Mentoring Expectations

Graduate students will serve as mentors and role models for their undergraduate “mentees,” offering support and guidance over the course of the academic year. Mentoring is understood to be a process whereby mentor and mentee work together in recognizing and unearthing a mentee’s abilities and fine-tuning their interests and goals. It is about listening, encouraging, and fostering positive growth on a personal and academic level. Although there is no “guidebook” to being a good role model, we like to maintain a certain level of minimum participation. The following are lists of mentor and mentee expectatons:

Mentors are expected to:

• Meet with the Mentoring Fellow prior to being paired with an undergraduate student.
• Establish the initial contact with your assigned mentee within one weeks of receiving your assignment via email. Please carbon copy the mentoring fellow on this initial contact so that we know you got in touch with your student.
• Meet in-person with your mentee at least once per semester. To help facilitate these meetings, you can meet at the Graduate Student Center (where both mentor and mentee can enjoy free coffee!) or use Cawfee Tawk.
• Maintain "regular" contact with their mentees (at least two email contacts after your initial in-person meeting), offering support, appropriate advice, and encouragement to their mentees. Mentees will be instructed regarding what is considered acceptable mentor-consultation.
• Participate in an assessment survey at the end of each semester. Over the course of your involvement in the Grad/Undergrad Mentoring Program, the Grad Center. Mentoring Fellow will solicit feedback on your experience in the program. Feedback from mentors is invaluable in our ongoing assessment efforts to enhance the quality of the mentoring relationships. Don’t worry. The survey is short and pretty painless :)
• Contact the Grad Center Mentoring Fellow with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Mentees are expected to:

• Respond to the initial contact email from your assigned mentor within a timely fashion
• Respect your mentor. Remember that they are students too and have assignments and deadlines just like you do.
• Have reasonable expectations for what your mentoring relationship will be. Graduate student mentors are more than happy to discuss their experiences as students as they relate to looking for grad schools, the application proces, classes, research, etc. They are not here to be your tutor, editor, or personal psychologist. If you need other assistance in other areas, please refer to the list of Penn resources.
• Participate in an assessment survey at the end of each semester. Over the course of your involvement in the Grad/Undergrad Mentoring Program, the Grad Center. Mentoring Fellow will solicit feedback on your experience in the program. Feedback from mentors is invaluable in our ongoing assessment efforts to enhance the quality of the mentoring relationships. Don’t worry. The survey is short and pretty painless :)
• Contact the Grad Center Mentoring Fellow with any questions, comments, or concerns.