Mentoring Excellence

Northwestern supports the cultivation of an inclusive community of individuals who are dedicated to excellence in mentoring, who model diverse and inclusive mentoring practices, and who help others become effective mentors and mentees at Northwestern University.

Developing and implementing effective mentoring practices is necessary in order to build a supportive, equitable and inclusive community; to attract, retain and develop talented scholars; and to contribute to an institutional culture that prioritizes well-being and scholarly growth.

At Northwestern, faculty mentorship work should be guided by four core Foundational Principles of Mentoring Practice:  intentional, inclusive, relational and holistic. These principles were developed by the Provost’s Office Mentoring Council, composed of faculty from across the schools. The principles, best practices and list of resources are designed to assist all faculty serving in formal or informal roles as mentors and mentees.

• Read more about the Foundational Principles of Mentoring Practice: intentional, inclusive, relational and holistic. 
• Find resources on mentoring, well-being, and diversity, equity and inclusion education.   

Mentoring Relationships and Programs

Faculty mentoring takes place in multiple forms, including one-on-one relationships between individuals and group-based mentoring, and includes the mentoring of faculty colleagues, postdoctoral trainees and students.

The Office of the Provost offers small group mentoring for department chairs and early career faculty through the Provost's Small Group Faculty Mentoring Program. This innovative program, offered since 2020, was designed by a faculty committee chaired by Kenzie Cameron, Professor of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine. 

Mentoring Training at Northwestern

Northwestern encourages all faculty to advance their mentoring practices through training sessions available at the university. The following training programs have been designed to align with the four Foundational Principles of Mentoring Practice and evidence-based best practices. They are intended for faculty to complete one series or the other, and to attend additional mentoring training sessions every few years on advanced/additional topics.

Collaborators on developing these programs include Kenzie Cameron, Senior Director of NUCATS Mentoring and Leadership Development, Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS); Adam Goodman, Director, Center for Leadership; Joan Marie Johnson, Senior Director for Faculty, Office of the Provost; Rick McGee, Associate Dean for Faculty Recruitment and Professional Development, Feinberg School of Medicine; and Liz Stein, Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Training and Development, The Graduate School