6: Facilitating the Doctoral Mentoring Process in Online Learning Environments

In the process of mentoring 40+ doctoral students at three universities, I have realized that the process is as much Science as it is Art. Many of us had excellent mentors, but if we compared their strategies, they likely pursued that role in very different ways. Part of the richness of the mentor–mentee experience may emerge from the dynamic, open-ended relationship and understanding, which develops between two adults during the doctoral training journey. Furthermore, since mentoring is facilitated through human relationships, it can be experienced in many different ways. There are cascades of varied shades of abilities, expertise, vision, dedication, and personality with which both mentor and mentee approach this dynamic dialogue. Nonetheless, customarily there are several common, foundational elements of doctoral mentoring as it is frequently understood in the field of education.