Mentoring at the intersection of student and faculty retention at Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) masters of public administration programs

Abstract

Mentoring is essential for the retention and success of not only students but early-career junior faculty as well. Yet, mentorship and mentoring become an issue of equity where those with the resources (financial, human, etc.) receive and provide better mentoring. This article is a collaborative autoethnography triangulated with program documents to better understand the role, perceptions, and experiences of mentorship for Women of Color (WOC) faculty in NASPAA-accredited HBCU graduate programs. This research uses a framework where student success depends on faculty success, and investing in faculty is as important as investing in students. We found the way that faculty perceive their role as mentors is strongly influenced by past mentoring experiences, how roles and responsibilities are defined, and how these roles and responsibilities are supported and measured within retention, tenure, and promotion (RTP). We provide recommendations to retain and develop faculty to become highly effective mentors at HBCUs.