Faculty Mentoring at Drexel University
Definition of Mentoring
Mentoring has long been considered a powerful way to enhance the personal and professional development and wellbeing of faculty members. Traditional models are frequently based on one-on-one relationships between a senior faculty member who gives career development advice and support to a more junior mentee or protégé. However, more recently mentoring has evolved and new models and approaches, supported by research and documented experiences have become available. These mentoring models include innovative, flexible, and faculty-driven models of mentoring networks that encourage faculty at all stages of their academic careers to engage in multiple, goal-oriented and targeted mentoring relationships that address their unique situation and individual needs. Informal mentoring relationships develop without organizational support and the mentoring usually does not follow a structured process. Formal mentoring refers to a structured process supported by the organization that is addressed to specific target populations. These mentoring initiatives may or may not be framed with specific goals in mind, follow a given process, and can have a defined duration.
Benefits of Mentoring
- Attracts talent
- Facilitates personal and professional development and growth
- Increases productivity and satisfaction
- Promotes faculty commitment and retention
- Increases collaboration among junior and senior faculty members
- Improves success of new, underrepresented and diverse faculty
- Provides opportunities for reflection and renewal throughout a teaching and/or research career
- Facilitates the development of future organizational leadership and contributes to institutional succession planning
- Promotes a positive organizational culture
Resources on Faculty Mentoring
Presentations
Books
Bland, Carole J., Taylor, A.L., Shollen, S.L., Weber-Main, A.M. & P.A. Mulcahy. Faculty Success through Mentoring: A Guide for Mentors, Mentees, and Leaders. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2009.
Ragins, Belle Rose, and Kathy E. Kram, eds. The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, And Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2007.
Articles
Genz, Pat; Levin, Shirlee and Bishop, Rex. (1996). “Putting It Together: Developing a Faculty Mentoring Program.” Charles County Community College, La Plata, MD.
Menges, Christine. (2016). “Toward Improving the Effectiveness of Formal Mentoring Programs: Matching by Personality Matters.” In: Group & Organization Management 2016, Vol. 41(1), pp. 98-129. Sage Publishing.
Nick, Jan M. et. al. (2012) “Best Practices in Academic Mentoring: A Model for Excellence.” Nursing Research and Practice, Volume 2012. Hindawi Publishing Corporation. 9 pages.
O'Meara, Kerry Ann; LaPointe Terosky, Aimee (2010). “Engendering Faculty Professional Growth.“ In: Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 42:6, pp. 44-51
University of Michigan, Advance Program. Giving and Getting Career Advice: A Guide for Junior and Senior Faculty. http://advance.umich.edu/resources/CareerAdvising.pdf [Accessed last 1/18/2017]
University of Michigan, Advance Program. Giving and Getting Career Advice: A Guide for Junior and Senior Research Faculty. http://advance.umich.edu/resources/CareerAdvising-Research.pdf [Accessed last 1/18/2017]