Campus & Community

Achieving tenure is tough: A new faculty mentoring program can help

Campus & Community

Achieving tenure is tough: A new faculty mentoring program can help

Emily Diaz|Apr 28, 2025

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Valerie Johnson poses by a window wearing a neon blue shirt
Photo by Aubreonna Chamberlain/DePaul University

In this article:  

  • Academic Affairs’ faculty mentoring program supports new probationary faculty on their journey to tenure and promotion. 

  • How it works: New faculty are paired with senior faculty mentors and faculty mentors from employee resource groups. 

  • These mentors offer guidance on achieving quality research, teaching and university service to meet the criteria for tenure. 

  • Faculty can find more information about the faculty mentoring program here.  

For new probationary faculty, the path to tenure demands dedication to excellent research, teaching and service. While the six years spent working toward tenure can be daunting, the support of experienced mentors can make all the difference. 
For this reason, Valerie Johnson, associate provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, developed a faculty mentoring program in September of 2023 ​in collaboration with Lucy Rinehart, associate provost for academic planning and faculty.
The program aims to support the retention and success of all new probationary instructors and tenure-line faculty who have yet to reach promotion and tenure. They have the opportunity to be matched with a senior-level, tenured faculty mentor in their academic unit and a mentor associated with one of DePaul's nine employee resource groups. 

“Provost Salma Ghanem’s strong leadership and steadfast commitment to faculty success inspired the faculty mentorship program,” Johnson says. “This program amplifies Academic Affairs’ commitment to professional development.” ​

 What the program looks like  ​

Academic Affairs plays an important role in the success of the faculty mentoring program. Most importantly, they train chairs and directors who assign mentors to mentees. Chairs and directors then ensure that mentors and mentees coordinate consistent meetings that support the teaching and research goals of mentees.  

Academic Affairs also coordinates events that provide mentees an opportunity to network with one another and their mentors.    

​Benefits for faculty  ​

According to Johnson, mentorship can improve performance and enhance affinity toward DePaul and its mission.  Advantages include:  ​

  • Greater job satisfaction
  • Increased scholarly and creative productivity
  • Better evaluations from students
  • Consistent and steady progress toward tenure 
For mentors, imparting expertise reflects service to the university, giving them a new sense of purpose. 

“The wonderful thing about faculty mentoring is that it helps both new and senior faculty, often creating opportunities to conduct research and publish together,” Johnson says. “This growth advances the academic success of the university, providing a win-win relationship.”  

The challenges of successful mentorship ​

Despite its benefits, faculty mentoring programs are often unsuccessful, according to Johnson. Over half of one-on-one mentorship programs fail, and this number is higher for marginalized faculty. ​

“As scholars studying faculty mentoring have noted, this failure is a result of unclear expectations, inconsistent communication, and insufficient recognition of mentors’ contributions, among other reasons,” Johnson says. 

Additional obstacles that faculty from marginalized backgrounds face include microaggressions, glass ceiling barriers and devaluation of their research.  ​

“While many mentorship programs have historically been unsuccessful, Academic Affairs have applied best practices to curtail these challenges,” Johnson says. “With the support of our provost, the deans, department chairs and directors and faculty mentors, we’re able to provide a rewarding mentorship experience.” 

Aside from trainings, networking events, best practices include consistent meetings between mentors and mentees, evaluation and feedback from participants and multiple faculty mentors.  

 Ensuring success ​

According to Johnson, successful mentors possess cultural competence, an impressive research background and a successful teaching and service record.  

"Having mentors who are also open, approachable, and understanding of different challenges professors face can help new faculty develop a sense of belonging,” Johnson says.  

Mentees and mentors have reported positive results after the first year of the faculty mentoring program.  

“I love my mentor,” one mentee says. “I text her with minor questions and I always know she’s somebody I can go to.”  ​

Mentors express a similar satisfaction with their pairing.  

“I try to go out for a meal with my awesome mentee,” one mentor says. “...I think that is a nice model that builds community for both of us.”  

 As of now, mentees and mentors can look forward to a breakfast networking event sponsored by Academic Affairs on May 6.  

 "If there’s one thing we want faculty to know, it’s that Academic Affairs is here for you,” Johnson says. “We understand the unique challenges faculty face and are here to promote faculty success.” ​


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