Mentors’ Responsibility and Activities
Within the course of the year, mentors perform the following responsibilities :
- Meet with the McNair Scholar regularly, preferably weekly
- Integrate the McNair Scholar into their research group
- Develop McNair Scholar's research/scholarship skills
- Supervise activities and assign tasks for the McNair Scholar
- Provide motivation, support and direction for the McNair Scholar
- Accompany the McNair Scholar to a professional conference
- Assist the McNair Scholar with the following: research proposals, oral presentations, research papers and/or poster development
- Evaluate the McNair Scholar's research proposal and paper, and overall performance
- Provide feedback on effectiveness of program activities
Typical activities for McNair Mentors include involving the student in the day to day operations of their research program or scholarly activities; directing the McNair Scholar to appropriate seminars; helping the student make contacts with appropriate graduate schools and programs; introducing the student to pertinent professional organizations; involving the student in reviewing manuscripts and grant proposals; pointing out readings with which the student should be familiar; helping the student structure a curriculum vitae for inclusion in a graduate school application; and encouraging the student to think critically, ask questions, express opinions, and respect different points of view.