College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Faculty & Staff

This page provides guidance for faculty serving as mentors in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Mentors play a vital role in supporting the professional development of their colleagues and contributing to a culture of excellence and equity across CANR.

Best practices
Checklist
Training for mentors

Best practices

Mentors are expected to provide impartial, candid and constructive guidance to mentees. They help mentees navigate university systems, understand expectations for reappointment, promotion and tenure and prepare for career advancement. Mentors should stay current with these processes and attend university and college-level workshops.

Mentoring committees should meet at least once per year, ideally in the spring semester before the unit annual review meetings. Following each meeting, a concise report should be prepared jointly with the mentee summarizing the mentee’s progress, challenges and feedback. Mentors should foster open-minded, respectful interactions and be mindful of power differentials.

Mentors may also serve as sponsors by writing nomination letters for awards and recognition, collaborating in various capacities to help build scholarship, facilitating networking and helping mentees gain visibility within the university and broader academic community.

For additional guidance, MSU offers a resource on best practices for mentors and mentees in academic settings that outlines principles for building effective mentoring relationships.

Checklist

Mentors are encouraged to use structured tools to guide their mentoring activities. A sample checklist is available to help mentors prepare for meetings, track mentee progress and ensure alignment with unit expectations.

Sample checklist for meetings

Training for mentors

CANR and MSU offer training opportunities to support mentors in their roles. These include workshops, toolkits and online resources designed to enhance mentoring effectiveness and promote a supportive academic culture.

Mentors are encouraged to learn from and/or participate in the following programs:

• Characteristics of constructive feedback
• Faculty development trainings
• Mentoring professional development
• Thriving in the tenure system

These trainings help mentors stay informed about best practices and support the continuous improvement of mentoring programs across CANR.