
Graduate Mentoring
You can request special topic workshops for your program/department/college!
Mentorship self-assessments are available for both faculty and students.
An individual development plan (IDP) is a helpful tool for establishing mentorship goals and expectations.
About the Program
Join us in nurturing a culture where mentorship flourishes. This dedicated site serves as a guide for Georgia State University's graduate faculty and students to help facilitate meaningful mentorship engagements that contribute to academic excellence and professional development.
Explore a curated collection of resources provided by the Graduate School, aimed at enhancing your understanding and practice of mentorship.
Message from the Dean
- Mentorship guide
- Request a mentorship workshop
- Register for mentorship training
- Mentorship guide
- Register for a mentorship workshop
- For faculty and students engaged in mentorship relationships
- Mentorship resources specific to GSU
- Mentorship resources collected from other online sources
Explore Our Resources
Advantages of Successful Graduate Mentoring
Fundamentals
What is Mentoring?
- Mentoring can look many different ways and involve various individuals and resources! There is no one "right" way for mentorship.
What does mentoring look like?
- Mentoring is a collaborative learning relationship that proceeds through purposeful stages involving personal and professional intellectual growth and development.
Advisor versus mentor?
- While there is an overlap between an advisor and a mentor, there are some key differences between the roles.
- Advisors are typically connected with the student's department, may be assigned to the student, and generally help with departmental requirements.
- On the other hand, students select mentors who are then expected to provide personal and professional development. Advisors can be mentors.
Purpose(s)
Tasks
- Helps set work-related goals and priorities.
- Fosters competence in knowledge and skills.
- Recommends academic and professional development.
- Helps with technical and research-related challenges.
- Gives feedback on job documents/tasks.
Psychosocial
- Affirms and encourages the connection of social identity to the discipline.
- Gives recommendations on how to manage and integrate work with other life commitments.
- Mutual resource sharing for social and emotional well-being.
Networking
- Connection to research collaborators.
- Providing advice on how to network.
- Introduction to individuals in mentor's professional network.
- Connecting to opportunities during your time as a student.
Stages of Successful Mentoring
Initiation
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Established relationship.
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Acceptance.
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Goal-setting.
Cultivation
- Testing the relationship.
- Recursive process of engagement, empowerment, collaboration, and evaluation.
- Dynamic changes in the relationship happen over time.
Evaluation
- Conclude the formal relationship.
- Consider a future mentor relationship.
Mentoring Models

A Dyad
A "dyad mentoring model" refers to the most traditional form of mentoring where a single mentee is paired with a single, more experienced mentor, creating a one-on-one relationship focused on guiding the mentee's development; essentially, a "two-person" mentoring partnership.
A Triad
A "triad mentoring model" refers to a mentoring structure where a mentee is supported by a group of three individuals, typically consisting of a senior mentor, a peer mentor, and the mentee themselves, allowing for diverse perspectives and support from different levels of experience within a field; essentially, a "triad" meaning a group of three people involved in the mentoring process.
A Collective or Group
A "collective" or "group mentoring model" refers to a mentoring approach where multiple mentees are guided by one or a few mentors simultaneously, fostering a collaborative learning environment where participants can share knowledge and experiences with each other, rather than having a strictly one-on-one mentor-mentee relationship; essentially, it's a group dynamic where everyone benefits from the collective expertise within the group.
D Network
A "D Network mentoring model" refers to a mentoring structure where a single mentor supports a diverse group of mentees, often across different levels or departments within an organization, allowing for a wider knowledge exchange and cross-functional learning, similar to a "hub and spoke" network model where the mentor acts as the central hub connecting various mentees with diverse perspectives.