PSA Mentoring Program 2.0

PSA Mentoring Program Information for 2023-2024

Persons interested in being a Mentor or Mentee can fill out and submit our Qualtrics Survey by clicking here

About
The PSA mentorship program aims to connect individuals with advanced doctoral students, faculty, or applied sociologists as mentors. To participate in the program, both mentees and mentors need to be or desire to be members of PSA. Mentor/mentee pairs are generally expected to have contact at least once a month, in a form agreed upon (video chat, email, where possible in person etc.), for at least one year or until the goals set for the relationship have been met. Mentor/mentee pairs are also encouraged to attend the annual PSA Conference to connect in-person.

Matching of mentors and mentees
Throughout the matching process, pairs will be evaluated based on demographic and other information provided by both parties. Mentees indicate what they are seeking from a mentoring relationship, while mentors indicate what they can provide to mentees. Both are asked to give information that will assist in matching on areas of personal experience and identity, if this is desired by the mentee and welcomed by the mentor.

To support good matching, it may take some time after a mentee’s application is submitted for them to be paired up with a mentor. The PSA mentoring sub-committee will work expeditiously to make the pairing as quickly as possible. Once a pair is matched, they will be e-introduced and contact information shared by the PSA mentoring sub-committee.

What kind of mentorship is right for you?
Below are some examples of needs that particular mentors may be able to support you with. Individual partnerships vary and will depend on your specific goals, and your mentors strengths. These are not exhaustive lists, and many roles overlap.

What does being a mentor involve?
Mentoring is a rewarding experience, but one that requires time, dedication, and consistency.The mentor is asked to make the first contact and take the lead in ensuring the mentoring work continues. The mentor and mentee together should establish goals and timelines for their relationship early in the process, and then review and adjust these goals as time goes on. The mentor needs to be mindful both of what they are ready and able to offer as well as what the mentee is seeking.  Mentors are encouraged to engage in self-reflection, to be cognizant of their place within the politics and power structure of the academy and society, and apply this awareness in their relationships with mentees. Although the focus of a mentoring relationship is to support the mentee’s growth, mentors also have much to gain, including an increased understanding of the lives of students that can make them a better teacher, and the experience of being part of building the future. With all mentees of all positionalities welcome, we encourage mentors to read the following articles prior to mentoring

• “Collectors, Nightlights, and Allies, Oh My! White Mentors in the Academy” (2020) by Marisela Martinez-Cola of Utah State University
• “Unequally Adrift: How Social Class and College Context Shape Students’ Mentorship Experiences” (2016) by David L. Brunsma, David G. Embrick, and Jean H. Shin
• “Queerly Unequal: LGBT+ Students and Mentoring in Higher Education” (2019) by Brook Erin Graham of North Carolina State University

What does being a mentee involve?
Mentees should have some sense of what they would like to accomplish during their time with their mentor. Mentees are encouraged to be reflective and discuss with their mentor their goals for the relationship early on—because that is what it is all about! Mentors will ask about mentees’ progress in areas the pair has discussed; one of the valuable parts of a mentoring relationship is to have someone checking in and holding you accountable. To accomplish this, the mentee needs to maintain a sense of professionalism; keeping all appointments and responding to communication from the mentor—even when the mentee may be struggling to make progress on agreed upon goals. Mentees should also understand that a mentor cannot provide everything so we recommend having more than one mentor for your various professional development.

How is PSA involved?
PSA will check in with mentor/mentee pairs about four months into their working relationship to see how things are going, and then again at about one year to gather information on the success of the relationship. If at any time something is not working well for a mentor or mentee, they are encouraged to contact PSA for problem-solving or to be matched anew. PSA may also facilitate virtual mentorship events and host mentorship connection opportunities at our annual conference. Awards and scholarship opportunities may also be supported by PSA.

Applications
Persons interested in being a Mentor or Mentee can fill out and submit our Qualtrics Survey by clicking here.

Questions?     Email   mentoring@pacificsoc.org