Developing a Cross-Disciplinary Mentoring Program in Higher Education

The absence of mentoring opportunities for faculty teaching in higher education settings frequently results in diminished capacity to serve. This paper reviews the research regarding the science of mentoring and examines the application of mentoring programs and models in university settings. In a large, Midwestern research university, the authors conducted a needs assessment with the expressed purpose of using the results to propose a data-dive model for implementation across a large college at the research university. The authors designed their investigation with social learning theory perspectives in mind. The literature review and the survey results supported the development of a purposeful mentoring program within and across communities of professional practice.