, are reciprocal and more enduring than relationships with an academic advisor, supervisor, or dissertation chair.
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