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The GEMS Project: Graduate Excellence, Mentorship, and Supervision

GEMS is an initiative led by the School of Graduate Studies to enhance and support graduate supervision excellence and grad school success. The project team aims to do this through the development of training modules, digital resources, and workshops for graduate supervisors, graduate students, and support staff.

We welcome feedback from the McMaster community. Suggestions can be emailed to gems@mcmaster.ca.

About the GEMS project

Academic supervisors and trainees at every stage of their career should have access to high quality supervision and pedagogical resources that meet the current needs. Training on graduate supervision pedagogy and mentorship supports graduate student success, faculty member career development, as well the research enterprise.

This project is motivated and directly informed by McMaster faculty, students, and administrators who provided input spanning several years (Graduate Council Working Group 2018/19), as well as growing trends in the graduate education sector (CAGS 2009, OCGS 2023) focused on support and resources for graduate supervision pedagogy, training, and navigation.

The School of Graduate Studies consulted with Student Affairs, Deputy Provost, Associate Vice-President Teaching & Learning, Associate Vice-President Equity and Inclusion, and the Graduate Dean’s Council in the development of the proposal. Ongoing consultation with the support of an advisory group drawn from Graduate Council, will provide input into modules.

Project Goal

The goal of GEMS is to design and deliver a set of self-paced, optional, asynchronous online learning modules to the graduate community at McMaster.

Audiences for the modules

  • graduate students
  • faculty supervisors and mentors
  • postdoctoral fellows
  • grad chairs/advisors
  • program administrators, and
  • staff from various campus units who support graduate education at McMaster University.

What are the modules and when will they be available

These self-paced digital learning modules are offered as professional and career development to members of the McMaster community.

Development of these learning modules will continue throughout this three-year initiative, with the first modules slated for release in Winter 2026.

Learner incentives

Learner incentives may include certificates of participation or completion, letters of recognition from senior leaders, and prizes through a draw.

Deliverables

  1. Set of core online ‘essentials’ modules for graduate students.
  2. Set of core online ‘essentials’ modules for faculty supervisory members and staff audiences.
  3. Accessible digital tools, templates, and workshop materials.

Expandable List

Module creation and resulting content will consider the following areas:

  • The graduate student life-cycle;
  • Indigineity and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA);
  • Relevance to the career stage of individual supervisors.

 

Topics and content for the learning modules are being developed in consultation with partners from across campus community – academic units and faculty, students, staff, and various subject matter experts.

The McMaster community is invited to attend scheduled consultation meetings, but you are always welcome to provide suggestions and feedback at gems@mcmaster.ca.

The module topics outlined are subject to change – topics are being finalized at a later date.

The first module – Core Essentials – will benefit all audiences from across McMaster’s graduate and postdoctoral community:

  • supervisors
  • students
  • postdoctoral researchers
  • staff

Year 1 Potential Topics

  1. Roles, responsibilities, expectations, regulations for grad supervision and student supervisees.
  2. Milestones, deadlines, timelines during graduate study and supervision.
  3. Effective mentorship of/for graduate learners (including power dynamics).
  4. Effective communication during supervision (including conflict resolution).
  5. Grad Supervision and Generative AI.

Years 2 and 3 Potential Advanced Topics

  1.  Supporting the graduate student writing process (in partnership with the Student Success Centre).
  2. Mental health and well-being of graduate students.
  3. Graduate supervision among and with equity deserving groups, from an equity lens.
  4. Supervision with Indigenous researchers and scholars.
  5. Disability and accommodation in graduate study and supervision (in partnership with Student Accessibility Services).
  6. International and inter-cultural contexts.
  7. Gendered interactions.
  8. Career services and development for graduate students (in partnership with the Student Success Centre) and postdoctoral researchers.
  9. Thesis defence process.

Information Box Group

Leadership Team

  • Steve Hranilovic, Vice-Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
  • Laura Parker, Acting Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Science
  • Andrea Cole, project manager, School of Graduate Studies

Pedagogical consultation is being conducted with the MacPherson Institute.

For questions or suggestions about the GEMS project, please email gems@mcmaster.ca.

Advisory and feedback from

  • Office of the Deputy Provost
  • Student Affairs
  • Vice-President, Equity & Inclusion
  • Vice-President, Teaching and Learning
  • Provost Council
  • Graduate Studies Dean’s Council
  • Graduate Council Review Team
  • partner offices and subject matter experts
  • student associations
  • students, faculty, staff members-at-large