Impeccable advice: supporting women academics through supervision and mentoring

Abstract

At the time when Diana was writing A woman's guide to doctoral studies (2001), she was supervising a number of female doctoral students. She drew on some of their experiences in the writing of the book, and they in return benefited from the extensive insights she had about the politics of academic life that she portrays in her book. In this article, two of those students will reflect on the experience of working with Diana during this period of time, particularly in relation to her role as a mentor to younger academics. This article will engage with some of the issues from the perspective of those who were experiencing them at the time. The type of role model that she was able to be is unfortunately rarely found in higher education, now more than ever, given the changing context of higher education. The legacy that she left is therefore important to preserve. In doing so, the authors reflect on how her approach has influenced their own approach to supervision and on the importance of her legacy.