Five Approaches to Faculty Mentoring
The table below describes five general approaches to faculty mentoring. Each of the five summaries includes a description of the approach, how it might look in practice, and a brief outline of benefits and issues to consider for that approach.
The five approaches are:
Informal Mentoring
One-to-One Mentoring
Cluster Mentoring
Unit Oversight Mentoring
Network Mentoring
We hope this document will be a helpful tool for deans, associate deans, department chairs, academic program directors, senior faculty, and junior faculty.
Informal Mentoring
Description |
Benefits and Issues |
Mentoring |
Implementation and Practices |
Definition:
- Informal mentoring arising spontaneously, as individuals interact during normal professional activities.
Assumptions:
- Formalized mentoring may be detrimental as it adds to faculty workloads.
- Natural interactions allow junior faculty to seek out advice in accord with their individual needs.
- The department is available as the definitive source of information, opportunities and resources.
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Relationships:
Mentors are not formally assigned. Instead, mentoring arises as people interact during:
- Committee meetings
- Collaborations in research or teaching
- Casual encounters: lunches, coffees, hallway conversations, and social gatherings.
- Ad hoc meetings are initiated by senior or junior faculty (“open-door” policy).
Junior faculty are the usual initiators:
- Junior faculty solicit advice from senior faculty that they select.
- Junior faculty develop their own interaction networks.
- Junior faculty interact with one another, for peer support and networking.
- Junior faculty seek information and advice from Department sources.
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Benefits:
- Mentoring relationships are not imposed; instead, they develop naturally.
- Faculty become self-sufficient and interact without suffering from imposed formal arrangements.
- Mentoring strategies are flexible and thus are adaptable to each department.
Issues:
- The onus is largely on junior faculty to seek mentoring.
- Junior faculty may be reluctant to seek out senior colleagues.
- Junior faculty may not know their needs, be able to articulate their needs, or understand what resources are available to address their needs.
- Senior faculty may not view mentoring activity as an important component of their work or the department’s mission.
- Interactions may not develop naturally.
The unique needs of special faculty groups may be overlooked. |
One-on-One Mentoring
Description |
Benefits and Issues |
Mentoring |
Implementation and Practices |
Definition:
- In this system, mentoring is formally established as a one-on-one relationship between junior and senior faculty.
- Terms are variable and may include:
- Long-term commitments
- One-year terms
- Rotating assignments changed at regular intervals
- The mentoring may incorporate individual or departmental reviews.
Assumptions:
- The administration is committed to mentoring.
- A single mentor can best satisfy the needs of junior faculty.
- Senior faculty have the knowledge needed to serve as mentors.
- Junior faculty benefit from interactions with someone familiar with their work.
- Faculty have sufficient time to foster meaningful mentoring relationships.
- Mentors and mentees can find areas of compatibility.
- Both junior and senior faculty benefit from mentoring relationships.
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Ways of assigning mentors :
- Formally assigned based on research interests.
- Junior faculty selects mentor.
- Senior faculty selects mentee.
Activities:
- Meetings are regular and periodic.
- Issues are defined jointly or arise from either the mentee or the mentor.
- Junior faculty needs, timeframe, and expectations are discussed formally.
- Research and publications are discussed formally.
- The mentor oversees progress towards tenure.
- The mentor aids networking in the research field.
- The mentor facilitates participation in professional activities, grant writing, and reviewing.
- The mentor and mentee may collaborate in research and teaching.
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Benefits:
- This system can lead to long-term professional relationships and friendships.
- Junior faculty may gain an ally and advocate.
- Senior faculty may become reenergized or more invested in the department.
Issues:
- Dyads may be incompatible.
- Changing partners can be awkward.
- One mentor may not satisfy all needs.
- Time constraints may prevent regular interactions.
- Senior faculty may lack incentives to invest time in mentoring.
- Departments may have too few mentors who are knowledgeable and willing to serve.
- Competitiveness may hinder good mentoring.
- Interdisciplinary appointments can complicate mentoring arrangements.
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Cluster Mentoring
Description |
Benefits and Issues |
Mentoring |
Implementation and Practices |
Definition:
- In this system, a group of senior faculty is formally assigned to each junior faculty member, to give advice on both personal and professional concerns.
- Mentees may meet with the entire committee, or with individuals.
Assumptions:
- The administration is committed to mentoring.
- Senior faculty are preferred as mentors.
- Senior faculty may lack sufficient time to foster meaningful one-on-one interactions.
- No single individual possesses all the knowledge necessary for mentoring.
- Junior faculty need to receive multiple perspectives.
- Both junior and senior faculty benefit from mentoring relationships.
- Personal concerns can have an impact on professional development and are thus a valid issue for mentoring.
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Implementation :
- The composition of the group may reflect the diverse needs of mentees.
