Selection of Primary Mentor
This section discusses the selection of student research mentors and academic advisors. Academic advisors oversee and approve students’ coursework. Research mentors oversee students’ research placement and other research milestones in the program (e.g., second year paper, theory literature review, dissertation).
Upon entry to the program, the Program Director will serve as the student’s Academic Advisor to oversee and approve students’ coursework, until the student is matched with their primary mentor, who will then take over advisement on both research and academic activities.
During the first few weeks of classes, incoming students should schedule meetings with each of the faculty to understand what set of research is being conducted in their labs and intersections between students’ interests and faculty research projects.
Following these meetings, students should submit a list of three possible faculty whom they would select as the primary mentor accompanied by a short (1 paragraph) rationale describing the fit, advantages and potential disadvantages of each choice. This list should be submitted to the PSI program director by the end of the third week of classes. The program director, in collaboration with PSI faculty, will then match students’ choices to available mentors/research placements.
The primary mentor will oversee the student’s research placement as well as their program milestones (second year paper, specialty area literature review, dissertation). The program director and PSI faculty will assume that this person is also serving as the student’s academic advisor (overseeing their coursework) and therefore once the primary mentor is assigned, the program director will no longer assume the role of academic advisor for incoming students. However, the student may request a separate academic advisor.
Most students will select research mentors from among the PSI faculty. However, students may select mentors from outside the PSI faculty, with approval of the program director. In these cases, it is the student’s responsibility to provide the PSI program requirements documents to their mentor. In addition, such students will be expected to arrange for an academic advisor within the PSI program.
Students can change primary mentors/academic advisors during their tenure in the program. This is best done at natural transition points in the program (e.g., following the completion of the second year paper before beginning the dissertation work), providing for continuity in research mentorship. These changes should be requested in consultation with the current primary mentor and program director.
Starting in AY3, students are encouraged to work with additional research mentors in some capacity (joint projects, split research placement, summer RAship). The goal is to enhance students’ exposure to different kinds of research, in different phases, using different models and approaches.
Student-Mentor Meetings
Mentoring is a key part of the PhD experience in PSI. Students typically work closely with one primary mentor during their first two years, although occasionally students will have one primary and one secondary mentor. Students are expected to work in more than one research lab beginning in their third year. In our program, the entire PSI faculty are available for guidance to students and we encourage students to seek out multiple mentors for different kinds of support. The guidelines below are relevant to your working relationship with your primary mentor/advisor. Please use this document as a guide for your initial meeting with your mentor and any other conversations you have with them around mentorship. Here is an APA guide to PhD mentoring that you may find helpful in your discussion.
In the PSI program, mentoring is a relationship guided by mutual respect and understanding. Students should negotiate with their mentor(s) so that research loads/projects are well-balanced with their classwork and lives, support their professional and personal growth, and match their career goals. In order to do so, students and mentors should clarify and share their goals for each semester, with the understanding that goals are subject to change due to life circumstances, new opportunities, etc. Identifying and updating goals can also be done in conversation between the student and mentor(s).
PSI, as a program, supports the following mentorship expectations. Beyond these, use the questions below as bases for discussions that can guide expectations for your mentorship relationships.
Shared Mentoring Expectations
Student and primary mentor meet at least every other week for 30 minutes one-on-one
Student and primary mentor review student and mentor goals at the start of each semester and discuss progress toward those goals at the end of each semester
Guiding Questions for Students and Mentors to Use
Expectations: What expectations do the student and primary mentor have for their mentoring relationship? Please record agreed-upon expectations and revisit them yearly or each semester when reviewing goals.
What does the student need from the primary mentor to thrive in the program?
What does the mentor need from the student so that they can best support the student?
Where else (or to whom) can students reach out for mentoring needs?
Nancy Hall & Alex Clothier - all things Steinhardt
Yami Pimentel - PSI administrative needs
Shabnam Javdani - doctoral student advocate
Other PSI students - anything! Personal, content, methods, etc.
