What are mentoring agreements?
Mentoring agreements are formal, written commitments that define the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of both graduate students and their mentors. They are increasingly recognized as a key tool for improving the quality, clarity, and equity of graduate education. A mentoring agreement sets out educational goals, time commitments, communication plans, authorship policies, and other expectations in advance. This reduces misunderstandings and ensures both parties know what is expected, which is especially important in long-term, multi-year graduate programs.
Who are mentoring agreements for?
Mentoring agreements are required for only some degree types. Specific departments may have more requirements based on the degree. See the table below to find out more details. If you ever have questions about if you are required to do a mentoring agreement, talk to your advisor, graduate program coordinator, or department head.
| Degree Type | Required? |
|---|---|
| PhD | Yes |
| Masters - Plan A | Yes |
| Masters - Plan B & C | Not required by the college. Encouraged and may be required under discretion of your department or advisor. |
What is required in a mentoring agreement?
The college has minimum requirements for what is expected in a mentoring agreement. Note that some departments may have requirements in addition to those listed below:
- Signed by both student and mentor.
- Completed within the first semester the student is in their program.
- Reviewed annually and updated as needed by both student and mentor.
- Expectations for faculty
- Manuscript turnaround time
- Funding support (including the type and level of financial support available to the student, the period for which funding is committed or anticipated and any conditions or contingencies associated with that funding)
- Regular meeting time
- How you will help student reach professional goals
- Use of AI
- Expectations for students
- Productivity
- Hours
- Taking leave
- Use of AI
- Information on type of assistantship (research vs. teaching vs. mixed).
- Authorship, data management, and ownership of data, research integrity, and applicable institutional requirements
- Strategy for resolving disputes, including appropriate departmental and College-level resources when issues cannot be resolved directly between the student and mentor
- Communication plan (type of preferred communication and expected response time).
Once you and your mentor have a mutually agreed upon and signed mentoring agreement that fits the college's and your department's requirements, they should be sent to your department by your advisor. Graduate program coordinators, department heads, and the Dean's office will review mentoring agreements annually.
Mentoring Agreement Examples
These examples are a starting point for your own mentoring agreement. They are not the only valid format, and you are encouraged to adapt them to your needs. Your department may also have templates available.
- USU Department of Animal, Dairy, & Veterinary Sciences mentoring agreement template
- USU Vargis Lab Graduate Student Compact
- USU College of Arts & Sciences mentorship agreement template
- Columbia University Mentorship Agreements
- Baylor University Mentorship Agreements
Other Mentoring Resources
- USU School of Graduate Studies mentoring best practices
- University of Illinois mentoring toolkit
- University of Michigan graduate student mentoring guide
- CIMER: Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research
- CNERG Community Expectations (Computational Nuclear Engineering Research Group)
- Great Mentoring in Graduate School: A quick start guide for protégés
If you have any questions or concerns about mentoring agreements, please contact your graduate program coordinator, department head, or Dr. Kara Thorton-Kurth, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies (kara.thornton@usu.edu).