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Engaged Scholarship and Learning
Follow us at engagedUTRGV
ESTAC 3.106 and BINAB 1.105
Hours: M-F 8am-5pm
Email: engaged@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 665-3461 Edinburg
Phone Alt: (956) 882-4300 Brownsville
Being an Engaged Scholar & Artist Awards (ESAA) Mentor
The Engaged Scholar & Artist Awards (ESAA) program funds undergraduate student-driven academic research and creative works projects. When a student is accepted to the Engaged Scholar & Artist Awards program, their Faculty Mentor is required to oversee the project. The goal of a Faculty mentor is to maximize mentee growth and development – academically and professionally.
Serving as an Engaged Scholar Award Faculty Mentor
As an ESAA Faculty Mentor, you are agreeing to the following activities on behalf of the ESAA Recipient (your mentee) and their team (as applicable):
- Serving as a liaison between the student and administrative personnel.
- Initiating material purchases, travel requests, etc., which are submitted via iShop and iTravel. (Funding for wages will be processed by the Office of Engaged Scholarship and Learning)
- Approving ESAA Recipient's bi-weekly timecard(s) of wages earned from the ESAA program.
- Ensuring that your mentee(s) submit their ESAA Progress Report and Final Report surveys.
- Encouraging your mentee(s)to display and share their creative work/research in conferences, publications, or exhibitions such as the Engaged Scholar Symposium (ES2).
- Participating as a Faculty Reviewer for Engaged Scholar and Artist Award awarding periods, as needed.
Benefits for Future ESAA Faculty Mentors
Mentoring an ESAA recipient is a rewarding experience! Past UTRGV faculty mentors have benefited in several ways:
- Listing mentorship as a service experience on FTP for Annual reviews and/or Tenure and Promotion
- Publishing work in academic texts or journals centered on mentor-mentee experiences
- Watching their ESAA Mentee featured on the Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning's Featured ESAA Students
- Connecting with others using ES&L’s Faculty Directory
- Establishing relations with future scholars
- Applying for faculty awards using this experience, such as the UTRGV Faculty Excellence Awards
Guidelines for ESAA Faculty Mentors
- Communicate with the mentee, especially after providing direction on their project.
- Establish and create an atmosphere in which you are approachable to the ESAA mentee.
- Arrange to meet with the ESAA mentee at mutually agreeable times.
- Provide constructive feedback and guidance, especially if the ESAA mentee encounters challenges that they are unable to address.
- Listen to and consider the ESAA mentee’s opinion regarding the ESAA project
- Guide the ESAA mentee toward correct answers or other possibilities and options to meet project goals.
- Encourage your ESAA mentee to set and reach new goals.
Join our team!
A directory of UTRGV Faculty Mentors is shared on The Office of Engaged Scholarship & Learning’s Faculty Directory.
If you are interested in mentoring a student, please email ESAA@utrgv.edu.
Engaged Scholar Award Mentor FAQ
Who can serve as an ESAA faculty mentor?
Any faculty member serving a one-year assignment, including lecturers and non-tenured instructors, are eligible to serve as ESAA Faculty Mentors. ESAA Faculty Mentors may serve for only one award per student per academic year (Sept 1-August 31).
Can I act as a mentor on more than one project?
ESAA Mentors may only receive funding for one Lead Student per academic year. There is no limit to the number of proposals in which a mentor can be listed; however, only one proposal may receive funding. For more information visit the Engaged Scholar and Artist Awards policies page.
I am a lecturer. May I participate in this program?
Yes, lecturers may serve as faculty mentors if they have a one-year teaching assignment.
Can staff members who are not professors be mentors?
Only faculty members (including lecturers) with a one-year teaching assignment may serve as faculty mentors.
How do I become an ESAA mentor?
If you are interested in becoming a faculty mentor, please let us know by emailing our office at: ESAA@utrgv.edu
Resources
Undergraduate Funding Resources
Opportunities for Undergraduates to Showcase their Work
Other Resources for Faculty Mentors
- UTRGV Center for Teaching Excellence
- Five Effective Strategies for Mentoring Undergraduates: Students' Perspectives (Pita, Ramirez, Joacin, Prentice, & Clarke)
- Boice, Robert. "Lessons Learned About Mentoring." New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 50 (Summer 1992). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1992. 51-61.
- Martini, Kirk. "Usually Nice, Always Helpful: A Mentor's Approach."
- Smock, Pamela J. et al. "Giving and Getting Career Advice: A Guide for Junior and Senior Faculty." NSF Advance at the University of Michigan.