Graduate Supervision

Support for Graduate Supervisors

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) provides theoretical and practical support for faculty who supervise graduate students. This includes a course, a certificate program, peer consultation, online tools, interactive case studies, a scholarly community, and print and online resources.

What is Graduate Mentoring?

A mentoring relationship is a close, individualized relationship that develops over time between a graduate student and a faculty member and that includes both caring and guidance. The following resources provide specific practical advice on graduate mentorship:

Advising & Mentoring Quick Tips Sheet – Rackham Graduate Centre, University of Michigan

How to Mentor Graduate Students: A Guide for Faculty at a Diverse University – Rackham Graduate Centre, University of Michigan

How to Mentor Graduate Students: A Guide for Faculty – Graduate School, University of Washington

Mentoring – Directors of Graduate Studies Handbook, University of Iowa

Guides to Graduate Supervision

The School of Graduate Studies has developed a guide that features the roles and responsibilities of graduate students, faculty, and other departmental members in graduate supervision:

• Guide to Graduate Supervision

Two guides on the supervisory relationship have been developed by Health, Counselling & Disability Services (HCDS), with support from School of Graduate Studies (SGS), Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS), Queen's University International Centre (QUIC), Career Services, and the Writing Centre:

• How to Make the Most out of Your Supervisory Relationship: Advice from Supervisors & Graduate Students

• Fostering Strong Supervisory Relationships: How Can Supervisors Assist?

For your Students

Although faculty may have supervisory experience, their graduate students may have limited or no prior experience with graduate supervision. Supporting graduate students across campus are:

• Teaching Development Opportunities: The CTL invites graduate students to register for Teaching Development Workshops, a teaching and learning credit course, and the Certificate Program in University Teaching and Learning (PUTL).

• Career and Professional Development Workshops: The Expanding Horizons Workshops of the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) supports professionalization with presentations on a various topics.

• Consultations: Career Services, Learning Strategies Development, Health, Counselling, and Disability Services, and Society for Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) Student Advisors are all available to assist graduate students through individual appointments.

Resources:

Amundsen, C., & McAlpine, L. (2009). 'Learning Supervision': Trial by Fire. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46 (3), 331-342. (available online)

Johnson, B. (2007). Transformational Supervision: When Supervisors Mentor. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38 (3), 259-267. (available online)

Kamler, B., & Thompson, P. (2006). Helping Doctoral Students Write: Pedagogies for Supervision. New York, NY: Routledge. (available online)