Mentorship Program

OVERVIEW

WHAT: Mentorship is the first and largest of NCSSM's research programs. It is a one to three semester course that engage students in hands-on research, problem or project-based experiential learning with research scholars and professionals at research universities, companies, and nonprofit agencies in WNC. Students apply directly to their Mentorship opportunities of choice and are able to rank their preferances. Research topics cover all disciplines and allows student to align their interests with offered experiences.

WHEN: The application and selection process takes place during the first semester of the students' junior year. If accepted to the program, juniors participate in MR:3080 Foundations in Mentorship & Research in the spring of their junior year in order to prepare them for Summer (M1), Academic Year (M2) or Extended (M3) Mentorship. In their senior year (M2 & M3 only), students are registered for MR:4050 Senior Mentorship I & MR:4051 Senior Mentorship II, which use the afternoon blocks on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students to travel off campus and work with their mentors.

M1 Summer Timeline - Summer for 5 to 7 weeks, 8:00-5:00 Monday through Friday

M2 Academic Year Timeline - Academic Year, 12:30-4:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays

M3 Extended Timeline- Both the M1 and M2 timelines combined

WHY: The many benefits of Mentorship for students include development of curiosity, resourcefulness, response to failure, responsibility, professional communication skills, critical reading and analysis, collaborative skills, and a realistic view of research and what it takes to be a researcher. Students are also able to foster strong relationships with the research professionals who instruct them.

FAQ

What is the time commitment like?

All Mentorship courses are added as an additional core course (core elective), so students should consider the overload when making decisions about participating in the program. Students also travel off-campus during their scheduled Mentorhip hours. The commitment to Mentorship does take priority over other extracurrciular activities including athletics practices, games and extracurriculars. Mentorship should we viewed as a job. If you wish to participate in research, but cannot make a commitment to Mentorship, please consider applying for the Summer Research & Innovation Program or registering for a REX course or a research-based J-term in your area of interest.

Who can be my mentor?

Students apply to a predetermined Opportunity Catalog of mentors representing research universities, industry, medicine and non-profits. During application, students are able to rank and indicate preference for the opportunity of their choice and experiences are offered in all disciplines.

Will I get to do my own research or will I be working on my mentor's project?

Mentors are recruiting students for specific projects. When students review the Opportunity Catalog, they will be able to read detailed descriptions of each experience and apply to those that most closely align with their interests.

What is the disciplinary scope?

Students have worked in an extremely wide range of disciplines. Some fields explored by students include art history, marine biology, law, philosophy, marketing, engineering, astrophysics, psychology, pediatrics, and computer science.

Is transportation provided?

Transportation is provided during scheduled Mentorship times of 8:00-5:00 Monday through Friday during the summer and 12:30-4:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the academic year. Transportation outside these hours will need to be coordinated on a case-by-case basis with the Director of Mentorship & Research and Director Student Life and may not be available or possible.

If I'm in an R program, can I participate in Mentorship?

Only students in RHumanities and RMath can participate in both their R program and Mentorship.

IMPORTANT LINKS

2023 Residential Opportunity Catalog - you must be logged into your @ncssm.edu account on your browser for the link to open

Application Coming October 20, 2022

IMPORTANT DATES

Monday September 19, 2022 from 3:30-5:00 Required Junior Meeting for Research, Innovation & Design - Academic Commons Stadium Stairs

Wednesday September 20, 2022 from 4:00 - 5:30 Research, Innovation & Design Fair - Academic Commons Library

September 26 - October 14, 2022 Faculty-hosted Mentorship Interest Meeting

Sunday October 16, 2022 from 7:00-8:00 Applying to SRIP/Mentorship Opportunities at NCSSM

Thursday October 20, 2022 Mentorship Student Application Opens

Tuesday November 1, 2022 Mentorship Student Application Closes

Second Week of December 2022 Mentorship Acceptance Notifications Sent to Students