Tips for Mentors

Mentors, thank you for devoting the time to helping train the next generation of female scientists! Here are some links and seminars to help you further develop your mentoring skills:

Entering Mentoring: A Seminar to Train a New Generation of Scientists
Jo Handelsman, Christine Pfund, Sarah Miller Lauffer, Christine Maidl Pribbenow, Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching

How To Mentor Graduate Students: A Guide For Faculty  
Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan

What Makes a Good Mentor? 
Joanne Kamens, Addgene

What Kind of Mentor Do I Want To Be?
"Tenure, She Wrote" Blog

Lastly, remember that you aren't expected to be your mentees' only mentor, or to have the solution to all of their problems. Mentees should have a network of mentors that, as a whole, will prepare them for a successful career and life. We hope you'll be able to help them on the issues you decide to work on during the course of your mentoring relationship, while providing them with the skills to know how to interact productively with a mentor. These skills will help them find and work well with mentors throughout their career. 

 

 

What to do if your mentees talk to you about sexual or gender-based harassment:

Mentors, if you are employed by Harvard and your mentees come to you to discuss sexual or gender-based harassment, according to the Harvard University Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment Policy, you are required to inform the Title IX officer for the student's school. This ensures that students are able to connect with appropriate resources and services, and helps Harvard track incidents and identify potential patterns. Title IX officers will keep this information private, and contacting the Title IX officer will not necessarily result in the filing of a formal complaint. 

Additionally, you can direct your mentee to the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR). All conversations with OSAPR are confidential, and they can provide support and advise about resources and options.
 
Contact information:
 
Garth McCavana, GSAS Title IX Coordinator
 
Jackie Yun, GSAS Title IX Coordinator
 
Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR)
24-hour hotline phone number: (617) 495-9100