It's easy in any organization to take the skills of supervision and mentorship for granted, and universities are no different. To stay current as mentors, supervisors of graduate students require ongoing professional development. After all, how else are we to keep up with the increasing interdisciplinary nature of academic research, the shift to students not on tenure track career paths, and the development of co-learner relationships between graduate students and professors?
Thankfully, there is knowledge available to help navigate the changes and ensure successful mentorship relationships. For instance, members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research's professional development team will be leading our next workshop on how to have career conversations with your graduate students. Andrea Graham is a certified change management professional and an executive coach specializing in career transitions. Deanna Davis brings expertise related to professional development for a broad range of careers and teaching and learning training.
Alongside other experts, this team is coming together to help you evolve as a supervisor and mentor via The Mentorship Academy. Over the course of each year, we'll be sharing our advice on topics such as effective communication, cross-cultural understanding, conflict resolution, writing guidance, how to run a good candidacy or defense exam, fostering creativity, and supporting graduate student writing groups. We'll be encouraging you to reflect on your own practices. We'll ask you to consider experimenting with new ways of relating to your graduate students. We'll help you foster a supportive mentorship environment within your departments, and we will show you how you can carry the mentorship training you receive forward among your peers.
I also invite you to read the newly developed FGSR Supervisory Guide, which is intended as a useful resource for both new and seasoned supervisors
Our goal is to foster a culture of excellence in graduate student supervision and mentorship that will ultimately, result in more productive and happy relationships between supervisors and students.
Our next lunch and learn workshop will be held on Nov. 19 and will tackle the topic of "How to Have Career Conversations with Your Graduate Students". In a recent University of Alberta survey, only 28% of current PhD student respondents listed their career goal as professor.next lunch and learn workshop will be held on Nov. 19 and will tackle the topic of "How to Have Career Conversations with Your Graduate Students". In a recent University of Alberta survey, only 28% of current PhD student respondents listed their career goal as professor.
Supervisors are well-suited to have career conversations with graduate students and provide them with the knowledge, support and leadership so we will be sharing tools and tips to help supervisors start, engage, and navigate career conversations with students, even if the student's career ambitions lie outside of the supervisor's own career journey.
Naomi Krogman - Associate Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research
I want to understand how people improve the human condition and work collaboratively toward a collective good. At FGSR, I feel surrounded by people with an interest and commitment to the promise of scholarly contributions - dedicated people who want to use their knowledge for a greater good, and by staff who want to make everyone's learning journey and work experience meaningful and inclusive.