A Model for Pre-Doctoral Undergraduate Mentoring

1. A Model for Pre-Doctoral Undergraduate Mentoring Christine Edmondson, Ph.D. Teaching Innovation and Pedagogy Conference: Engaging Learners January 14, 2012 Christine_edmondson@csufresno.edu

2. Pre-Doctoral Students • Students who have expressed an interest in and begun to work toward doctoral level study in their discipline. • Undergraduate or graduate • May or may not be in a formal student development program

3. Sharing Pre-Doctoral Mentoring Experiences • Summary of mentoring pre-doctoral students • Best Experience • Challenges/Growth areas

4. Background • Inspiration to Be a Mentor • Experiences • Undergraduate Psychology Majors* • Department Honors Program • McNair Scholars Program • NIMH COR Scholars • Master’s Students • Model was developed through my experiences

5. A Few Thoughts About Diversity • Ideally, diversity would be integrated • I am not an expert on diversity in mentoring • Integration of diversity is not systematic • Recommendation: • Develop your own awareness, sensitivity, and skills for welcoming diversity • A personal development process • Inspire, Empower, and Connect • Anne Chann (2010) • http://www.mentor4diversity.com/

6. Pre-Doctoral MentoringProcesses

7. Discernment Activities • Engagein Activities • Gather Information • Make Decisions

8. Student Obligations • Agree to self disclosure • About past and present experiences • Thoughts and feelings • Respond to faculty direction • Request and respond to feedback • Engage in self reflection • Acknowledge “warning signs”

9. Overview – Faculty Role in Discernment • Understand student’s talents, growth areas, and potential barriers to success • Develop a trusting relationship • Provide Supportive Feedback

10. Understand Student’s Talents, Growth Areas, and Potential Barriers to Success • Talent • Genius, Very Intelligent, & Smart • Intrapersonal and interpersonal • Growth areas • Skills, personal development, resources • Potential Barriers • Lack of Talent • Mobility issues • Deficits in emotional stability or interpersonal functioning • Significant resource deficits

11. Develop a Trusting Relationship • Power & Privilege • Consider Student’s Interpersonal Style • Encourage Initiative and Independent Problem-Solving • Affirm Talent • Self Disclosure

12. Provide Supportive Feedback • Avoid crushing their dreams, but be ready to redirect them • Use objective behaviors to describe problems • Ask student for input • Follow problem description with concrete feedback • Sandwich Technique

13. Identification Activities • Envisioning Ph.D. Training and Postdoctoral Work • Information Gathering • Feedback • Initiate Exploration of Interest

14. Identification – Envision • Faculty may encouragestudents to envision and information gather when • Highly talented, high achievers • Highly talented, under achievers • Students may come to faculty envisioning doctoral training • Highly talented, high achievers who are highly motivated • Highly talented, under achievers who get inspired • Less than highly talented students who get inspired

15. Identification – Information Gathering • Interests • Achievement • Talent (see discernment)

16. Identification – Supportive Feedback • Highly talented, high achievers • Direct to exploration • Gather information • Highly talented, under achievers • Consider information gathered and extent of under-achievement • Direct to Academic Remediation* • Direct to exploration • Gather information

17. Identification – Supportive Feedback (continued) • Very intelligent/smart overachiever • Provide feedback about talent (without conveying they are less than a genius) • Direct to exploration and attend • Strategize about how to encourage consideration of something else • Gather information • Smart moderate to low achievers • Provide feedback about achievement and explain how it is a significant barrier to doctoral study • Avoid communicating that you think they lack talent • Redirect right away by directing student to explore other options • Don’t respond to requests for support in mentored scholarship

18. Identification – Initiate Exploration • Exploration is a process of determining if the student is truly interested in doctoral study and identified discipline • Faculty activities • Direct student to gather information about areas of expertise • Provide an overview of the preparation & application process • Begin a dialogue about life during and after a PhD program • Direct student to gather more information about life during and after doctoral training

19. Identification Outcomes for Student • Continue pre-doctoral preparation • Exit pre-doctoral preparation process • Faculty recommendation • Student decision & faculty response • Relationship with a faculty member • Plan for career development

20. Preparation Activities • Understand Experiences Required for Doctoral Level Study • Evaluating Student’s Previous Experiences • Planning Future Experiences • Participation in Activities • Feedback

21. Experiences Required for Doctoral Level Study • Extensive participation in scholarly activities • Mentored research/scholarly work • Disseminated to national audience • Entry level scholarship • Advanced coursework • Develop leadership skills • Enhancing academic preparation** • Awards and Recognition • GRE Preparation • Graduate Program Exploration

22. Evaluating Previous Experience • High School • Employment • Scholarly Work • Coursework • Extracurricular – entry level or advanced • Service Learning • Leadership Experience • Student’s Ideas about Future Activities

23. Planning Future Experiences • Scholarly work • Mentored Research • Academic Plan • Leadership • Planning/Organizing Events or Programs • Clubs and Student Government • Training/Teaching • Supervision/Management • Applications for Awards and Recognition • Professional Networking

24. Participating in Experiences • Student participates • Faculty meets with student • Frequency • Weekly if mentoring research or working together in another capacity • Monthly if supporting, but not working together • Coaching • Graduate program Identification and professional networking • Develop relationships with additional faculty members • Application for awards and recognition • Getting the most out of mentored research and leadership experiences • GRE Preparation • Gather information • Provide Feedback

25. Feedback • Affirm successes • Organization, time management, stress • Areas of growth • Encourage continued work toward doctoral training or redirect to another career

26. Preparation Outcomes for Student • Professional and leadership skills • Enhanced self-awareness • Knowledge of discipline • Knowledge of scholarly process in discipline • Increased number of professional relationships • Knowledge of opportunities for leadership and recognition • Knowledge of doctoral program application process • Awards and Recognition • Meaningful relationship with faculty mentor • Realistic and appropriate career goals

27. Application Activities • Back-up Plan • Complete GRE/MCAT/LSAT • Selection of Graduate Programs for Application Submission • Selections of References • Personal Statement • Application Binder • System for Managing Submission of Applications

28. Application Outcomes • Applications Submitted • Admission or Rejection • Awards and Recognition • Plan for future

29. Conclusion • Student benefits even if their application is not successful • Faculty benefits • A colleague for life • Local community • Professional community • Peer mentor for other students • Pipeline for additional pre-doctoral mentees • Research and other project assistance • Presentations and/or publications

30. Case Studies • Jenica W. • African American in process • Georgianna N. • Puerto Rican in process • Valerie R. • Mexican with Clinical Ph.D. • Tiffany R. • Phillipino with Counseling Ph.D. • Sunde N. • Caucasian with Clinical Ph.D.