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Cornell University

Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring

A Collaboration of the Graduate School, Provost's Office of Faculty Development & Diversity, and TRUST Alliance

Feedback on Scholarly Performance & Materials

When approached intentionally and with a mindset that one can improve, feedback contributes to the quality and rigor of research and can help normalize academic critique. Feedback on scholarly performance and materials is instrumental in helping a mentee establish a publication pipeline, present compelling work, and contribute to knowledge creation.

Mentors and mentees should discuss topics including their preferred approaches and cyclical opportunities to provide and receive feedback to strengthen a mentee’s publication, grant, and service records. Furthermore, mentors and mentees should discuss their goals and ongoing challenges.

Mentor Commitments

As a mentor, I will …

  • help my mentee establish plans for meeting academic milestones and contributing intellectually to projects and scholarly products.
  • communicate what level of draft work I need from my mentee to provide them with constructive and meaningful feedback.
  • provide my mentee with contextual understanding about the type of support I can offer to them.
  • work with my mentee to leverage their strengths and identify and address their areas for growth.
  • normalize critique, revision, intellectual conflict, and failure in research as part of scholarly growth and iterative knowledge-creation.

Mentee Commitments

As a mentee, I will …

  • ask for feedback from my mentor on my plans for meeting anticipated academic milestones and contributing intellectually to projects and scholarly products.
  • seek clarification from my mentor on the level of draft work needed to provide me with constructive and meaningful feedback.
  • provide my mentor with contextual understanding about the type of feedback I need (verbal, written, etc.) to advance my academic work.
  • seek out and be receptive to constructive feedback from my mentor and others.
  • work with mentor to leverage my strengths and identify and address areas for growth.
  • recognize critique, revision, intellectual conflict, and failure in research as a normal part of scholarly growth and iterative knowledge-creation.

Additional Resources