Program Expectations

The AERE mentoring program aims to engage a diverse group of early career environmental and natural resource economists in AERE while providing invaluable career guidance, skill development, and networking opportunities. We envision that because of this program AERE will exhibit substantially greater diversity and will help make economics a field that is respected both for its contributions to addressing the world's problems and for embracing an inclusive culture. This document outlines the parameters for how mentors and scholars can be expected to advance this mission and vision.

Mentors | Scholars

Mentors

Who can be a mentor?

Mentors will have demonstrated excellence in their careers, care about improving the diversity of our field and be someone who:

  1. is highly regarded within the profession and our community.
  2. is willing to commit time and energy to the mentoring process.
    1. is willing to share knowledge about how the profession works, provide objective feedback, and help set development goals.
    2. is open to feedback and suggestions for improving their effectiveness as a mentor.
    3. is open to learning about approaches to increase diversity and build trust within our profession
      1. is representative of a diverse set of career paths (e.g., universities, colleges, think tanks, non-profit advocacy organizations, government agencies, international organizations, private industry)
      2. could make terrific future mentor
      3. has a keen sense of professional ethics or is willing to learn how to develop this understanding
      4. can recognize the difference between good and bad mentoring

What is expected of a mentor?

Mentors are expected to support, advise, and provide constructive criticism to the mentee. In more detail, mentors are expected to

  1. ask that your scholar provide an individual development plan (IDP), discuss the feasibility of these goals and track progress on them.
  2. set expectations with mentees for how and when you will communicate.
  3. respond to all communications in a timely manner.
    1. provide opportunities to meet with the mentees if such opportunities arise (such as attendance at a same conference, or talks/meetings in nearby locations).
    2. share information about professional experiences (like sitting on a grant panel, reviewing papers, etc.).
    3. help connect your scholar with other senior members of the profession, and direct your scholar to other colleagues for answers to questions you can’t answer.
    4. share ideas and resources about professional development.
    5. approach the mentoring relationship with an open mind, professionalism, and respect.
      1. communicate problems with the mentoring relationship to the AERE Scholars Program director who will keep all these communications confidential.
      2. meet with and contribute to the mentoring pod
      3. participate in all mentoring group meetings (pods, full group)
      4. attend the AERE summer conference for the two program years
        1. be an ambassador for the goals of the program (diversity and inclusiveness) in AERE and broader economics profession
        2. share lessons learned on the importance of mentoring and skills and tools associated with being a good mentor to the AERE and broader economics profession
          1. Ask and learn: “What is the current and/or hopeful institutional goals of the job?”
          2. Understand what the constraints are on the mentee (university service, journal targets, etc)

What is not expected of a mentor?

Mentors are not expected to

  1. collaborate on manuscripts
  2. review manuscripts
  3. have all the answers for the scholar
  4. initiate all contact with your scholar
  5. be personally responsible for the successes or failures of the scholar
  6. mentor alone (we will be learning together)

What is expected of the mentor pods?

The mentoring pods are expected to

  1. help further develop the program and advance our common mission and vision
  2. support and engage each other
  3. work together to build trust
    1. stay connected with AERE Scholars Program Committee, including sharing best practices and successful strategies from your pod

Scholars

Who can be an AERE Scholar?

AERE Scholars will have demonstrated a desire to expand their professional networks and support the AERE Scholars Program mission and vision.

A successful mentee is someone who:

  1. is an early-career environmental and natural resource economist working at a university, government organization, research institute, or nonprofit organization.
  2. demonstrates commitment in and initiative to their own career growth and development.
  3. values participation in open discussions and is receptive to feedback.
    1. assumes responsibility and accountability for developing and implementing their own program goals.
    2. values acquiring skills that will enable them to give back to diversity in the profession/mentor students and early career scholars

What is expected of an AERE scholar?

Scholars are expected to

  1. provide an outline of expected goals (in an individual development plan) to the mentor for the year-long program and track progress on these goals.
  2. set expectations with mentors for how and when you will contact each other.
  3. initiate contact and set meeting agendas.
  4. respond to all communications in a timely manner.
    1. seek out opportunities to meet with the mentors if such opportunities arise (such as attendance at a same conference, or talks/meetings in nearby locations).
    2. share information about professional experiences.
    3. share ideas and resources about professional development.
    4. approach the mentoring relationship with an open mind, professionalism, and respect.
    5. communicate problems with the mentoring relationship to the AERE Scholars Program director.
    6. attend the AERE meetings corresponding to the commencement and end of the program year
    7. meet with and contribute to a peer working group
    8. eventually give back and mentor students and future researchers

What is not expected of an AERE Scholar?

Scholars are not expected to

  1. initiate all contact with their mentor.
  2. always defer to and implement advice provided by their mentor.
  3. collaborate on papers with their mentor.

What is expected of the peer working groups?

The working groups are expected to

  1. help establish a communication strategy and meet regularly with the peer working group.
  2. support and engage with the cohort over the course of the program.
  3. work together to build trust and advance our common mission and vision
  4. stay connected with AERE Scholars Program Committee
  5. help to advance the scholars’ networks
  6. produce tangible results.

Co-created with the 2021 AERE Mentors, May 2021
AERE Scholars Program Committee: Jill Caviglia-Harris (chair), Nathan Chan, Mary Evans, Lynne Lewis, Dan Phaneuf