Faculty Mentoring at Ohio State

Empowering faculty, driving institutional excellence

Faculty mentoring is foundational to success at Ohio State. It empowers faculty, strengthens academic communities, and advances the university’s commitment to excellence.

Mutuality | Collaboration | Unity | Reciprocity

Why faculty mentoring matters

Faculty mentoring drives professional success and well being.

Mentoring at Ohio State extends across the academic lifespan — from graduate education through faculty hiring, development and advancement. Our 2025 university-wide faculty mentoring study highlights the enduring role of dissertation advisors in faculty success, even into the rank of tenured professor.

Recognizing this continuity, Faculty Affairs works in collaboration with the Graduate School to encourage a seamless, lifelong mentoring pathway. Embedding graduate mentoring within the broader faculty mentoring culture supports graduate students who aspire to academic careers and strengthens Ohio State’s academic community over time.

This investment supports graduate students today while reinforcing faculty excellence for generations. As future alumni and colleagues, graduate students remain integral to Ohio State’s broader academic community.

It’s about faculty supporting one another through guidance, collaboration and generous sharing of knowledge and expertise. Ohio State is committed to building a culture of mentoring where faculty feel supported, learn from one another, and share their knowledge and expertise in ways that elevate individuals, departments and the university.

Recognizing the value of its faculty and their contributions, Ohio State affirms mentoring as a core institutional value. Building on the strong mentoring practices already shaping our academic community, the university is poised to deepen and extend mentoring cultures within units and colleges, while strengthening shared guidance, resources and accountability that sustain an equitable, effective and enduring mentoring culture.

Benefits of faculty mentoring

Faculty members who receive mentoring report greater clarity around promotion and tenure, stronger research productivity, higher job satisfaction and better overall well being. Whether through formal pairings or informal relationships, mentoring helps faculty navigate expectations, grow professionally and feel a strong sense of belonging. For the institution, a mentoring culture builds community, increases retention, and creates the networks that fuel innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. In addition, mentoring:

Expands skills development
Encourages motivation
Promotes knowledge sharing and collaboration across tenure-initiating units (department, school or college)
Increases retention

Goals of faculty mentoring

Support faculty success at every career stage through accessible, equitable and collaborative professional relationships
Share knowledge and expertise that strengthens mentoring relationships and academic work
Strengthen faculty connection and retention through a supportive mentoring community
Advance institutional excellence across the university, colleges and tenure initiating units (TIUs)
Build a collaborative, inclusive faculty culture across roles, tracks and career stages, including emeriti

2025 university-wide faculty mentoring study

The Ohio State University Faculty Mentoring Report, Recommendations, and Guidelines (2025) was developed through an extensive, multi method study of mentoring at Ohio State and peer institutions, resulting in an evidence based, university wide framework for faculty mentoring.

The study

Reviewed 21 Big Ten and peer university mentoring programs
Interviewed vice provosts and senior administrators of peer institutions
Engaged with deans and associate deans from 14 colleges and three regional campuses
Analyzed college and campus websites
Conducted focus groups with department chairs and school directors
Conducted IRB‑approved surveys with 623 tenure‑line faculty
Conducted focus groups with Clinical, Teaching, and Practice (CTP) faculty

Together, the data provide a rich, university wide picture of faculty mentoring strengths, needs and opportunities.

What we learned

Faculty mentoring supports success, retention and institutional excellence. When mentoring is intentional and well supported, it builds community, encourages the sharing of expertise and strengthens faculty engagement.

Study highlights include

TIUs are the most frequently cited contexts in which faculty learn how to be successful across ranks and career stages.
A large majority of senior faculty express strong interest in mentoring others, representing a valuable and engaged mentoring resource.
Faculty especially value informal mentoring for trust and connection, alongside formal programs that provide structure for professional success.
Mentoring is strongest when institutionally supported, with clear expectations, recognition, and alignment with promotion and review processes.

“She is generous with her time and feedback. She is a rigorous scientist and will ask the hard questions that only make my work and my trainee’s work better for both research and grant strategies.”

Assistant professor, College of Arts and Sciences