Since 2019, hundreds of Charlotte graduate faculty have taken steps to strengthen the university’s research output by strengthening their mentoring skill through the Graduate School’s Mentor Training program.
Based on the evidence-based practices developed by the Center for Improved Mentoring Experiences in Research (CIMER) at the University of Wisconsin, Charlotte’s mentor training is part of the effort to improve the research climate and help build confidence and performance among graduate researchers.
“Effective mentorship is crucial in supporting UNC Charlotte graduate students,” said Katherine Hall-Hertel, Associate Dean, Graduate Academic and Student Affairs and organizer of the mentor training program. “Our training is based on the CIMER principles that value excellence in research mentoring as a critical aspect of diversifying the research workforce.”
Hall-Hertel said the day-long training sessions on mentoring are intensive and class sizes are intentionally kept small to encourage full participation. The sessions provide “a space for faculty to interact and discuss these issues together,” said Vaughn Schmutz, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology, a recent participant. “Even though most faculty see this as a central part of their work, we don't have a lot of opportunities to discuss and share ideas about these things with each other.“
Mentor Training is offered by the Graduate School several times each year, with the next session set for Oct. 14. For more information, please visit the Graduate School’s Mentor Training website.
Mentoring programs are also available from ADVANCE.
More information on CIMER training is available from the Center for Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research.
More information and a list of mentoring resources are available from the Graduate School.