Fellows
Honors College Fellows Heading link
Honors College Faculty Fellows are discipline-specific mentors for Honors College students. Fellows come from departments in all colleges across the UIC campus. These faculty members apply for appointments as Honors College Faculty Fellows in order to have the opportunity to mentor high-achieving undergraduates and help them perform at their highest level of ability.
Busy as scholars and as teachers, the Fellows volunteer their time to work with Honors College students. A list of current Honors College Fellows can be found here.
Honors College students are assigned to a Faculty Fellow at the start of the sophomore year or at the time of transfer to UIC. Students can find their Fellow’s information listed in the Honors Activity Reporting System (HARS).
To effectively cultivate the Fellow-Student relationship, the Fellow and student should meet face-to-face or virtually in the first few weeks of the semester. This meeting allows the student to introduce themselves and their interests, learn more about their Fellow, and share the Honors Activity planned for the upcoming semester.
After the meeting students should visit HARS to submit their Honors Activity Agreement Form(s) which the Fellow approves electronically. As a way of strengthening the Fellow-Student relationship, Fellows and mentees should meet as needed throughout the term.
Faculty Fellow Timeline Heading link
Below is a basic year-to-year timeline of the Faculty Fellow process.
Make Connections
While you do not have a Fellow assigned until year 2, take advantage of your first year to get to know your faculty. Make an effort to visit a professor during their office hours.
You may develop a relationship with one of your instructors or a faculty researcher. You can even request specific faculty to serve as your fellow in the future!
Meet Your Fellow
Woohoo! You now have a Fellow! You can check who your fellow is in your HARS profile. You should reach out to your fellow within the first few weeks to introduce yourself. You should also inquire about setting up a time for the two of you to meet and get to know one another.
You can learn about their research areas and share your own academic and career interests. You should be meeting with your Fellow at the start of each semester and then as needed throughout the remainder of the semester.
**Now that you have a Fellow, they will be part of your Honors Activity agreement form approval each semester.**
Think Ahead
Whether you are going into industry or furthering your education, your Fellow possesses a wealth of knowledge in their discipline. They can likely assist you with processes like applying to graduate or professional school or provide insights into trends in your industry.
Fellows are also a great resource for discussing ideas for your upcoming Capstone project and perhaps connecting you to relevant faculty who may serve as your Capstone Supervisor.
Lasting Mentorship
Occasionally, a Fellow might also serve as your Capstone Supervisor. Either way, be sure to invite them to your Capstone presentation.
Additionally, as you prepare for life after graduation, a Fellow may be able to provide a letter of recommendation or serve as a professional reference.
Honors College student Iqra Iqbal writes, “When I was uncertain of my career and post graduate goals, Dr. Weststrate made the time to work with me to carefully assess my options under the framework provided by my values . . . His careful consideration of his students’ intersectional identities in his approach to mentorship shines light on his mindfulness.”
| Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology
Faculty Fellow Timeline - Transfer Students Heading link
The timeline below is outlined for a Junior transfer student with 4 semesters remaining.
Here is a year-to-year timeline for the Faculty Fellow process for Transfer students. If your time in the Honors College will differ, consult your Honors Advisor.
Meet Your Fellow
Woohoo! You have a Fellow! You can check who your fellow is in your HARS profile. Reach out to your fellow within the first few weeks to introduce yourself. You should also inquire about setting up a time for the two of you to meet and get to know one another. Plan to learn about their research areas and share your own academic and career interests.
You should be meeting with your Fellow at the start of each semester and then as needed throughout the remainder of the semester.
Consultation
This is a good time to begin discussing the Capstone Project with your Fellow. They may be able to assist you in brainstorming various ideas based on your interests.
Occasionally a Fellow might also serve as your Capstone Supervisor or they may be able to suggest other faculty for the role.
Think Ahead
Whether you are going into industry or furthering your education, your Fellow possesses a wealth of knowledge in their discipline. They can likely assist you with processes like applying to graduate or professional school or provide insights into trends in your industry.
Fellows are also a great resource for discussing ideas for your upcoming Capstone project and perhaps connecting you to relevant faculty who may serve as your Capstone Supervisor.
Lasting Mentorship
Occasionally, a Fellow might also serve as your Capstone Supervisor. Either way, be sure to invite them to your Capstone presentation.
Additionally, as you prepare for life after graduation, a Fellow may be able to provide a letter of recommendation or serve as a professional reference.
A Guide For Meeting Your Fellow Heading link
For an informative graphic outlining the process of contacting and meeting your Fellow
Sending Your First Email
- Send by the 1st week of classes
- Use your UIC email
- Include a subject line
Please click here for an e-mail template you can use to contact your Faculty Fellow.
No Reply? Wait 5 business days before sending a follow-up. If you still have trouble reaching your Fellow, be sure to contact your Honors Advisor.
Your First Meeting
Regardless of how you meet, you should expect to:
- Reintroduce yourself (Name, major, year)
- Share what your Honors Activity will be for the coming semester
- Discuss your interest in your major
- Ask your Fellow how they became interested in their discipline/research
- Discuss any opportunities you are looking to take advantage of while at UIC (internships, research, service, leadership, etc.)
- Discuss your long-term goals related to career direction or furthering your education
- Consider setting up a communication plan (how often you will check in with your Fellow) and thank them for their time
In future meetings, you should discuss:
- Future Honors activities,
- Goal(s)
- Progress
- How your interests have changed or solidified
The Fellow-Mentee relationship is a collaborative effort. As such… Heading link
As a discipline-specific mentor, the Fellow:
- Provides suggestions for future Honors activities, such as research or internship opportunities, as they get to know the student’s academic and professional goals;
- Shares experiences and insights specific to their professional and academic areas of expertise;
- Serves as the student’s and the Honors College’s agent in the home department;
- Provides guidance for the student’s independent study or research, working with the student directly or suggesting other appropriate faculty members with whom the student might work; and
- Encourages and advises the student regarding the student’s Honors College Capstone Project. The Fellow might choose to serve as the Capstone Supervisor for this project or might help the student find an appropriate alternative Supervisor.
As a mentee, the student shall:
- Maintain a professional and respectful exchange with their Fellow;
- Take initiative to contact their Fellow and arrange a meeting at the beginning of each semester;
- Meet with their Fellow prior to submitting their Honors Activity Agreement Form;
- Invite their Fellow to their final Capstone presentation.
