UW Allies

How UW Allies support faculty

The UW Allies provides a network of support for faculty that mentor graduate student trainees and postdoctoral scholars. We are all doing this work, but we don’t have to be isolated. The Allies share resources and are a ready source for advice and mentorship. Joining the Allies can reduce the burden on faculty, especially if they are frequently sought out for informal mentoring by trainees.

Mentoring Community of Practice 

We rely on peer-based learning approaches to support each other as we grow into better mentors for our trainees. In addition to working with trainees as teams, faculty Allies meet quarterly to discuss (de-identified) cases to discuss different scenarios that impact our trainees.

We also host trainings and activities that are open to all faculty and staff, even if they do not want to join the Allies. This includes our trainings on trauma-informed and nonviolent communication skills, which are held 2-3 times each year, and a monthly Mentoring for Lunch drop-in program. This monthly lunch-and-learn program is based on the CIMER Entering Mentoring curriculum. Each 1-hour session begins with discussion of a case study. The rest of the session is devoted to issues/examples that attendees bring from their own experience. In this peer mentoring model, primary learning goals revolve around Entering Mentoring themes and topics:

  • Aligning Expectations
  • Articulating Your Mentoring Philosophy and Plan
  • Assessing Understanding
  • Cultivating Ethical Behavior
  • Enhancing Work-Life Integration
  • Fostering Independence
  • Fostering Wellbeing
  • Maintaining Effective Communication
  • Promoting Mentee Research Self-Efficacy
  • Promoting Professional Development
  • Reflecting on Diversity & Establishing a Practice of Inclusion

Secondary learning goals are developing listening skills and empathy.

If you would like to learn more about the UW Allies, please click here