Mentorship
What is mentorship?
Mentorship is a relationship between two people where the individual with more experience, knowledge, and connections (i.e. the mentor) is able to pass along what they have learned to a more junior individual (i.e. the mentee) within a certain field.
The mentor benefits because they are able to lead the future generation in an area they care about and ensure that best practices are passed along; meanwhile, the mentee benefits because they have proven that they are ready to take the next step in their career and can receive the extra help needed to make that advancement.
Source: World Education Services
Expert Articles
Mentorship in Tandem with Leadership in Higher Education
This paper discusses the TANDEM mentorship program for new faculty, highlighting effective practices, challenges, and future exploration in faculty mentoring and leadership development.
Recruitment and Retention of Racially and Ethnically Minoritized Graduate Students in Educational Measurement Programs
Building on existing research in STEM and undergraduate education, this study explored the recruitment and retention experiences of racially and ethnically minoritized students in graduate-level assessment, measurement, and evaluation programs in the U.S., using a mixed methods approach with surveys from 98 students and follow-up interviews with 11; findings revealed that recruitment practices were minimal or absent, strong and consistent mentorship was crucial, financial struggles were a significant stressor, and many programs lacked the comprehensive curriculum needed for job market preparation, with recommendations for improving future practices.
Underrepresented faculty mentoring at a distance: program implementation and evaluation
Despite comprising over 30% of the U.S. population, underrepresented minority (URM) faculty hold only 10% of tenured positions, with disparities in recruitment, development, retention, and promotion largely due to a lack of mentoring; this study evaluated the effectiveness of a mentoring program for new URM faculty, matching them with URM mentors for monthly virtual mentoring, and found significant growth in teaching, advising, research, service, and subject matter mastery, with notable benefits including reduced isolation, relationship building, and increased understanding of tenure and promotion expectations.
A Cultural Wealth Approach to Understanding Latin@s’ STEM Mentee and Mentor Experiences
Despite the growing Latin@ population in postsecondary institutions, Latin@s remain underrepresented in the U.S. STEM workforce, and mentorship is crucial to fostering leadership and increasing representation in STEM; this study used focus groups and interviews to explore the experiences of five Latin@ college students in a STEM mentoring program at a Hispanic-serving institution, applying a community cultural wealth framework to highlight the culturally affirming practices that help Latin@s navigate the STEM pipeline and overcome institutional barriers.
More than meets the eye: Community cultural wealth as a theory for mentoring international students
International students bring diverse and valuable experiences to U.S. postsecondary education but often face numerous challenges, and this article proposes that mentoring practices be enhanced by applying Yosso’s theory of community cultural wealth to help faculty acknowledge and appreciate the capital international students bring to mentor-mentee relationships, particularly focusing on aspirational, familial, and linguistic forms of capital.
Burnout and scholarly productivity among junior counseling faculty: Mentoring as a moderator
This study examined the relationship between burnout and scholarly productivity, with mentoring as a moderator, among 145 full-time junior counseling faculty members in U.S. universities, finding that faculty burnout was negatively associated with scholarly productivity (r = −0.63) and that faculty mentoring moderated this relationship, with implications for employment within counseling programs and institutions.
ADDRESSING diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) in mentorship relationships
The growing racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity in the United States highlights the need for neuropsychologists to develop cultural competence to enhance patient care and increase practitioner diversity, with APA recognizing the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts to retain underrepresented practitioners and promote culturally competent practices; however, barriers such as lack of time and perceived incompetence in initiating DEIB conversations remain, and this paper aims to enhance supervisors’ and mentors’ self-efficacy in facilitating DEIB discussions by offering adapted models of cultural competence and a “tool kit” of experiential activities for neuropsychologists.
RE-ENVISIONING DOCTORAL MENTORSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES: A POWER-CONSCIOUS REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
This paper explores the barriers within U.S. doctoral education that affect the success of marginalized students and emphasizes the need for intentional mentorship that considers issues of equity and power, proposing a power-conscious framework to address these imbalances; through a comprehensive review of existing research, the paper highlights the framework’s potential to reshape doctoral mentorship, offering clear implications for mentorship practices, institutional policies, and future research, with each of its six foci providing guidance to enhance both formal and informal mentoring relationships.
Mentors’ Perceptions of Their African American Undergraduate Protégés’ Needs and Challenges
This exploratory qualitative study examined the perspectives of 10 African American mentors with STEM PhDs on the needs of their African American undergraduate protégés and the challenges that may hinder their success, finding that some protégés lack a sense of entitlement or confidence and require personalized guidance to navigate academic environments, with mentoring practices focused on increasing empowerment and providing tailored information as key opportunities to address these challenges.
Fostering a Sense of Community Among Black Faculty Through a Faculty Learning Community
Black faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) face unique challenges, including racism, lack of mentorship, tenure politics, and feelings of isolation, with many choosing self-isolation, conformity, and silence as coping strategies, which often fail to address psychological and social stress; this article, based on the experiences of six Black faculty participants in a faculty learning community (FLC) at a PWI, recommends that PWIs actively support the creation of safe spaces like FLCs to foster belonging and confidence, and employ a chief diversity officer to develop programs that enhance Black faculty experiences and success.
HOW TO BE A MENTOR IN THREE SCENES
Karen Rothenberg is a leading authority on genetics and the law, having served as Senior Advisor to the Director on Genomics & Society at the National Human Genome Research Institute, participated in various commissions, and testified before Congress; however, beyond her extensive accomplishments, she is also known for her mentorship and support of new scholars entering the evolving field of genetics law, with her love of the theatre inspiring the author to share three memorable vignettes of their interactions.
When Voices Are Left Unheard: BIPOC Doctoral Student Feedback Toward a Decolonized Curriculum
The National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP), which includes over 80 professional psychology doctoral programs in the U.S. and Canada, supports equity, diversity, and inclusion through its Ethnic and Racial Diversity Committee; in 2020, two doctoral students founded the Students of Color Council (SOCC) to provide mentorship and support for BIPOC doctoral students and offer feedback on antiracist education to the NCSPP Executive Committee. This article summarizes over a year of SOCC meetings, presenting a 10-point feedback set for faculty and administration to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in professional psychology programs, covering topics such as pedagogy, recruitment, student/faculty relationships, and program administration, with recommendations for faculty and administrators based on lived experiences.