We are happy to announce the launch of the STEM Equals Reciprocal Mentoring Programme!
We are now recruiting mentors and mentees to take part in a brand-new EPSRC-funded pilot reciprocal mentoring programme that aims to increase awareness of the challenges of building an academic career for those who are from one or more groups underrepresented amongst university leaders and senior staff in UK higher education, including women, LGBT+ people, BAME (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) people, and people with disabilities.
The STEM Equals Reciprocal Mentoring programme aims to increase knowledge and understanding of a range of lived experiences, by pairing early or mid-career academics as mentors with university leaders/senior staff as mentees, in order to share their experiences of navigating academic careers.
The roles: Mentors (early or mid career academics) guide the mentees (university leaders/senior staff) through an exploration process, helping them to recognise their areas of strength and blind spots, seek new experiences, and come to a greater understanding of a range of lived experiences. Mentors can expect to gain a greater sense of belonging to a professional community as well as management and leadership skills such as active listening, motivating others, building commitment to action, and coaching.
How does it work? After the required Welcome Workshop, pairs will be matched together. Once pairs are matched, reciprocal mentoring proceeds as a series of confidential conversations. We recommend around four one-hour conversations over the six-month programme.
How long does it take? The total time commitment for the six-month programme is about eight hours. This includes the required Welcome Workshop (90 minutes), the four one-to-one mentoring meetings (four hours), plus a coffee afternoon at the midway point (one hour), and all associated paperwork and programme evaluations (90 minutes).
Timeline
Welcome Workshop: a required 90 minute workshop to introduce the programme and explore mentoring.
During 2022: the matched pairs will be expected to meet four times for one-hour long one-on-one mentoring meetings
Midway meeting: during 2022 a date/time will be set for a midway coffee afternoon meeting for all mentors and mentees
Who can be a mentor? Early or mid-career academics at the University of Strathclyde in permanent roles (Chancellors Fellows, Lecturers, Senior Lecturers) from any field/discipline who are from one or more groups underrepresented amongst university leaders and senior staff in UK higher education, including women, LGBT+ people, BAME (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) people, and people with disabilities.
Interested in being a mentor? Currently, we are not recruiting new mentors for the programme.
Who can be a mentee? University executive leaders and senior staff from any field/discipline (pay grade 9 and above).
Interested in being a mentee? Complete this brief online form
Matching mentors and mentees: For this pilot reciprocal mentoring programme, we will match up to 10 mentoring pairs after the Welcome Workshops.
The STEM Equals Reciprocal Mentoring Programme is designed and facilitated by Dr Kay Guccione, who has 12 years experience in mentoring design for Academic Development and Researcher Development, creating bespoke mentoring programmes with and for early career researchers and senior academic staff. She is a National Teaching Fellow and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, recognised for her pioneering work in creating cultures of mentoring to support the development of inclusive research environments. Kay edits two blogs, the Supervising PhDs blog and the Hidden Curriculum in Doctoral Education blog and has published numerous books and articles on doctoral education, the post-doctoral experience and on mentoring including the 2021 volume: Guccione, K.,& Hutchinson, S. Coaching & Mentoring for Academic Development. Emerald Education.