From Mentorship to Tenureship: A Storied Inquiry of Two Academic Careers in Education

Demystifying mentorship: Tips for successfully navigating the mentor–mentee journey

“…For the mentee, receiving strong career and psychosocial mentorship results in greater job satisfaction, a greater likelihood of staying in their current position, feeling more confident in career decisions, a greater sense of professional competence, stronger skill development, a larger professional network, improved productivity, and improved outcomes such achieving promotions and attaining higher salaries (Allen et al, 2004; Dreher & Ash, 1990; Kram, 1988; Spivey‐Mooring & Apprey, 2014; Tenenbaum et al, 2001). Other work, and our own personal experiences, demonstrate that mentorship can also provide “insider information” on how to navigate often labyrinthine institutional systems such as the tenure and promotion process, how granting foundations operate, Institutional Review Board procedures, human resources, and internal mechanisms for funding and support (Dua, 2007; Parker & Scott, 2010).…”

“…We each need peer, intra‐departmental, inter‐departmental, intra‐field, and adjacent‐field mentors (as depicted in Figure 1), in this way the pressure to supply or receive all the benefits of quality mentorship do not fall on one individual's shoulders. Even more critically, a broad network provides a much needed diversity of backgrounds and perspectives that can greatly enhance one's professional and personal life (Allen et al, 2004; Brunsma et al, 2017; Dua, 2007; Godbee & Novotny, 2013; Noy & Ray, 2012; Parker & Scott, 2010; Reddick et al, 2012; Spivey‐Mooring & Apprey, 2014; Tenenbaum et al, 2001).…”

“…Although tenure‐track (pre‐tenure) faculty have access to substantially more support and resources than contingent faculty, they also face a number of barriers to adequate mentorship. New pre‐tenure faculty are faced with integrating into a new department and institution; balancing research, teaching, and service duties; and navigating the often‐treacherous path to tenure (Goerisch et al, 2019; Parker & Scott, 2010). Multiple lines of research have found that pre‐tenure faculty do not feel adequately supported particularly during their first few years in a new position (Boice, 1992, 2000; Mullen, 2000; Mullen & Forbes, 2010; Tynan & Garbett, 2007; Whicker et al, 1993).…”

“…This heightened emotional labor experienced by women of color is a double‐edged sword as these scholars are more likely to mentor students of color, be expected to work on diversity committees, and conduct more service with less of an impact on a tenure‐track portfolio, all while experiencing microaggressions and questions about their qualifications (Croom, 2017; Holmes, 2007; Holmes, 2008; Subbaraman, 2020). Much like graduate students, pre‐tenure faculty members benefit from having a broad network of mentors, some of whom mirror their own identity (Chandler, 1996; Croom, 2017; Dua, 2007; Grant & Simmons, 2008; Moses, 1989; Parker & Scott, 2010; Wasburn, 2007).…”

Examining the Role of Friendship in Mentoring Relationships between Graduate Students and Faculty Advisors

“…Mentoring in academia can take many forms, including peer mentoring among undergraduate or graduate students (e.g., Dorsey & Baker, 2004), between more experienced and less experienced faculty members (e.g., Ciuffetelli Parker & McQuirter Scott, 2010;Griffin & Beatty, 2012) and most commonly, between graduate students and faculty members (e.g., Tenenbaum, Crosby, & Gliner, 2001). The mentoring relationships that develop between graduate students and faculty members have been found to play a critical role in graduate students' success, and not having an advisor or experiencing mismatches in these critical relationships impacts doctoral student attrition (Golde, 2005;Lovitts, 2001).…”