Transformation Through

Bidirectional Mentorship

Dr. Kat Ringenbach and Dr. Nakisha Castillo

Brandman University
Transition into Academic Culture
Experiences Barriers
1. Willingness 1. Acclimation and
navigation of
2. Level of expertise university culture
2. Balancing
professional/
personal life
 Definition
• Mentorship
– A reciprocal learning relationship characterized by trust,
respect, and commitment, in which a mentor supports
the professional and personal development of another
by sharing his or her life experiences, influence, and
expertise
• Transformational Mentorship
– Mentoring has evolved into a process of partnerships in
which individuals engage in the two-way transfer of
information and skills, fluidly reversing the roles of
mentor and mentee as warranted by the experiences
each brings to the relationship.
 Why Doesn’t Mentorship
Happen?
• Scarcity of appropriate senior-level mentors
• Time
• Lack of commitment between peers due to
the relationships not being self-initiated.
 Faculty to Faculty
• A less experienced educator acquires
competence through being involved with
one who demonstrates skills in teaching.
• Mentors provide models for teaching
excellence and to facilitate socialization.
Mentor Roles
Domains of Mentoring

Organizational
Knowledge

Psychosocial

Career
 Importance of Feedback,
Evaluation, and Reflection
• Feedback
• Acceptance
• Frequency and Quality
• Formal Versus Informal
• Evaluation is necessary for reflection
Values of Mentorship

• Mentor
• Mentee
• Organization
 Shifting the Dynamics
• Formal to informal
• Mentee to mentor
• Vulnerability to strength
• Unidirectional to bidirectional
 Transformation

• Mutual respect and admiration

• Finding value in the relationship
• Collaboration
 References
Bogert, V. V. (2016) Starting out: Experiences of new faculty at a teaching university:
Appalachian state university
Carmel, R. G. & Paul, M. W. (2015). Mentoring and coaching in academia: Reflections
on a mentoring/coaching relationship. Policy Futures in Education, 13(4), 479–
491
Kirk, J. (1992). Establishing a faculty mentoring program. ACA bulletin 79, 59-65.
Sands, R., Parson, A.L. &, Duane, J. (1991). Faculty mentoring faculty in a public
university. The Journal of Higher Education, 62 (2),174-193.
Stanley, C. & Lincoln, Y. (2005). Cross race faculty mentoring. Change, 44-50.
St. Clair, K,L. (1994). Faculty-to-faculty mentoring in the community college: An
instructional component of faculty development. Community College Review,
22, (3), 23-36.
Tillman, L. C. (2001). Mentoring African American faculty in predominantly white
institutions. Research in Higher Education, 42 (3), 295-325.
Zellers, D.F., Howard, V.M., & Barcic, M.A. (2008). Faculty mentoring programs:
Reenvisioning rather than reinventing the wheel. Review of Educational
Research, 78 (3), 552–588.
 Interracial Mentoring From a Relational
Perspectives: A Case Study of a Transformational
Process

Dr. Kat Ringenbach

and Dr. Nakisha Castillo
Brandman University
 Who We Are...How We Came to
this Work
Dr. Nakisha Castillo Dr. Kat Ringenbach
Understanding Academia Bias
Realistic Perspective
 Definitions
• Mentorship
• A reciprocal learning relationship characterized by trust, respect, and
commitment, in which a mentor supports the professional and personal
development of another by sharing his or her life experiences, influence,
and expertise
• Instrumental versus Relational Mentorship
• Mentoring has evolved into a process of partnerships in which individuals
engage in the two-way transfer of information and skills, fluidly reversing
the roles of mentor and mentee as warranted by the experiences each
brings to the relationship.
 Why Doesn’t Mentorship Happen?
• Scarcity of appropriate senior-level mentors
• Time
• Lack of commitment between peers due to
the relationships not being self-initiated
Mentoring
is part of
larger
systems
Shifting the Dynamics
• Formal to informal

• Vulnerability to
strength

• Unidirectional to
bidirectional

• Mentee to mentor
 Instrumental to Rational Perspective

• Mutual respect and admiration

• Finding value in the
relationship
• Collaboration
 Importance of Feedback, Evaluation, and
Reflection
• Feedback
• Acceptance
• Frequency and Quality
• Formal Versus Informal
• Evaluation is necessary for reflection
Values of Mentorship
Mentor
Mentee
Organization
Umoja

Harambee
 References
Allen, T.D., Eby, L.T., Poteet, M.L., Lentz, E., & Lima, L. (2004). Career benefits associated with mentoring for protégés: a meta-analysis.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(1),127–36. pmid:14769125
Bogert, V. V. (2016) Starting out: Experiences of new faculty at a teaching university. Appalachian state university
Blake-Beard,S., Murrell, A., & Thomas, D.A. (2006). Unfinished business: the Impact of race on understanding mentoring relationships.
Organizational Behavior, 6(60), 1-46.
Carmel, R. G. & Paul, M. W. (2015). Mentoring and coaching in academia: Reflections on a mentoring/coaching relationship. Policy
Futures in Education, 13(4), 479– 491
Chandler, D.E., Kramm K.E., & Yip, J. (2011). An ecological systems perspective on mentoring at work: A review and future prospects.
Academy of Management, 5(1), 519–70.
Ibarra, H. (1995). Race, opportunity and diversity of social circles in managerial networks. Academy of Management Journal, 38(3), 673-
703.
Kirk, J. (1992). Establishing a faculty mentoring program. ACA Bulletin, 79, 59-65.
Murrell, A. J., Blake-Beard, S. D., Porter, D. M. & Williamson, A. (under review). Interorganizational formal mentoring: An innovative
approach for cultivating diverse organizations.
Sands, R., Parson, A.L. &, Duane, J. (1991). Faculty mentoring faculty in a public university. The Journal of Higher Education, 62(2),174-
193.
Stanley, C. & Lincoln, Y. (2005). Cross race faculty mentoring. Change, 44-50.
St. Clair, K,L. (1994). Faculty-to-faculty mentoring in the community college: An instructional component of faculty development.
Community College Review, 22(3), 23-36.
Tillman, L. C. (2001). Mentoring African American faculty in predominantly white institutions. Research in Higher Education, 42(3), 295-
325.
Zellers, D.F., Howard, V.M., & Barcic, M.A. (2008). Faculty mentoring programs: Reenvisioning rather than reinventing the wheel. Review
of Educational Research, 78(3), 552–588.