AACRAO is pleased to announce the release of the 2023 Mentorship Work Group Report. The report serves to provide guidance on the meaning and significance of mentorship within succession planning, member engagement opportunities, and professional development.
In recent AACRAO Career Profile Surveys, respondents regularly cited the significance
of mentorship throughout their careers. In response to this, the AACRAO Mentorship Work Group was established in 2021. The goal of the Work Group was to identify successful mentorship models and discover best practices for the Association to use as
a foundation to make informed decisions for future mentoring opportunities for its members. In order to provide a functional definition of mentorship to the AACRAO Community, the Mentorship Work Group structured itself around the following areas:
- Research: Use existing literature to establish research and ground the report
- Survey: Identify member-cited benefits of mentorship through survey
- Storytelling: Collect and present impactful mentorship stories
- What Works/ What Others Do: Gather information on the mentorship initiatives of other professional organizations
- Suggested Best Practices: Provide recommendations to the AACRAO Board of Directors on how to effectively mentor or be a mentee in a variety of contexts
- Items Outside of Scope: Address issues facing the profession and acknowledge that mentorship is only one part of the career path, and recognize areas of development that are to be cataloged for further development
The Work Group consisted of 12 members and was structured into four subgroups centered on Research, Surveys, Storytelling, or Reviewing Existing Initiatives. Work Group members include:
- Adrienne Bricker, (Co-Chair) EdD, Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Policy, Connection, and Technology and University Registrar, The Ohio State University
- Jennifer Love, (Co-Chair)Assistant Vice Provost for Texas One Stop, The University of Texas at Austin
- Lori Harris, Director of Registration and Clinical Placement, OSAS University of Maryland - Baltimore
- Laurie Huber, Workforce Project Manager, Workforce Intelligence Network
- Nicole Kragt, Registrar, Kalamazoo College
- Jennifer McClure, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services, Howard Community College
- Sandra Mohr, Interim Dean of Academic Affairs, New England College of Optometry
- Julia Pomerenk, Associate Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management and University Registrar, University of Oregon
- Tiffani Robertson, Associate Director, Enrollment Management, Governors State University
- Justin Schilke, Deputy Registrar, Rice University
- Steve Seaworth, Executive Director - INSTEP, Office of Global Programs and Studies, Wake Forest University
- Frank Yanchak, University Registrar, Franklin University
Of the nearly 300 individuals surveyed for the report, 30 percent indicated having never participated in a mentoring program of any kind. Thirty-one percent indicated that they participated in a mentoring program, but that participation was more than
two years ago. This indicates a significant portion of respondents that have not had recent mentorship relationships. It is this gap that the Work Group report seeks to address. The Work Group report aims to dissect the different demographics that
participate in mentorship programs, including; institution, role at the institution, time spent in the career field, and time spent in the current position. The report serves to highlight the benefits mentees, mentors, and organizations experience
from both formal and informal mentoring programs and initiatives. It also highlights the qualities that mentees find make the best mentors, some of the best practices for mentors, and how to establish a culture of mentorship within the Association.
Download the full report to find out more about recommendations provided by AACRAO’s Mentorship Work Group and the benefits mentorship can offer to both an individual and their institution.