Graduate studies in physics represent a journey of exploration and discovery, aiming to deepen understanding of the fundamental laws of nature while developing advanced research skills. Central to this journey is the mentor-mentee relationship, which fosters professional growth, intellectual development, and scientific innovation. The following guidelines detail the expectations for both mentors and mentees in our graduate program, ensuring a collaborative and supportive environment that empowers students to achieve their full potential.

Faculty Mentoring Guidelines

1. Create a Nurturing and Supportive Environment: As a Physics Department, we believe that it is essential for faculty research mentors to cultivate a nurturing, encouraging, positive, student-centered, and supportive research environment. Faculty mentors should cultivate a positive, student-centered, and supportive research environment – aligned with the department’s Code of Conduct– and foster a culture that promotes open communication, collaboration, and mutual respect. They should encourage a broad range of perspectives and create opportunities for students to thrive academically and personally. Faculty mentors should also be mindful of group dynamics, discussing them at least once per semester and asking for feedback on how to improve the inner workings of the group.
2. Establish regular communication: Faculty advisors should maintain consistent communication with their graduate students through meetings, emails, or other agreed-upon channels. They should set a reasonable frequency to provide guidance and assess their progress.
3. Clearly define expectations: Faculty advisors should engage in open discussions to define the academic, research, and personal expectations for graduate students. These conversations should also explore the student’s broader goals for graduate school – what they hope to gain in terms of research, professional growth, and personal development. Mentor and mentee should consider outlining goals, milestones, anticipated timelines, and mutual responsibilities in a mentoring compact. This document serves as a reference point, providing clarity, accountability, and guidance throughout their research journey.
4. Foster independence and critical thinking: Faculty advisors should encourage graduate students to develop independent research skills and critical thinking abilities. They should provide opportunities for them to lead and make decisions, while offering guidance and support when needed.
5. Provide constructive feedback: Faculty advisors should offer timely and constructive feedback on graduate students' research work, presentations, and written documents. Areas of improvement should be highlighted and students’ achievements should be acknowledged. Always, advisors should foster an environment that promotes open and respectful dialogue.
6. Addressing underperformance:  If faculty mentors perceive that their mentee is underperforming, they should promptly initiate an open and honest discussion with them, providing specific, constructive feedback on areas of concern. They should encourage the student to share any challenges or obstacles they may be facing, whether academic or personal. If the student's performance does not improve despite these efforts, mentors should involve the student's academic advisory committee. The academic advisory committee may, in severe cases, recommend probation to the graduate studies committee.
7. Support work-life balance: Faculty advisors should recognize that graduate students have needs and obligations outside their research, such as personal commitments or mental well-being. They should encourage them to maintain a healthy work-life balance and be supportive of their overall well-being.
8. Facilitate networking and collaboration: Faculty advisors should aim to create an environment that promotes networking opportunities for graduate students to connect with peers, participate in conferences, and engage in collaborative partnerships with other researchers. Wherever possible, they should encourage their active involvement in relevant academic and professional activities to expand their knowledge and enhance their research expertise. Especially in  small research groups, faculty mentors should also encourage the formation of a peer cohort, for example through regular joint meetings with adjacent groups.
9. Attendance of academic events: Faculty advisors should clearly communicate the importance of attending relevant local group meetings, seminars, colloquia, and other academic events, and set clear expectations for their mentees to regularly attend these activities.  Advisors should actively steer graduate students towards meetings and conferences that are pertinent to their research. They should help students gain access to these events, providing guidance on application processes, funding opportunities, and networking strategies.
10. Support the development of presentation skills: Faculty advisors should encourage graduate students to present their work in various settings, such as lab meetings, departmental seminars, or conferences. They should provide constructive feedback on their presentation skills and facilitate their improvement in effectively communicating their research.
11. Provide guidance on authoring and academic publishing: Advisors should offer guidance to graduate students on authoring research papers and navigating the process of academic publishing. This includes advice on structuring manuscripts, selecting appropriate journals or conferences, and understanding the peer-review process. They should provide insights on effective writing practices, critically reviewing drafts, and addressing reviewer comments.
12. Clarify Sources of Advice and Support: Faculty mentors should identify who in their research group is available for advice (the PI, postdocs, senior graduate students) and periodically remind students of additional departmental and university support resources.