Academics > Beacon > How to Mentor Students

How to be a Great Mentor for the Beacon Conference for Student Scholars at Two-Year Colleges

Keep Beacon requirements in mind when creating assignments –

Length – There is no minimum, but there is a maximum length for submissions (5000 words or about 20 typed, double-spaced pages).

Approach – create topics that encourage research and analysis appropriate to your discipline.  Encourage original ideas.  Beacon submissions must show the results of research, reflection and an original perspective.

Subjects – There are 18 different subject areas.  It is easy to find one that fits your course and your students' papers.

Research Documentation – References should follow the guidelines for the discipline.

Make students aware of the conference and its goals and guidelines.  Put Beacon information on your syllabus, make announcements, point out posters, encourage students to check out the web site and the copies of proceedings of past years in the library (L901.B23)

Identify excellent papers and those with potential.  Contact the students and encourage them to polish, revise, and consider submitting the papers. 

 Keep in contact.  Encourage students to keep in touch with you about the paper and submission, but it helps for the faculty member to take the initiative. Here are some suggestions:

• Collect a list of names of students who might submit papers along with their addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses.  (It saves time and prevents delays if you don't have to stop and look them up.) 
• Have students address an envelope to themselves, so you have envelopes all ready to send reminders.
• Send students information about Beacon format and deadlines, suggestions for working on their papers, and information about time when you will be available if they have questions.

Help the student improve and polish the paper for submission.  How much help is needed or desired will vary with each student and each mentor just as it varies from student to student in our classes.  Mentors should read the papers carefully and advise students on ways to improve their research and presentation of ideas and head off any potential problems with  inadequate documentation of resources.  Remember that you, as mentor, are signing the submission, so you are taking some responsibility too.

Help guide the preparation of the final draft.  Make the student aware of the submission guidelines and make sure the student has all six copies ready and a copy on disk.  Make sure the mentor and/or the student check  that the copies are complete and in order and that the student's name is only on the cover page.  Sign the submissions and get them sent off in time to meet the deadline.

Help the student prepare for the presentation.  If a student you mentored is selected to present at the June conference, it is important to help the student be prepared to present.  Since many of the students have not presented at a conference before, give them the benefit of your experience.  Make them aware of ways to present themselves and their papers in order to make the best impression.  How much and what kind of help will vary with different students and mentors, but consider some of the following:

• Talk to the students about how best to present the material in their papers.  Some presenters read most of their papers, but others –because the original is too long to be read fully in the 20 minutes allotted or because the written language would be too dense and hard for listeners to follow – prepare a presentation version that outlines the major points and develops them in excerpted form.  Some presentations require and benefit from visual aids (posters, Powerpoint, transparencies, etc.), but some do not and some visual aids can distract from the presentation. Advise students about effective visual aids and help them decide what and how much is appropriate.
• Help the students prepare for public speaking.  Remind the students that the presentation is an important part of what is judged at the conference along with the written paper.  A presenter who reads with head down and is barely audible will not do as well as one who stands and looks at the audience and speaks confidently.  Everyone can benefit from some good public speaking advice.
• Consider setting up practice sessions.  Student presenters benefit from opportunities to present in front of an audience – at a faculty meeting, a special event, a student club, or just in front of an informal gathering of students and faculty.  Experience speaking in front of people will help the students relax and gain confidence and provide valuable feedback from listeners.