What is the issue we are trying to address and what are the intended effects of this inquiry? Our anecdotal evidence indicated that a number of students were not mentored well and that we needed data to identify problems with mentoring. We also wanted mentoring to receive greater public acknowledgement and recognition as a crucial element in doctoral education. Last, we wanted to create a description of best practices in mentoring.

What methodological approach did we select? In order to find answers to a series of questions, we designed a study, consisting of a student survey, and student, faculty and administrator interviews in order to analyze the varied perspectives of students, faculty and administrators on their experiences of, satisfaction with and importance of, mentor-protege relationships. Our questions were: --Can good mentoring be institutionalized? --What are exemplary practices of mentoring? --What current policies promote/hinder mentoring? --What are the expectations and responsibilities associated with mentoring? --What are the ethical dimensions of mentoring? --How does gender influence mentor/protege relationships? --How does ethnicity and/or nationality influence mentor/protege relationships? --What factors and conditions promote higher levels of learning, scholarship and professional preparation in doctoral students?

What effect will this inquiry project have on the greater field? What effect will this inquiry have on the field? The results of this study were presented at AERA in Spring 2004. One of the graduate students involved in this study continued data gathering at two other universities. The results of this study will be published in the next year. Internally, we are planning to work toward developing mentoring as a best practice, taking account of studies we are currently conducting on international students, and using testimonials from students and from faculty who have been nominated as outstanding mentors.

Results of Inquiry Gender Issues: The student survey results revealed a problem with a number of female students not receiving the same kinds of opportunities that foster mentoring relationships. Other gender-related issues emerged from the survey and interview with students and faculty: -- Cross-gender mentoring of female students by male faculty appears to have become more cautious and more distant. -- Female graduate students are more frequently selected for less prestigious assistantships, such as administration, rather than research. -- Female faculty generally pay more attention to personal issues of their doctoral students whereas male faculty focus more exclusively on academic and professional growth. A number of faculty members worried that institutionalizing mentoring through a program would be detrimental to the relationship with their students. They thought good mentoring cannot be forced by administrative means. Ethical and structural problems in Education that impeded good mentoring We also found that, from an ethical perspective, doctoral students in education, because they are more often older, part-time or non-residential, have diminished opportunities to develop good mentoring relationships. --The heavy service load of faculty in professional schools, such as education, also affects mentoring relationships. Balancing the research mission with that of professional service limits the time faculty members have to mentor doctoral students. --Since a number of doctoral students have held advanced professional positions before they returned to get a doctoral degree, in some cases this created problems around expertise and power between faculty members and students. --Political agendas shape research topics and even methodological approaches in Education more than other fieldswhich has led to strains in mentoring relationships.Students encounter greater pressure to select disseration topics that address national education issues. --Highly ranked programs suffered from greater faculty turnover which disrupted mentoring relationships with students Larger Version of Chart