Mentorship

MENTORSHIP

The university supports faculty as they build their network of mentors, while simultaneously developing their own skills as a culturally responsive mentor of students and junior faculty.

This work is supported by the Provost Mentorship Fellow. Learn more about the Provost Fellows Program.

Read the Principles

Faculty Members

Graduate Students

Undergraduate Students

Aspiring Mentors

Strategies Groups

What is Mentorship?

Mentorship describes the structured, intentional, and sustained relationships that guide and support an individual’s professional growth. Research on mentoring suggests that the following principles are characteristics of highly effective mentoring.

Culturally Responsive: A culturally responsive mentor recognizes the different experiences and identities within the mentoring relationship, honors those differences, and reinforces their mentee’s self-efficacy. Mentees are in charge of their own learning, with mentors operating as guides or coaches.

Network Based: A network model of mentoring involves a rich constellation of formal and informal relationships with a variety of professional colleagues, each supporting the mentee according to their own competencies, skills, and lived experiences.

Reciprocal: Reciprocal mentorship recognizes that mentees can bring complementary knowledge and experiences to the relationship. It functions as a creative and dynamic alliance in which all parties regularly engage in identifying, communicating, and investing time working toward developmental goals.

Adaptive: Mentoring changes with the needs of mentees, reflecting the mentees’ current career stage, professional goals, and need for guidance. Over time, adaptive mentoring relationships develop beyond transactional, hierarchical structures into ones in which all parties move between expert and learner roles as appropriate.

Build your own mentorship network

At UO we recognize that there is no such thing as one magical mentor who will have all the answers. Instead, we support the idea of a mentoring network. The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity offers a Mentoring Map as a guide.

► Mentoring Map template from NCFDD
► Academic Impressions networking course
► LinkedIn course on being a good mentee

Resources for Faculty Members & Graduate Students

New faculty members

The UO New Faculty Success Program offers the opportunity to build relationships with others joining the university and get your questions answered.

The New Faculty Group Mentorship Program helps with developing a mentorship network and honing the skills needed to be successful.

Tenure-track faculty members

The External Mentor Program supports the work of faculty who are early career and underrepresented on campus and those whose research or creative activity focuses on diversity-related issues.

Recently tenured faculty members

A Peer Mentorship Program helps faculty members navigate this exciting transition.

Recently promoted career faculty members

A Peer Mentorship Program supports those taking their first promotional step.

New campus leaders

The Peer Leadership Coaching Program partners UO Leadership Academy graduates with new leaders.

College of Design faculty

The College of Design Mentoring Program is a group-based program for all faculty in the college.

Women's Innovation Network

The Women's Innovation Network (WIN) helps UO faculty and graduate student entrepreneurs navigate gender-based barriers to bringing their research to market or launching a business.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity

Pre-tenure faculty, tenured faculty, post-doctoral scholars, and doctoral students can activate a free membership to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity.

Other graduate student mentorship resources

See the Division of Graduate Studies Best Practices guide.

Resources for Undergraduate Students

Academic Advising PeerLink

PeerLink Advisors provide UO students with academic advising and mentorship, connecting them with campus resources, helping identify academic or co-curricular opportunities, and serving as a comfortable and continuous point of contact

Peer Advisors for Veterans Education

PAVE is a peer support program connecting incoming student veterans with those already on campus. Mentors can help with navigating college life, identify challenges they are facing, refer them to resources on or off campus, and provide ongoing support to their academic and personal ventures.

Intercultural Mentoring Program Advancing Community Ties

IMPACT is a peer-to-peer mentoring program for students of color and first-generation college students. IMPACT student coordinators support first-year and transfer students, offering the opportunity to be part of a community that is comfortable, accepting, and truly yours.

Lundquist College of Business Flight School

This program is designed specifically for first-year and new transfer business students. Flight School will help you launch your academic journey and set you up for success.

Courses & trainings

Multiple online tools are available to UO faculty, students, and staff who want to improve their mentorship skills. LinkedIn Learning and Academic Impressions provide numerous professional development resources on mentorship.

► Log in to LinkedIn Learning
► Request access to Academic Impressions