History Department Guidelines for Mentees

1. If you would like a mentor, you may request that the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) assign you to one. You may request a specific individual, although it may not be possible to get that person. The Director of Undergraduate Studies will find out whether a specific individual you requested as a mentor is available; if not, the DUS will assign you to a mentor based on your interests (so, for example, if you are interested in the history of Asia, we will try to assign you to an Asianist). To contact the DUS, email histdus@indiana.edu
2. Your mentor is there to help you get the most out of the intellectual aspects of your undergraduate education. Your mentor will be happy to discuss your intellectual interests with you and help you put together a satisfying history major. You can discuss your course selections and your mentor can give you suggestions on how to make your courses work together.
3. Your mentor may also help you with the intellectual preparation you need for graduate school. If you apply to graduate or professional school, your mentor will be happy to read your personal statement and comment on it.
4. You should make appointments to visit your mentor during his or her posted office hours; don't just drop by! Please contact your mentor only at the History Department, unless s/he gives you explicit permission to do otherwise.
5. If you wish to have a different mentor (if your interests change and/or you and your mentor do not get along well), you may request a reassignment from the DUS. The DUS will inform your mentor of this reassignment.
6. Your mentor is not intended to replace your regular instructors. If you have questions or difficulties in a particular course, you should seek help from that instructor first. While your mentor will be happy to discuss history to the extent of his or her knowledge of a particular concentration, your mentor will not become involved in your relationship with other faculty members.
7. Students who choose to work closely with a faculty mentor should also keep in contact with the History Department’s Academic Advisor, Pete Giordano. He provides additional services to students, including graduation requirements, advising and scheduling, curriculum enhancement, career counseling, academic preparedness, and general graduate school information.