The seminar addressed the role of mentoring in higher education with a focus on equity and academic development.

With the participation of Kimberly Griffin, dean of the College of Education at the University of Maryland, the event presented findings from the Fondecyt project led by Daniela Véliz, vice dean of Education at UC, on mentoring programs for early-stage academics.

“Mentoring in Higher Education: International Lessons and Trends for Career Development” was the title of the seminar held on March 31 at the UC Faculty of Education, which is part of the Fondecyt Regular project “Development of mentoring programs for early-stage academics: Promoting success in research universities in Chile,” a research project led by the Daniela Véliz, academic and vice dean of Education at UC, and which he presented together with his co-researcher Sergio Celis, associate professor at the University of Chile

The Fondecyt Regular project 1241537 seeks to understand mentoring practices, strengthen mentoring for early-career academics, and analyze the Chilean university context. The event addressed the project's main findings and their implications for the design of institutional mentoring programs, and also featured a keynote address by Kimberly Griffin, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Maryland, United States, who presented "Expanding access to mentoring, mentoring programs and equity-focused practices."

The dean of the UC Faculty of Education, Alejandro CarrascoDuring the event, he mentioned that the academic career is currently being challenged by various trends, and that, therefore, academic mentorship plays an even more important role, especially when it is systematized, as in the case of UC. 

“Today’s conversation is very important because it greatly contributes to how the university, through its academics, can adapt to the current times. Our mentoring program, which is already a practice implemented in our Academic Development Office, has had very significant effects on the Faculty we have built and continue to build. There is a before and after in what we do, in how we train, collaborate, and make an impact,” said Dean Carrasco. 

Vice Dean Daniela Véliz mentioned that the event is a very significant milestone, as it represents a space for academic reflection on a key strategy for strengthening universities and those involved in academic mentoring programs. “It is also an honor for me to welcome our guest scholar, Kimberly Griffin, an international expert in the study and development of mentoring programs in higher education. Her presence not only enriches this seminar but also validates the international importance of this topic.”

Nine years ago, Véliz explained, the Catholic University gave him the opportunity to pilot a mentoring program in the Faculty of Education in a context where this type of initiative was not fully consolidated in the country. 

“It allowed us to learn, adjust, make mistakes, and always move forward with the conviction that supporting academics in their initial stages was a vital investment for our Faculty. Today, this program is well-established, forming part of the culture of the Faculty and also of our University, contributing concretely to academic development, institutional integration, and the strengthening of our communities. This experience is largely what gave rise to the research questions that underpin the project that brings us together today,” she said during the event.

Strategies for implementing mentoring programs in Chilean universities

The objective of the Fondecyt Regular project 1241537 is to understand what academics and administrators understand by mentorship, and what strategies they are considering for the implementation of formal mentorship programs for faculty at research universities in Chile. The methodology included 74 interviews with key stakeholders, data analysis, document review, and the study of six case studies from Chilean universities. 

Among the main conclusions, it is highlighted that the benefits and limitations identified in Chilean universities are similar to those noted in the international literature. The most established programs in Chile are housed within a formal university structure, typically in research-intensive universities with advanced accreditation. Furthermore, the lack of recognition within the academic career path emerges as a challenge to consolidating a culture that promotes collaboration and collegiality. 

Mentoring as an engine for equality: Kimberly Griffin's perspective

For her part, Kimberly Griffin, dean of the College of Education at the University of Maryland, shared how her interest in mentorship stemmed from her own research journey, studying the experiences of students of color in higher education. “One of the things I learned from literally every paper I read is that, in the end, regardless of the student’s struggles, they recommended that mentorship was what we should implement. And as I continued doing my work, I learned that in quantitative research, integrations with faculty members were a positive predictor of any academic outcome you were looking for, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels,” she recounted.

The dean also highlighted the role of her own mentors. “Sharon and Jeff are two people I generally credit for my academic career. I’m not me without them. They talked about when I would get my doctorate, not if I would; about when I would become a professor, not if I would make it. They saw my potential before I could see it in myself,” she recalled. Griffin emphasized that her mentors valued her as a whole person: they knew her family, they knew she came from California, and they always encouraged her to pursue goals bigger than she herself had ever dreamed of.

Based on that experience, Griffin noted that access to mentorship remains unequal. “Sometimes, when we have great intentions and know something is good, that doesn’t translate into the results we want to see. Some have great mentors, others have no mentors at all, and some have very bad mentors,” she explained. Therefore, her work has focused on ensuring everyone has access to quality mentorship, and also on understanding how academics can participate positively without it causing excessive strain.

Academic dialogue with UC mentoring and with the University of Chile

During her visit to the country, Kimberly Griffin had a busy academic schedule. On March 31, she was invited by the Academic Development Office of the UC Vice-Rector's Office to lead the workshop "Skills That Support a Culture of Mentorship," aimed at members of the UC mentoring program.

The co-author of the book “On Being a Mentor: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty” addressed the importance of understanding mentoring as a relationship that can be strengthened through learning skills and behaviors. The workshop offered a space to reflect on and practice tools aimed at improving the quality of mentoring relationships, as well as creating and sustaining environments that foster them.

On April 1, Kimberly Griffin participated in the  Launch of the book “Academic Mentoring with a Gender Perspective at the University of Chile”During the event, she reflected on how these relationships can contribute to reducing gender gaps and strengthening equity in higher education. The meeting was presented by academic Daniela Véliz and Ulrike Kemmerling, academic director of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Chile.