Other PSI faculty (see above)
Meeting Logistics and Structures
How often and for how long will the student and mentor meet?
Who is responsible for scheduling these meetings?
What will the structure and content of meetings be (e.g., current lab projects, coursework, professional development, milestones)? Who will set agendas?
Are there weekly goals/tasks that will be covered in meetings?
How often and when will longer-term goals (e.g. yearly goals) be discussed? Note: It may be useful to have at minimum a beginning of semester and an end of semester meeting on goal setting, goal accomplishments, and revisions to goals.
Some topics that the student and mentor can discuss regarding logistics:
First-year: Lab space, payment for analysis software/programs that the lab projects might need, course plan, time use, 2YP ideas, work-life balance, summer work opportunities.
Second year: In addition to the above, peer-review practice, authorship, conference attendance (what conferences to consider, conference application deadlines), the role of the student in the lab, practicum placement (for students completing practicum in their third year).
Third year: Practicum and/or practicum placement (for students completing practicum in their fourth year), dissertation ideas, working with other faculty, ERC comps
Fourth year and beyond: Dissertation and job search
Feedback
Students and mentors should discuss expectations about receiving and providing feedback, including:
How the student likes to receive feedback
How the mentor likes to receive feedback
How much time the mentor needs to review the materials for different kinds of products (e.g., paper draft, conference presentation) prior to providing feedback
Items/documents that mentors may review
Student’s CV
Student’s drafts for milestones
Student’s drafts for course projects
Student’s applications for conference meetings
Other academic texts
Other questions to spark further conversation based on previous PSI student needs
How is funding working for the student?
Which fellowships should the student apply for, and around what time?
How is the student adjusting to living in NYC (if not living in NYC before) and attending graduate school?
How can the PSI community and mentor best support the student’s emerging professional identity?
Are there any barriers that the student feels are getting in the way of their success in academic spaces or sense of belonging in PSI and the department? How can mentorship and the program help address these barriers?
What are the student’s experiences in program spaces (i.e. class, colloquium, lab, etc)? If relevant - How is imposter syndrome showing up?
What are experiences of (in)equity in the program and in the mentor-student relationship?
What are the student’s career goals? What considerations should be taken to succeed in the labor market given the student’s goals (e.g., networking, publication history)?
Annual Student Evaluation Process
Toward the end of each academic year, each student will be asked to complete an annual review process to assess their strengths, challenges and areas for growth.
Students will be notified via email of the deadline for submission of their materials (typically one week after the end of finals) and asked to submit the following documents:
Create/update Curriculum Vita (CV) (see below and APA Link).
Complete the PSI Graduate Student Annual Self- and Program Assessment in which you will describe your progress toward program milestones and your training goals, ways the program has/has not facilitated your goals, special opportunities that the faculty could help provide, your goals for next year, etc. These are usually due one week after finals end. You will receive an email describing this process in more detail and informing you of the due date from the program director or administrator towards the end of each Spring semester.
Students should then set up an individual appointment with their primary mentor to discuss these materials, your progress in the program, and your needs (this is the third meeting discussed above).
Faculty review student documents during a PSI faculty meeting, in which the full faculty discusses each student’s materials.
Students’ primary advisor and the program director generate an annual review letter, which highlights notable strengths and challenges and outlines areas for further growth. This letter is sent to students prior to July 15th of each year.
The student and primary mentor schedule an in person meeting to review feedback over the summer or early in the fall term (this may be in conjunction with the first meeting of the year discussed above).
Guidance from Peers
Much of your learning in PSI will come through formal and informal interactions with your peers. It is expected that you consult with your fellow PSI students for substantive and methodological help on research as well as guidance in every aspect of the program (milestones, coursework, research, etc.). You should always turn to your fellow students first for help. In addition, please review the PSI Online Resources drive for examples of milestones, funding proposals, conference submissions, etc. from fellow students to be used as a starting place for your own work.