Rethinking Mentoring Workshop Series
NCFDD’s Rethinking Mentoring Workshop Series is designed to help institutions create more consistent and sustainable mentoring systems. Rather than focusing only on individual mentor-mentee relationships, this series takes an institution-wide approach that supports leaders, faculty mentors, and mentees alike.
The series includes a facilitated mentoring strategy session, an assessment of your existing mentoring efforts, three interactive workshops, an online community space, and a collection of practical tools to support implementation. You can mix and match workshops and do them virtually or in-person:
- Rethinking Mentoring at Your Institution | For academic leaders
- Becoming an Effective Mentor | For faculty
- Building Your Mentoring Network | For faculty
A Strategic Shift in Mentoring Culture
As outlined in NCFDD’s white paper, Redefining Mentoring in Higher Ed, developed in collaboration with Harvard’s Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), there is a clear mentoring effectiveness gap across campuses: faculty overwhelmingly agree that mentoring matters, but far fewer say it’s actually working.
Mentoring is a priority for many institutions, but without a clear strategy, it can be difficult to ensure that all faculty receive the support they need. The Rethinking Mentoring Workshop Series helps campuses move from good intentions to structured, scalable practices that make mentoring work for everyone.
Through a combination of leadership development, mentor training, and network-building, participants in the Rethinking Mentoring Workshop Series learn how to create mentoring environments that foster connection, reduce burnout, and support long-term success. Whether you’re guiding others or seeking support yourself, this series provides a fresh, flexible model for what effective mentoring can—and should—look like.
Why Rethinking Mentoring?
The Rethinking Mentoring Workshop Series was built to address a clear disconnect: mentoring is widely valued but rarely delivered in ways that meet faculty needs. This series helps institutions bridge that gap. Participants can expect:
- Strategic Institutional Alignment – Uncover gaps between faculty mentoring needs and current practices, and align leaders around a shared roadmap to strengthen mentoring culture.
- Practical Skill Development – Equip faculty with tools to expand their mentoring networks and train mentors to provide more effective, responsive support.
- Actionable Community and Resources – Gain access to an ongoing peer community and a toolkit of conversation guides, mentor maps, and reflection prompts to support implementation.
- Improved Mentoring Outcomes – Build systems that not only improve mentoring experiences but also connect those improvements to broader institutional goals and measurable results.
Three Core Workshops
All sessions are led by a certified NCFDD facilitator experienced in supporting faculty development and institutional change. Offered virtually or in-person, with customizable options.
1
Rethinking Mentoring at Your Institution
For academic leaders
Helps academic leaders evolve mentoring strategy and align it with institutional priorities. Includes review of mentoring assessment results.
2
Becoming an Effective Mentor
For faculty
Provides practical guidance and tools for faculty to mentor intentionally and responsively.
3
Building Your Mentoring Network
For faculty
Supports faculty in identifying needs, mapping current support systems, and cultivating a broader network of mentors.
What’s Included in the Rethinking Mentoring Workshop Series?
Initial Mentoring Assessment
A simple, structured assessment of your current mentoring approach to inform your strategy going forward.
Pre-Workshop Strategy Session with Stakeholders
Led by an NCFDD-certified workshop facilitator to align on goals and desired outcomes as well as develop a clear plan for launching the workshops.
Digital Mentoring Toolkit
Downloadable tools to support implementation, including editable mentor maps, conversation guides, and reflection prompts.
Faculty Community Space
A dedicated online space where participants can share ideas, surface challenges, and connect with others working to improve mentoring.
Want to customize the workshops’ format or focus? We’ll work with you to tailor the series to your needs. Let’s talk.
How Rethinking Mentoring is Different from Other Faculty Development Offerings
Unlike traditional mentor training sessions or one-off leadership seminars, this workshop series offers:
A Multi-Level Approach
We engage both senior leaders and faculty themselves, recognizing that mentoring change must happen across the institution.
Research-Backed + Practice-Ready
The series blends data with proven strategies developed over years of faculty support and coaching.
Customizable Tools You Can Use Right Away
From mentor maps to conversation starters, participants leave with real resources, not just big ideas.
Designed for the Complexity of Academic Life
The series recognizes that mentoring needs vary widely across disciplines, career stages, and individual circumstances—and provides adaptable tools to support a range of mentoring relationships.
Want to know more about Rethinking Mentoring? Start with the Guide
What does effective mentoring look like in higher education today? How can institutions move beyond traditional one-to-one models to create networks of support? The Rethinking Mentoring program is here to help.
This workshop series equips academic leaders and faculty with tools to:
- Redefine mentoring with network-based models grounded in research
- Develop leadership capacity to support mentors and mentees at all career stages
- Strengthen campus culture by aligning mentoring with broader goals for faculty success and retention
The program guide offers a complete overview of the curriculum, session structure, and outcomes so you can see how the series helps campuses build sustainable mentoring systems.
Related Services
Faculty Success Program
Support individual faculty members with a 12-week program focused on productivity, time management, and work-life balance, also including a focus on community and building a network of mentors.
Designed for:
Early Career Faculty | Alt-ac | Tenure Track | Mid-Career Faculty
Department Chair Success Program
Help academic leaders strengthen their leadership skills, navigate competing demands, and support faculty success through intentional communication, mentoring, and strategic planning.
Designed for:
Mid-Career Faculty | Faculty Leaders | Senior Faculty