How to meaningfully establish connections with instructors

There are many reasons why you might want or need to cultivate a meaningful relationship with an instructor. The first step is identifying what reasons or goals are motivating you. Pause and reflect to identify your specific reason(s) or goal(s) for establishing a working connection with an instructor, such as:

• Deepening your understanding of a topic they lecture or research on.
• Getting involved with research they are doing.
• Mentorship, such as if you wish to learn about their career path.
• Learning more about the professional network(s) they belong to.
• Exploring graduate opportunities; you may be interested in them as a prospective supervisor.
• You may wish to be able to ask them for a letter of reference for work or graduate school applications.

The list above is not exhaustive. It is important to understand your motivation for connection so that you can identify the next steps you should take, and what questions you should ask. The next step is to identify an instructor who complements your goal.

A great place to start is with your own class schedule. Review the lecturers of the classes you are enrolled in; you can find detailed descriptions about research interests and ongoing projects at that person’s page on the University of Alberta directory. Once you have decided upon an instructor with whom you have a professional (i.e. research, topic, project) interest in common with, here are some steps to cultivate a meaningful relationship.

Note: Tips for reaching out to instructors beyond your class schedule are at the end of the article. The following steps are guidelines only and should be adapted to your needs/interests.

Step 1: Be engaged.

• Ensure you attend lectures regularly.
• Participate actively, such as with class activities, discussions, and projects.
• Take notes, both during lectures and study time.
• Not only will this better prepare you for conversations with the instructor, it will also demonstrate the effort you are putting into the class.

Step 2: Seek out interaction.

• The best way to interact with your instructor is to utilize their office hours.
• As previously mentioned, consider your goals for connecting with the instructor, and as needed, come prepared with specific:
  • questions (for example, about a topic in class),
  • topics you want to discuss (for example, their career or research background or a current project they are working on),
  • or feedback you are seeking (for example, an assignment, paper, or project).
• You can send an email to request a time to meet if the office hours do not work for your schedule.

Step 3: Take initiative

• Depending on your goals, this means actively asking questions to learn more or finding opportunities to get involved. For example,
  • Ask if they are willing to share their experience. Your instructor may be happy to share their career experiences/insights, research opportunities, career options, and professional network opportunities.
  • Ask how you can get involved. Your instructor may have volunteer opportunities they can connect you with, such as research and projects, departmental events, or teaching assistantships.

Step 4: Express Appreciation.

• Regardless of the outcome, show gratitude for your instructor’s time. This can be in the form of email, or a quick thank you after class.
• If you did get involved in a project or other opportunity as a result of the conversation, share that news - your instructor will be delighted to hear it!

It may be the case that you reviewed all your current instructors, and did not find an academic interest in common. Using the University of Alberta directory, you can certainly look up other instructors to identify a common interest, but there are a multitude of other ways to build connections. The following is a non-exhaustive list of ideas to network beyond the instructors in your class schedule:

• Seek out teaching or research assistantships for courses that interest you. This can be a way to connect with instructors. To find teaching or research assistantships,
  • Keep an eye on campusBRIDGE.
  • Ask your faculty's student service desk.
• Get involved with the Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI). Most undergraduate research opportunities are NOT formally advertised, so the URI is your place to learn where and how to find research opportunities in your area of interest.
• You can also search the internet to find current research projects or organizations affiliated with the University of Alberta, that interest you, and email to ask if you can volunteer.
• Get involved with faculty events and projects. To learn about upcoming events and projects,
  • Read your faculty’s newsletter, if applicable.
  • Ask your faculty's student service desk.
• Join a faculty/department association or student group.
  • View registered groups on Bear’s Den.
• Attend departmental/faculty poster presentations and conferences, and talk with the students and professors involved in the research. To find out more about upcoming events,
  • Read your faculty’s newsletter, if applicable.
  • Keep an eye on the weekly undergraduate student digest.
  • Attend the annual Festival of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (FURCA)
• Talk to your peers (or seek out graduate students) who are doing research in areas that interest you and ask for an introduction.

Remember: Opportunities are not always so formal as a scheduled meeting. A simple conversation in passing (for example, at a poster presentation event) can spark a connection that may lead to a meaningful working relationship or a key introduction. Also keep in mind that instructors are people too - engage authentically and be willing to participate in opportunities, even if they aren’t exactly what you had in mind.