3.2 Confessions of a doctoral supervisor: valuing interdependence  (Page 5/12)

I believe that students need to do certain things to facilitate their degree program and university business and support their progress and success.

• Students create a timeline and share it electronically with their major professor for comment early in the program—when a student veers off course, this is to be noted, preferably with reasons briefly stated. A copy of the adjusted timeline is forwarded to one’s supervisor.
• Students always“cc”the major professor on official university business (which obviously does not include messages they send to course instructors, peers, etc.).
• Members respond to the major professor’s requests that pertain to one’s program and progress and in a timely manner (e.g., thoughtfully preparing their program of study; reserving rooms and equipment for meetings and defenses; sending email reminders to committee members prior to meetings; unless otherwise negotiated, providing committee members with hard copies and e-copies of all thesis documents).
• Members attend students’defenses for the proposal and final dissertation as often as possible, especially in their areas of interest, and certainly as their own defense dates approach. They take notes and share them at an upcoming meeting.
• Students forward all requested materials pertaining to the dissertation to the college, graduate school, and library. In a timely manner, they provide a bound copy of the thesis/dissertation to their major professor and copies to the committee.

Johnson and Johnson (1998) refer to“promotive interaction”as that which“occurs as individuals encourage and facilitate each other’s efforts to reach [a] group’s goals”(p. 6). All of the components they identify for mutual promotion of success within groups is highlighted in my mentoring creed and, based on documented evidence, the WIT group itself (e.g., Mullen, 2005; Mullen, in press). Notably, Johnson and Johnson specify (with descriptions provided in their article) the importance of

• Giving and receiving help and assistance (both task-related and personal)
• Exchanging resources and information
• Giving and receiving feedback on task-work and teamwork behaviors
• Challenging each other’s reasoning
• Advocating increased efforts to achieve
• Mutually influencing each other’s reasoning and behavior
• Engaging in the interpersonal and small group skills needed for effective teamwork
• Processing how effectively group members are working together and how the group’s effectiveness can be continuously improved. (pp. 6–7)

Orientation to the Stories

While it is important for faculty mentors to“remain sensitive to issues of biological sex, gender socialization, and sexual orientation,”they should“avoid assuming that these factors alone will predict salient mentoring needs, relational styles, or professional concerns”(Johnson, 2007, p. 153). This framework is intended to guide the interpretation of my stories. The encounters I have with the members at times present dilemmas in such areas as poor writing, communication, and motivation and defense posturing around critical feedback; several even ignore the very rules that have formed the contractual backbone of our mentoring relationship. However, it would be misleading to assert that these particular individuals do this systematically or intentionally, or that they are anything less than caring or well liked. As will be revealed, the issue of overplayed independence or underplayed interdependence arises for certain WITs in relationship to the group and myself, their female doctoral supervisor.