CMG Mentor Program

CMG is eager to assist its members in their professional development. One key aspect of this involves the papers presented at the annual conference and published via the Proceedings. Paper presentations by the membership form the core of the conference and all members are encouraged to contribute their knowledge and experiences in the field. But, the Program Committee recognizes that potential authors may be reluctant to submit a paper for a variety of reasons, including:

Aren't sure they (potential authors) have a topic of interest worth writing about.
Don't think they can put together a quality paper.
Don't feel they can make an effective presentation if they end up with an accepted paper.
Are intimidated trying to think of themselves as "competing with the experts".
Are not sure of the paper submission process.

To address these concerns, the Program Committee offers potential authors personalized assistance through the Mentor Program. For those potential authors requesting assistance, a volunteer mentor will be assigned to provide editorial and development assistance throughout the paper process, beginning with assistance in creating the abstract, guidance through the review process, and if accepted, assistance getting the paper edited and the presentation set up. The nature and amount of assistance is negotiated between the potential author and the mentor.

To participate in this program as a potential author requesting assistance, interested authors need to identify themselves EARLY in the paper submission process. To this end, we recommend the following:

Identify yourself to the Program Chair as having an interest in the Mentor Program (Feb. timeframe).
Work with the Program Chair to identify what areas of assistance are desired.
Prepare and submit an initial abstract, outline, or paper draft to the Program Chair.
The Program Chair will match the potential author with a mentor and provide introductions.
The potential author and the mentor will negotiate the type of assistance wanted and the level of involvement by the mentor.
Prepare a draft of the paper by the Abstract Due Date.
Work out a timeline such that the paper will be completed in time to submit by the deadline.
Submit the paper for the review process. This should be the final version of the paper, and it will be reviewed via the "blind referee" process. (No special considerations are given in this phase.)
If the paper is accepted, then participation of the mentor can continue through the next phases.
The Editorial Review Board will assign an editor to work with the author (and mentor, if desired) to make the paper camera ready for publication. This process is completed by mid-September.
Presentation foils, practice runs at a CMG Regional Meeting, and/or taking advantage of giving a Dry Run on-site at CMG are options that also may be considered for assistance by the mentor.

To volunteer in this program as a mentor assisting a potential author, please complete the volunteer request form.

For those potential authors who find themselves truly concerned about "stage fright", the Author Mentor Program encourages partnering with a co-author who is willing to present the paper if accepted. If a co-author is desired but one is not readily available, contact the Program Chair and assistance will be given to locate a possible co-author.

For more information see the Mentor FAQ or email