Advocate Online

Thriving in Academe
Issues To Consider

New Horizons in Mentoring
Alternative approaches can overcome the barriers to mentoring.

Are there effective alternatives to one-on-one mentoring?
A group approach to mentoring has several advantages. A group format eliminates the problems that can result from forced pairing by affording group members—junior and senior faculty—the chance to become acquainted during meetings and to self-select mentoring dyads if they so desire. Also, the spirit of community engendered in a group can be even more effective than one-on-one mentoring in alleviating the stress of isolation and loneliness that can plague new professors. In a sense, the group itself becomes a powerful mentor by giving members a feeling of belonging and affiliation, adding peer support to their mix of resources, building a lasting network of colleagues, and exposing them to a rich array of perspectives.

Informal peer relationships—those that have little or no structure—are another means of exchanging information, giving job-related feedback, and strategizing about careers. A continuum also operates here, from information peer to collegial peer to the rarest form, the “special peer” relationship, in which a mutual and lasting bond is forged. The equivalent of a close friendship, it can be intimate and emotionally satisfying, providing many of the psychosocial functions of more formal, one-on-one mentoring.

With so much to be gained from mentoring, why isn’t it a standard feature of academic life?
A not-so-secret truism about the environment on college and university campuses is that it is not always very collegial, because individual effort is often valued over collaboration. The lack of formal organizational structures also mitigates against making connections with potential mentors. New and junior faculty frequently complain that older professors offer little concrete help of the sort that mentors might provide, such as co-authoring articles, working jointly on research projects, reviewing grant proposals or manuscripts, sharing syllabi, visiting their classrooms, or consulting about problems with students. On the other hand, incoming faculty seldom initiate interaction with established scholars, seek out advisors, or ask for help. With the continued growth of the number of faculty development programs, however, colleges and universities have begun to remove barriers by creating opportunities, rewards, and incentives for mentoring.

return to "Thriving in Academe"