Faculty Mentoring Needs a Makeover

In this recent article written by Maria LaMonaca Wisdom, assistant vice provost for faculty advancement at Duke University, for the Chronicle of Higher Education, she explores the dated model of faculty-staff mentoring. She encourages faculty to move away from being the “Revered Mentor” or expert and, instead, focus on building meaningful relationships based on the needs and goals of their mentees.

“The old approach — mentor as role model and advice giver — is no longer sustainable. To move forward as an academic mentor, you must rethink your role and purpose, from making it all about you, to making it much more about them.”