Mentoring Community College Faculty and Staff: Balancing Contradictions of Informal Program Components and Formal Program Structure

While research indicates that community colleges believe mentoring is valuable, there is recent evidence that the career benefits from community college mentoring programs may be less than desired for participants and lower than in other sectors. Based on mentees' perceptions gained from interviews of 23 mentees from nine community colleges, the researchers developed a framework for community college mentoring programs that is contrary to frequent practice and that is seemingly contradictory in nature. The researchers propose a model for formal programs that is non-intrusive, yet it is one which provides visible and strong support by the college, with informal structural characteristics that enhance the career development of mentees in the community college setting. ********** Mentoring has been shown to be one of the most beneficial aspects of successful careers in business, industry, and education. During the past 25 years, organizations have recognized the benefits of mentoring and initiated formal workplace mentoring into their training and development programs (Daloz, 1999; Douglas, 1997). More recently, community colleges have recognized the value of providing formal mentoring programs, but little research exists to inform colleges of the sorts of programs to offer their faculty and staff (League for Innovation in the Community College, 2000; Van Ast & Linduska, 1995; Valeau, 1999). This study sought to illuminate the structural characteristics of formal mentoring programs that best support the perceived career benefits of mentoring. Most of the research on the benefits of mentoring has been conducted in the business sector with few empirical research reports on mentoring in academic settings (Wunsch, 1994). Of the mentoring research in education, most has occurred in the high school or in four-year colleges with little in the community college setting. Of the research in the community college, much has focused on informal mentoring of high-level leaders and less on formal programs for junior and mid-level faculty and administrators (Barhorst, 1997; Merriam & Thomas, 1986). There is empirical evidence, however, that community colleges value mentoring programs on their campuses (League for Innovation in the Community College, 2000) and that those who are mentored describe their relationships as providing both psychosocial and career benefits (Merriam & Thomas, 1986; Valeau, 1999; Van Ast & Linduska, 1995). Psychosocial benefits refer to aspects of mentoring such as role modeling, counseling, friendship, acceptance, and confirmation. On the other hand, career benefits involve such aspects as coaching, protection, sponsorship, challenging assignments, and such (Kram, 1985) (see Table 1 later in this article). These benefits are similar to those reported in research studies in other sectors of the workplace (Mullen, 1998; Noe, 1988; Olian, Carroll, Giannantonio, & Feren, 1988). That is, psychosocial functions enhance an individual's sense of competence and identity in the work role, while career functions enhance advancement by offering opportunities for exposure and guidance in career development. Although community colleges recognize the value of providing mentoring programs that promote both psychosocial and career benefits, mentees participating in formal community college mentoring programs report fewer career benefits than do mentees participating in formal and informal mentoring relationships in other educational and business sector programs (Chao, Waltz, & Gardner, 1992; Ragins & Cotton, 1999; Hopkins, 2003). Valeau's (1999) study of mentoring in California community colleges concludes that mentees would like more career benefits to result and also concludes that other program improvements are needed. Similar findings by Dunlap and Pence (1990) in the public education sector support the recommendation that more attention be given to program structures that support career benefits. …