Graduate Division Enhanced Mentoring Support Initiative

The Division of Graduate Studies is launching an Enhanced Student Mentoring Initiative to recognize and incentivize programs to implement graduate student mentoring Best Practices. Enhanced student mentoring practices and programming, including in support of first-generation, BIPOC, and otherwise minoritized students, are expected to be among the most effective means to increase the retention, graduation, and success of graduate students. Because of this, enhancing graduate student mentorship was a high-priority recommendation from the Implementation Task Force for Inclusive Excellence in Graduate Education (2023). The Graduate Division has focused on developing multiple mentorship initiatives, including developing and providing guidance, Best Practices, and resources to support successful mentorship. The guidance and Best Practices, which were developed in part by Graduate Division and Academic Senate faculty as part of the Implementation Task Force for Excellence in Graduate Education (ITF), and in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), primarily relate to the research mentor relationship, but also includes resources to support other mentorship relationships.

Our hope is that programs will spend spring and summer 2025 discussing these recommendations within their departments and devise a strategy for implementation in academic year 2025-26. All graduate programs that are able to provide the Graduate Division with written documentation of existing and/or newly adopted Mentoring Best Practices by the end of summer 2025 will, pending approval, receive augmentation to their base Block (augmentation not eligible for over-offer ratio multiplier). Programs that adopt the“Highest Priority” best practices will receive up to $3000, while programs that additionally adopt the remaining best practices will receive up to $4500.

To apply, please review the Graduate Division Enhanced Mentoring Support Initiative Requirements listed HERE, and fill out THIS FORM with the requested information and submit for review.

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