A Model for Pre-Doctoral Undergraduate Mentoring

Christine Edmondson, Ph.D.

Teaching Innovation and Pedagogy Conference: Engaging LearnersJanuary 14, 2012

Christine_edmondson@csufresno.edu

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

Sharing Pre-Doctoral Mentoring Experiences

• Summary of mentoring pre-doctoral students– Best Experience– Challenges/Growth areas

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

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/

Pre-Doctoral MentoringProcesses

Discernment

Identification

Preparation

Application

Discernment Activities

• Engage in Activities• Gather Information• Make Decisions

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”

Overview – Faculty Role in Discernment

• Understand student’s talents, growth areas, and potential barriers to success

• Develop a trusting relationship• Provide Supportive Feedback

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

Develop a Trusting Relationship

• Power & Privilege• Consider Student’s Interpersonal Style• Encourage Initiative and Independent

Problem-Solving• Affirm Talent• Self Disclosure

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

Identification Activities

• Envisioning Ph.D. Training and Postdoctoral Work

• Information Gathering• Feedback• Initiate Exploration of Interest

Identification – Envision

• Faculty may encourage students 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

Identification – Information Gathering

• Interests• Achievement• Talent (see discernment)

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

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

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

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

Preparation Activities

• Understand Experiences Required for Doctoral Level Study

• Evaluating Student’s Previous Experiences• Planning Future Experiences• Participation in Activities• Feedback

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

Evaluating Previous Experience

• High School• Employment• Scholarly Work– Coursework– Extracurricular – entry level or advanced

• Service Learning• Leadership Experience• Student’s Ideas about Future Activities

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

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

Feedback

• Affirm successes• Organization, time management, stress• Areas of growth• Encourage continued work toward doctoral

training or redirect to another career

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

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

Application Outcomes

• Applications Submitted• Admission or Rejection• Awards and Recognition• Plan for future

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

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.