Document Type
Chapter
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Making Connections: A Handbook for Effective Formal Mentoring Programs in Academia
Editor
David Law & Nora Domínguez
Publisher
Utah State University
Publication Date
5-15-2023
First Page
405
Last Page
418
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Abstract
The Advancing Institutional Mentoring Excellence (AIME) pilot project was created at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center to address concerns by faculty of color regarding feelings of isolation, lack of representation, and suboptimal retention. The purpose of AIME was to foster an institutional culture of belonging and rigorously evaluate best practices for mentoring faculty of color toward promotion and tenure. AIME used a reciprocal mentoring model, in which both mentors and mentees increased self-efficacy and skills through a structured series of exercises and encounters. Senior faculty mentors were matched with junior faculty of color mentees through an electronic mentoring platform. The curriculum featured in-person training sessions based on an adapted RESPECT model and an AIME case study, designed to improve cross-cultural communication and interpersonal skills. The signature feature of this mentoring program was an emphasis on cognitive diversity, that is, the diverse mental tools that result from different identities and cultural backgrounds, experiences, education, and training. A mixed-methods evaluation used formative measures to gather feedback from mentors and mentees about the electronic mentoring platform and curriculum. Summative measures were used for demographic profiles and preprogram, postprogram, and follow-up surveys, as well as for focus group discussions and the “most significant change” narratives. Participants reported increased job satisfaction and satisfaction with the Health Sciences Center, as well as increased institutional connectedness and knowledge of promotion and tenure processes. Further expansion and assessment of AIME is needed to confirm findings from this pilot project regarding faculty of color retention and inclusion outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Romero-Leggott, Valerie; Myers, Orrin; Sussman, Andrew; and Hartley, Rebecca, "Chapter 23- Advancing Institutional Mentoring Excellence (AIME): An Institutional Inclusion Initiative" (2023). Making Connections. Paper 25.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/makingconnections/25