Exemplary Element: Mentoring Award

In 2001 the Graduate Women Educators Network (GWEN) together with the Office of Graduate Studies held a series of panels and brownbag discussions about the importance of mentoring to the successful completion of the doctoral degree. Both doctoral students and faculty participated in this learning process and the students became award for the first time to what degree the reward structure discourages faculty from devoting a substantial amount of time to doctoral student mentoring. It is not considered in the annual review process insofar as there is no area for faculty members to indicate any mentoring which does not fall strictly into the dissertation chair/committee or academic advisor arena. The students sought a means to recognize the wide variety of mentoring, both informal and formal, which is absolutely critical for doctoral students to reach their full potential. GWEN, as a student organization, created an annual mentoring award. The award is completely organized by students, but has developed in the past three years a good reputation among both faculty and administrators. Indeed, faculty members and administrators often discuss who has been nominated, how many faculty members from particular program areas have nominated etc, as a means of having some overall sense of feedback on the state of mentoring. For the students it has become an empowering way to recognize those faculty members who truly excel at mentoring.

Mentoring Award 2004

GWEN Mentoring Award

Each Spring, GWEN, requests nominations from doctoral students throughout our School's 19 Ph.D/Ed.D program areas. A great deal of effort is made to make sure everyone knows that GWEN is the organizing body, but that both men and women can participate in all GWEN activities including the Mentoring Award. A panel discussion on mentoring is held in the spring at the beginning of the nomination period to discuss the nature of mentoring and provide people to discuss what they believe good mentoring to be.

The nominations consist of individually composed essays which broadly address the mentoring relationship between the nominee and the doctoral student. All of the essays are then read by the executive council of GWEN. In some years, depending on the number of nominations, interviews are also scheduled with the short-listed nominees. Each year between 2-3 faculty members receive the Award, but all of the nominees are formally recognized both in writing and at the Mentoring Award ceremony. The ceremony is the culmination of the Award process and includes a keynote speaker as well as speeches by the awardees on their mentoring philosophy. The event is extremely well-attended and often discussed in faculty and student groups afterwards.

Award Ceremony Set-up

Additional Technical Details

Call for Nominations
This is the call for nominations for 2004.

Sample Nomination One
This is an example of the type of nomination often received. The person nominated in this letter did not receive the award.

Sample Nomination Two
An example of a nomination for a mentor in the student's minor area

What educational purpose does the GWEN Mentoring Award serve?

As mentioned above, the Award serves to focus attention on mentoring as an important activity. It provides an annual and public recognition of mentoring. Further, as a student-run process it empowers. Students are able to not only recognize those faculty members who have been and continue to be excellent mentors, but they are able to make clear that mentoring is not something they hope to receive, but rather believe they have a right to receive. Likewise, the conversations which result underscore the responsibility on the part of the mentee and the mentor to contribute to the mentoring process.

What data or evidence tells us that this works?

Since this project emerged in response to conversations between students and faculty and is neither a formal policy nor a program, there is no direct data. However, anecdotally since the GWEN Mentor Award began, conversations about mentoring and recognizing mentoring have increased. A review of Policy Council, Graduate Studies Committee and Faculty Meeting minutes, reveals conversations about the importance of the award, need to support the award and what nomination represents for a program area. Also, the annual faculty review process recognizes receiving the award as a significant teaching contribution.

GWEN Student Leaders at 2004 Ceremony

Reflection from student leaders

We were part of the original team of students who organized the first (and second) GWEN Mentoring Awards. We have see the project become a mainstay of the spring semester at the School of Education and are excited in particular by the faculty high regard for the process. It has become a coveted award and in so doing raises the expectations for mentoring and recognition of mentoring as an important process. We believe the project has also been personally quite rewarding and empowering as participation really emphasizes the relational aspects of mentoring--that is we as students are a much a part of mentoring as the mentors themselves.

Our concerns for the future lie in continued strong leadership from the student side and that criteria for good mentoring continue to be reflected upon. We believe strongly that individual students and professors develop their own ways of mentoring--the Award needs to be flexible enough to recognize alternative model. Reflection on mentoring and how it changes is as much a part of the Award as the giving of the Award itself.

Rebecca, Debi and Debora

(Curriculum Studies, Science Education, Educational Policy)

Dr. Anne Dopkins Stright, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Winner 2002 GWEN Mentoring Award

Reflection from faculty members

Please see attached document.

Reflections on Award
Previous recipients share their thoughts about winning.

Faculty Profile of Dr. McClellan
Dr. McClellan, Professor Emeritus of History of Education, Recepient of 2003 GWEN mentoring award

Faculty Profile of Dr. Brantlinger
Dr. Brantlinger, Professor of Curriculum Studies, Recepient of 2002 GWEN mentoring award.

Faculty Profile of Dr. Stright
Dr. Stright, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Recepient of 2002 GWEN Mentoring Award

Faculty Profile of Dr. Sutton
Dr. Sutton, Associate Professor of Educational Policy and Comparative Education, Recepient of 2002 GWEN mentoring award

Faculty Profile of Dr. McMullen
Dr. McMullen, Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Recepient of 2004 GWEN mentoring award

Faculty Profile of Dr. Delgado-Romero
Dr. Delgado, Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology, Recepient of 2004 GWEN mentoring award

Faculty Profile of Dr. Sexton
Dr. Sexton, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, Recepient of 2003 GWEN mentoring award