Guidelines, reporting avenues in place to safeguard graduate student mentoring

Purdue's Graduate School is reminding graduate students of the guidelines established to foster optimal graduate student mentoring as well as the methods in place for reporting detrimental or questionable mentoring practices.

"Recent events at another institution have drawn attention to the tremendously negative impact detrimental mentoring practices can have on graduate students," says Linda Mason, dean of the Graduate School. "One of the most important parts of the graduate student experience is the mentoring received from a major professor, as well as the numerous other individuals who can positively impact them."

In 2017, the Graduate Council put forth a document on guidelines for graduate student mentoring and advising. Graduate students who are experiencing mentoring relationships that are not aligned with these guiding principles should report it, Mason says.

Students can speak to the head of the department or the chair of the department’s graduate program as a first course of action. Another avenue for reporting is to visit the Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Assistance. The office can provide confidential advice and, if necessary, referrals to other sources of help.

Students also can anonymously report negative mentoring behaviors to the University Hotline at 866-818-2620 or via the web.

"Purdue University and the Graduate School want every graduate student to have a rich and meaningful graduate experience," Mason says. "For that to happen, students need effective mentors."