- Committee members may be chosen based on research and teaching interests or other relevant experience.
- Assignments may be made yearly.
- Committees and junior faculty may be reviewed periodically.
Activities:
- Meetings are regular and periodic.
- Meetings jointly define junior faculty needs, timeframe, and expectations.
- Research and publications are discussed.
- The committee oversees progress towards tenure.
- Committee members aid networking in the field and facilitate participation in professional activities.
- The mentors and mentee may collaborate in research and teaching.
- The committee addresses personal concerns such as balancing work and family obligations.
- The group serves as the gateway for unit, school/college, and university resources.
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Benefits:
- Junior faculty can access the knowledge and resources of several senior faculty.
- The aggregate strengths and knowledge of several senior mentors provides a more holistic experience.
- Having multiple potential mentors makes it easier to schedule a one-on-one meeting with a mentor.
- If rapport is not established with one mentor, others are readily available.
- Group dynamics facilitate interactions that may enhance research and teaching of all committee members.
Issues:
- Senior faculty members may not interact well with one another.
- Conflicting advice may obscure what is important and confuse mentees.
- Oversight is needed to resolve conflicting advice.
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Unit Oversight Mentoring
Description |
Benefits and Issues |
Mentoring |
Implementation and Practices |
Definition:
- In oversight mentoring, the chair (or unit director), perhaps in consultation with a committee, mentors junior faculty and monitors their progress.
- Mentoring focuses on tenure and promotion.
- Existing tenure and promotion criteria provide specific guidelines.
Assumptions:
- Administrative leadership symbolizes departmental interest in junior faculty development.
- Focusing on tenure and promotion is the most appropriate framework for mentoring.
- The chair is the most appropriate individual to mentor.
- The chair is the most accurate and relevant source of information for mentoring.
- Junior faculty benefit from ongoing interactions with the chair.
- Junior faculty can access campus resources as needed.
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Ways of assigning mentors:
- The mentor is the unit chair.
- The chair may mentor in conjunction with a standing or ad hoc committee.
Activities:
- Meetings are regular and periodic.
- Research and publications are discussed.
- The chair and mentee jointly define junior faculty needs, timeframe, and expectations.
- The chair oversees progress towards tenure, grant writing and teaching.
- The chair aids networking in the field and facilitates participation in professional activities.
- The chair may provide assistance with personal concerns such as balancing work and family obligations.
- The chair serves as the gateway for unit, school/college, and university resources.
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Benefits:
- Chairs are actively engaged in junior faculty development.
- Junior faculty receive feedback and information pertinent to their own unit.
- The emphasis on tenure and promotion keeps the mentee focused on activities that support professional development.
Issues:
- Linking mentoring to tenure and promotion could marginalize unassociated career development activities.
- Chairs may have a heavy burden if they are wholly responsible for the professional guidance of all junior faculty members.
- Other issues, such as personal concerns, may be ignored.
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Network Mentoring
Description |
Benefits and Issues |
Mentoring |
Implementation and Practices |
Definition:
In network mentoring, the culture supports continuous mentoring, so that people within the unit serve as mutual resources for one another.
- This system blends administrative leadership, departmental involvement, and junior faculty initiative.
- This system is not an explicit mentoring program; instead, mentoring arises through ongoing academic work.
Assumptions:
- Junior faculty mentoring is a unit responsibility.
- No one individual possesses all the knowledge needed for mentoring.
- Senior faculty may have insufficient time to foster meaningful mentoring relationships on their own.
- Junior faculty are expected to take advantage of resources that are available.
- Senior faculty and administrators are expected to readily assist junior faculty.
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Implementation:
- A collaborative system arises through normal departmental activities.
- Junior and senior faculty work together on projects, committee work, and in professional societies.
- Structures can be flexible:
Particular faculty may be responsible for providing particular types of information.
An “open-door” policy can facilitate junior faculty willingness to seek advice.
Senior faculty can periodically check up on the progress of junior colleagues.
Chairs and directors can oversee junior faculty progress.
Relationships:
- Interactions can range from traditional dyads to collaborative partnerships with multiple colleagues.
- This system also promotes peer support and interactions among junior faculty.
- This system seeks to build a culture that incorporates mentoring into natural departmental functions.
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Benefits:
- Mentoring becomes viewed as a collective responsibility.
- This system fosters greater collegiality among all members.
- Junior faculty become socialized to embrace collegial development and to serve in turn as mentors.
- Junior faculty receive multiple perspectives on professional issues, rather than relying on a single individual or group for guidance.
- All faculty make connections across a broader spectrum of professional interests.
Issues:
- Junior faculty must be willing to initiate contact.
- Senior faculty and administrators must be committed to continually participate in mentoring.
- Senior faculty commitment may be hampered by a lack of incentives.
- Responsibility for tracking progress of junior faculty may become too diffused.
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