Case Western Reserve University’s Graduate Student Council (GSC) has released an updated version of The Guidebook for Mentors and Mentees—a resource for graduate student mentees and faculty who have taken on a mentorship role.
Originally created in 2008 as two separate guides—one for mentors and one for mentees—the updated version from GSC merges the two resources into one guidebook that addresses both sides of the mentor/mentee relationship. GSC’s Mentor-Mentee Committee spent two years updating the guidebook, focusing on content that would apply to graduate and professional students across all areas of study—including the addition of new sections on diverse mentee identities.
“I think the biggest difference is how inclusive it is,” said Graduate Student Council President Ashley Mulryan. “It provides information on racial and ethnic minorities, international mentees, those with disabilities, with varying religious beliefs, family situations and those in the LGBTQA+ community. This is a resource that will help start conversations between mentors and mentees, and we wanted to make sure everyone could use it.”
The guidebook also makes a point to highlight the distinction between an advisor and a mentor, noting that a mentor is not limited to someone who is formally assigned by a school or department, but rather any individual who is invested in the personal and professional growth of their mentee.
“Anyone can be a mentor,” said committee member Brendan Barton. “We want to help faculty realize that they probably come across these types of mentorship opportunities all the time, and if they want to learn how to be a good mentor, this guidebook will lay out the different ways they can do that.”
The committee updated the guidebook using a research-based approach, with input from both faculty and staff and endorsement from President Barbara R. Snyder and the university’s Faculty Senate.
Physical copies of the guidebook will be distributed to offices around campus, and a digital version is available for download on GSC’s CampusGroups page.