As a faculty member, you probably already have a mentoring role with a few of the students. Be prepared for other students to need your attention as well. Some doctoral students will seek you out because their advisors or professors may be lacking something in the student’s judgement. The student is often mistaken or in too much of a hurry. However, there are times that their requests for support are legitimate. Listen to both students and faculty before making decisions that support the growth of one or both. If you keep it about the growth of students and faculty, then you will reach your goals.
Unfortunately, there are times when a student’s dispositions and/or actions are too frequent or too severe to handle in a supportive way. If a student persists in a disposition unbecoming of a doctoral student in your program, action is required. Doctoral student who cheat or lie must not be allowed to continue in your program. Disciplinary action in a doctoral program should be a rare thing. Sometimes it is the only way to effectively support the faculty, the other students, and the welfare of the university.