SOURCE Mentor Resources

SOURCE Mentor Resources

Mentors are an essential part of student success by providing necessary guidance throughout the project development.

Role of Mentors 

• Mentors assist students throughout their project and ensure that they are completing and following appropriate guidelines and procedures. 
• You are there to help them push through setbacks and navigate the research/creative process. 
• Mentors will help students compile, edit, and proofread necessary materials before publishing and presenting. 
• While you are a mentor and are guiding your mentees through your project, you should also be working with them so they can experience professional collaboration. 

How to Become a Mentor 

• Fill out our Mentor Interest Form here to be added to our list of potential mentors for students to reach out to!
• Students are encouraged to come to you to request you as a mentor for their project. 
• Advertise your mentorship! Offer your mentorship to your classes, or to individuals that you would like to work on a project with. 
• Motivate students you are already advising and mentoring to progress in their project by asking them if they would like to present at SOURCE. While we do not require works to be completed to present, SOURCE is a professional environment that requires a level of cohesion and preparation to effectively and confidently present up to their current step in the project. 

How to be a Good Mentor (Tips from Past Mentors) 

It can sometimes be challenging to work with students. Here are some tips from experienced mentors on how they are able to navigate some of these common challenges. 

• Building and Maintaining Good Mentor-Student Relationships 
  • Communicate with your students! 
  • Establish clear communication channels, boundaries, and expectations. 
  • Discuss and establish both of your expectations from this experience early so you both are clear on this from the start. Talk with them about specific roles that you can take on as a mentor.
  • Figure out what kind of structure and feedback they find most useful and motivating.
  • Navigate the ups and downs of the project and discuss action plans with your students to overcome barriers and setbacks. 
  • Foster a supportive and inclusive mentoring environment. Continuously provide constructive feedback and celebrate their successes. 
  • Be patient with them! Remember that these projects happen in the context of the rest of their lives. 
• Time Management & Goal Setting 
  • Encourage goal setting throughout the project. Define feasible short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. 
  • Set aside plenty of time to mentor and provide feedback through the entire project. Be aware of both you and your mentee’s time commitments. 
  • Discuss how you both expect to balance time-commitments and responsibilities to reach each goal you set as you progress through the project and they move through their own academic journey. 
  • Schedule frequent meetings and set reasonable expectations for each meeting. Create a schedule for reading drafts and preparing for their presentation. 
• General Mentoring Tips 
  • Identify students early in their academic journey at CWU to allow for projects spanning multiple quarters (or even years!). 
  • Select projects aligned with your own research goals and interests, but don’t be afraid to learn something new with your students and experience diverse areas of research! 
  • Let the students make mistakes but be prepared to actually help and teach them. Don’t assume that they will know everything. Know their background so you can identify where to expect they will need the most help. 
  • Be pleasantly surprised when they exceed expectations, but don’t assume that they all will. 
  • Encourage your students and mentees to go to the pre-SOURCE events to get acquainted with what SOURCE is and get a better understanding of how it works and what it might look like for them as an attendee or presenter. 
    
• Why to SOURCE
  • Join us for Why to SOURCE on November 18, 2026 from 4:30-6:30pm!

Mentors & SOURCE 

• Mentor approval is required for all SOURCE projects 
  • Mentors are required to approve their mentee’s project and abstract/project description when they submit to present at SOURCE. Projects will not be added to the proceedings and officially registered for SOURCE until the OUR team receives mentor approval.  
  • Mentors’ names will be associated with their mentees’ projects in the program and throughout the event, so make sure that you fully approve of everything submitted before confirming approval. 
• Communication with the SOURCE Team regarding your mentees' projects as needed.
• Participate in SOURCE!