Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision (CGMS)
Welcome to the Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision (CGMS) housed in the School of Graduate Studies. We are a tri-campus service that works with graduate students and faculty to support successful graduate mentorship and supervisory relationships, by facilitating interpersonal skill-building and informal conflict resolution.
Good supervision is a shared responsibility between a graduate student and their supervisor. You will need strong interpersonal communication skills to establish mutual expectations, hold the other to high standards, be tolerant and understanding, and address emerging or anticipated problems in a timely fashion with compassion and clarity. CGMS can support you to foster and develop these interpersonal communication skills that are necessary in all stages of your supervisory relationship.
Our service starts with a confidential consultation.
If you are a graduate student or faculty member and would like support in navigating your supervisory relationship, please email us at cgms@utoronto.ca. A CGMS staff member will review your request and contact you to book an in-person or virtual consultation. During the consultation we will support you in unpacking, debriefing, and beginning the process of identifying the unique factors of your case. We will support you in exploring what options you have access to, what your ideal outcome is, and what next steps you can take to move forward.
Step 1: Are you a graduate student or faculty member interpersonal challenges in your supervisory relationship? Contact us at cgms@utoronto.ca.
Step 2: We will contact you to book a confidential consultation.
Step 3: Meet with us online or in-person. We will assist you in unpacking, debriefing, and identifying next steps forward.
Our services include:
Coaching: We can support you in developing your interpersonal communication skills and conflict management strategies. If you are a faculty member, we can assist you in addressing your supervision practice(s) and develop supervisory approaches which are aligned with best practices.
System Navigation: We can assess your concerns and help determine if there are other appropriate partners, or related policies/jurisdictions, to assist in identifying all the potential resources and facilitate a connection/referral.
Workshops: We offer skills-based workshops to graduate students and faculty, on understanding and resolving interpersonal challenges. CGMS workshops can be booked by individual units and student groups, or you can join a standing workshop offered through the School of Graduate Studies. Please visit the CGMS Events Calendar to register for an upcoming workshop. To book a workshop for your group, please contact us at cgms@utoronto.ca.
Mediation: We can support a graduate student and their supervisor who are experiencing challenges in their relationship through a mediation process. During a mediated conversation, we can help all parties discuss their interests, needs, identify the desired outcomes, and negotiate a mutually agreeable plan with clear and documented outcomes.
Facilitation: We can facilitate a conversation between a graduate student and their supervisor who are involved in an interpersonal difficulty within their relationship. During a facilitated conversation, we offer a confidential space for all parties to: share their experiences with each other, work toward mutual understanding, identify common ground, and make decisions about how differences of opinion can be managed. The goal of a facilitated conversation is to repair the supervisory relationship.
CGMS Team
Aziza Kajan (she/her)
Director, Centre for Graduate Mentorship & Supervision
School of Graduate Studies
University of Toronto
cgms@utoronto.ca
416-978-2379
Lauren Pais (she/her)
Case Coordinator, Centre for Graduate Mentorship & Supervision
School of Graduate Studies
University of Toronto
cgms@utoronto.ca
416-978-2379