A Message from Vice Provost and Dean Jean-Pierre Delplanque
At UC Davis, we believe that mentorship is a priceless investment in student and institutional success.
That is why faculty-graduate student mentoring is one of the division's top priorities. Faculty mentors guide graduate students on their academic and professional growth and support them in finding resources to meet their personal needs and goals. An investment in mentoring enhances graduate student retention and well-being, allowing graduate students to successfully navigate and thrive in graduate programs.
Our Commitment to Mentoring
Graduate Studies has invested in a number of initiatives that promote graduate mentoring, graduate student well-being, and graduate program mentoring and advising.
- Graduate Mentoring Initiative
- Mentoring Up
- Graduate Program Collective
- Mentor Resources
- Mentee Resources
Upcoming Workshops
Aligning Expectations
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 12:00pm-1:00pm | Zoom
Fall Quarter is an essential time for faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars to align expectations for the coming academic year. Mentors and mentees should meet to discuss how they will communicate, structure meetings, and outline progress for the quarter. This workshop will provide resources to help facilitate these conversations.
Building Mentorship Networks
Thursday, October 17, 2024, 12:00pm-1:00pm | Zoom
No one mentor can provide all the mentorship you need. This session will cover why we need multiple mentors, how to find them, and an action plan for building a supportive mentorship network.
Understanding Your Strengths
Thursday, October 31, 2024, 10:00am-12:00pm | Walker Hall 1230 West Conference Room
Understanding your strengths can enhance your confidence and empower you to approach goals, relationships, and challenges in ways that align with your unique strengths. Participants will complete a Gallup Strengths assessment to learn their top 5 strengths and how to apply them to their graduate student/postdoctoral role.
Giving and Receiving Feedback
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 10:00am-12:00pm | Walker Hall 1230 West Conference Room
Feedback conversations often feel very difficult. This session will breakdown the different kinds of feedback and the common triggers that can occur. Participants will learn how to respond to difficult feedback as well as practice planning to give feedback.
Contact our Director of Mentoring and Academic Success Initiatives
Elizabeth Sturdy is the point person within Graduate Studies for questions related to graduate mentoring initiatives, resources, and programming. Faculty, staff, and graduate students can consult with Sturdy regarding mentoring best practices or tools. Sturdy also partners with academic and student service departments on campus to create resources for faculty mentor training and development.