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Mentoring: Some ethical considerations

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Abstract

To counter confusion about the term ‘mentor’, and address concerns about the scarcity of mentoring, I argue for an “honorific” definition, according to which a mentor is virtuous like a saint or hero. Given the unbounded commitment of mentors, mentoring relationships must be voluntary. In contrast, the role of advisor can be specified, mandated, and monitored. I argue that departments and research groups have a moral responsibility to devise a system of roles and structures to meet graduate students’ and postdoctoral fellows’ needs for information and advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3101 South Dearborn, 60616-3793, Chicago, IL, USA

    Vivian Weil (Director)

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  1. Vivian Weil
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Correspondence to Vivian Weil.

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Weil, V. Mentoring: Some ethical considerations. SCI ENG ETHICS 7, 471–482 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-001-0004-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-001-0004-z

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