What is a Mentoring Relationship?

Forms of mentoring can vary in modality and duration, and can encompass:

• Personal face-to-face interactions.
• Telephone/videoconference conversations.
• E-mentoring: online mentoring communities that facilitate mentor/protégé connections.

In academic settings mentoring occurs in a variety of relationships, including:

• Administrator-to-faculty mentoring.
• Formalized senior-to-junior faculty mentoring programs.
• Informal, colleague-to-colleague mentoring.
• Faculty-to-graduate student mentoring.
• Faculty-to-undergraduate student mentoring.
• Graduate-to-undergraduate student mentoring.
• Networking through faculty and staff organizations.

Importantly, mentoring involves a dynamic, two-way relationship that produces benefits for both protégé and mentor.