IBP maintains an annotated reference list of academic research and expert knowledge about mentoring.
There is no substitute for personal interaction in mentoring, but online technologies can extend and enhance existing mentoring practices. In conjunction with appropriate effort and resources, freely available tools such as Facebook and Linked-In may support your programmatic efforts. Several to mention are:
Facebook: A properly maintained Facebook page can serve as a program community hub where mentoring relationships can form or continue. For shorter duration programs, such a page can be used to begin mentoring relationships before all participants are together on site.
Linked-In is an effective platform for mentoring of students who are just beginning to develop their professional presence in the discipline. Mentees can be engaged and encouraged to post updates about ongoing research or related activities, and can be coached on how to shape their online professional identities.
See IBP's Best practices for social media in Graduate and Undergraduate programs for more detailed information.
Embracing the pipeline involves far-thinking in a system built around supporting and assessing results on the (relatively) short term. But persist! Reaching backward and forward in the pipline is critical to creating a broad community of program support as well as deep and lasting change - and fortunately, including just a few concrete activities focused on this end can make a difference.
For details and examples of the on-the-ground project components and activities, visit www.pathwaystoscience.org.
In addition to providing funders with program performance information, ongoing program assessment also provides you with tools to make adjustments to your program in stride. Decide early what you would like periodic program reviews to assess and make sure all participants (faculty, students and administrators) see themselves as partners, understand the value of the review to the program goals, and embrace their roles in the review process.
Incorporate this manual in to your program by using sections of it in conjunction with ongoing training for mentors.
* Additional content is in process