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Caltech Mentors | Co-Mentors | JPL
Mentors | Mentoring Tips | Partnership Statement
Who May Serve as an SFP Mentor?
All Caltech faculty members including research, teaching, and visiting faculty,
the professional staff, faculty associates, and members of the JPL technical
staff may serve as mentors. Caltech students may also arrange a SURF project
with a faculty member at another college or university. A Caltech faculty
member must serve as Associate Mentor for students doing a SURF off campus.
The Role of an SFP Mentor
The primary role of the mentor is to serve as the senior partner in a collaboration
with the student. It is important that the student be offered—and
eventually accept—intellectual responsibility for his/her own project,
but for most students the project will be the first research experience, so
the mentor must be a teacher and a coach and a partner.
The primary responsibilities of the mentor are to prepare for the student’s
arrival and to help the student meet all of the requirements of the program
under which the student is registered; however, there are a number of specific
responsibilities that each mentor will have in preparing for the project and
in guiding the student through it during the summer:
- Before the student arrives, consult with him/her on
the planning of the project and review a draft of the student's project
plan. Note that the project plan must be the student’s product; the mentor may not write it, but
may and should provide advice and guidance during its preparation.
- Notify the Student-Faculty Programs Office of the name of
the Co-mentor, if applicable.
- Mentor must be aware of the date of arrival of the student and make relevant
preparations, including providing a place for the student to sit, a computer,
and a telephone.
- During the first week after the student’s arrival,
the student will be required to attend a Safety Orientation Meeting. Following
the meeting, the mentor or laboratory safety officer must review with the
student the Workplace Specific Safety Orientation Checklist and, with the
student, sign the form. The student must return the signed form to the Student-Faculty
Programs Office.
- During the summer, the mentor and/or co-mentor oversees the student's work
on the project and consults at regular and appropriate intervals.
- Sign the progress reports and abstract which the student must submit throughout
the summer. Mentors must authorize someone to sign the reports in their absence.
Mentors should use the progress reports as an opportunity to discuss research
progress, problems, etc. Students should use the reports to practice technical
writing skills.
- Collaborate with the student in writing the abstract and final report.
The paper must be submitted electronically by the 4th Friday in September.
Mentors will receive a prompt from the SFP Online system to approve the paper
online. November 1 is the deadline for approved final reports.
- If a student continues work on the project during the
academic year, he or she must submit an interim report by the deadline. A
final draft describing additional work or results may be submitted later
for the SFP archives.
- Help the student prepare for the oral presentation, normally given during
the 3rd week in August or on the 3rd Saturday in October. An oral report
is a requirement for all the students in SFP-sponsored programs.
- Mentors/co-mentors are invited to introduce the student at the oral presentation.
We encourage lab groups to attend the presentation to support and encourage
the student!
- Contact the Student-Faculty Programs Office [Email us at sfp@caltech.edu or
call 626.395.2885] if administrative problems arise.
SFP Compensation
Students are paid $600/week by the program with which the student is affiliated.
Vacation Requests
Students may take vacation time during the summer with the approval of the
mentor; however, students must complete all 10 weeks of the program by the 4th
Friday in September.
Click here for Tips on Mentoring.
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