3rd Edition
On Being a Mentor A Guide for Higher Education Faculty
This third edition of a classic, On Being a Mentor, is the definitive guide to the art and science of engaging students and faculty in effective mentoring relationships in all academic disciplines.
Written for professors and academic leaders with pithy clarity, the text is rooted in the latest research on developmental relationships in higher educational settings and offers concrete mentoring strategies and best practices. OBM is infused with an equity-minded approach, and challenges faculty to foster cultures and leverage developmental relationships that honor mentees’ identities to promote inclusion, equity, and belonging. The authors couple this call with evidence-based rules of engagement for mentoring—including both relational and career mentoring tactics—as well as methods for forming and managing these relationships. The authors provide mentors with a road map to being ethical and managing relationship problems, and leaders will gain insights into selecting and training mentors, assessing mentorship outcomes, and cultivating a mentoring culture.
Chock full of illustrative case-vignettes, reflection questions, and suggested readings, this book is the ideal guidebook for faculty and training tool for mentoring workshops. It will be a fantastic volume of reference for graduate students in colleges, universities, and professional schools in all academic fields including the social and behavioral sciences, education, natural sciences, humanities, and business, legal, and medical schools.
Part I: On Mentoring
- Why Mentoring Matters
- The Mentoring Relationship Continuum
- Equity-Minded Mentoring
- Mentoring Constellations: It Takes a Village
Part II: On Being a Mentor
- Foundational Mentor Competencies: Who Mentors Are
- Functional Mentoring Competencies I: Interpersonal/Relational Skills
- Functional Mentoring Competencies II: Career Advocacy Skills
- The Ethical Mentor
- Mentorship Across the Arc of Higher Education
Part III: Managing Mentorships
- Diagnosis and Management of Mentorship Dysfunction
- Assessing Mentoring Outcomes
- Creating a Mentoring-Rich Culture: Recommendations for Academic Leaders
Notes
References
Index
Biography
W. Brad Johnson, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at the United States Naval Academy and Faculty Associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University.
Kimberly A. Griffin, Ph.D. is Professor of Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy and Dean of the College of Education at the University of Maryland.
As many predict generative artificial intelligence will usher in an age of digital companions, Brad Johnson and Kimberly Griffin remind us of the centrality of real human relationships—authentic, honest, and deeply caring—to understanding ourselves and our purpose in a complex world. The research in this book demonstrates why mentoring and human relationships are – and always will be – at the very heart of what higher education should be about, and why time devoted to quality mentoring is so impactful and rewarding.
Peter Felten and Leo M. Lambert, Elon University, co-authors of Relationship-Rich Education: How Human Connections Drive Student Success
This book is a brilliant resource for faculty as they embark on their journey in the academy and for experienced deans aiming to strengthen mentoring across higher education. The vibrant cases draw the reader into a variety of key situations, driving home why mentors need to develop a range of competencies, approach mentoring with an equity mindset, and consider the ethics of their behavior. A must read!
Becky Wai-Ling Packard, Mary E. Woolley Professor of Psychology and Education, Mount Holyoke College, USA
For nearly two decades, On Being a Mentor: A Guide for Faculty in Higher Education has guided academicians seeking to understand and enhance their mentoring relationships with students and peers. In this third edition, leading scholars Kimberly Griffin and Brad Johnson illuminate best practices in developmental relationships, with a focus on equity-based mentorship. On Being a Mentor: A Guide for Faculty in Higher Education is a crucial and empowering resource for faculty seeking to lift young scholars as they climb, creating a more inclusive future for higher education.
Richard J. Reddick, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Undergraduate College, Distinguished Service Professor, The University of Texas of Austin
Mentoring is a high impact practice which few are formally prepared to do effectively. Brad Johnson and Kimberly Griffin combine their expertise to bring a refreshed treatise to this new edition of On Being a Mentor. Their synthesis of the scholarship and application of effective mentorship describes and prescribes evidence-based practices as well as policies that will promote mentoring excellence in higher education. For both new mentors and established mentors who want to elevate their mentoring, this is a must have book in your library.
Angela Byars-Winston, Chair of the Institute for Diversity Science and the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison
