Faculty Mentorship

At UC Davis, we believe that mentorship is a priceless investment in student and institutional success.

 

Why have a faculty mentor?

All incoming graduate students are assigned a faculty Graduate Advisor, and Ph.D. students will eventually choose a Major Professor, but any faculty may be a potential mentor.

Your faculty Graduate Advisor will:

  • Help with your course plan
  • Sign forms
  • Fill out your annual Student Progress Assessment
  • Listen and provide general advice

Other reasons to meet with a faculty mentor:

  • You are interested in a topic you want to explore by speaking to someone with that area of expertise.
  • You may wish to consult with a faculty member you are not currently taking a class with to ask about their research focus.
  • You are exploring your options to find a good fit for your dissertation committee (Ph.D. students).
  • You’re not sure what your career trajectory should be, and you’d like to hear about the professor’s career journey.
  • Or, you do have an idea of what you’d like to do, and you’d like to discuss course elective options.

 

Build your network!

Identify individuals in your developmental network, i.e., those who fall into one or more of the following three types of relationships. (Those who fall into more than one type should be listed more than once.)

  1. People who help you get the job done through provision of important information, introductions, scientific or technical advice, professional expertise, or other resources.
  2. People who advance your career through career guidance and direction, arranged exposure to critical people, political advice, helping you get important opportunities or assignments, advice on promotion criteria or funding opportunities, and/or advocating for you.
  3. People who give you personal support, i.e., those to whom you go for your emotional well‐being and psycho‐social support, and with whom you can be yourself.

Be mindful of maintaining existing relationships, by staying in touch and “giving back” such as facilitating an introduction or sending an article of interest to the individual along with your comments.

 

Additional Resources and Guidelines