Appendix B: Mentorship Experience FAQ’s

Who is responsible for monitoring this and making sure I complete the requisites?

Each doctoral student (and their advisor) is responsible for ensuring the mentoring requirement is fulfilled by the time of graduation.

The program coordinators of either program will oversee the completion of requisites for students aiming to meet the mentoring requirement through each respective path.

What happens if I struggle to successfully complete the mentorship experience?

If a doctoral student struggles with completing the mentorship experience, they should receive feedback at midterm to give them the opportunity to improve their practice. If they continue to struggle, they will receive an incomplete in the course, and the program coordinator and advisor will design a remediation plan, which will include repeating part or all of the mentorship experience.

Can I meet supervision competencies through other tracks/experiences, like teaching or a Research Assistantship?

No. Although many of the competencies listed here could also be developed through course instruction, that is a separate requirement. It is important that competencies be developed over time, with repeated practice, and across contexts (e.g., mentoring and course instruction).

Can I mentor students as part of a fellowship or traineeship and also have it count for the mentorship requirement?

No. Fellowships, which include traineeships funded through OSEP and the Graduate College, are funding packages that include stipends but do not require work in exchange for that stipend. Students funded by OSEP traineeships may have additional experiences required of them (e.g., contributing to a research lab, supervising students, teaching courses). These traineeship experiences cannot count for the mentorship requirement. You may not benefit twice from these and other programmatic experiences.

For more information on fellowships and assistantships, see the Graduate College guidance.

Can I mentor students as part of an assistantship and also have it count for the mentorship requirement?

No. Assistantships are funding packages in which students receive stipends in exchange for work (e.g., contributing to a research lab, supervising students, teaching courses). These assistantship experiences cannot count for the mentorship requirement. You may not benefit twice from these and other programmatic experiences.

For more information on fellowships and assistantships, see the Graduate College guidance.