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The Role of the Faculty Research Mentor

The faculty research mentor is a central figure in the MMUF Program. The faculty research mentor has four general responsibilities:

I. Research Project: As a Faculty Research Mentor, you will oversee your Fellow’s research project. This research project is formulated during the spring semester of the Fellow’s sophomore year after their acceptance to the MMUF Program and is to be carried out over the summer and as as an Independent Study in the fall of their junior year. The research project should inform the Fellow in the practices that scholars follow in a selected discipline. Fellows are required to submit and present two research projects, one each academic year. The research project should not duplicate the work required in a course, but can be the same as their senior thesis or “paper in the major.” We recommend that they use their MMUF project as part of this project if possible.

The Fellow’s research should not interfere with their academic progress but should complement and reinforce it.

Your Objectives:

  • Assist your Fellow in conceiving a project, planning it, and seeing it through to completion.
  • Facilitate a meeting between yourself, your Fellow and their assigned Library Coach to assist in the development of a scholarly research strategy at the beginning of the year.
  • During academic year(s), meet on a biweekly basis (at minimum) with your Fellow.
  • Provide close supervision of your Fellow’s work on their research project throughout the academic year(s) and summer periods. This support is especially important during the early onset of the project as it will enable your Fellow to plan for their ongoing progress of the project.
  • Assist your Fellow with the development of a scholarly bibliography and reading list related to the selected topic.
  • During the summer periods, please keep in contact with your Fellow via email, Skype, or telephone.
  • Attend designated MMUF functions held on campus to support your Fellow.
  • Assist your Fellow in locating scholarly activities that are linked to their research topic, outside of those found within our Colleges. If your Fellow’s goal is to engage in scholarship at another institution during the summer or academic year, assist them in locating such activities.
  • Assist your Fellow in locating and presenting at appropriate conferences, e.g., ASA, SCCUR or SACNAS.
  • Encourage your Fellow to attend conferences with you or independently in their discipline or specialty.

II. Graduate School: As the Faculty Research Mentor, your role is to help your Fellow prepare for graduate school. This should involve assisting them with identifying potential graduate programs in their intended field, identifying resources such as possible graduate fellowships/grants, providing them with GRE advice and helping with the application process.

Your Objectives:

  • Assist your Fellow in selecting courses at the Claremont Colleges that will help them be competitive for graduate school.
  • Help your Fellow identify an area of interest and the programs that exist in that field.
  • Assist your Fellow in finding appropriate graduate school programs within their intended area of interest and the process of applying to graduate school.
  • Assist your Fellow in compiling information on graduate departments and fellowship programs.
  • Engage in conversations with your Fellow about the nature of graduate study and navigating graduate school.
  • Ensure that your Fellow keeps track of deadlines for programs and any applicable examinations, e.g. the GRE.

III. A Career in Academia: As the Faculty Research Mentor you will provide both academic guidance and insight into life as an academic. You will provide opportunities for your Fellow to develop teaching skills through practice.

Your Objectives:

  • Create opportunities for your Fellow to observe your teaching strategies.
  • Discuss the various roles and responsibilities that come with being a faculty member.
  • Encourage your Fellow to participate in programs that will allow her/him to mentor and tutor undergraduates such as, serving as a peer mentor in her/his home college or in a 5C program.

IV. The MMUF Program: As the Faculty Research Mentor, you will serve as an important link between the Claremont College’s MMUF program and your Fellow.

Your Objectives:

  • Maintain information on the requirements of the Program.
  • Inform the MMUF Coordinators of any questions or problems that may arise from the program requirements.
  • Alert the MMUF Coordinators of changes in the Fellow’s status.
  • Assist the Program by monitoring the progress of your Fellow and in evaluating the impact or lack of impact that MMUF activities are having on your Fellow.
  • Fellows will be expected to submit their research projects for presentation at MMUFsponsored conferences as well as for publication through Mellon Mays.
  • As a Faculty research Mentor you will be asked to help your Fellow with the preparation, application for submission and development of an abstract for their project.
  • In the event that your Fellow is not fulfilling their fellowship obligations and or responsibilities, you along with the help of the Claremont Colleges MMUF Coordinators will work together to develop a plan for your Fellow to move towards making progress and getting the project back on track. If non-compliance is maintained, MMUF stipends will be withheld from your fellow and or your Fellow will be removed from the fellowship.