Mentor-Mentee Compacts
Clear expectations are an important foundation for successful mentoring relationships. Mentor–mentee compacts provide a framework for faculty and graduate students to discuss and establish shared expectations around communication, meeting frequency, research responsibilities, feedback, authorship, professional development, and other aspects of the mentoring relationship. Faculty are encouraged to use these resources as a starting point for conversation and to revisit expectations periodically as students’ progress through different stages of their doctoral training.
Annual Doctoral Evaluations
The Annual Student Evaluation and Mentoring Plan is required each year for all FIU PhD, EdD, and DBA students until they successfully complete their degree. More than an annual requirement, the evaluation is an important mentoring tool designed to support meaningful conversations between doctoral students and their faculty mentors about progress, expectations, accomplishments, professional development, and next steps. Through this process, students and their Major Professors, in consultation with the dissertation committee as appropriate, can establish a shared roadmap for doctoral progression, celebrate scholarly and professional achievements, identify areas for growth, and address potential challenges before they become barriers to progress. Regular engagement throughout the year, culminating in the annual evaluation, helps ensure that expectations are clear, communication remains open and transparent, and students receive the guidance they need to make timely progress toward degree completion.
https://gradschool.fiu.edu/students/doctoral-annual-student-evaluation/
IDPs
While the Annual Student Evaluation and Mentoring Plan provides a shared roadmap for doctoral progression, an Individual Development Plan can help students think more broadly about where that roadmap is leading.
My IDP for Science Careers: https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
Imagine PhD for Humanities and Social Science: https://www.imaginephd.com/
CHEM IDP for Chemistry-related programs: https://chemidp.acs.org/
Mentoring plans help faculty help clarify how trainees will receive guidance in areas such as research development, career preparation, skill building, networking, and responsible research practices. Mentoring plans are also a required component of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposal submissions.
