Faculty Mentors for Students
The student faculty mentor role
Student Faculty Mentors serve declared undergraduate majors and graduate students in the appropriate discipline, focusing on career advice, internship opportunities, research opportunities and future academic pursuits. Faculty mentors have in-depth knowledge of their field and are the best resource for expanding students' understanding of the discipline.
The overarching responsibility of a faculty mentor is to build relationships with
majors in their disciplines, providing a meaningful contact point for students for
their academic training at NSU and post-graduation plans. Faculty mentors are not
experts in all areas of the university, but they should be informed enough to provide
useful information and act as an advocate for students. Some specific areas in which
faculty advisors/mentors may provide guidance include:
- Connecting students to relevant services at NSU
- Connecting curriculum to career readiness
- Discussing study abroad opportunities
- Discussing internship opportunities
- Facilitating research opportunities
- Counseling on career advice
- Counseling on graduate school opportunities
- Connecting students to career services for reviewing/editing resumes
- Referring students to the appropriate student affairs services
- Reaching out to students concerning academic alerts
Students Say...
"[My faculty mentor] taught me, inspired me, and pushed me to become an out of the box thinker. He took time to establish a personal connection as well as being a great professor...teaching me other useful skills for the industry, and giving me the confidence to further my education."
- Student, Gregg Wadley College of Science & Health Professions
"[My faculty mentor] goes out of her way to help her students by providing internship, recruiting, and networking opportunities. She takes the time to answer any questions no matter how small they may seem, and she constantly works to provide her students with ways to gain experience and career insight for when we graduate. She is beyond considerate and truly endeavors to help us succeed as people."
- Student, College of Liberal Arts
Advisee lists should always be run through Argos for accuracy. Argos reports will only identify students for the current term who are actively assigned to an individual faculty mentor.
Instructions for Accessing Advisee Lists:
Desktop Instructions
If a student is not present on your list that you believe should be, please contact an academic advisor in your respective college for reassignment.
Mentoring is more than advising. It is a personal and professional relationship. It
is a relationship
that develops over time and provides student support in four primary areas.
1. Provide students with a role model
2. Provide students with degree and career support
3. Provide students with academic support
4. Provide students with diversity support
Role Model: Maintaining high standards within their own discipline and as engaged members of
the University community. Engaging in respectful relationships with colleagues and
students.
Recognizing differences of diversity, disabilities, gender, traditional and nontraditional
students,
first generation students, and cultures by fostering a welcoming and inclusive university
community. Sharing knowledge of the dynamics of their profession.
Degree & Career Support: Demonstrate a commitment to student career and professional
development by collaborating with and guiding students on major selection, minor selection,
and
classes that will aid students in meeting their career, professional, and life goals.
Demonstrate a
commitment to providing information and guidance to students in developing career,
education
and other goals by offering frank discussion about the professional requirements and
demands of
professions, graduate school, and other professional schools such as medicine and
law.
Demonstrate a willingness, when practical, to engage students in activities that enhance
professional development including research, conferences, professional organizations,
university
organizations, and networking. Demonstrates a willingness to have frank but appropriate
discussion with students that review their strengths and weaknesses. Demonstrates
a willingness,
while providing frank and direct advice, to allow students to make their own decisions.
Academic Support: Demonstrate a willingness to evaluate student progress and coach academic
performance in a timely and constructive fashion. Demonstrate a willingness to provide
students
with intellectual guidance that promotes rigor in academic pursuits. Demonstrate a
willingness to
help students develop skills needed to achieve academic success. Demonstrate a willingness
to
encourage participation in scholarly and professional activities. Demonstrate a willingness
to
coach and guide students in the alignment of their professional, career, and life
goals with their
major, minor, and course selection. Demonstrate a willingness to recognize that because
of the
diverse background of individual students, some students may need additional advising
to
understand the dynamics of the academic world and the skills and attitudes that build
success.
Supporting Student Diversity: Recognizing the diverse nature of the university community that
includes students of diverse social, cultural, academic, family, work, heritage, political,
and
military backgrounds. Recognizing this diverse community is further divided into traditional,
nontraditional, full time, part time, student athletes, and online students who often
have diverse
needs. Recognizing the need to support and collaborate fully with all the diverse
communities
and students of the university. Demonstrates a willingness to help students integrate
fully in the
university and academic communities.