Information for Faculty Mentors
SOAR Mentorship Responsibilities
SOAR Mentors serve a pivotal role in the success of student research projects. They help students conceptualize their projects, develop (but not write) student proposals, and, if awarded, develop benchmarks for completion and oversee that students make progress towards completing those benchmarks. Mentors may also help identify outlets for students to present their research, such as noting conferences or journals that feature undergraduate research.
Mentors should be encouraging, but realistic, pushing students to think deeply about their ideas and research. The duties for the mentor vary, depending on whether students have been awarded a project grant.
Before the application, mentors should help applicants with the development of their proposal. They should also complete a Mentor Reference Form (see attached) and e-mail it to the chair of the SOAR Advisory Committee (travis.knapp.1@vcsu.edu).
Your oversight is required in the development of the project proposal, ensuring that the proposal follows a structure consistent with:
- Abstract – a concise description of the project.
- Process/methods – overview of the methodology, and/or strategy for completion. (This may include IRB approval)
- Timeline/benchmarks – weekly timeline of effort with benchmarks/milestones indicated.
- Budget – documentation of the project labor, materials, travel expenses.
- Dissemination – identify potential outlets to present, e.g. conference.
- Educational objectives – short prospectus on the project’s alignment w/ educational goals.
- Integrative Nature of work – description of multiple disciplinary knowledge harnessed.
- Bibliography – well-formatted sources/references.
- General Professionalism – high-quality proposal documentation and presentation.
Encourage student researchers to author their proposals while referencing the Scoring Rubric (see attached). You should also help guide the student through the IRB process, if their project involves human participants. (If so, IRB should be included in either the process or timeline part of the application)
If the student receives an award, the Mentor should continue to oversee the project and do the following, as necessary:
- Identify a schedule of consulting personnel to work with the student as needed.
- Provide advice to the student on material purchases and, if appropriate, facilitate the purchase.
- Material purchases are often reimbursed, but you can use a P-card (yours or your department's) to shorten the process.
- With student, establish benchmarks for work and award disbursement. Complete and submit Personnel Action Forms as appropriate to HR.
- Use campus calendaring to schedule regular meetings with the student and ensure progress.
- Work with the student in preparing the final report.
- Evaluate the student’s work and final report.
- Help find a classroom, seminar, community group, and/or research fair opportunity for the student to talk about their research experience, Barnes County Lecture series.
- Include the student’s name among the list of authors or appropriately on any of your own work that may be or become related.