Graduate and professional students are often challenged with transitioning into their individual programs academically, culturally, and socially. Institutions may make assumptions about the maturity and adeptness a graduate or professional student may have before they start their programs. As a result they may anticipate that the usual formal advisory systems will sufficiently equip them to adjust and adapt into their departmental communities. However, successful integration into those cultures relies upon establishing mentoring relationships beyond the academic advisor. Mentoring relationships serve to

• integrate a student into the culture of a department;
• foster the development of critical professional and social networks;
• help students gain core research competencies; and
• provide a pathway for graduates to succeed in their career goals.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence and Professional Enhancement (OIEPE) recognizes that the needs and expectations of departments and faculty needs may vary regarding mentoring, and we are available to assist with exploring mentoring models, like network mentoring, or developing mentoring foundations, such as the phases of mentoring and the roles of mentoring.