Our Mentoring Model

Our mentorship model is rooted in our belief that training in I-O psychology should focus on the development of scientific knowledge and organization practices that are rigorous, evidence-based, ethical, and just and equitable. These beliefs are the foundation of our practices for mentoring our students in the domains of research, pedagogy, and professional practice. We encourage students to seek out multiple mentors among the faculty. A given faculty mentor may focus on all of these domains or just select domains. Additionally, our program has a student-led peer mentoring program in which more advanced students in the program mentor the newer and incoming students.

In the domain of research, mentoring starts on day one of the program. Incoming students are paired with a faculty member under whom they complete their research assistantship (RA) during their first year. Students are matched with faculty advisors based on shared research interests to the extent possible. Students may choose to complete their master’s thesis under the direction of their assigned RA advisor or another faculty member in the program. During the fall semester of the first year, the first-year cohort meets with each faculty member to discuss their research and mentoring style.

Students are also free to shift to another faculty member for the purposes of their dissertation. Research interests among doctoral students may evolve over the course of their training, which may lead them to a different advisor whose expertise is more aligned with their current interests. Changing research interests, coupled with staffing changes within the faculty (e.g., sabbatical leaves, retirements) may result in students completing their program milestones under the direction of two faculty members over the course of their training. Even when students elect to work with one primary advisor for both the thesis and dissertation, they are encouraged to participate in projects occurring in other labs and to collaborate with peers on independent projects so long as these “outside” research projects do not interfere with timely progress toward the degree. We believe that students benefit academically and professionally by collaborating with faculty and peers of diverse educational backgrounds and areas of expertise.

In the domain of pedagogy, students participate in a variety of faculty and peer mentoring activities. All students complete a course in pedagogy and instructional techniques prior to teaching. Students work with faculty and peers to develop syllabi, lectures, and class exercises. Students receive feedback from a faculty member following an observation of their class each semester. Students also participate in workshops and other developmental activities aimed at improving instructional effectiveness offered by the Graduate Center and Baruch College.   

In the domain of professional practice, students are mentored on general career skills (e.g., how to build professional networks, how prepare themselves for the job market following graduation) and on how to apply principles of I-O psychology to common organizational activities and challenges (e.g., how to conduct a job analysis, how to provide assessment-based feedback). Mentoring in this domain is provided in the form of program-wide, classroom-based, or one-on-one discussions and developmental activities with faculty, peers, and others in the field of IO psychology.

Additionally, all students have the opportunity to participate in the student-led peer mentoring program. The purpose of the peer mentoring program is to help incoming students transition into the graduate program and perform successfully during their first year in the program. The primary components of the student mentoring program involve conversations about graduate school and relationship building. Participation in the student mentoring program is voluntary. Those wishing to participate will be asked to provide a biography with background information, which will then be used to pair the student with an appropriate peer mentor or mentors. Once mentoring pairs have been made, mentors reach out directly to their mentees at the beginning of the year in order to provide them with a Graduate Onboarding Guide that explains the mentoring process in detail, and to agree on the specifics of their mentoring relationship. The mentoring program is organized by current students in years 2-5 who are part of the Student Mentoring Committee.