Best Practices for Mentoring in Online Programs

Book excerpt: Best Practices for Mentoring in Online Programs is a straightforward guide to creating meaningful, lasting mentoring programs for faculty or students enrolled in fully or predominantly online programs. Faculty and student mentoring programs are proliferating in higher education, including peer mentoring, group/network mentoring, and career mentoring, making it all the more important that administrators and instructors incorporate research-based best practices for effective and successful implementation. Divided into two sections – the first on mentoring programs for faculty, the second on programs for students – this volume engages a broad variety of mentoring models and contexts across disciplines, paying special attention to the effective strategies and common problems associated with online mentoring. The book addresses the practical aspects of setting up, running, structuring, and evaluating online mentoring programs, along with the recruitment, selection, compensation, and recognition of mentors. Case studies and interviews bring to life the challenges and opportunities of mentorship, including how to resolve discussions pertaining to difficult or controversial issues, while a wealth of resources, templates, and checklists will help administrators and faculty take concrete steps towards implementing or developing programs tailored to their needs and institutional contexts.