A message from the founder:
Advising Philosophy
My personal advising philosophy is generated from the enthusiasm and respect I have for
the University of Minnesota Medical School and the field of rehabilitation medicine. My
primary role as an academic advisor is to support and promote student success at the
University of Minnesota Medical School and foster the development of critical thinking
skills, problem-solving competencies, and a sense of responsibility. To best support my
students, I commit to the following:
I commit to embrace, respect, and support diversity.
As an academic advisor I operate under the philosophy that diversity and equity are at the
core of our mission and threaded through our research and education. I welcome and
value the voices and perspectives from all individuals with intersecting identities and lived
experiences and believe those diverse perspectives enhance the advisor/advisee
relationship. In my interactions with students, I will acknowledge and respect my students’
identities and beliefs and will endeavor to tailor my advising to meet the individual needs
of each student.
I commit to develop competence and autonomy.
I am a passionate advocate for my students, encouraging them to believe in their own
potential to become independent researchers. I help students develop competence and
autonomy by treating them as intellectual peers. For example, when I invite students to
collaborate, I listen to their ideas and incorporate them into our work. When working with
new graduate students, I often create a “writers’ room” in which I share my screen and we
write a manuscript sentence-by-sentence. This writers’ room serves two purposes: it
teaches students how to write a scholarly article by modeling best practices and it also
demonstrates to students that I value their ideas. It has been my experience that students
emerge from these sessions able to independently write their own articles.
I commit to being student centered.
My role as an advisor is to support each student through their educational journey. My
goal is to guide them through their graduate career, their growth, and their development
by being an active listener and understanding that each student’s needs are unique.
I commit to develop integrity.
I believe developing academic integrity is critical to graduate student development. As an
academic advisor I act as a role model by demonstrating academic integrity. I also engage
in conversations with my advisees about their own values and beliefs.
I commit to being genuine, honest, and transparent.
I believe being genuine, honest, and transparent is essential to build an authentic
relationship with students. Creating a culture of honesty and transparency allows students
to make mistakes in a safe environment, in which their mistakes can be reframed into
learning opportunities. Furthermore, a culture of mutual respect and honesty affords
students the space to ask questions without fear of being judged, which, in my experience,
leads to fewer errors.
- Kimberley R. Monden, PhD, LP