Equitable and inclusive mentoring programs for women faculty

Mentoring relationships designed for women can be beneficial in unique ways from traditional mentoring programs. We survey full-time faculty to identify how mentorships are used and to consider differences between genders to understand unique needs in mentoring relationships. Findings suggest women faculty in public administration and public affairs programs have unique needs and values regarding mentorship relationships compared to men. We also find that, while equitable and inclusive mentoring programs require institutional and human resource investments, clear parameters for expectations, inclusive matching considerations, and mutual trust and respect are needed and require different levels of support. Implications are made for public affairs programs to address culture and leadership issues before creating or fostering mentorship programs. Further, we suggest a need for additional training for mentors and creating mentorship networks to meet diverse needs of mentees and to ease the mentoring burden on individual faculty.