Mentoring doctoral students is among the most important roles of graduate faculty. Faculty mentoring encompasses multiple facets, but successful mentoring relationships transform the lives of the students and helps launch them into their careers. UT recognizes that the mentoring of doctoral students is essential in preparing the next generation of scholars and is critical to our mission as a major research university. Thus, the university has created the Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award to recognize an outstanding faculty mentor who helps transform the lives of doctoral students.
Criteria
In order to be eligible, the nominee must:
- be a tenured or tenure track faculty member
- be actively engaged in mentoring doctoral students
- have documented successful outcomes of their doctoral students
- not have been recognized with this award within the past 5 years
Preference will be given to a faculty member who is hooding a graduate in the current semester.
Nomination Process
In spring and fall of each year, the Dean of the Graduate School will solicit nominees for the Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award. Graduate students and faculty may submit nominations to the Graduate School. Each nomination must include the following:
- Letter of nomination outlining success with mentoring doctoral students
- The faculty member’s CV or link to website with academic background
Selection Process
The Graduate School will oversee the selection process by doing the following:
- form a selection committee composed of chair of the Faculty Senate, the chair of Graduate Council, the chair of the Graduate Student Senate, and the Dean of the Graduate School;
- create a rubric to assist the committee in making their selection;
- oversee the selection process;
- upon selection, notify the awardee, the department head, college dean, and the provost;
- recognize the awardee with a monetary award; and
- recognize the awardee at the fall and spring Doctoral Hooding Ceremony.