Building a culture of mentorship at Ohio State where faculty can learn from one another, feel supported, and share their knowledge and expertise in ways that elevate people, departments and the university.
Empowering faculty through mentorship
When mentoring is embraced and celebrated, faculty are empowered, departments are strengthened, and the university’s academic community as a whole thrives. A culture of mentoring is not simply about individual achievement—it is about building a shared environment where every faculty member can grow, contribute, and succeed. It flourishes in a culture of collaboration and mutual support—one that welcomes diverse ways for faculty to share and access knowledge and expertise and inspires individuals and departments, colleges and universities, to grow stronger together.
The Faculty Mentoring Academy will serve as a central pillar of this effort, designed to cultivate meaningful connections, share expertise, and empower faculty at every career stage. By investing in mentoring, Ohio State affirms its commitment to creating an environment where faculty thrive—where professional growth is sustained, scholarly impact is amplified, and the university’s mission of excellence is realized.
https://provost.uoregon.edu/mentorship
2025 Faculty Mentoring Study
The 2025 Faculty Mentoring Study offers critical insights into faculty mentoring across leading academic institutions. A review of 21 university-wide mentoring programs at Big Ten and peer universities, and virtual interviews with vice provosts and administrators, provided insights into best practices and common challenges. At Ohio State, conversations with deans, associate deans and chairs of TIUs were complemented by university-wide IRB-approved surveys targeting tenure-line faculty, as well as eight focused groups with clinical, teaching, research and practice faculty. These multifaceted approaches reveal a comprehensive picture of how effective mentoring can be developed and sustained, providing guidance for institutions seeking to strengthen support for their faculty.
Key Takeaways
- TIUs are already central to faculty mentoring.
- Most frequently cited source of support for faculty to learn what they need to succeed.
- Primary source of formal and informal mentoring.
- Still, many chairs and directors may need support as mentors.
- Outside mentoring matters too.
- Both formal and informal mentoring are important.
- Informal mentoring perceived as most valued and impactful form of support across career stages.
- A large majority of faculty have mentors.
- A significant minority do not.
- Tenured associate professors and tenured full professors hold misaligned views on TAP mentoring.
- Consistent barrier across ranks: limited time, interest, or engagement of more senior faculty.
- Consistent with chairs and directors’ concerns
Goals and Principles
Goals of Faculty Mentoring at Ohio State
- Share knowledge and expertise to advance faculty success through approaches that are accessible and equitable.
- Promote individual faculty growth, success, and achievement.
- Institutional excellence across the university, colleges, and tenure-initiating units (TIUs).
- Faculty retention.
- Embed faculty into the broader academic community.
- Foster a collaborative, mutual, inclusive faculty culture that spans all career stages and tracks, including emeriti.
Guiding Principles of Faculty Mentoring at Ohio State
- Local Catalyst for Change. Tenure-initiating Units (TIUs) are the cornerstone of faculty mentoring. Tenured full professors are primarily responsible for cultivating, leading, and modeling a mentoring culture in their TIUs.
- Champions and Advocates. Colleges and regional campuses champion and support the mentoring work of TIUs.
- Vision and Purpose. Provost office cultivates a shared vision and purpose, articulating clear expectations of faculty across career stages and tracks, and aligning strategies for faculty success with institutional priorities.
- Empowerment. Faculty are empowered to invest in and craft their personal mentoring journeys.
- Consistent Messaging. Affirming messaging around faculty mentoring is clearly and consistently communicated across a variety of platforms, from the provost first and the Office of Academic Affairs as well as by colleges and TIUs.
- Collaboration and Mutuality. Mentoring culture is positive and affirming, celebrating and encouraging collaboration, reciprocity, and mutual investment in success for individual faculty and TIUs as well as for colleges and the university.
- Flexibility and Freedom. There is no universal mentoring model. Flexibility, adaptability, and autonomy are essential. Mentoring programs are nimble and free to be responsive to the unique culture and evolving needs of faculty and their TIUs.
- Dual Approach. Both formal and informal mentoring are essential. Formal mentoring primarily helps clarify expectations and promotion processes, while informal mentoring—often regarded as the most valuable—builds collaboration, fosters community, and promotes knowledge sharing and guidance.
- Diversity and Inclusion. The diverse personalities, strengths, and mentoring styles of faculty—as well as their varied needs—are acknowledged and affirmed. Contributions to the sharing of knowledge and expertise, in all their forms, are recognized as integral to a thriving academic community.
- Celebration. Contributions to mentoring are recognized and honored in a variety of innovative ways that are celebratory and affirming
Engage with the research.
Ohio State has a strong foundation of work dedicated to strengthening faculty mentoring.
