The Faculty Mentoring Link program is designed to advance the academic success, professional growth, and career satisfaction of faculty across Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University.
What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a purposeful, developmental partnership between two individuals. A mentor provides guidance, perspective, and support, while the mentee actively engages in their own growth and career progression.
Effective mentoring relationships are grounded in trust, open communication, and mutual respect. They create space for reflection, skill development, and informed decision-making, enabling faculty to navigate the complexities of academia with greater confidence and clarity.
At its best, mentoring is not about shaping someone into a predefined mold. It is about helping individuals define and pursue their own path.
Why Join the Faculty Mentoring Link program?
The Mentoring Link program is a strategic investment in your development as a faculty member and leader within academia.
Participation as a mentee provides the opportunity to:
- Clarify and advance your career trajectory
- Strengthen research, teaching, and leadership capabilities
- Build meaningful professional relationships across disciplines
- Increase confidence in navigating institutional systems and expectations
- Enhance overall career satisfaction and long-term success
Participation as a mentor provides the opportunity to:
- Share your expertise with colleagues
- Make a meaningful difference in someone’s professional journey
- Strengthen your leadership and communication skills
- Help build a stronger, more connected academic community
- Gain fresh perspectives from the colleagues you support
Faculty who engage in structured mentoring programs consistently demonstrate stronger academic productivity, higher engagement, and greater retention within their institutions.
'The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.'
Program Model: Functional Mentoring
The Faculty Mentoring Link program utilizes a functional mentoring model that is intentional, goal-oriented, and time-bound.
Each mentoring relationship is designed around a clearly defined objective, ensuring that time spent together is focused, productive, and aligned with meaningful outcomes.
Key elements include:
- Needs-Driven Matching
Mentees identify specific goals or areas for development - Expertise-Based Pairing
Mentors are selected based on relevant experience and alignment with mentee needs - Structured Engagement
Relationships are focused on defined outcomes rather than broad, open-ended guidance - Time-Limited Commitment
Mentoring engagements typically span a 12-month period
This approach ensures that mentoring is actionable, measurable, and directly tied to professional growth.
Implementation and Growth
The Faculty Mentoring Link program is currently in its third cohort.
The first cohort focused on supporting junior faculty as they established their academic foundation. Subsequent cohorts have included both junior and mid-career mentees.
Ongoing evaluation and participant feedback will inform program enhancements, ensuring the Mentoring Link program continues to meet the evolving needs of the VHS faculty community.
Annual Mentoring Timeline
The Faculty Mentoring Link program operates on a structured annual cycle to ensure clarity, consistency, and meaningful engagement for both mentors and mentees.
- Summer 2026 Program application period
- Fall 2026 Mentor and mentee matching process
- December 2026 Program kickoff and orientation
- March 2027 three-month check-in
- July 2027 mid-year check-in
- Monthly Community of Practice sessions
- Quarterly Speakers
- January 2028 Program evaluation and feedback collection
- January 2028 End-of-cycle reflection and recognition
This annual structure is designed to provide a clear rhythm for participation while allowing flexibility to meet the evolving needs of faculty across the academic year.
For more information on the Mentoring Link Program, please contact Co-Directors:
- Richard Handel, PhD at rhandel@odu.edu, 757-446-5777
- Steven Sheetz, PhD at ssheetz@odu.edu, 757-446-8475
Coming Soon:
Please follow this page for updates on our mentoring speaker series.
