ABSTRACT
Departmental and institutional leaders play an important role in bolstering and reinforcing both the prevalence and quality of mentoring relationships in any academic milieu. Although formal matching schemes and assigned relationships may be indicated in specific contexts, creation of a mentoring culture and a best-fit mentoring structure is likely to generate stronger support and commitment on the part of both professors and prospective mentees. In addition to tailoring a mentoring structure to fit the needs of department or institution, it is important to thoughtfully hire and train faculty mentors; track connections between students, new faculty, and more senior faculty; and evaluate mentoring efficacy and outcomes. When administrators are serious about mentoring, faculty are serious about mentoring. Higher-education administrators play a crucial role in stimulating attention to mentorship, enabling institution-congruent mentoring structures, and cheer-leading incremental improvements in the prevalence and quality of mentoring.
